Review: Thoughtless by Jacqueline Gardner

Thoughtless by Jacqueline Gardner

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

Book Blurb:
When Bridget finds a dead cheerleader in the janitor’s closet, she becomes the killer’s next target. High school just got worse. It’s bad enough that she can hear the shocking truths that pass through her classmate’s heads. Now she has to worry about staying alive, and all clues point to the one person whose thoughts she can’t read - her boyfriend Terrence. Someone is taunting her, threatening to expose her secret. And when Bridget tries to single out her blackmailer, she’s nearly beaten to death by a mind controlled minion with fiery eyes.

But when Bridget finally comes face-to-face with the killer, suddenly a horde of brainwashed students programmed to destroy her life doesn't seem so bad.


My thoughts:
     I enjoyed this story from the start.  Fast paced, mysterious and twisting.  I love the idea of mind readers.  This is a wonderful YA paranormal. 
     Jacqueline Gardner has created a host of wonderful characters, my favorite being Rory - the science geek.   The good guys were your average teens - not flawless and invincible.  The bad guys too were young, but perfectly cruel and evil.  She has set those characters in a realistic high school setting.  I was cringing at the school interactions - I still remember high school and the author's descriptions were spot on.  
     The plot is intriguing and mysterious, with enough twists to keep you reading.  The story was fast paced and nicely written.  There was a little bit of romance with the "new boyfriend"  for Bridget (Terrance) but I kept holding out for a budding romance between her and Rory. 
     The mind reading/mind control aspect of the book was well done.  I liked the way the author twists the ritual (no spoilers - so that's all I will say).
     This is a clever and creative story that shows the depth of the author's imagination.  I can't wait for book two.

Blog Tour: Interview with a Jewish Vampire by Erica Manfred

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

You can see the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.

It is my pleasure to feature:

Erica Manfred and Interview with a Jewish Vampire.

Erica Manfred is a freelance journalist, humorous essayist, and author.   Her most recent book is the novel, Interview with a Jewish Vampire. She’s also authored two non-fiction self-help books, including most recently He’s History You’re Not; Surviving Divorce After Forty. Her articles and essays have appeared in Cosmopolitan, The New York Times Magazine, Ms., New Age Journal, Village Voice, Woman’s Day, SELF, Ladies Home Journal, and many other publications. Erica lives in Woodstock, New York with her Chihuahua, Shadow, and her daughter, Freda. Brought up by Jewish parents who spoke Yiddish but avoided religion, she got her Jewish education at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation which welcomes Jews from all backgrounds, from atheist to Orthodox, to vampire. Her website is www.ericamanfred.com, or visit www.jewishvampire.com

Interview with a Jewish Vampire

by Erica Manfred

The last thing zaftig middle-aged journalist, Rhoda Ginsburg, expected when she signed up for JDate was to fall in love with a vampire. But when she meets drop-dead gorgeous Sheldon, a Hasidic vampire, she falls hard. She rationalizes that he may not be alive, but at least he’s Jewish. 

She learns that back in the nineteenth century Sheldon was a rabbi who was turned into a vampire by Count Dracula, an anti-Semite who got his kicks from turning Orthodox Jews into vampires because then they’d have to drink blood, which isn’t kosher. 

Soon after she meets Sheldon, she discovers her beloved mother, Fanny, is terminally ill, so she comes up with the crackpot idea of getting Sheldon to turn Fanny and her friends, known as “the goils,” into vampires. 

Once she becomes a vampire, Fanny tires of her boring life in Century Village, Florida, and, seeking thrills, she goes clubbing and disappears into the nightlife of South Beach in Miami. When Fanny and her goil posse  “go rogue” and start preying on the young, Rhoda and Sheldon must track them down to keep them from killing again. 

Interview with a Jewish Vampire turns vampire lore on its head, proving that not all vampires are young and beautiful and it IS possible to be undead and kosher.

Excerpt:

We had met through JDate. I was a Jewish divorcee of forty-one who claimed to be thirty-five and might be considered zaftig if you defined that liberally. He had been dead for a long time but I didn’t know that right away. I just thought he was pale. An undead double for Jeff Goldblum, he was tall, slender, with a mischievous smile, flashing green eyes and long black hair. His incisors were kind of pointy when he smiled and his skin was pasty white, but that didn’t put me off. Everyone looked pretty sallow in the dead of winter in New York City. I immediately wondered if I could drag him off to my lair later that night.

Despite the fact that I had a pretty face, I didn’t get a lot of action on JDate because I had checked “a few extra pounds” in the body size box. “A few” was an understatement, which is why I always met dates at night in bars. I wore black and got there first so they would see me sitting down. My face was a lot slimmer than the rest of me. Jewish guys were the worst when it came to weight—and everything else. Only a Jewish supermodel who ran a law firm was good enough for the Jewish princes I met on JDate.

I was perched on a barstool too teeny to accommodate my rear end, which spilled over the edges. I peered at everyone else's barstools and felt worse seeing all those visible edges. I decided that from now on my goal in life would be to sit on a barstool and be able to see the edges. I tugged on my low-cut tunic top trying in vain to hide the bulges between chest and crotch which seemed to have a mind of their own, ballooning out despite my best efforts. At least I was showing some cleavage, my best physical attribute. He rescued me from what was rapidly becoming a severe fat attack.

“So, you’re a journalist…” he said, putting his elbow on the bar and turning towards me. I had listed that profession on my profile. “Do you have a tape recorder with you?” he asked, not realizing I suppose that tape was so last century and reporters now carried digital recorders.

“Why do you ask?” Men had asked me a lot of strange opening questions on first dates but whether I had a tape recorder was not one of them.

“I would like to tell the story of my life.” He leaned forward and gave me such an intense look I had to turn away. “Would you be willing to interview me?”

No, I wasn’t interested in the story of his life. I was interested in getting to know him in a more biblical sense. I figured he was just another narcissistic celebrity wannabe. As a writer I was constantly getting hit on--not by attractive men--but by people who thought their lives were so fascinating they would make surefire bestseller material. All they thought they needed was a writer to tell their story which, of course, I would be thrilled to do on spec because they didn’t have any money. None of them realized that writers are not charitable institutions.

“You will want to write my story,” he said urgently, “You’ve never heard anything like it before. It will make you rich and famous.”

“Sure, sure. So what’s so special about your story?” I asked wearily, disappointed that he was only interested in my writing skills, not my body.

“I’m a vampire,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Sure, and I’m the Queen of the Damned.”

“What will convince you?” he asked.

Bandit Creek author Brenda M. Collins ~ interview

Welcome to The Wormhole!

It is my pleasure today to host Brenda M. Collins.

She is a Bandit Creek author and her recent release is

Witch in the Wind.

Beverly, I really appreciate your kind invitation to chat with you and your readers today about my debut novel. I'm so excited about the recent release of Witch in the Wind, which is a (sweet) paranormal romance with mystery elements.

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

My mother, concerned that I had so little interest in reading as I entered my teens, bought me my first category romance novel. That’s when I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up – a romance writer. From there, my tastes expanded to mystery and fantasy. Witch in the Wind starts out with a murder but comes to life with witches, warlocks, a canine familiar and even a magical dimension I created called The Otherland.

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

As often happens, life got in the way of my writing dream and it’s taken me more than two decades to circle back to it. But I’ve finally done it!  Before that I had a very successful career in the senior management ranks of the international business and high tech world.

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

It took me ten years, and lots of classes and workshops, to write the first two manuscripts while I was learning the craft,  but only ten months to write Witch in the Wind. I guess I needed a deadline to really get my butt in the chair, as they say. I’m lucky that my debut novel is part of the Bandit Creek eBook Series so, along with the deadline, I had the support of more than 30 fellow authors. Their excitement is contagious as you’ll see if you catch up with our authors on Facebook.

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

I dream my scenes before I write them. Honestly! I've been a lucid dreamer from early childhood.

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

I need to get enough sleep. LOL. And, contrary to what most writers find about writing in the morning, I'm a night hawk. I have to clear the decks of all my other chores during the day and then I sit down late in the afternoon and the creative juices start to flow. I do my best work from 8pm to midnight.

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

The easy answer is my imagination but to dig deeper I'd say it's my heritage. I was born and raised on the island of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic.  Its history dates back to the Vikings and leans heavily to Irish, who believe in everything from fairies to leprechauns, four-leaf clovers to banshees,  and  have all sorts of rituals to ward off evil spirits or bad luck. There were still Gaelic speakers in Newfoundland well into the 20th century and, like the Irish, we love to spin a tale!  Until I started researching for Witch in the Wind I didn't realize there was a little-known yet long-established tradition of witch lore in Newfoundland culture.

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

It goes back to the dreams—if I dream it, and it still appeals to me that evening when I sit at my computer, then I start typing. I also tend to be very verbal—another family trait, I'm afraid—so I discuss ideas with my friend and critique partner, Roxy Burroughs. She's more advanced as a writer than I am, so I value her advice.

My former work colleagues are still adjusting to—what appeared to them to be—my sudden decision to quit my day job to become a writer. Yet every one of them comments on what a positive difference it has made. They tell me my eyes sparkle when I talk about my story, that my enthusiasm washes over them in waves, and that I seem years younger. That's what following your dreams will do to you. I don't regret the long wait to follow my passion because I believe I am the sum of my experiences—both good and bad, they are what will feed my stories now, although I am so happy to be living this life at this time.

May I add that Witch in the Wind is available on both AMAZON and  SMASHWORDS, if your readers are interested reading an excerpt? And if they are interested in finding out when my next story is coming out they can follow me on TWITTER @bcollinswriter

I'm currently working on a collection of short romantic stories with award winning author, Roxy Boroughs, which is coming out next month. I know magical people from The Otherland will continue to slip through the portal to the mortal world for more adventures, and, of course, Marcus and Avy will have a role to play in resolving the situation with the Witches Council at some point.

Thanks again for having me Beverly.  

More ABOUT Brenda M. Collins

Brenda Collins has wanted to write romance since she was twelve years old. At the age of twenty, she spoke to an editor in Toronto, Canada, who expressed an interest in her story; however, she soon realized it takes more than an idea to be an author. She joined a number of writing groups to learn about ‘the craft’ and completed two mystery manuscripts. When the Bandit Creek opportunity arose, Brenda jumped on board immediately. The story that emerged started with a murder, but it came to life with witches, warlocks, a “familiar” and a magical dimension called The Otherland.

To help her fellow writers develop strong business skills, Brenda has published articles, and delivered workshops to hundreds of writers, on career planning, professional networking and presentation skills. Her most recent article is scheduled to appear in the 2013 Writer’s Market (Brewer, R.L., ed. F&W Media Inc.).

Brenda is currently working on a collection of short romantic stories with award winning author, Roxy Boroughs, which is coming out early this summer. She promises magical people will from The Otherland will continue to slip through the portal to the mortal world for more adventures. And, of course, Marcus and Avy will have a role to play in resolving the situation with the Witches Council at some point.

If you enjoyed Witch in the Wind, please help other readers find it by recommending it to friends or writing a review on Amazon. Follow Brenda on Twitter. For upcoming titles, keep an eye on her Amazon Author Page.

Witch in the Wind 

Bandit Creek has a new magical dimension, The Otherland.

When murder strikes in Bandit Creek, and the victims aren’t who they seemed, powerful guardian warlock, Marcus Egan, is sent from The Otherland to investigate. What he doesn’t expect to find is Avalon Gwynn, the grieving daughter of the victims, who has no idea she’s an extraordinary, hereditary witch. And Avy’s pent up magical abilities have just been set free in the mortal world.

Can Marcus catch a killer while making sure Avy doesn’t bring Crow Mountain crashing down on the town—destroying Bandit Creek for the second time?

Review: The Lure of Shapinsay by Krista Holle

The Lure of Shapinsay by Krista Holle


Good Reads Book Blurb:
Ever since Kait Swanney could remember, the old crones of the village have been warning her to stay away from the selkies. They claim that like sirens of old, the seal men creep from the inky waters, shed their skins, and entice women to their deaths beneath the North Sea. But avoiding an encounter becomes impossible when Kait is spotted at the water’s edge, moments after the murder of a half-selkie infant. 

Unexpectedly, Kait is awoken by a beautiful, naked selkie man seeking revenge. After she declares her innocence, the intruder darts into the night, but not before inadvertently bewitching her with an overpowering lure. 

Kait obsesses over a reunion deep beneath the bay and risks her own life to be reunited with her selkie. But when she lands the dangerous lover, the chaos that follows leaves Kait little time to wonder—is it love setting her on fire or has she simply been lured?


My thoughts:
     This was my first Krista Holle story as well as my first selkie story.  I am a fan of paranormal and was excited about it.  Krista Holle did not disappoint.  This story is clever and intriguing, bitter and sweet.  

     

     The author has built a world that is both realistic and fantastic.  The old-world, historic feel paints the perfect setting for the story and she has created a colorful and mysterious legendary background for the selkies.  The writing is vivid and detailed, assuring that the reader can visualize both the characters and the setting.  It has romance, but not a lot of sexuality; the intimate moments in the story are left to the imagination of the reader.

    

     The characters captured me and the creativeness and uniqueness of the story held me.  Eamon is a selkie whose ideals and sense of self are seeped in his belief in honor.  He is young and reckless.  At the start he is out for revenge, but then falls in love.  He believes that to be true to Kait he must give up the sea.  Kait is bewitched at the start by Eamon's lure, but falls in love with him.  This is their story, of their love and willingness to do whatever it takes to prove that love.  


     This story is carefully created, nicely paced and well-written.  I would easily recommend it to others.   I read purely for the entertainment and enjoyment of the story and I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to discover what this book had to offer.

Review: Moment of Kairos by Nathan Burns

Moment of Kairos by Nathan Burns

Author book blurb:
Four worlds. Four ages. Four struggles through deserts, demons, criminal underworlds and overwhelming odds. Elian searches for answers to the mysterious blackouts, led forward by his only clue: an encoded diary. Ben stalks the streeets at night in search of horrific creatures not of this world. Alexander hunts down criminals, always intent on doing the right thing whatever the cost. And Prometheus tries to save his village without dying in the process.
Separate but intertwined, they press on, linked somehow to the mysterious John, who watches and waits - for it seems each of the four is part of something much greater than they could ever have imagined.
My thoughts:
      This was a different book than what I traditionally read.  Although I enjoyed each of the individual stories as they unfolded, I spent the majority of my time being somewhat confused about how or why they would ever be connected.
     The characters in each piece of the story were interesting to read about.  The idea of fighting for your beliefs, which is the idea I found in each part of the story, is something I can truly get behind.  
     The only connection between the characters is the suddenly appearing, yet completely unexplored or explained tattoo.  It appears and that leads the reader to the conclusion that the characters bearing said tattoo will somehow all be a part of something bigger than themselves, but you never learn what that something is.
     Perhaps I was not reading closely enough to follow what the author had provided in the book, and I feel that perhaps if I had realized going in that this was a series in which the conclusion would be found only in the last book, it would have made a difference.  But I found myself abruptly at the end of the book with an epilogue that gave no closure.
     I tell my students all the time that there are so many kinds of books because there are so many kinds of people, this one might be just what you are looking for...

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

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole.

Happy Reading.

Blog Tour: The Guardians of Elijah's Fire by Frank L. Cole

This blog tour is presented by Cedar Fort Books.

Visit the author, Frank L. Cole, by clicking HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.

It is my pleasure to feature:

Frank L. Cole and The Guardians of Elijah's Fire.

The Guardians of Elijah's Fire by Frank L. Cole

Book Description from Cedar Fort:

Just when she thought she was safe, Amber learns she's become a target and it seems even her closest allies can't be trusted. Now Amber, Trendon, and their classmates will have to travel through enemy territory to protect the earth from deadly destruction. Bestselling author, Frank L. Cole delivers a mind-blowing story and an addicting read for adventurers of all ages.

You can click HERE to see the review of his first book "The Guardian's of the Hidden Scepter"