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Reviews and Recipes!

Here's everything, all in one place!

Never Say Goodbye by C.A. Bell

3/23/2016

1 Comment

 
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                                 Never Say Goodbye
                               (Nancy's Curse, Book 1)
                                      by C.A. Bell
                              genre: Paranormal Romance

​About the Book:

Sometimes white magic can turn dark. Even with the best intentions. 

When Angelica placed a protective curse over her granddaughter, Nancy, in a bid to keep her safe from society and her own powers until she was old enough to understand, she had no idea of the consequences. 

It’s October 31st, and a grown-up Nancy is holding her annual Halloween party. Only this year she strays away from her traditional festivities that include her famous Halloween punch, and dancing to the Monster Mash, and opts for a spookier night. She will be holding a séance with the help of her friends and her new Ouija board. Little does she know that the protective curse her grandmother secretly cast over twenty-seven years ago is lifted tonight, and her true powers are finally presented to her. 

A spirit is summoned. But only time will tell just who he really is. ​

My Thoughts

  Somebody throw me in a cold shower please, because this is one hot read! While very short, it gets directly to the point with little fussing. This erotic little read harped on some dark fantasies I've had and is full of intrigue! There's definitely a cliffhanger at the end that just left me panting for more and I'm eagerly on the lookout for the second book of this series. My only complaint is that this book was too short, she could've definitely made it much longer. However, it makes for a nice, juicy short read that I thoroughly enjoyed!

*I received a copy of this book free of charge for my honest opinion!
1 Comment

The Guicai Talisman by A.M. Griffin

3/21/2016

0 Comments

 
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About the Book

What does a woman have to do to prove she belongs in the Undercity? Sure, I’m unclassed and only half paranormal, but that doesn’t mean I can’t solve cases. Since the established PI’s won’t acknowledge my right to a territory, I’m taking jobs from whoever will hire me, doing what I do best…proving myself to be a bad-ass problem solver. Which is how I find myself breaking into Zaid’s house, looking for a talisman my witch client says the very powerful vampire stole. 

Now, I can make flowers grow, hear the wind’s whispers and talk to animals, but I don’t have the gift of seeing the future. If I did, I’d have known not to take this case. Because no matter the outcome, nothing good can come from messing with the Guicai Talisman, or it’s far too gorgeous guardian. 
​

My Thoughts

  This is an absolutely awesome read! Packed full of adventure and intrigue, I was immediately captivated the moment I started reading it. The writing is very good, the storyline was full of mystery and the characters were well built. Even though the cover is a little comic-book-like , this is a really great read. I loved how you're immediately swept into a world of paranormal intrigue and action which is very easy to follow without feeling like you're missing a backstory. I was absolutely captivated the entire time and never saw a single dull moment. I found myself staying up way past my bedtime just to finish this book and see what would happen next. There's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, and I can't wait to dive into the next book in this awesome series!

​*I was not paid for this review! I received a copy free of charge for my honest opinion!
0 Comments

Affliction by Marilee Brothers

3/20/2016

0 Comments

 
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                                       Affliction
                                  (Soul Seekers #1)
                                 by Marilee Brothers

About the Book:

Twenty-two year old Honor Melanie (Mel) Sullivan has an affliction. Due to childhood trauma and inappropriate social behavior, she is diagnosed with Aspergers, a form of autism. But, Mel knows Aspergers is not her true affliction. She prefers not to gaze into a person’s eyes because she is a soul reader, and what she sees can be frightening. It can also get Mel into trouble. 

After a brush with the law, Mel leaves her family home in Southern California and travels to Oregon where she meets Harley-Davidson riding William McCarty (Billy the Kid) and stumbles upon a human trafficking/baby-selling scheme involving a foreign girl from Kazakhstan, and others. Even though Mel's life is in danger, she won't stop until she finds the answers that will help those unable to help themselves.

Mt Thoughts:

 I absolutely enjoyed Affliction! The storyline and plots were completely new to me, I've never read a book with this theme before and was pretty caught up in it. I was sitting on the edge of my seat trying to figure the plot out a few times yet was completely satisfied by the end of the book. I absolutely adored the main character, Mel. She's a little fireball with a big heart and I just loved her snarky little attitude! Too cute! The rest of the characters were very easy to affiliate with as well and I really liked Uncle Paco! With a few slightly spicy moments of a quick romance, it could've built a little more on the romantic side of things, yet that wasn't the focus of the book. I'm glad it didn't turn into a complete romance and was more about the baby trafficking schemes. I was completely engrossed with this book and am anxiously desiring the sequel!
*I was not paid for this review! I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion!

If you'd like to read this intriguing book as well, it's available here:
http://www.amazon.com/Affliction-Soul-Seekers-Marilee-Brothers-ebook/dp/B01AR677F2/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456759016&sr=1-1-spell


​#MarileeB
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Schism Review and Giveaway!

3/17/2016

3 Comments

 
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                                                                                                  Schism
                                                                                     by Britt Holewinski
​                                                                                    Genre: YA, Dystopian

About the Book

SCHISM is the first book in a new dystopian trilogy by a truly unique author. It tells a tale of survival, of good versus evil, and of constructing a future with only memories of childhood. 

A virus, created by the smartest minds in the United States government, which is meant to target male adults in times of war, is accidentally released before testing is complete. Within weeks six billion people are eliminated from the world. The only survivors are prepubescent children. 

Five years after this catastrophic event, a young girl named Andy Christensen and her two friends are forced to leave their home in Bermuda and return to the North American continent. There, they discover that America is wild and chaotic, and people have instituted a “survival of the fittest” mentality. Andy and her friends soon band together with fellow survivors in search for a new place to call home.

My Thoughts

     Wow! This is the best book I've read this year so far! I was completely captivated from beginning to end and found it so hard to put down. The writing is excellent, the plots are well thought out and the characters are absolutely believable. The complexities of the characters and society are so realistic, it felt like I was reading a true story memoir. With plenty of action, a hint of romance and well versed dialogue, I didn't experience a single dull moment in Schism!While it does have vague references to drugs and sex, there's no explicit scenes or anything that I found offensive. This is an absolute perfect read for young adults, adults and anybody who likes dystopian literature. I absolutely enjoyed reading Schism and am anxiously awaiting for the sequel!Schism has made my top 5 list of best books that I've ever had the pleasure to read!

About Britt Holewinski

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                                                                             http://brittholewinski.com/

      Britt Holewinski is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, but during her childhood she lived in six different houses across the country, which inspired her to write about characters who must continually adapt to new situations and locations. She attended the University of Notre Dame and Pennsylvania State University, where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering.      In her spare time, Britt loves to go hiking along the Potomac River, learn French, and visit the Revolutionary and Civil War sites in Virginia and Maryland.
She has been living in the Washington DC area for the last twelve years.SCHISM is her first novel.

What inspired Britt Holewinski to write SCHISM?

        I began writing this novel in January 1995. I was a junior in high school and I had just finished reading Lord of the Flies. Months earlier, I had watched a miniseries of Stephen King’s The Stand on television, and I became fascinated by the idea of weaving together the two plot lines: a world run by children after being the only survivors of a global plague. Though only seventeen, I was determined to write a book and began a first draft. I wrote nearly two hundred pages and then college, graduate school, and my career stalled further progress on the story.
          In the intervening years, I tried to write as often as possible, sometimes on my laptop but more often in large spiral notebooks—random scenes written out of order that I knew I wanted to include in the final version. Finally, not long after finishing my year-long tour in Afghanistan, I decided to take time off from my job to focus on writing the book, and in December 2011, I finished the first draft.
          Many of my own personal experiences are reflected throughout the story. Watching The Stand was the impetus for writing about a global virus. However, as I began my career and worked closely with the US military overseas, I had several discussions about how cautious the military must be to ensure that women and children are not harmed during air or ground raids on enemy targets. These discussions gave me the inspiration to define the virus in the book as one developed to be lethal only to adult males, thereby eliminating the need to worry about innocent civilian casualties. Of course, the virus was accidentally and prematurely released at the start of the novel, resulting in billions of deaths.
        In September 2000, I was about to begin graduate school at UCLA. I had come to Los Angeles three months earlier and immediately felt out of place, especially after a rock cracked my windshield while driving into the city the day I arrived. As the summer passed, the nagging feeling that I was supposed to be somewhere else had worn me down, and by the time autumn came, I decided to move back east and transferred my enrollment to Penn State. I packed my car and drove three hours until I reached Barstow and finally stopped. The drive from LA that night inspired one of my favorite scenes in the novel: when Andy and Ben escape from the Coliseum and drive off into the night through the California desert.
(QUOTED FROM HER WEBSITE)

Find Schism Here

  • Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D0KTJYO?keywords=britt%20holewinski&qid=1458233143&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2
  • Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28817400-schism?ac=1&from_search=1
  • Author's website: http://brittholewinski.com/
  • B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/mobile/w/schism-britt-holewinski/1123242900?ean=2940152608854
  • Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/schism-22
  • itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/schism/id1081579234?mt=11 orhttps://itun.es/us/IB5Dab.l
  • Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/612185

And Now, a Special Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
3 Comments

Grumpy Old Wizards by John O'Riley

3/16/2016

0 Comments

 
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About the Book

Fifty years after the Disaster, the world is vastly different from days of old. Wizardry is the norm and magical talent is categorized. Josephine O'Connor, an eighty-four-year-old with a penchant for off-beat antics, is a category six, which means she possesses magical powers as rare as they are unsettling and a talent for psychometry that is so strong and acute that she can read the psychic impressions in a room without touching anything. With her unique physiology, she’s over eighty years of age and still gets carded at R-rated movies. Most of the time it’s flattering but it can sometimes be a nuisance. For the most part, Josephine spends her days like any other retirement community member. She plays cards with friends, attends get-togethers, and occasionally visits the beach until she is called upon by the police to investigate a crime scene left behind by a suspect with powers equal to her own. Now the race is on. Can an out-of-practice wizard marshal her abilities and catch a menace before he becomes so powerful even she can’t stop him?

My Thoughts

 I absolutely loved Grumpy Old Wizards! After reading Inheritance, the first book of the Wizards of Seattle series, I was already acquainted with the Disaster and the ensuing wizardry. I easily fell under O'Riley's spell of flawless writing of Josephine's story. The storyline was absolutely engrossing, and I found it incredibly hard to put this book down! With plots, action and intrigue galore, this book was completely captivating! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and am greatly looking forward to reading some more of his work!

 If you'd like to read this compelling story as well, you can find it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Grumpy-Old-Wizards/dp/1484020855/ref=la_B00BQRNHMO_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456891602&sr=1-1


​#GrumpyOldWizards

0 Comments

Fated by Regan Ure

3/15/2016

0 Comments

 
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About the Book

Seventeen-year-old Keri Edwards has led a hard life. She is the daughter of the most ruthless Alpha in the territory. In the shadow of cruelty, he molded her to follow in his footsteps. Her father’s unexpected death has freed her and made her the Alpha of a powerful pack. 

Forced to lie and deceive the people closest to her has led to the rejection of her mate, Blake Stevens. He walked away instead of claiming her. In his eyes she is the one who betrayed him, her actions unforgivable. 
   
There is no time to deal with her heartache as she takes on the biggest task of her life, becoming the Alpha she was trained to be. Settling into her new role has dangers, and when Blake appears out of the blue, wanting her as his mate, she can’t trust his motives. 

Book 2 in the Forever Series

My Thoughts

 It was a true pleasure reading Alpha, the first book in the series. I found Fated to be an even better read! The action was virtually non-stop and kept me gripping my tablet with white knuckles at times! The romance was spicier and there were quite a few moments that my heart ached for the dramatic situations the characters were put into. I was completely compelled to finish this read as fast as I could just to see what would happen next. Without any dull moments, the climax built up layer by layer into an explosive finale with a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series so far and I'm excitedly looking forward to the next release from Regan Ure!

If you'd like to read this exciting new release, you can find it here SOON:
http://www.amazon.com/Fated-Forever-Book-Regan-Ure-ebook/dp/B01C9V6ZY2/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

I'M ALSO HOSTING A PRE-ORDER BLITZ WITH A GIVEAWAY ON MY SITE HERE:
​http://recipe-fairy.weebly.com/book-tours/fated-by-regan-ure-pre-order-blitz-and-giveaway
0 Comments

Alpha by Regan Ure

3/14/2016

0 Comments

 
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About the Book

Seventeen-year-old Scarlett Hayes is living her life by her own rules. Losing her parents at a young age has made her strong and fiercely independent. She knows exactly who she is and nothing is going to change that. 

Everything starts to change for her when she moves to a new town. She meets Cade Presley. He is domineering and arrogant which makes her detest him at first sight. 

She learns a secret that will unravel her perfect life and lead her into a world she never knew existed. 

Embracing her new life is difficult when it pulls her closer to Cade. Finding out you are destined to be with someone forever is hard to handle especially when you want to throttle them every time you see them. 

The attraction she feels for him is undeniable and there is no fighting destiny.

My Thoughts

  I was completely caught up in Scarlett's story from the first page. I loved how the mysteries of her life were slowly layered back until a final explosion of action! The writing was well thought out and the romance was very sweet and tantalizing. While somewhat predictable in the very beginning, a few really good twists were thrown in that kept the excitement brewing all the way to the end. I couldn't find a single dull moment and found it very hard to stop reading! I actually read this entire book in one morning and I can't wait to dive into the sequel and see what happens next!

If you'd like to read Alpha as well, you can find it here:
​http://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Forever-Book-Regan-Ure-ebook/dp/B00Y4FTXQ4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1457991899&sr=8-1
0 Comments

Fallen by Ann Hunter

3/14/2016

0 Comments

 
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About the Book

"Once upon a time, I fell in love. Madly, deeply. With my whole being. I'd do anything for the girl who robbed me of my heart. 
I tried to save her... 
But Darkness came. The ban sidhe, Crwys, death herself, wants me for her own. She thinks I am someone from her past, and she will not rest until I submit. 
I have secrets. Some I can barely live with myself for, and every night I dream of two women. One I cannot save, the other I cannot escape...." 
--Prince Sylas of Killeagh 


One prince. One mistake. One... chicken? 

A twisted retelling of the fairy tale, The Frog Prince, featuring your favorite villain from The Subtle Beauty & Moonlight, Sylas Mortas. 

What would YOU do for love? 

17-year-old Prince Sylas of Killeagh wants what every one else wants: control over his own life. When he tries to run away from home and escape an arranged marriage, the last thing he expects is to fall in love with a robber in the woods. Hiding behind a mask, the robber girl seems to lead a life of freedom Sylas has only dreamed of. Their adventure comes to an end when the Castle Killeagh guards hunt Sylas down and he's forced to return home. He convinces his parents to allow him to find the girl again and consider her as a candidate for marriage, but he only has until the next full moon to find her, or all bets are off. 

Death has a name, and it is Crwys. As a ban sidhe, her job is to visit the great houses of The Summer Isle and keen out the living to prepare them for death. King Sionnach has far outlived his days and it is time he cross to the Unliving World. When she arrives, a young prince named Sylas intervenes and offers to go in his grandfather's stead. This break with tradition, and selfless sacrifice, move Crwys into loving Sylas, who looks so much like a shadow from her past. But when he crosses her to be with his true love, he invokes the wrath of a woman scorned. 

Rós is just a little, aura-seeing, red hen whose master believes she is chosen by the gods. Her arrival at King Sionnach's court is insignificant to Sylas at the time, but their destinies are interwoven. Can she help Sylas save himself from the curse Crwys has planned for him? Or will he become a fallen frog prince? 

In this unexpected love story, Happily Ever After may not always begin with Once Upon a Time. 
​

My Thoughts

 Wow! I was really blown away by this wonderful book! This is definitely Ann Hunter's best one yet. I was completely captivated and found it extremely hard to put this book down. I absolutely love how this story ties in neatly with The Subtle Beauty and Moonlight. I found Sylas's story completely intriguing and my heart really felt for him and his touching story. I though he was some cold monster in the first two books and was pleasantly surprised to find out how....human he was and all of his heartrending trials. The writing was excellent, the descriptions were realistic and the storyline was believable. I thoroughly enjoyed Fallen from start to finish and am eagerly anticipating reading some more of Ann Hunter's books!

If you'd like to read this amazing story too, you can find it here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N9RT7UA?keywords=fallen%20by%20ann%20hunter&qid=1457969128&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1​


#CrownsoftheTwelve​
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Inheritance by John O'Riley

3/14/2016

0 Comments

 
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About the Book

Jason wonders if his luck has finally turned around when he discovers he will inherit a luxurious home infused with ancient magic and a sizable fortune from a relative he’d never known existed. Of course, there’s a catch. His younger brother and his cousin will inherit equal parts of the inheritance and it is stipulated in the will that they must live together first before they gain possession of the estate. All three of them are potential White Knights with the rare ability to practice advanced white magic. They must learn to use their new power and defend themselves from a secret organization that is armed with potent, black magic. This novella is the first installment of the Wizards of Seattle series.

My Thoughts

 I was completely swept off my feet from start to finish with this intriguing book! With non-stop action, secrets galore and a captivating storyline, I was absolutely engrossed with this spectacular read. A tantalizingly slow reveal of layers of plots just kept building the whole time and as soon as I thought I had things figured out....a new twist would appear! The writing was very good and stayed fresh throughout without a single dull moment. There's quite a cliffhanger at the end that left me flipping through the end pages looking for an excerpt from the next book. Alas, no sneak peek. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this intriguing series after all the fun I had reading this first book!
*I was not paid for this review! I received a free copy for my honest opinion!

If you'd like to check out this intriguing series for yourself, you can find it here:
 http://www.amazon.com/Inheritance-Wizards-Seattle-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00MWZ150A/ref=la_B00BQRNHMO_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442352375&sr=1-7


​#Inheritance
0 Comments

Egoz Mummy Sleeping Bag

3/13/2016

1 Comment

 
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*I was not paid for this review! I received this product free of charge for my honest opinion!

 My family loves to go camping! We like to get out there quite a few times a year and rough it in the wild with a tent and minimalist supplies. As much as we like to rough it though, one item we will indulge in is a good sleeping bag! Egoz makes a really nice mummy sleeping bag that is perfect for our next trip!
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 The Egoz mummy sleeping bag has a 100% polyester outside and a 100% cotton inside that is built to last. This three season sleeping bag is designed to keep you warm down to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. I loved how plush and comfortable this sleeping bag was! A sturdy zipper on the side goes all the way down to the feet and a velcro closure at the top helps it stay in place when closed. The top of the sleeping bag has a hood like top that has a drawstring that you can adjust to snugly fit around your head. The whole sleeping bag snugly fits around you without letting any cold air in or hot air out.
  The whole sleeping bag easily rolls up and fits into a small carrying sack. The sack has a drawstring closure that also doubles as a double backpack type strap. I found the sleeping bag to be very comfortable, yet I do want to warn that it is made only for smaller framed people. My husband was unable to zip it up all the way. Since I'm 6 months pregnant, I was unable to get it zipped up past my belly either. My husband's brother is a bit slimmer and he was able to comfortably fit in it, yet he was a little tall for it. We are not big people! If you're smaller, this is perfect for you. If you're a little taller or slightly heavy, this is definitely not for you. The sleeping bag would be perfect for teens and kids though!
  If you'd like to get one of these mummy sleeping bags for yourself, they're available here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RVIXZDS


​#egoz
1 Comment
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