Bout of Books Read-a-thon!

Bout of Books Read-a-thon is being hosted by Amanda at On a Book Bender.

I will update this post during the read-a-thon with my progress!

This is what I plan to read: 

1. Burden of Blood

2. Paradise 21

3. Forts: Fathers and Sons

4. Vampire Curse

5. Raie Chaelia

6. Picture Perfect

This is what I got read:
True Believer by Nicholas Sparks

Vampire Curse by S.J. Wright

Burden of Blood by Wenona Hulsey

The Raie Chaelia by Melisaa Douthit

Hidden by Blood by Laurie London

Picture Perfect by Deena Remiel

The Willows: Haven by Hope Collier

Blog Tour: Shades of Grey by L.M. Pruitt

The Shades of Grey Blog Tour is presented by The Bookish Snob Tours.

You can see the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.

You can read my review by clicking HERE.

You can buy a copy HERE or HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

Please welcome L.M. Pruitt!!!

L.M. Pruitt has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. A native of Florida with a love of New Orleans, she has the uncanny ability to find humor in most things and would probably kill a plastic plant. Titles written include New Moon Rising, Shades of Gray, the first novel in the Jude Magdalyn series, as well as Hole in the Wall, a Jude Magdalyn short. She is currently at work on Taken. She makes her home in Florida with one two cats—one smart, the other an idiot.

Now - Please welcome L.M. Pruitt and her guest post!!!

The past decade or so has seen an explosion of vampire-centric media. Twilight, True Blood, Underworld, have all captured the attention – and sometimes the rabid fandom – of people worldwide. It’s hard to deny the allure.

    The bigger question is what exactly is the allure of the vampire?

    Is it their beauty? There’s a trend in the majority of commercial fiction to portray the vampire (the “good” one, anyway) as a thing of exquisite beauty. Whether you like your vampire lean and mean, heavily muscled and tattooed, or just plain sparkly, there’s one out there for you. We’re visual creatures, even – or especially – while reading.

    Do you want your heroine to fall in love with the straggly haired, popping pustule covered, thoroughly emaciated and, dare we say, smelly vampire?

    I didn’t think so, either.

    But then again, maybe we’re fascinated by their strength and brutality. We’re a nation of might makes right, despite efforts to change our culture from punitive to rehabilitive. The biggest kid on the playground commands the most fear, the most respect – and usually gets the coolest toys. Does that belief translate into our literature? To some extent, I’d agree, but I don’t think that’s the real reason for the vampire allure.

    Maybe the appeal lies in their immortality. Dying is an almost taboo subject, despite the fact it’s very much a part of living. We ignore it as much as possible, facing death only when the very realness of the event is thrust in our faces. To not have to die, to live indefinitely – it’s one of the few myths science still attempts to turn to reality.

    I believe – and this is just my opinion, so do with it what you will – I believe we’re fascinated with vampires not because they’re immortal. But because we aren’t. And it’s a constant reminder to push ourselves, to strive, to live.

    Say what you will about the Twilight movies, but the original tagline was phenomenal. When you can live forever, what do you live for? Even taking out what’s before the comma, it’s a thought provoking question, one we as readers and Jude and other characters in Shades of Gray have to answer somehow.

    So—What do you live for?

The next stop on the tour is: Aug 19 - Hesperia Loves Books

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Reading.

Review: Shades of Grey by L.M. Pruitt

Shades of Grey by L.M. Pruitt

**I received this ebook in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour!

Book Description:
My thoughts:

Jude Magdalyn Henries lives what many would call an unconventional life.

Orphaned at birth, raised by nuns, a teenage runaway living on the streets… she now earns a living at odd jobs, including one as a fake tarot card reader. Very little about Jude’s life appears normal, by any scale. When she accepts a gig to do a private reading, unconventional takes on an entirely new meaning.

Life as she knows it ends when she’s thrust into a world she never knew existed—one filled with magic, vampires, and her beloved New Orleans on the verge of an underground war. To make matters worse, she's got two men in her life vying for attention, Williams and Theo. Both call to a different part of her, but one scares her just a little bit. Can she step up to the challenges set before her and make the right choices for the greater, which may or not be the greater good?

My thoughts:  This is a fantastic story!  I fell in love with the characters.  
The story is captivating!  The plot is exceptionally developed.  Jude is fascinating.  Her snarky attitude is refreshing.  I enjoyed watching her find her way in the life she is thrust into.  L.M. Pruitt has created characters that will win the hearts of every reader.  They live in a world that is both realistic and just a little bit more.  The setting is perfect, it seems only natural for the story to take place there.  The story has so much to offer.  There is mystery, romance, good vs. evil, magic, vampires, witches, and there among it all - the desire for right to win.  


You won't want to set this one down once you start reading it! It's fast-paced and filled with all manner of action!  The good guys are incredible, the bad guys are so well done that you love to hate them!  An all around must read for the fantasy lover in us all!  Can't wait for more!

Review: Gift of Illusion by Richard Brown

This book is currently being presented on a Virtual Book Tour by Bewitching Book Tours!

You can get to the tour schedule by clicking HERE.

**I received this book in exchange for an honest review posted during this virtual book tour.

Amazon Product Description:

ELMWOOD'S BEST DETECTIVE IS ABOUT TO MEET ITS WORST VILLAIN!

An ancient evil has returned to continue the study it began over a century ago, and it's looking for volunteers. Isaac Winters is the perfect test subject. He's a detective with a damaged past, and something to prove.
 On the night of his wife's murder sixteen years ago, which left him a single father, Isaac thought he had seen the worst mankind had to offer.
 Until now.
 It moves like a virus from person to person, carefully selecting its next host, and leaving a trail of incinerated bodies in its wake. There are no witnesses and no evidence except for a small statue of some unknown figure. Accompanied by a partner short on experience, Isaac must uncover and defeat this faceless villain before it takes from him the greatest reminder of his dead wife. Their daughter.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed reading this book.  The characters are interesting and the plot is chilling.  I found two underlying ideas:  that people are willing to let their humanity fall by the wayside and can be ruled by emotions that they are either unwilling or unable to understand or sometimes even look closely at.
The story flows smoothly.  One constant is that all of the characters in the book appear to be driven by emotions.  Isaac is driven by guilt over the murder of his wife, the need to protect his daughter, and the desire to solve this case and save as many innocents as possible.  Amy, the daughter, finally finds peace where there had always been emptiness in terms of her mother, while attempting to convince her father that he is not to blame and a great parent.  Lucius is driven by his twisted evil and desire to control life and death, even from the grave.  Simmons is driven by the need to prove himself.  Virginia appears to be driven by her need to help.  I love the twist in the dungeon, which I won't explain in fear of spoiler.
This is a tale of twisted evil that could only be perpetrated by man and leaves you wondering about what you would do to save those you loved the most.  

Review: Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure by B.K. Bostick

Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure
by B.K. Bostick

***I received this ebook in exchange for an honest review during the blog tour.
Publisher: Bonneville Books
Length: 256 pages

Release date: Oct 28, 2011
Buy from: Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Book Depository


Amazon Product Description:
When his grandfather dies, Huber Hill is devastated---until he opens Grandpa Nick's mysterious box. An old gold coin and directions to a hidden Spanish treasure send him and his friends off on an mind-blowing adventure, but he's not the only one on the hunt. Filled with dangerous animals and cryptic puzzles, this book will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page.
My Thoughts:
     Huber Hill is well written.  The language is crisp and flows easily.  The characters are well thought out and believable.  My heart went out to Huber, I was in love with his character from the start.  I have a soft spot for the underdogs.  
     The story is a fantastic, action-packed tale of adventure, mystery, friendship, belief, determination, and honor.  It is filled with hidden meanings, misconceptions and misunderstandings.  We see behavior and it's consequences - not just with the children in the story, but the adults as well.  My favorite line from the book is, "There is a time to talk, a time to walk, and a time for action." No more true advice could ever be told.
         This story would appeal to readers of any and all ages, but is a must read for middle schoolers, boys and girls alike.  This would be a fantastic read aloud for classroom or home.

Review: The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen

The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen

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

Amazon Product Description:
For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. And when she’s around Alex, the gorgeous new guy at school, she can feel electricity that makes her skin buzz. Not to mention the monsters that haunt her nightmares have crossed over into real-life. But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma’s life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn’t be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death.
My Thoughts: 
I am not actually done with this book yet - three quarters of the way through - I will update this review later today when I finish...but to get you all started....


"In the  midst of a dark forest, haunted by the winters chill, I ran for my life."
That is the first sentence - gripping!!! I was "in" from that very sentence.  What struck me first is the fantastically visual language.  The writing is so vivid that I was able to actually FEEL Gemma's panic.  The characters are mysteriously created with vague descriptions that are intriguing and led me to turn the pages and read on to learn more.  By chapter six I was still in the grip of Gemma's emotions and could feel my heart pounding as I continued to read. The story is wonderfully written.  The characters are fascinating and I can't wait to finish and find out all the answers to the questions I have been compiling.  


Stay tuned for an update here later!
Update:
HOLY WOW!!!! I loved this story!  I have already gone to Amazon and bought The Underwold which is book two.  Saddened only by the fact that I cannot begin to read it until September!  I don't know if I'll be able to wait!


So, where did I leave off...
The story finished as strong as it started.  The characters and the plot developed before my eyes!  I found myself unwilling to put the book down, always needing to read just one more page; one more chapter.  The story tells of secrets both kept and told, friendship, duty, and betrayal.  I love the characters, they drive the story.  This is a new theme; the fallen star with the power to save or condemn the world.  There are mysteries left unsolved and the story finishes in a heart wrenching cliffhanger.  Well worth the read!!!! Look for my review of the sequel, The Underworld, in September.