Transcend by Christine Fonseca Interview and Review Tour Stop!

About the Author:

Critically acclaimed nonfiction and YA author Christine Fonseca is dedicated to helping children of all ages find their voice in the world. Drawing on her expertise as an educational psychologist, her nonfiction titles address issues of emotional intensity, resiliency and giftedness. Her titles include Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids and The Girl Guide, releasing April 2013.

In fiction, she explores the darker aspects of humanity and delivers gothic thrillers that take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions not to be missed. Recent titles include Dies Irae and Lacrimosa, from the Requiem Series, and the recently released thriller, Transcend. For more information about Christine Fonseca or her books, visit her website – http://christinefonseca.com or her blog http://christinefonseca.blogspot.com.

 
Interview:

1. Why did you choose the phantom of the opera to be inspired by?

I think the story chose me more than anything else. As I worked through some intense emotions after my mom’s death in 2010, I was drawn to the music of Phantom as well as some others. I had previously thought about writing a story of Phantom that was a prequel of sorts. The emotions, plus the music, and the previous idea all sort of melded together and this story was born

2. Was it hard incorporating music into your character's lives?

For me? Not at all. I was a musician for most of my life, playing the viola from the time I was 6 until my mid twenties, participating in choirs, being a children’s choir director, and composing music as a teen. Writing something inspired by the music that shaped my childhood (classical string music) seemed an appropriate homage to the story.

3. Was it hard coming up with a cover idea?

I actually don’t do the covers – that is all my publisher. I do get input, and with Transcend, I think her cover is nothing short of AMAZING! I couldn’t be happier.

4. What made you want to work with children?

I sort of fell into being an educational psychologist. I was looking for a profession that would give me time with my own kids. Teaching or education seemed the answer. In my teacher-preparation program, I took a class about educational psychology. Being a developmental psych undergrad, I LOVED the idea of psychology in schools. So I switched my major and never looked back. I can tell you now that I can’t imagine doing anything BUT working with kids, writing for kids, and mentoring kids.

5. What is the hardest or most frustrating aspect of working with children?

Would it seem a cop-out if I said nothing?? In truth, working with kids inspires me regularly. The parts of the job I don’t like are the things that keep me from that work—paperwork, bureaucracy, politics. That is the stuff I hate!

6. Which of your creations do you relate to most?

Oooh, good question. I think I would have to say that I most relate to my angels; in particular the Mediators, angels with can read minds and heal the mind. I am sort of a neuro-psych junkie, so it makes sense that mind-reading/mind-bending angels would be interesting and relatable to me.

7. What has been the most difficult part about writing?

For me there are two difficult aspects (probably more, really) – first: writing the first draft. Man, I am a horrible drafter, and it just takes me FOREVER! Once I can get the story out of my head, I’m good. But man, getting it out is a problem.

The next difficult thing: finding time to write as often I want time. I live a very busy life which is both good and bad. Time is a precious commodity and I try to be balanced. It is a never ending challenge, really!

8. Do you have a soundtrack that you think fits perfectly with your book?

That’s a hard one for me. I am heavily inspired by music. I listen to movie soundtrack music when I write. It helps me find the emotional mood of the story. With this book, my writing soundtrack included Schindler’s List (for the violin solos) and anything by Hans Zimmer. For reading, I prefer songs with lyrics. I’ve been told listening to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera while reading Transcend is pretty epic – but I haven’t tried it out for myself. I am crafting a play list for the book and hope to have it ready for one of the last legs of the tour, or in the near future.

9. What do you do for writers block?

There are a couple of forms of writer’s block I get—one in which I am stuck within the storyline and can’t move forward, and the type in which I am stuck in general and can’t write anything at all…not one thing. For the first kind, I usually just skip to a different part of the story and start writing. If that doesn’t work, I can take a short break, do something mundane like laundry or cleaning, and whatever the problem is, a solution will typically present itself. With the other type of writer’s block, there is usually a deeper, emotionally-based “something” at work. Maybe I’m overwhelmed, or tired, and just drained. Once I figure out the reason I can usually find a solution. And when in doubt, playing Wii with the kids or watching a movie always helps.

1o. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to sit down and talk with the readers and followers here at Wonderland reviews. Do you have any last words you would like to leave us with?

Just my sincere thanks for being part of the tour. I chose to put my stories out in the world with the hopes that readers would connect and together we would have a shared experience. Thank you all for being part of that.

 

 Brought to you by:

   Synopsis:

All seventeen-year-old composer Ien Montgomery desires is an escape from his family's rigid expectations for his life; someone to inspire his music. When he meets a beautiful violin-prodigy, Kiera McDougal, his life music takes on new life. With her, he imagines a future outside of his parents’ control. That is, until a horrible accident tears them apart.　

Sent to die in a sanatorium, Ien’s obsession for Kiera grows unbearable. Tortured by thoughts he can’t escape and the truth of his monstrous disfigurement, he flees, desperate to exact revenge on the people that ruined his life – his parents. But, vengeance is empty. Betrayed by those closest to him, Ien discovers that the price for his happiness may be his sanity.

Set amidst the landscape of New York's Gilded Age, and inspired by Phantom of the Opera, TRANSCEND exposes the fine line between love and madness.

Praise for Transcend:
"So powerful, so deep, and dark. It took me on an amazing journey into places most people fear to go...leaving me breathless.                ~Heather McCorkle, Author of To Ride A Puca　

"…hauntingly dark and achingly beautiful. A story of love, loss and obsession set against the decadent backdrop of historic New York that sucked me in and wouldn't let go, from the first page until long after I'd finished."~ Michelle McLean, Author of Treasured Lies (Entangled, 2012)

" The story is disturbing and intense and utterly unique…"    ~ Ali Cross, Author of Become

"…thought-provoking and emotionally heart wrenching. I haven’t felt this way after reading in quite a while!"    ~ Jen from
　HYPERLINK "http://geekygamergalsmusings.blogspot.com/"Geekygamergal'sHYPERLINK "http://geekygamergalsmusings.blogspot.com/" Musings

"It is such a powerful and deep story; it will leave you completely breathless."~Brooke from　
TheHYPERLINK "http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/" Cover HYPERLINK "http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/"Contessa

 

Review:

 

I really looked foreword to reading this book, a musician and artist by nature I have seen or played the music of the Phantom of the Opera so there was no doubt in my mind that this book would be a good one.

 

I loved the way we got to go into Ien's thoughts as he struggles to differentiate between what is real and what his mind makes up for him. This book is a very dark tale with just about everything you can imagine. This book will pull at your heart string's and is written so well it is somewhat easy to get lost in his thoughts and question what is real as well.

 

The one warning I will say is that it can put you in a blue sort of mood. Which is excellent since the writer was able to draw such emotion, but watching Ien go through so much, and struggle through it, I couldn't help but get down in the dumps with him as one thing after another presented itself in his hard life.

 

This is an excellent read and one I intend to re-read along side the music of the Phantom of the Opera so I can get a good feel and mood with the book.

 

 

Rating:

4 Raven's!

(Good Book!)

 

Vala : Appointed by J.F. Jenkins

 

Synopsis:

Identical twins Anj and Zes Willam have always been considered odd, even in a world where myth is real. Their magic is powerful and intense, as well as their secrets. None more so than Anj, who has the biggest secret of them all.

He's a Fate, and he's not allowed to tell anyone about what he sees or else the consequences will be great. Which is unfortunate, because it's been causing a rift between him, his girl-friend Jewl, and his brother. Even more unfortunate because the demons some how have learned about his gift and have made him their next target

Review:

You read about the story of sweet Persephone's daughter Cheyenne's tale here in the first book.

You read about glamorous Jewell with her wall's up a mile high and daughter of Aphrodite here in the second book.

 

So now it is only fair the twins get their turns in the third installment to the series.

 

This book was written in alternating point of views, enabling the reader the chance not to learn what makes one character tick but two as we get glimpses into the lives of Anj and Zes twins who although share a multitude of mannerism's are each their own.

 

Zes, if you read the first book, then you know.. and for those of you who haven't be forewarned of the SPOILER that I am about to tell, was taken to the underworld with Cheyenne and tortured, his life only saved because of her love for him and the bargain she made. What I thought was amusing about him in this book was the way the brand on his arm would act up with certain emotions. Allot like Harry Potter's scar when dealing with Voldermort.

 

Zes is starting to give into some darker tendencies like anger for instance. At first I would never have pictured him as a guy who resorted to violence.

 

I also love the twist his and Cheyenne's relationship take. There is something about a relationship and two people being in love while having it so easy that makes it seem fake. Love, real love at least, is never easy. It is something you fight for and have to persevere through,so I loved that the author incorporates troubles in the love life.

 

Anj as we learn has this huge secret about being a fate. And I must confess that I knew only the basics when it came to the fate's. As a myth buff I knew that there were three main fate's that controlled our lives/destiny's. One to weave the thread of life, one to measure it and one to cut it. I found myself thinking about the Disney Movie Hercules and thinking about the three fate women in that cartoon's.

 

Anyways, Anj has a whole new problem himself. It is revealed that his decision will cost him either the love of his life or his brother. I know I couldn't imagine having to make such a decision such as his given how close the twin's are.

 

Another huge thing was the revelation of more then one character's true identities. And as the plot thickens and the pieces are all coming together, I could only hope for more as I finished the last page of a another great book.

 

Rating:

4.5 Ravens 

Wreath by Judy Christie

 

Synopsis

What do you do when you’re too young to be on your own but have no one to turn to? Sixteen-year-old Wreath Willis makes a list: Find a place to live. Buy cheap food. Finish high school. Get a job. Go to college. Now she’s finishing high school by day and squatting in a junkyard by night, flying below the authorities’ radar while she makes a few awkward friends and searches for an illusory “good life.” But when a teacher grows too suspicious, Wreath is afraid she’ll have to move on before she graduates. Could it be this was a good life

 

Review

Wreath was actually a surprise find at the local Dollar General store and because no matter where I go if I see they have a book selection  I check it not matter how big or small.

 

So it was a pleasant surprise to come across a book that caught my interest and held it through the entire book.

 

Wreath is a girl who has to fight for everything she gets, including her own survival. In a world where it seems like mot of the young people are use to being handed every single thing, this girl finds herself living in a junkyard about to enter her senior year with little to no money and no job in a town she has been to only once as a child.

 

It was very realistic, her  struggles and the sheer stubborn strength of will that kept her going. Having spent months on the streets in her type of situation it was easy to relate and understand some of the fear that most people don't think of that come with finding yourself homeless and alone.

 

This is a book I think every Teen should read and an inspiration to everyone to never give up and always try to find new goals once you accomplish one's you have already set for yourself.

 

Rating.

4.5 Raven's.

Twilight Saint by Jessica Penot Review

Synopsis:
In a land torn apart by violence, the fragile peace of the world lays in the hands of one tattered warrior.

It has been thousands of years since the fall of the great nations and the tribes that remain in the ashes of the fallen must fight to survive in the shadows. In this desperate landscape, Ailive has spent her entire life fighting for the honor of her tribe and she has grown weary of war. When Ailive sees a chance to escape her fate, she flees into a chaotic landscape where death and darkness lurk behind every friendly face until she finds refuge in the peaceful city at the center of her world. In this city, Ailive finds everything she’s ever dreamt of, but news of a strange prophet from the South brings whispers of war to Ailive’s peaceful home. Now Ailive alone can stop the genocide of an entire tribe of people. Ailive alone holds the key to bringing peace to the world and destroying the monstrous man whom she once loved, if she can only gain the courage to pick up her sword again and make herself fulfill the destiny she’s fought her entire life.

Review:
It is hard to say what I liked most about this book. At first I was so sure there would be nothing that I liked about it but as the story went on I couldn't have been more wrong.


Given away as a young child with a penchant t for violence the main character of the story had to face a multitude of trials to become the strong lethal force that is her assassins guild so to speak. So when her world crumbles at the sight that her tribe is not all knowing and the battle between good and evil isn't as black and white as it was portrayed, we join her on hr journeys with the wind and watch as master swordsman saves the tribe less, becomes a slave, a teacher, a lover, a saint and eventually a wife and mother.


It was so sad to watch man after man use her for their own gain, looking at her as if she was nothing but a pretty toy to lay with. I swear I felt my heart break with her own as plots were revealed and her rage awoken.

I was silently rooting for one person the entire time and when she finally woke up to him, I wanted to yell my joy from the rooftops. I also loved that gaining his trust again wasn't done easily.


This story had a lot of underlying messages that were interesting to think about, especially the ones on religions and politics.

Rating:
4 Raven's

Return to Arethane by Kelly Riad Tour

Synopsis:
16-year old Emily has accepted her fate with each weakening beat of her heart, but after her best friend's brother and sister arrive in town and turn out to be more than what they appear, Emily's life is turned upside-down. When their friendship includes confronting wizards who harbor dark secrets and dancing with an elf prince, Emily discovers there are some things still worth living for

Review:
This book was a really quick read.
Starting off with our main character having to be a teenager and dealing with an alcoholic mother in a restaurant, my heart went out to the poor girl as she had to usher her mother out the door and duck out of the advances of a cute guy.

I enjoyed the character's each of them seemed to have a life of their own and while I would have loved for there to have been a little more depth to it, I still enjoyed it. Especially the twist about what they were. I really thought they were going to be something else. So it was a pleasant surprise to be thrown for a loop for once.

I do love how the author was able to blend in the mythology so seamlessly to create a beautiful world that left me breathless and wishing that fantasy could become reality.

Rating:
4 Raven's

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa Review

Synopsis:
Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten

Review:
I was very excited for this book, as a huge fan of Julie Kagawa when I realized that netgalley had her book, I was jumping up and down for joy. Pretty much just like the book before that. And just like the book before I intend on buying this book to add to my library as well.

It was interesting to see how much has changed in the Chase world, for me it felt like time really had flown by and it was the real deal with her book, it seemed like it took forever for the latest installment due to my excitement for the book.

I was sad to see the toll being able to see The Fey had taken on Ethan, he had always been such a sweet child in the first three books, that it was a bit of a shock to see him this surly loner who was ready to fight instead of laugh and hug.

I wasn't a fan of the new Meghan either.. She was so cold, it is as if being a part of Fairy had changed her and made her forget who she was and where she came from. The best part of the book for me was when Puck came back.

A die hard Puck fan and his antic's and quick wit, Razor was a small concession since his wit caused me to crack a smile but no where near as big as Puck's repertoire.


This book was still a great read, with all new villains and a mystery to solve, I definitely will tune in to see how Ethan and friends will deal with the new threat to the Fey.

Favorite Character: Razor

Rating:
4.5 Raven's.

**This was a book I got from Netgalley, I was in no way compensated for my review. All thoughts and opinions stated above are my own.**

November Surprise by Laurel Osterkamp Tour. Review + Interview

Author Bio
Laurel Osterkamp was a comedy writer in Minneapolis before she began writing novels. Her first novel, Following My Toes, has been a Kindle best seller and won the 2008 Indie Excellence Award for Chick Lit. Starring in the Movie of My Life received honors in the 2011 Indie Excellence Awards for Chick Lit, and in the 2011 International Book Awards for Women's Fiction and Young Adult Lit. Both books are indie approved at indiereader.com. She currently teaches high school, and is working on her next book, which is inspired by her recent jury duty.

Interview :
Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

Definitely! Lucy, the main character, even states the theme towards the end. "It’s our history that brought us to this point, and it’s made us who we are." Since the whole book is about finding parallels between Lucy’s personal dramas and the country’s public dramas, I think that’s pretty fitting.

　
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

　

I have a writing group where we share our work and give each other feedback. They always tease me about the lack of setting in my books, and when I actually describe the setting, they tease me for that too! I forget to provide details, so that’s something I really need to work on.

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I’ve written three full length novels: Following My Toes, Starring in the Movie of My Life, and November Surprise.

Also, two novellas: Looking for Ward and Campaign Promises

I think my favorite is a tie between Starring in the Movie of My Life and November Surprise. I really pushed myself and discovered new things about my writing while working on both of them, but in different ways.

If you had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

That’s hard. Whoever plays Lucy has to come off as smart, pretty without realizing it, and believable from the ages of 17 to 37. Perhaps Gennifer Goodwin.

　
When did you begin writing?

I’ve been writing things for fun, like journals and short stories, for as long as I can remember. I started writing sketch comedy about 15 years ago, and my first book, Following My Toes, was written about eight years ago.

How long did it take to complete your first book?

The first draft took about six months, but all the revisions took well over a year. I guess all total, it was around two years.

　
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?

Oh, sure. There are tons. Today I’ll mention Jennifer Weiner. She’s very prolific, and I love how she helped to redefine the romantic heroine. Good in Bed was one of the first "chick lit" novels with a flawed main character, who was beautiful and strong in her own way.

　
What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Probably revisions. By that time I know the characters and the story arc really well, and I can work on refining the details and making it as perfect as possible. The challenge can be a lot of fun.

　
Describe your latest book in 4 words.

　

Awesome political love story!

　

　
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

　

I have a blog written in Lucy’s voice about the current election and her marriage to Monty. It’s fun to continue their story. You can read it at HYPERLINK "http://novembersurprises.blogspot.com" http://novembersurprises.blogspot.com

This spring I was on a federal jury, and of course the whole time I was thinking about how I could use the experience for my next novel. I have some ideas, so that’s what my next book will be about. Since it’s going to be fiction, I can make jury duty much more exciting than it actually was!


Synopsis:
For Lucy Jones, the distinction between love and politics is hazy at best. Both can be all-consuming, and either can lead to a heart-breaking loss or an exhilarating win. Whatever the case, if you’re seen as a loser, you probably are one. Lucy first learns this lesson in 1988, when she’s a shy girl, battling a high school bully and rooting for Dukakis. Through the years Lucy will experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat as she makes the choices that define her. Meanwhile, she also struggles to define her relationship with Monty, who comes in and out of her life like the changes in public opinion. Is Monty simply a one-night stand, a kindred spirit, or the love of her life? And by 2008, can he offer her a change to believe in?

　

Over the course of twenty years and six presidential elections, Lucy grows and adjusts with the times. Filled with snarky political and pop-culture references,　November Surprise　is about the journey we take to believe in a candidate, in love, and in ourselves

Review:
I am usually not a fan of books with political theme's so boy was I glad that I gave this book a chance.
It is great to watch a woman find herself in the modern day and age and have to struggle against not only her self at times but something real as well like nemesis from her past childhood.

It was also neat to see the past president elections that I was to young to remember and see the different campaigns they went through to gain the public favor. It was like a diary with a theme, the people were so realistic and what she went through was something just about any person can relate with.

Rating:
4 Raven's

Something Awesome from Sherrilyn Kenyon

I found this today while on Sherrilyn Kenyon'sblog
http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/2012/03/brynnas-and-sherris-letters/

And it just fit so well with Suicide Awareness month I just had to share it. This is just another reason why this woman is my favorite author and why I am so proud to own her books and I am saving to own both doll sets of Acheron and Simi.. I actually squee'd when I noticed she had dolls out. Lol >.> Anyway.
In the book, Infamous, a classmate terrorizes fellow students by spreading lies and posting a site that exposes everyone’s secrets. Brynna is the first and primary victim. Because of those lies, she is still, a full year later, having to deal with the fall-out. With the help of Nick and LaShonda, she finds a courage she didn’t know she had and she ends up writing the manifesto for the ABB. It’s excerpted here so that it can hopefully help those who are going through a bad time. Please feel free to share this.

If you’re the person in need, please hang in there. Believe me, no one knows your pain more than I do. I know what it’s like to be a kid who has no haven. To wake up every single day, praying that your whole life is nothing but one long nightmare and that today, you’re finally going to see that none of it was true… Only to be slapped in the face, literally and figuratively, the minute you open your eyes. I know the pain of not being able to tell anyone. That fear. That horror. The part of you that dies a little every day while you bleed internally and silently where no one can see. I know what it is to walk the halls of a school and be mocked for things that you can’t help: Your dark broken teeth that haven’t been fixed. Teeth that were shattered when you were hit in the mouth with a glass Coke bottle. Your unfashionable hand-me-downs that don’t fit. To graduate in a borrowed dress that is beige and not white because it was all you could get. To not have your diploma right away because you couldn’t afford the fee, or a class ring. Not even invitations for graduation. To sit in class every day while your stomach rumbles and gnaws, and to swallow air because you’re starving and you don’t have money for lunch, and breakfast is something you only see on TV.

My family situation was bad. The kids at school were worse, but some of the things that stung most were from teachers who mocked me, too. As a young woman and child, I kept thinking, “Why can’t you just leave me alone? Can’t you tell how much pain I’m in? Can none of you see that I’m barely hanging on?”

But then, I was good at hiding my pain. I had to be in order to survive. Let no one in. Trust none. Any information about you, can and will be used to torment you more.

I still believe it doesn’t have to be like that. When I was in eighth grade, my lifelong best friend (who became my friend because I fought a bully who was picking on her), asked me if I was afraid to have children. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll abuse them, too?” I was horrified. “I could never make a child of mine feel like this,” I assured her. “I wouldn’t do this to my worst enemy.” And I’ve lived my life by those words.

I wish I could say my bullies ended with my school days, but they didn’t. I was penniless and homeless a few years ago and I saw a side to people that I wish to this day I was still ignorant of. But through it all, I refused to let those “haters” turn me into one of them. I will not be that person. I will not lash out and I refuse to live their horrid life. As Socrates said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” I don’t know what demons drive them to their cruelty, and I’m grateful that I don’t. Even though I’ve seen it firsthand, I don’t understand how anyone can laugh while they hurt another. How someone can take pride in their cruelty.

When I die and face my creator, I want to be able to say that while I might have stumbled and fallen a few times in my life, I never, ever lashed out intentionally at anyone. I don’t want to be one of those bitter old creatures who robbed me of my childhood and innocence. One who, when they died, people applauded. I don’t want anyone to curl their lips when they think of me and to say, “You know dead just ain’t dead enough.” When I die, I want to be like my older brother and have people smile with tears in their eyes and say, “Dang, I really miss her. She was fun. This world just isn’t as bright with her gone.”

Life is hard and there are no guarantees. There have been so many times when I wish I could go back to me in those hours that were so dark and that seemed to be unending and say, “It does get better, Sherri. I promise.” Because back then, I didn’t know for sure. I hoped, but that hope came with a high price as I questioned my intelligence and sanity for believing in something that seemed ludicrous. “After all you’ve been through, girl, how can you have anything left? What kind of stupid can’t let go when it’s obvious this is the best there is? They were right. You ain’t nothing but an ugly waste of space.”

But don’t give up. Don’t give in. Do not listen to them or you when your mind echoes their cruelty. Fight for your life and your happiness. Believe in yourself. You are beautiful and you deserve your dreams. You do, and if you keep going, they will come to you. I have been kicked down so many times and so hard that I swear I have a boot heel permanently pressed into my forehead. You can’t imagine how many people have come at me for no reason whatsoever. Even now, all these years later, I have a hard time sleeping at night. I hear those voices and their hatred. They are the demons that continue to stalk me, but you know what?

They lost. I’m still here. And in spite of them and everything they tried to take from me, I am happy. I have three wonderful sons who mean the world to me- boys who love me, flaws and all. And I have a husband that all the experts and critics told me I couldn’t have. He is a man in every sense of the word and he has held my hand through the worst imaginable nightmares. I am nothing special. Believe me, I know. I come from unbelievable poverty (my childhood home didn’t always have running water or heat or electricity and for most of my life I didn’t have a bed). I was that dyslexic kid who was mocked to the point that as an adult, I won’t do a public reading. It even manifests verbally. Because I was hit in the mouth so much as a child, I had a horrendous lisp that made three different speech teachers tell me that I would never have a job where I had to speak in public. I was mocked for my accent, my heritage, my poverty, my stupidity and my special needs sister. I was ridiculed because the police came to my house so much that I was on a first name basis with the officers.

But this isn’t about me. I only talk about my past now because I don’t want you to give up. No one told me that I had a hope or a chance. I found salvation in fiction. That was the only place where people like me survived and things got better.

Now as an adult, I’ve met plenty of others that no one talks about who don’t just survive. We thrive. We are normal. You can’t look at us and see the scars we hide. But we are here and you will get through this, even though you doubt it right now. A better future is there. I promise you. This is your life. Make it shine. Remember that no one can make you feel inferior without your permission. There are those who will always try to “keep you humble” or think they’re “telling it like it is.” But they’re not. They’re being mean. Resist the urge to return it. Find your inner peace and bask in the knowledge that you are better than that.

The buck stops here and it stops now. We can break the cycle. We must break the cycle.
Raise your fist to the ceiling and shout: I am human and I matter. This is my time and my life. I am beautiful in spite of what you say and think. And if you can’t see that, it’s your loss.

Then blow them a raspberry and remember that you might be down today, but tomorrow is another chance for you to shine and to dance like no one’s watching. Spend your time on the things that matter… making the most of your life. There will never be another person like you ever again.
We will all be remembered by the tracks we leave in the hearts of the people we meet. You can be a light in the darkness or you can be the demon you hate. The choice is yours alone to make. The consequences are yours to face.

As for me, I have seen where that bitterness leads, and it’s a bad, bad end. No happy person attacks another. There’s no need. And there’s no limit on happiness. Believe me, there’s more than enough to go around and I don’t want to hoard it. So if I have to spread something, I want it to be warmth and laughter. And while I may not help everyone, if I can reach that one person like me as a child and young woman who just needs one moment of escape, one tiny word of encouragement, then my life wasn’t the waste they told me it would be. And maybe, just maybe, I’m not that disgusting, stupid, broken buck-toothed dog they called me. Maybe I’m not invisible anymore.

So put on your swan hat and hold your head proud. As my older brother used to tell me, we are all Veterans of a Screwed-up World. No one gets out of life unscarred. But we do reap the seeds that we sow. Bitterness gives a bitter harvest. It takes strength and determination to drive out the snakes and keep the weeds from growing in our garden (they can be insidious and crop up when we least expect them). And though we hate it when it pours, rain makes the wheat grow stronger. So send me your storm and I will dance in the eye of the hurricane and laugh while the wind challenges me. Most of all, I will relish every second of every day I live and use those lemons not only for lemonade, but furniture polish and to scrape the grease off my dishes so that I can wash it down the drain and bid it adieu.
Love and hugs to you, always! May the best day of your past be the worst day in your future.

Time Untime by Sherrilyn Kenyon Review

Synopsis:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon comes the next thrilling installment in her blockbuster Dark-Hunter series


The Mayans aren’t the only ones with a 2012 prophecy…

Long before recorded history, there was a Keetoowah warrior so feared that everyone trembled before his wrath. Only a brutal betrayal by the one closest to him could defeat him. But not even death was the end of a man so strong.

The Time Untime approaches…

Kateri Avani has been plagued her entire life with dreams she doesn’t understand. Images of places she’s never been and of a man she’s never seen. Her quest for answers has driven her to Las Vegas where she hopes to finally silence the demons in her mind.

What she never anticipates is coming face to face with the warrior who has haunted her her entire life. One who belongs to a world the scientist in her refuses to believe is real.

Ren Waya came back from the dead to keep the prophecy he began from coming true and ending the world. For thousands of years, he has fought the same evil that once possessed him. But now that evil has found the one person he can’t fight. The one person who, against his will, holds the most sacred part of him.

His heart.

But if he doesn’t kill Kateri, the deadliest of evils will reemerge and destroy everyone else on the planet. It was a sacrifice he made once.

Will he be able to make it again?



Review:
I have said it before and I will gladly say it again, Sherrilyn Kenyon is by far one of my favorite author's if not my favorite author. I have no idea how she gets her inspiration and manages to still keep things fresh after writing so many books. She knows just the right time to insert her dark humor and cause me to chuckle out loud, earning me strange looks from passer by's.
 
I think one of the best aspects of this author is the fact that love for them, is never easy, each relationship they have had to fight for their love. It is not freely given, nor is it easy to keep once attained.
 
Just when I think I have heard heartbreak, Mrs. Kenyon manages to weave another Dark-Hunter's tale that has me close to tears as I imagine what they had to go through, the betrayal that as Mrs. Kenyon writes " is so foul that their soul screams in such a volume that it reaches Olympus and Artemis's temple."
 
I loved the different culture she has started to explore, where most people are sticking to Greek mythology, Kenyon has the daring to branch off into many different shades of pantheon's.
 
I also liked that Nick and Ash are starting to understand one another once again, and even though there friendship is far from fixed it seems like it is slowly getting there, giving off that nothing is beyond hope.
 
One of my favorite things about this author's books is that she knows how to write a fight? So many author's rush it or make it seem so fake that you can't really get into the good action scene's, Kenyon has no problem melding action and drama into one beautiful sexy package.
 
Love never comes easy for her characters' but  you become so invested in them that you can't help but turn the page and silently root for them and wish to be able to scream at them to wake up. I am truly excited to see the transition I have heard rumor's about, of this wonderful work being put on the big screen.

Memorable Quotes: (Bare with me, I couldn't seem to narrow it down anymore lol.)
 
1. "One 'oh shit ' moment can undo all of our best efforts to protect this world, and there's nothing more dangerous in this existence then a moron on a mission."

2." I don't know, that man scares me." She scoffed at Rain's words. "That's not saying much, cuz. As I recall, spiders render you catatonic and even lady bugs make you scream like a girl."
Rain stiffened indignantly. "Not my fault. I promise you. If you ever saw my dad dressed like a Killer Lady Bug with my uncle Seamus for Mardi Gras, you'd be terrified of them to.  Just saying. Aint nothing more scarring then two straight men in drag singing. 'It's Rainging Men' to me and telling me I was named after that song. And if that wasn't damaging enough, my mom agreed with them. It wasn't until I was old enough to realize my birth predated the song that I finally calmed down."

3. " He has to request it,but yeah. In spite of the rumors, I haven't completely gone to the dark side yet. But damn, those cookies are good.." Come to the dark side. We have cookies. Someone spent way to much time on the Internet."

4. "You look like hell buddy." (Acheron Saying to Ren.)
 " Ah,damn, " Ren said, trying not to move his busted jaw any more then necessary. "All those hours in the salon wasted. I'd just got my nails done, too."
 "You're so not right. "

5." How will I know when I love someone like you did Grandpa, Grammy?"
" Oh baby " She'd said, brushing Kateri's hair back from her face. " That's an easy answer. When you know you'd b e willing to lay your life down to save theirs without thought or hesitation. When five o'clock comes and they're not home like they said they'd be and you panic and cant breathe for fear they're not coming through that door ever again. When the though of laying them in ground hits you so hard, you can't breathe for it. Most of all, when something good or bad happens to you and they're the first one you want to share the news with. That's how you'll know it's love baby. There wont be any doubt whatsoever."

6. "Sharing a life with me, and making it so that even the worst days I have now are still the best days I've ever known."

Rating:
5 Raven's!

Nine Lives by Shari Richardson Blog Tour!

Synopsis:
When in the midst of the usual supernatural uproar which surrounds her, Kerry Cote finds herself pregnant, she thinks the worst has finally come. But when her fiancé doubts her love and her child while the supernatural world lays itself at her feet, Kerry knows she must be strong. Nine Lives takes readers through Kerry’s pregnancy and an epic battle among vampires to bring them out on the other side with the birth of her child.
Review:
I absolutely loved this book. I hadn't read any of he books in the series beforehand so Picking up the fifth book in a series and being confused was to be expected. Thankfully it wasn't to hard to catch up with what was going on, that being said I would not recommend it ad a stand alone boom, mainly because the character descriptions were not repeated in the fifth book so what I saw in my minds eye is probably not what the author had in mind, it also made it difficult to connect with the characters on a personal level.

One thing I found myself repeating as I read this book was that I wished things would have been drawn out more. There was so much packed into this book that most of the time I was wishing that more effort and description was put into the character's/events that were important in the book.

Another thing that really bothered me about the boom wad the relationship between Kerry and xavier, from what I gathered they had been dating for awhile and engaged her sisters wedding reception. Kerry agrees to marry him and then proceeds to gift him with her virginity. Well enter Meg a fifty who ends up controlling xavier, forcing him to get jealous out of nowhere and treat Kerry abysmally which leads to their break up and him not speaking to her. Then Kerry is pregnant and all of a sudden a slut because she should never have been able to get pregnant by Jim so he denied the child and proceeds to knock up another girl and then it is "my bad looks like I cam get a girl pregnant." I guess my biggest problem with the situation wad how Kerry forgave him so easily and acted like everything was ok so quickly. Perhaps it was the fact that she was more angel then human because I know if I had been in her situation, especially pregnant and all hormonal, it would have taken me some time to be as forgiving and sweet as she was.

I am not going to lie, towards the end it started to take on a "Breaking Dawn, ( twilight book 4) feel to it.

I will say this though, the author created some of the sweetest sentences of love (as quoted below) I have come across in a while. And I absolutely ADORED the ending to this book, it is not one you see coming and as I read the last page it left me hungry for more and am wanting to applaud a masterfully twist brought to a close.
After reading this book I have bought the first one and intend on reading the entire series so I am caught up and I urge you to do so as well.


Memorable Quotes:
1. "My heart, my love, my only sun," He whispered. " I'm sorry I was not strong enough."

Rating:
4.5 Raven's!

Suggested Reading List for Suicide Awareness Month!

For all of this information and more go to www.save.org

Reading List:

Depression & Other Brain Illnesses

Understanding Depression - A Complete Guide to Its Diagnosis & TreatmentBy Donald F. Klein, M.D. & Paul H. Wender, M.D.
Questions & Answers About Depression and Its TreatmentBy Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D.
Overcoming DepressionBy Demitri Papolos, M.D. & Janice Papolos
The Broken BrainBy Nancy Andreasen, M.D.
You Mean I Don't Have to Feel This Way
By Colette Dowling
On the Edge of Darkness
By Kathy Cronkite
Triumph Over FearBy Jerilynn Ross
Surviving SchizophreniaBy E. Fuller Torrey, M.D.
Essential Guide to Psychiatric DrugsBy Jack M. Gorman, M.D.
Undoing Depression - What Therapy Doesn’t Teach You and Medication Can’t Give YouBy Richard O’Connor, Ph.D.
Choosing To Live - How to Defeat Suicide Through Cognitive TherapyBy Thomas E. Ellis, Psy.D. & Cory F. Newman, Ph.D.
Change Your Brain, Change Your LifeBy Daniel G. Amen, M.D.
Waking Up: Deciding to Die, Choosing to LiveBy Terry L. Wise
When Going Through Hell... Don’t Stop!By Douglas Bloch

Children & Adolescents

No One Saw My Pain - Why Teens Kill ThemselvesBy Andrew Slaby, M.D. & Lili Frank Garfinkel
Helping Your Depressed Teenager - A Guide for Parents & CaregiversBy Gerald D. Oster, Ph.D. & Sarah S. Montgomery, MSW
Helping Your Depressed Child - A Reassuring Guide to the Causes & Treatments of Childhood & Adolescent DepressionBy Lawrence L. Kearns, M.D.
It's Nobody's Fault - New Hope and Help for Difficult Children and Their ParentsBy Harold S. Koplewicz, M.D.
Depression in the Young – What We Can Do to Help ThemBy Trudy Carlson
Sad Days, Glad DaysBy DeWitt Hamilton (a storybook for children about adult depression)
When Nothing Matters Anymore: A Survival Guide for Depressed TeensBy Bev Cobain R.N., C.
Depression - Challenge the Beast Within Yourself and WinBy Cait Irwin
The Power to Prevent Suicide: A Guide for Teens Helping TeensBy Richard E. Nelson, Ph.D., & Judith C. Galas

Suicide

Night Falls FastBy Kay Redfield Jamison
Suicide: Survivors - A Guide for Those Left BehindBy Adina Wrobleski
Suicide: Why?By Adina Wrobleski
Suicide: The Forever Decision - For Those Thinking About Suicide, and For Those Who Know, Love, or Counsel ThemBy Paul G. Quinnett
Suicide: Intervention & Therapy - Undoing the Forever DecisionBy Paul G. Quinnett
Preventing Youth Suicide - A Handbook for Educators & Human Service ProfessionalsBy Marcia L. McEvoy and Alan W. McEvoy
Suicide Survivors' HandbookBy Trudy Carlson
The Tender Land: A Family Love StoryBy Kathleen Finneran
Why Suicide?By Eric Marcus
No One Saw My Pain - Why Teens Kill ThemselvesBy Andrew Slaby, M.D. & Lili Frank Garfinkel
Bart Speaks Out – Breaking the Silence on Suicide; an interactive storybook/workbook for childrenBy Linda Goldman, M.S.
When Nothing Matters Anymore: A Survival Guide for Depressed TeensBy Bev Cobain
Choosing To Live – How to Defeat Suicide Through Cognitive TherapyBy Thomas E. Ellis, Psy.D. & Cory F. Newman, Ph.D.
How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying to Kill Me: One Person's Guide to Suicide Prevention
by Susan Rose Blauner

Autobiographies

An Unquiet Mind By Kay Redfield Jamison
Darkness Visible - A Memoir of MadnessBy William Styron
The Beast - A Reckoning with DepressionBy Tracy Thompson
A Brilliant MadnessBy Patty Duke
Conquering the Beast WithinBy Cait Irwin
When the Thief StrikesBy Patricia Day

Grief After Suicide

Suicide: Survivors - A Guide for Those Left BehindBy Adina Wrobleski
Dying to Be FreeBy Bev Cobain
Healing the Hurt SpiritBy Catherine Greenleaf
Suicide Survivors' HandbookBy Trudy Carlson
After SucicideBy John Hewett
Tragedy to TriumphBy Reuel Nygaard
A Grief ObservedBy C.S. Lewis
My Son, My SonBy Iris Bolton
Healing After the Suicide of a Loved One By Ann Smolin, C.S.W. and John Guinan, Ph.D.
The Grieving Child: A Parent's GuideBy Helen Fitzgerald
When Dinosaurs Die - A Guide to Understanding Death (a storybook for children)By Laurie Krasny Brown & Marc Brown
Helping Children GrieveBy Theresa Huntley
Talking about Death: A Dialogue between Parent and ChildBy Earl A. Grollman
The Suicide of My Son - A Story of Childhood DepressionBy Trudy Carlson
Bart Speaks Out – Breaking the Silence on Suicide; an interactive storybook/workbook for childrenBy Linda Goldman, M.S.
But I Didn't Say GoodbyeBy Barbara Rubel
Eric's Story-Surviving A Son's SuicideBy Sandra Underwood
No Time to Say Goodbye: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One
By Carla Fine
Touched by Suicide: Hope And Healing After Loss
By Dr. Michael Myers and Carla Fine


 

Suicide Awareness Month!

This month is Suicide Awareness month, and it is something that I can relate to very easily. So this month I am going to be reading book's and posting help and warning signs so people can get the help they need.

I don't want people to feel as alone and as worthless as I felt when I went through thing's and lost friends and loved one's to this. So this month I am going to be speaking out and I encourage you to do the same.

 

Mourning Sun by Shari Richardson

Synopsis:
I should have known when he walked into my life that things would never be the same. Hadn't I dreamed of him and the things he'd done before I was born? If only he weren't so fascinating, so beautiful, so much more than any other guy. Maybe then I could walk away.

Mairin Cote is a magnet for weird. Her dreams come true, she can see auras and her mother is in love with an angel. Now the monsters are finding her too. Vampires, demigods and werepanthers have flocked to this small town girl who must find a way to keep her family safe, love the man of her dreams, and navigate the shark-infested waters of Highland Home High School.

Review:
I decided to read this book after Reading the latest addition to the series in a Blog Tour, because I wanted to get to know where the book started and the characters.

This book had the same feel as the last book "Nine Lives" did. The only difference was that this was more of an introductory then anything else and it gave me a feel of the main character's and their background where as the last book hasn't.

I enjoyed the different elements deployed in this book. There was a lot going on and I felt it was still rushed but it was still good. This book, despite being a fast read, (I read it right after Nine Lives and Finished it that night.) Is well worth it because I got to see how it all started out. I am not sure if I would have finished the series if I had started with the first book, It is good but as fast as it is, it took away from it for me.

Memorable Quotes:
1. "I will see you in the morning Mairin," Mathias said after the bell had rung. Before I could stop myself, I blurted out "Why?"
Mathias smiled at me and my heart skipped erratically in my chest." Because I am not strong enough to deny myself your company."

2. Mathias was the sun and through his light the shadows were chased away and I was left revealed.

3. He watched me as if I were his sun.

4. "I'm a planet, orbiting my sun," He whispered, forcing me to step closer to hear him. "I am only Mathias."

5."Because you are my sun. You are the light of my life and you are the voice that calls me from my dreams."


Rating:
4 Raven's!!

Bound by Kira Saito

Synopsis:
Sixteen year old Arelia LaRue lives in New Orleans where the music is loud, voodoo queens inhabit every street corner, and the ghosts are alive and well. Despite her surroundings, all she wants is to help her Grand-mere Bea pay the rent and save up for college.

When her best friend Sabrina convinces her to take a well-paying summer job at the infamous Darkwood plantation, owned by the wealthy LaPlante family, Arelia agrees.

However, at Darkwood strange things start to happen, and gorgeous Lucus LaPlante insists that he needs her help. Soon, the powers that Arelia has been denying all her life, come out to play and she discovers mysteries about herself that she could have never imagined.

YA Paranormal Romance


Review:
 I am not sure where to start with this book. I am not gonna lie, I was first drawn to the book because of the cover. It is absolutely stunning but I also loved the fact that someone was dipping their toe in the water so to speak, of the Voodoo pool.

I was thrilled about the story idea, because it is a genius idea that unfortunately was executed very poorly. 

The characters were flat and one dimensional, the same can be said for the event's that took place at the turn of each page. Shallow as it may seem, I had a hard time getting to know the character's and connecting with the flow of the book.

It seemed rushed and because it seemed like everything pushed together without as much depth as I would of liked I was unable to enjoy the tale to what I am sure could be the fullest.

I also hated the ending.  It wasn't any ending in fact, it seemed like someone had just ripped the pages out of the book and I was forced to come to an abrubt halt. It was worse then a cliff hanger.

Memorable Quote:
1." I've learnt how to bury the shame and move on with my life. I've realized taht if you let it, remorse can consume you entirely. Before you know it, your nothing moret hen a ghost lurking in the shadows. " Said by Lucas LePlante

Rating:
2 Raven's.

Sophie's Turn by Nicky Wells Blog Tour!

Synopsis:
Slapper. Slut. Adulteress. These are hardly words that Sophie Penhalligan would normally use to describe herself. Yet this is exactly how she is behaving, all things considered, even if she isn’t quite married to Tim yet. And it’s all happening because her past is coming to tempt her! Nine years ago, she met her teenage idol and rock star extraordinaire, Dan, up close and personal. Well, almost. Now Dan has crash-landed back in her life. How could Tim ever stand a chance against the charming, handsome singer? How could she?

Sophie, now twenty-eight and a budding newspaper journalist, is happily embroiled in a relationship with Tim, her boyfriend of two years. Until recently, she was confident that Tim would eventually propose—probably as soon as he could get his act together. But just as Tim’s persistent inaction is beginning to cast a cloud over their relationship, Dan’s sudden reappearance turns Sophie’s world upside down. Thus unfolds a roller-coaster of events including an ill-fated trip to Paris with Tim, a night of unfulfilled romance with Dan, Sophie and Tim’s engagement party gate-crashed by Dan, and Sophie’s professional secondment to accompany Dan’s band on their revival tour—at Dan’s special request and very much against her will.

And then, one fine day in Paris, Sophie suddenly finds herself engaged to Dan while her erstwhile fiancé Tim is... well, doing whatever it is Tim does back in London. What is she to do now? Who wouldn’t give anything to meet their favourite star, let alone marry him?

Find out how Sophie gets into this impossible situation, and how she turns it around, in Sophie’s Turn, the honest, funny and sometimes bittersweet story of one woman’s entanglement with a rock star
Review:
Every girl has that romance, that idol they have a chance to become more then just friends or acquaintances, and just like every girl has that moment, there is a moment lost.

Who wouldn't like the idea of finding that lost chance again when you are not so naive with the world, when you are more secure with your place in life?

For Sophie all of this comes true, even if it adds drama and stress to her life, some could argue it was well worth it if it meant getting that chance romance again.

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book when I first started it, I found that it was hard to really sink into and warm up with. Luckily after pushing through I started to feel a sort of kin ship with Sophie, I have been in a relationship like hers and Tim's and I know the heartache that comes with it and the work you have to put in it as well. I found myself rooting for her and biting my lip every time her and Dan were together.

It really is a sweet romance that makes you think of the what ifs in life.


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*
Rating:
4 Raven's.

Pulled by A.L Jackson Blog Tour!

 

Synopsis:
　

Melanie Winters and Daniel Montgomery shared a love most only dream of, a love they believed bonded them together for life. 　When their world is shattered by the tragic loss of their daughter, overwhelming grief and misguided guilt distorts the truth, and their relationship ends in uncertainty and unanswered questions.　

For nine years, they drift through life, each unable to forget the one who holds the strings to their heart. 　In an attempt to escape the pain of her past, Melanie finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, while Daniel loses himself in a career that means nothing without Melanie by his side. 　

Now, when their lives again intersect, neither can deny the connection they felt so long ago. 　

But will the power that drew them together be enough to heal the wounds from their past, and will they have the courage to overcome the insecurities and fears that threaten to keep them apart?　

Pulled is a story of attraction and separation, of destiny and duty, of a love so strong it refuses to give up even when all others have.　
Review:
It is nice to take a break from the YA genre, and the fantasy and touch base with something real.
Pulled is a romantics   bread and butter. It was as if I waited with bated breath with each page turn, I could not wait to see what happened next. The relationship became so real, it was as if I could close my eyes and re-live the moment's that happened within the pages as if they were my own.

I know many people snicker at the thought of Soul Mates, I for one do not. and this book can make anyone believe that even if you love and lost, that flame can be found and rekindled when everything seems wrong.

This book is for anyone who sighs over sappy movie's and enjoys those books that make you dream with faded edges..

With characters that seemed as real as the next person down the lane.
 


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Rating:
4  Raven'