Review: Hindsight by Sherry D. Ficklin

Hindsight by Sherry D. Ficklin

***I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb-
On her own for the first time, Grace has come into her full powers as an immortal and has taken up the mantle offered by her father, Prometheus.
Leaving behind everything and everyone she loves, Grace has become a pawn in a dangerous game that threatens to undo a centuries old truce between the Gods and the Fae.
On the brink of war Grace must choose to stand either with Chris and Phoenix of the Fae or with her father and the rest of the immortal Olympian Gods.
Can Grace find a way to repair the damage that's been done?
Or will she become the Harbinger that the Gods of Fate predicted?

My Thoughts:
Wow - I don't even know how to start this review - - - this is my favorite book in the series.  Absolutely fantastic read!  The characters that I fell in love with in books one and two are back once again with an amazing story.  This fast paced thriller is non-stop.  From the first page to the end, I couldn't put it down.  This is an inspiring story of love and sacrifice.  It's about the choices we make and how they affect those around us.  It is both entertaining and intriguing.  This story questions greed, power, family, friends, right, wrong, and what it means to truly love someone.  What you would sacrifice for love? Would you give up the person you loved most in all the world for the good of mankind?  Do NOT miss this incredible finale.

I have been loving this series from the start ~ you can read my reviews for Foresight and Secondsight by clicking on the titles.

You can check out the book trailer here.

Sherry D. Ficklin, Author
www.sherryficklin.com
http://about.me/sherrydficklin

Review: Bitten by Dan O'Brien

Bitten by Dan O'Brien

Amazon Product Description:
A predator stalks a cold northern Minnesotan town. There is talk of wolves walking on two legs and attacking people in the deep woods. Lauren Westlake, resourceful and determined F.B.I Agent, has found a connection between the strange murders in the north and a case file almost a hundred years old. Traveling to the cold north, she begins an investigation that spirals deep into the darkness of mythology and nightmares. Filled with creatures of the night and an ancient romance, the revelation of who hunts beneath the moon is more grisly than anyone could have imagined.

My Thoughts:
This is a completely new and different feel for the werewolf story.  It hints at the supernatural and ritualistic from the start and delivers in the end.  I enjoyed the characters, but the plot is the driving force.  Hecate was an interesting and unexpected touch.  Lauren is a strong, driven woman with a sense of purpose and a desire for justice.  The language is wonderful, Dan O'Brien is a master at visual description.  The story is fast paced and dramatic.  I loved the idea of a man who wished to be a monster and a monster who wished to be a man...the story was wonderful.  This story has a little bit of everything ~ horror, mystery, romance, thrills, chills, and a bit of supernatural.  I hope there are more Lauren Westlake stories to come - I will be looking for them!



The only problem I had with the story, and it doesn't take away from the story itself at all, was the "hey" that seemed to end a great many sentences spoken by inhabitants of Minnesota.  As a native Minnesotan, I neither add that to my speech nor do I notice anyone else doing so.  It seems to be a misconception that perhaps we talk that way.  

Review: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Amazon Product Description:

Alex Kosmitoras's life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he's blind. Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, an enticing new girl comes to their small Midwest town all the way from India. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival--an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to "see" the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they suggest Simmi is in mortal danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex embarks on his journey to change the future.

My Thoughts:
This is a wonderful read!  The characters are well developed and creative.  Alex is a fabulously created character.  The story is nicely paced and the plot draws you in.  The world that the author has created for her characters is believable and realistic.  I am always excited to see that little something extra like the runes at the start of each chapter, it makes me feel like the author wanted their book to be special.  I truly enjoyed this story and look forward to more from Emlyn Chand! 

Blog Tour: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand (author giveaway too!)

This blog tour is presented by Goddess Fish Promotions.

You can follow the entire tour by clicking HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.

It is my pleasure to feature Emily Chand and her book Farsighted.

Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

Author Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ GoodReads ~ Google+ ~ Novel Publicity
SUPER AWESOME BOOK TRAILER

Book Blurb:
     Alex Kosmitoras’s life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he’s blind. Just when he thinks he’ll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

     Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to “see” the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future.

Emily has offered this excerpt to feed our reading need...

At Sweet Blossoms, Mom makes a huge fuss over my “becoming a ladies’ man, and with such pretty ladies too.” I keep my hands clasped on my cane to keep myself from strangling her. After making sure she’s thoroughly embarrassed me, Mom closes up shop early, swings by the pizza parlor, and delivers the three of us to an empty house.

“Dad’s out on another job interview,” Mom explains, laying out paper plates and napkins and extracting a two-liter bottle of orange pop from the fridge. “Let’s save him a couple of slices, okay?”

Shapri flips open the lid off the first pizza box. “Ick, ham and pineapple,” she says, moving on to the next box. “Now here’s what I’m talking about, pepperoni with extra cheese. Yum!”

“Pineapple and ham is Alex’s favorite,” Mom announces from the kitchen, as she pours pop into Dixie cups.

“Yes, it is,” I say, nudging Shapri out of the way, so I can plop a few slices onto my plate. I don’t care how early in the afternoon it is. I’m hungry. I shove a slice in my mouth and the grease drips down my chin.

Shapri crunches on a slice of the pepperoni and cheese.

“Are you eating the crust first?” I ask; the tip of the pizza goes in mushily, not crunchily.

“Of course,” Shapri says. Her voice is muffled since her mouth is completely full of food. “That’s how you’re supposed to eat it, save the best for last.”

“Weird,” I say, taking another huge chomp of my pizza from the intended end.

“Do they have pizza where you come from, Simmi?” Mom asks.

“Yes,” Simmi answers curtly.

“Well, why aren’t you eating anything? Don’t you like pizza?”

“Yes, I like pizza very much. But…”

I pause before tearing into my second slice. “What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Well, I don’t eat meat,” Simmi explains. “But it’s okay. I’ll just pick it off.”

“Oh no,” Mom groans. “I didn’t realize. I’m so sorry.” She comes over to the table and places a roll of paper towels in front of Simmi with a thud. “You can use this to blot at the pizza.” Mom comes up behind me and places her hands on my chair. “Okay, I’ll let you kids enjoy your party. I’m headed out to the garden to water the tomatoes. When Dad comes home, send him outside, okay?” Mom kisses me on the head and takes her leave.

Shapri and I continue eating our pizza like we’ve been starving our entire lives. Simmi blots politely at her slice, picking off the toppings and tearing it into small bits and placing them in her mouth. A few minutes later, Dad arrives through the front door.

“Hi, Alex,” he calls from the next room, while removing his shoes. “Hi, Alex’s friends.” He hangs up his jacket and makes his way over to the kitchen. “I hope you saved me a slice or two.” He stops walking all of a sudden, freezing as if he were a deer about to get hit by a semi-truck on a lonely country road.

“Hi, Dad,” I say. “Mom says she wants you to meet her outside in the garden.”

Dad clears his throat and walks back toward the front door. None of us say anything until he’s gone outside.

“That was weird,” Shapri says. “I wonder what his problem is.”

“Dad’s kind of been a bit unusual lately,” I say, hoping we can talk about something else.

“The way he was staring at me. Like I’m a ghost or something.”

From outside, Dad’s voice floats in and hangs above our conversation. I can’t quite make out the words, but I can tell he’s angry. Really angry.

“Um, I better be going,” Shapri says, shoving one last bite into her mouth and then brushing her hands off against each other, making a loud clapping noise.

“You don’t need to leave because of him,” I say. I guess Dad still ranks number one on the people I don’t like list. I don’t want him acting like this around my guests, whether I invited them of my own accord or not.

“No, I have to go,” Shapri says with tons of conviction, while throwing her paper plate away under the sink and then heading toward the door. “My dad’s here to walk me home. He told me he’d pick me up, and now here he is.” Shapri throws her coat on over her shoulders and shoves her feet into her slip-on shoes. “I’ll see you both at school tomorrow. Happy birthday again, Alex. Bye.” Only about thirty seconds pass between the time Shapri decides to leave and the time she has disappeared through the front door.

Simmi takes a sip of pop, slurping loudly. “I wonder what that was all about,” she says.

“No idea,” I whisper in case Dad is listening. “I wonder why her father didn’t even come in to say ‘hello.’ Strange.”

“Forget coming in. He didn’t come at all. No one was outside. Shapri just walked off by herself.”

Author Giveaway:

The author is offering a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour and a $50 Amazon GC to the host whose post receives the most comments (excluding Emlyn’s and the hosts).

Milwaukee is not a day trip ~ but I got to meet Peter Lerangis!!!

Me and Peter Lerangis - - - how cool is that!

Peter Lerangis kicked off his tour for the newest 39 Clues book, The Dead of Night, this week.  He was in Wisconsin on Tuesday, March 13 at the Bay View Library.  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend.

I took a half day off work and hit the road, it's just under 5 hours to Milwaukee from my house.  It was a great time.  He gave a presentation about the life of an author and talked about where he gets his story ideas and such.  He was funny, interesting, and entertaining; I was thrilled to be there.  The room wasn't huge, but it was pretty much full and I was one of very few adults not accompanied by a child (all with 39 Clues book clutched in their hands).  He spoke, answered questions, signed books, and even has his own Author Agent 39 Clues card that he signed and handed out.  At the end my only wish was a shorter drive home.

Bandit Creek Author Interview: Kymber Morgan

Welcome to The Wormhole!

It is my pleasure to interview Kymber Morgan.

She is a Bandit Creek Author - - - check out her and 

so many other great authors at Bandit Creek Books

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

About six years ago I traced my family genealogy to the Clan Macleod and discovered the legend of the Faery Flag. The very boiled down version of which says it was a gift to a long ago MacLeod Chieftain by a faery maiden who, after falling in love and bearing him a child, had to return to her own world. Already a fan of romance and paranormal stories I was hooked.

According to the legend the talisman can be called upon three times to protect the clan. So far it's been called upon twice during times of war, one of which was WWII, and not a single MacLeod son fell in battle either time. It hangs in a place of honor at Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye today.

The connection between the legend and the picture of present day flag I saw on-line, got me wondering what it would be like if the myths and legends we grew up with were actually true?

From there many hours of happy research resulted in an alternate history and origin for the various pantheons and led to my first book.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

Ha ha, wow, too many. Let’s see, I’ve been a bartender, a legal secretary, a mortgage broker, an office manager and most recently a kitchen designer in a company I co-owned with my hubby.

? How long does it take you to write a book?

Depends how you define a book. First drafts for me are relatively quick. I’ve been known to write 130,000 words in 6 weeks. The polished version however, usually takes twice as long. I often have a lot of cutting to do LOL.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Hmm, that’s a hard one. What some call quirky, others find perfectly normal. For instance, wearing a specific pair of fuzzy slippers, my husband or son’s confiscated jogging pants and an over-sized sweater (with a stash of chocolate on hand at all times) during my writing sessions may be quirky to some, but seems perfectly normal to me.

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

Yup, after I don the above mentioned fashion accessories and check the prerequisite chocolate supply I do the following:

·         Close the door to my little writing haven.

·         Turn off the phone.

·         Plant my butt in the chair.

·         Put my fingers on the keyboard.

·         And write.

What comes out may be ‘gobbeldee-gook’ at first, and I may have to toss the much of it out the next day, but I look at it like a runner stretching before jogging - it's a warm up. And let's face it, you can’t do anything with a blank page, you have to start somewhere.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

I like to start with the more obscure mythological characters and re-invent them in unexpected ways. Or sometimes it can be a line from a movie or song that creates a certain picture in my head. There have also been times when a unique personality trait from someone I know now, or remember from childhood, provides a good starting point.

My favorite though are the characters who show up on the page out of nowhere and insert themselves into the story. In spite of their tendency to misbehave and steal scenes, I love these guys because I rarely know what they’ll do or say next. They're a blast and it's not unusual for me to break out laughing at their antics.

? How do you decide what you want to write about?

I don’t really have any set formula or method for this as it usually starts with a character idea first. Next, I start asking all kinds of 'what if' questions about situations I might put the character in and try to find unique ways to answer them. Eventually, something pops out as an ‘ah-ha’ kind of thing. Then I simply go along for the ride.

? What books have most influenced your life?

For me it’s more about genre than any specific book. Growing up in a single parent home, there wasn’t often a lot of spare money around, so when my friends were going to movies or on destination holidays with their families, I was sticking my nose in a book. When I was younger, reading allowed me to travel places even my more affluent friends couldn’t go and let my imagination run wild – much to a lot of my teachers chagrin.

Later, it was a romance novel that inspired me to take a page out of the plucky little heroine’s book – literally – and step out of my comfort zone. It inspired me to take a chance on a personal relationship I would likely have missed out on otherwise. The man I took the chance on has been my husband for eighteen years and I love him more today than the day I married him.

? What is the first book you remember reading by yourself?

The Lord of the Rings at age 8. I never have done anything the easy way. Well, to be honest, it did take about 6 months for me to finish it that first time LOL.

? What are you reading right now?

Currently I’m reading both Victoria Alexander’s The Perfect Mistress, and have Roxy Borough’s A Stranger’s Kiss from the Bandit Creek series on the go too.

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Read.

Oh, and I also love camping/RVing. Indulging in the occasional ‘movie fest’ on the couch. Hanging with my writer pals and sharing a good meal and a few giggles with my family & friends - particularly off the Bar-B-Que cause then my hubby had to do the cooking LOL.

? What is your favorite comfort food?

Steak and lobster. What? Isn’t it everybody’s? Okay next to that I would have to say lasagna with extra cheese and garlic bread.

? What do you think makes a good story?

No matter what genre, for me, flawed but likable protagonists pitted against antagonists who feel justified in their actions are key. This helps the reader connect with both sides of the conflict. Their journey should be full of escalating twists and unexpected turns told naturally in the author's unique voice.

There should be no subplots threads left hanging, and any built up tension needs it's pay off – no cheating the reader at the last second. And finally the story needs to end with a satisfying resolution to each conflict presented that isn’t rushed or contrived and hopefully leaves me wanting more.

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

Honestly, even though it may seem like I’m dodging this question, I can’t name any one author as a favorite over another. My recreational reading tastes vary a lot and depend a great deal on my current mood.

I love the suspense and clever plotting of people like Dan Brown, the fun, fast passed romps provided by great imaginations like Kerrelyn Sparks, Sherrilynn Kenyon, Gena Showalter or Lyndsay Sands. Then there's the wit and charm of a yarn by Victoria Alexander or Sabrina Jefferies if I’m in the mood for a historical. And you can’t beat the unique fantasy worlds of a Robin Hobb, Anne Bishop or Terry Goodkind.

Oh! Then there’s my RWA home chapter which is bursting with awesomesauce writers like Vivi Anna, DL Snow, Steena Holmes, Jade Buchanan, and Roxy Boroughs - just to name a few - who never fail to provide a great read…

See, can’t do it.

? What book, if any, do you read over and over again?

With me it’s more about an author rather than any specific book. If I love a particular author’s voice I’ll re-read anything I have on my keeper shelf by them. See list from previous question.

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats?

Oh, tough one. I'd have to say both.

·        Coffee or tea?

Coffee.

·        Dark or milk chocolate?

Dark. Well, maybe milk? Oh, then there's white...no, it's dark. Yes definitely dark. Maybe.

·        Rocks or flowers?

Rocks. Flowers don't retain their color or withstand Canadian winters nearly as well.

·        Night or day?

Night. I am a paranormal writer after all.

·        Favorite color?

Purple.

·        Crayons or markers?

Markers. The colors are so much more vibrant.

·        Pens or pencils?

Pens – especially the new easy flow ink ones they're so effortless to use and come in lots of cool colors – like purple!

***More about the author (from profile on Amazon.com)

Kymber Morgan lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains and grew up with her own link to mythology through a family legend involving the Fae. Kymber writes paranormal romance and loves nothing better than taking her imagination out for a spin often asking, among other things, what if the myths and legends we grew up on were real?
Come join the fun at www.kymbermorgan.com, follow her on twitter @kymbermorgan or check out her author page www.facebook.com/KymberMorganAuthor, because you just never know who else may be dropping by.

...and now - check out the cover and blurb!

Shafted (Paranormal) – February 1, 2012

Is her love real or just a myth?

Returning to her summertime home of Bandit Creek, Callie Jamison discovers there’s a lot more involved to her grandmother’s legacy than a few cabins and some land, including a curse. The last thing she needs now is to fall in love.

Anteros, dark twin of Eros, is responsible for avenging unrequited love, a job that’s been a lot harder since his brother succumbed to ambro-fever and has been running amok shooting all the wrong people – including Anteros.

The clock is ticking, not only on his immortality and Callie’s free will, but their hearts as well. Soon they’ll each have to decide if the overwhelming attraction they feel is the real deal or if they’ve simply been ‘Shafted’ and it’s all a cruel illusion.

Read the first chapter here.

You can buy a copy of this book by clicking HERE.

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole.

Happy Reading.