Review: Expendable by Maggie Jaimeson

Expendable by Maggie Jaimeson

***received this ebook in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour.  The tour is being presented by The Bookish Snob Tours.

From the inside flap:
Jenna lifted up the blanket and gasped. "What the hell?" She was in only her underwear and an oversized T-shirt, not her own. No bra. No dress. No stockings.

"You bastard! What did you do to me? Where are my clothes?"

He slowly pulled a chair up to the bedside and she scrambled to the farthest corner away from him, wrapping the sheet around her. His dark brown eyes invited confidences, but she wasn't in the mood for sharing.

"I'm not going to hurt you--believe me. If I'd wanted to hurt you, you wouldn't be talking to me now." He patted the pillow where her head had been. "Please, relax. Come back and we can talk."

"I'll stay right here, thank you." Jenna edged a leg over the side and eyed the door. If he made one move toward her, she'd drop the sheet and run like hell. She didn't care if she was half naked; it would be better than being raped.

"Start talking," she said. "What happened after you hit me on the head?"

"I didn't hit you on the head."

"Right, and you didn't kill Tanya, and you didn't take her baby." She stared at him, her teeth clenched. She could bite him too, if she had to.

"Who's Tanya?"

"As if you didn't know, you murdering bastard."
My thoughts:
     I fell in love with this story as soon as I started reading.  The characters captured my heart upon introduction.  David - the small, frightened child.  Reed - the strong, ex-military man who was so very damaged.  Jenna - the peace-loving fighter.  Jenna's and Reed's friends too as we meet them.  I loved the parallels, three women and three men - all tough, amazingly single, so close to each other that they feel as if they are family and passionately protective.  Throw in their quirky personalities, a dangerous situation, a truly evil bad guy (Doctor Crane is terrifying and evil to his very core, the kind of villain that you instantly despise and secretly hope doesn't get to come out of the story unscathed), and a small child in need - and you have the makings of an incredible story.  
     Maggie Jaimeson does not disappoint!  She takes these cleverly created characters and puts them into a story filled with danger, death, desire, fear, and passion, then she throws in hope and love.  She takes you on the ride of your life as Jenna and Reed struggle with the problem of saving David from a madman when neither are totally sure they can even save themselves from themselves.  
     This story is a roller coaster of emotions.  We are taken along on a journey where the questions asked are hard and the answers can only be found within a field gray, where even more questions are asked. Questions of ethics, morality, and judgement.  What risks are worth taking? What cost is too high? Who gets to decide who is expendable and why?  What would be worth killing or dying for?
     Wonderfully written, exciting page turner!  Couldn't put it down!  
     

Blog Tour: An Unexpected Bride by Shadonna Richards

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

You can see the entire tour schedule HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.

I am pleased to introduce Shadonna Richards!

Author bio:

Shadonna Richards enjoys reading and writing about the magic of romance and the power of love. She is the author of the non-fiction books, A Gift of Hope and Think and Be Happy: 365 Empowering Thoughts to Lift Your Spirit (an Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller in Meditation). Winner of Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write 2010 Day Two Challenge, she is a member of the Romance Writers of America. An Unexpected Bride is her first novel. She’s a proud mommy and wife and lives in Canada with her husband and son.
You can visit her at www.shadonnarichards.blogspot.com or join her on twitter at www.twitter.com/shadonna or send her an e-mail at Shadonna@ymail.com

She wonderfully allowed an interview:

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I first realized when I was a little kid. (Smile) I began writing stories as soon as I could hold a crayon.

 

? How long does it take you to write a book? Depending on the length of the book it could be anywhere from 2 weeks to 10 years!

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?  Hmm. I don’t think I have an interesting writing quirk.

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write? Not really. I usually write when I’m inspired—which, thankfully, happens to be a lot. Life inspires me. Having said that, I write much better when it’s totally quiet in the house like very early in the morning.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters? I get my ideas and inspiration for my characters from my imagination and everyday life. I’m always asking myself the “what-if” questions.

? How do you decide what you want to write about? Ideas usually just come to me.  I’m often with a pen and paper and try to write them down as fast as they come.

? What books have most influenced your life? The Holy Bible.

? What is the first book you remember reading by yourself? It was that long ago…I really don’t remember. I’ve been reading since early childhood.

? What are you reading right now? I’m reading a few contemporary romances on my Kindle right now.

? What do you like to do when you are not writing? In addition to spending quality time with my family and socializing, I’d have to say reading. I love books.

? What is your favorite comfort food? Anything with chocolate.

? What do you think makes a good story? Great characters, a solid plot and a little suspense. I love trying to figure out what’s going to happen next.  

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why? Too many to name. I have a lot of favorite authors that inspire me.

? What book, if any, do you read over and over again? The Bible—in passages.

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats? Both.

·        Coffee or tea? A hot, delicious mug of steaming tea, anytime.

·        Dark or milk chocolate? Milk chocolate.

·        Rocks or flowers? Both, it depends on the occasion.

·        Night or day? Day.

·        Favorite color? Pink.

·        Crayons or markers? Markers.

·        Pens or pencils? Pens. 

You can buy a copy of this book HERE and HERE.

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole.

Happy Reading.

Review: The Nation's Daughter by Valerie Maarten

The Nation's Daughter by Valerie Maarten

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

Amazon Product Description:
After the cruel and brutal murder of Little Summer James a Nation takes up her cause to see that the person they hold responsible pays.

But when the judicial system let them all down by setting her killer free, the days are numbered for Autumn James...a baby-killer.


My thoughts:
Valerie Maarten has created dynamic characters.  She has given them personalities and qualities that make you like them or hate them from the start.  The story is short, but not an easy read.  The topic is the death of a small child and so there is nothing light and fluffy about this story.  The characters struggle with a variety of ideals throughout the story.  They are struggling with:  beliefs, the courage to defend those beliefs, the decision of innocence or guilt, and what to do when you find yourself not where you planned to be.
I was amazed by the number of characters that felt they had, by some action or verbal interaction, played a part in Summer's death.  I was equally amazed by their unwillingness to do anything about it.
The one theme that I found endearing was friendship/love.  What would you be willing to do for someone that you loved?
This was not my favorite story, the subject matter made  it a hard read.  I liked the book, the story was intriguing and moved along without getting lost in random, unnecessary details or fillers.   I was broken hearted by Autumn's callous behavior, and shocked by it at the same time.

If you like a quick thriller - check this one out!