Thursday 31 March 2016

Author Interview & Author Bio | Wesley Rivers | Letters To Laura


1. What made you want to start writing?

Everyone has a need to be heard. Writing is my way of exploring the vastness of my own voice, completely oblivious to whether I'm the only one in this exploration and at the same time, displaying that voice loudly in the ears of all that will take a listen.

2. What things have you read that have especially helped your writing?

I have always been highly influenced by the works of powerhouses like Edgar Allen Poe (anything by him really), C.S. Lewis (‘Til We Have Faces and The Screwtape Letters), Watership Down by Richard Adams, but I would actually say that I am more inspired and motivated and influenced to write by visual stories. Certain TV shows, a lot of anime, even certain movies and songs inspire me. I get story ideas from lots of media and I find that these story ideas tend to come to me in a similar manner as one might get a script idea. I wouldn't say I'm a writer first. I would say I'm a storyteller who dabbles in writing.

3. What’s the hardest thing about writing for you?

Thinking I'm any good. haha I love to write, yet I find myself doing it less than anything else for a good 6 months out of the year. The other 6 months, I send all the excuse-coated insecurities that kept me from writing the first 6 months away and then I write two full length books/novels. I'd like to take credit for some kind of mind-shattering display of discipline, but truth is I'm always evolving.

4. What do you wish you knew before you started?

How damn long it was going to take LOL!

5. Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? If you write more than one, how do you balance them?

How do you balance telling your friend about the time you thought you saw a ghost and recounting from memory the instructions on how to build a bottle rocket to your niece? It's all just different aspects of life. That's what genres in books are (or in art or music for that matter). They're just different aspects of chosen lives, both realistic and fantastical.

6. Where did your love of reading & writing come from?

My love of storytelling has always been something very innate. As for reading, I had to cultivate a love for reading because I struggled with dyslexia. I had to train my brain with different memory techniques; I found that memorization helped me get better and better at reading.

7. How long have you been writing?

Well I was a songwriter for a while, so I have been writing music since I was a little girl. I worked in Nashville a little. But ultimately I'd had a love of writing stories when I was even younger than that (won some state competitions and such). So, after my love affair with music started to cool down, I returned to writing stories and realized that was at the heart of why I even wrote songs. A lot of my songs were storyteller-like songs. I still write music, but my number one squeeze right now is writing novels.

8. What does your “writing cave” look like?

I do not have a cave; who has a cave? When did I miss this? lol

9. Do you use music as inspiration? Can you tell us about what type of music inspires you?

Yes! I am heavily inspired and influenced by music when it comes to my writing. I create playlists for my characters (what kind of songs would they listen to, what songs define their personality, etc.). I create playlists for the story in general, almost like a soundtrack for a movie. And the genres, much like my own writing, range from K-pop to jazz, to rap, to rock and roll, to indie, to punk...to Josh Groben and Aurora (who get their own categories because they are my favorites), and so on and so on.

10. Must have beverage and snack while writing?


No snacks, but the beverage depends on what stage the writing is at. From the beginning to about 80% of the book, it's one of my favorite teas in a fancy teacup that makes me feel pretty and elegant in some strange archaic way. Then, from 80% to completion, that tea gets replaced by a strange mixture of espresso and alcohol. ;)


Wesley Rivers is a no–nonsense individual with a strong disgust for fruitless endeavors. However if you point out how whimsical she can be, she will simply smile and reply: "but with a purpose." Wesley never avoids being brash when it’s needed, determined to see herself through her own heart rather than anyone else’s. She finds staring into one’s own darkness to be very therapeutic and so shies away from stories, movies, or entertainment that hinges too heavily on formulas, trope–ing, or "feel good" material.

Wesley is enthralled with Asian pop culture, expressing her adoration for anime, K–pop and historical Asian folklore on a daily basis. Much of her inspiration comes from the various art forms of these cultures. She adores foxes and often times plays with the idea that she is indeed the reincarnation of a Kitsune (Japanese nine-tailed fox Yokai).
Being part of the community herself, Wesley has strong ties to LGBT advocacy and social activism. She will also be the first to admit that she finds two men engaging in sexual acts to be too stunning for words, never hiding that she hopes to come back in the next life as a gay man "…in a better world of course."

She is a dedicated minimalist, quoted saying… "The hoarding of things is death to all the experience life can offer." Wesley Rivers adores the refinement of tea; she believes there to be more culture in a bag of tea leaves than in the entire world. Wesley sees no difference between children with fur and children without, having five fur–babies: two cats and three dogs. She believes all life matters and the idea that some matter more is primarily what’s wrong with the world.

Bio blurbs like this make Wesley cringe, mainly because she despises being tied down or forced to represent herself in a certain way. Loving change for the sake of change, her work spans several genres.

"Being pinned to one genre or style is the equivalent of staying in the right lane, going 20 miles an hour. It gets you there, but in the most boring way imaginable. Writing is my way of landing on the moon, flying with angels, fighting dragons, doing the impossible."
–Wesley Rivers

Wesley Rivers is charmingly cocky beyond reason, willful beyond words, and warm beyond understanding. She is a spitfire for the ages, but still classy as fuck. Wesley embodies the idea that we don’t have to define or identify ourselves with petty human concepts, but instead we can embrace each present moment—the NOW—and just BE.

"Let your DO be playful, and your You just BE."

–Wesley Rivers


To contact Wesley Rivers or her editor, e-mail:

Patricia Vane (editorpatriciavane@gmail.com)


Wednesday 30 March 2016

Book Q&A | Wesley Rivers | Letters To Laura


1. What brought you to write this book?

My own story. The first time I ever fell in love (and it really counted). I had dedicated so much of myself to seeking outward validation that this one relationship in particular held a combustible emotional gunpowder of sorts. When everything exploded, it propelled me to make a decision about how I wanted to treat me for the rest of this life. From those hard lessons came Letters to Laura.

2. How long did it take you to write this book?

I wrote this book over the course of a few months. The editing was a different story of course, but the actual story flowed pretty easily.

3. What are you trying to achieve with this book?

World Peace. jk lol But in honesty, I'm achieving the natural human state of story. Everyone has stories, shares stories, discovers stories. I'm just sharing one of mine. As Richard Wright said in American Hunger (1977),"I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all."

4. What got left out in the final draft?

Everything unnecessary. Distractions that might deter the reader from connecting or relating to the messages the letter writer was feeling.

5. Where there alternate endings you considered? If so, what were they??

No. It ends how it should — by giving prelude to a new beginning — because that's the way all stories end really.

6. What’s next for you? What are you working on now?

I have another novel that is in the third or fourth stage of editing that I will be attempting to have published by August, 2016, called We Are Enough. I like to write a few different stories at the same time. I know a lot of writers think that's incorrect, but I find it helps me to be more productive. That way, when I reach a place in a certain book that I'm working on where I begin to stagnate, I can check out of that story hotel and check into the other story hotel; get a breather from the other story line for a few chapters. Traditionally, I realize this method is not popular, and it can get out of hand if I try writing more than three at once, but I find that it works better for me. So I'm writing a few different stories right now.

7. What was the hardest part of writing this book?

Being honest. Staying honest as well. When it comes to topics like the ones you find in Letters to Laura, being honest with yourself is the hardest part.

8. What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Just theorizing and asking questions and learning. I tend to add elements of self-discovery and inner growth in my books; every story has a message but I tend to include elements that are pretty strong teachers because I believe all writing should teach us something.

9. What is the biggest thing that people THINK they know about your subject/genre, that isn't so?

One of the genres Letters to Laura fits in is Romance because it is a story about a romantic relationship between two women. This subject genre tends to see a lot of fantasy, which can be great. I think I however, enjoy writing romances with very realistic human perspective and I try to write them from the healthiest standpoints possible. Not all Romance genre books are smut. For example, Letters to Laura. With that being said, I'm known to treat myself to a little smut now and again ;)

10. What makes your book stand out from the crowd?

Being an epistolary. And the person writing the letters is never named. She is only given little identifying labels. At first they are things she thought of herself as from Laura's perspective. As the story progresses though, you see what she begins to see of herself. I thought this was a very important tool for the reader to be able to dig deeper and relate to the story on a personal level.

11. What question do you wish that someone would ask about your book, but nobody has? Write it out here, then answer it.

I actually wish that no one would ask me questions about my book...just give me concise compliments and move along ROFL No, no. I'm just kidding. Truth is, I get a tad insecure and begin to ramble when answering questions about my writing...well about any question really. But only 6 months out of the year; I am a Gemini after all! :)

Tuesday 29 March 2016

Book Excerpt | Pawan Mishra | Coinman



Each life is yet another chance given to humanity, but it was not even a half a chance in Coinman’s case. God surely must have been undergoing some sort of mental metamorphosis when he dispatched Coinman to the world. This was how his colleagues often described Coinman in a nutshell to anyone who had no prior acquaintance with him.
Coinman was of average height, dark, shy, and lean but healthy. His looks often misled people in judging his age: some believed him to be as young as thirty, and some thought he was as old as fifty. The former perceived him as a young man who looked older for having been through hardships, while the latter thought he was an old man who looked younger for having lived a contented life. The rest either did not have an opportunity to express their opinion or did not deem the subject worthy of their reflection.
His chin was in a funnel shape, tapering down to form a very thin verge at the bottom. In addition to this extraordinary appearance, his chin vibrated whenever its owner was excited, positively or negatively—two times every five seconds, in quick succession. The two successive vibrations occurred at such speed and within such a short span that there was an ongoing debate at the office, behind his back, as to whether it happened once or twice. Each vibration made his chin contract, go up, and then relax back to its usual form. People often wondered if other children his age used to annoy him on purpose, just to enjoy this rare demonstration of a chin’s low tolerance to its master’s stress.
Time had eroded a large section of hair on his head. What had once been a dense jungle of black trees had become a barren island. The large, shiny bald area in the middle of his head was surrounded by a perfect circular band of black hair, just like a monk’s tonsure. It was as if a black ribbon had been tied in a circular fashion to guard his shining bald head against evil eyes.
He wasn’t the kind heavily invested in keeping up outward appearances, but the kind who believed in inward well-being, and hence did not pay much attention to the things that embellished his outward appearance. He generally wore loose, dull-colored clothes. These clothes, if his colleagues were to be believed, had served his father for a few years before serving him. If it had not been for his belt, which was admirably dependable for keeping the trousers from slipping beyond the territory of decorum, those loose trousers would have left no stone unturned to flow with the gravitational force. His walking style was discussed in great detail as well: a gait that made it seem as if a narrow open sewage line passed right between his legs.
The office unit belonged to an old private firm run by one of the ancient business families in the region. While the interior of the second floor was state-of-the-art, the interior of the first floor was too aged to keep secret the necessity for a comprehensive repair. The thirty-plus years of marriage between the ceiling and the cement plaster showed signs of weakness by the plaster’s frequently developing cracks and holes. Now and then a small portion detached itself from the ceiling, took flight, and attacked the proceedings below without a warning. Whenever this happened, everyone at once gathered around the site of the impact. If the plaster happened to hit a living being, it made the occasion even more special. A few pinched the victim while a few playful types took the opportunity, depending on the range of playfulness of the victim, to pat him gently on usually restricted areas, putting on an act as if clearing dust from his clothes. The victim turned into an instant celebrity for the rest of the day.
On a few occasions, when the plaster came out during lunchtime and landed in someone’s lunchbox, the mob took hold of the lunchbox from the proud owner and went on to complete two rounds within the office in a procession, interchangeably carrying the lunchbox on their heads. They passionately dramatized the proceedings, behaving as though they were carrying a coffin to the graveyard, constantly chanting a dirge indigenous to the office; the leader asked the questions and the rest answered in unison.
“What is life?”
“A lousy puzzle with missing pieces.”
“Is there a God?”
“Yes there is, yes there is.”
“Who bestows life?”
“He does, He does.”
“And who takes it away?”
“Damn! He does, He does.”
“Whose turn is this today?”
“This one is done for, surely done for.”
“What shall we ask now?”
“Rest this lunatic soul in peace, yes, in peace.”
They then surrounded one of the trash cans, seriously chanting mantras used during sacred offerings to God, and thereafter emptied the box into the trash can before returning it to the honored owner.
The interior office walls were painted light green, and the long-standing furniture matched the color well. Devoid of aesthetics, the overuse of the dull green color in the room couldn’t have been deliberate. Therefore, it seemed that the furniture had acquired the color of the wall by way of continuously absorbing it for years. And it was a possibility that there was a rapid back-and-forth transmission between both sides in order to achieve a joint convergence on a perfect sameness in color.
The office area on the second floor was very small compared to the first floor. The elevator opened up right opposite the reception desk, behind the waiting couches. There were office rooms for managers on both sides of the reception area. The biggest and most luxurious room on the right side of reception belonged to Jay, the unit head. A similar-size room on the left was reserved for ABC, and was kept locked at all times because ABC’s visits to the office were very rare, and entirely undesired because of the casualties caused by each visit. No one knew the exact roots of the sovereign power ABC savored.
There were several other office rooms on the second floor, occupied by important-looking people who were chanced upon only in the elevator, and whose source of importance was thus not known to anyone.
The tables on the first floor were always full of files. These tables appeared to be yearning for a break after several years of service. Not many at the office treated them with the respect they were worthy of. What if these tables did not watch over the important papers while the associates were away? One can easily guess how ill-behaved these papers could become at times—especially with the companionship of electric fans.

Ratiram not only knew but also felt deeply in his heart how immeasurably vital these tables were. These were simply his bread and butter. Hypothetically, if the tables were to go away for any reason—of whatever nature it could have been, presumably of the kind that invariably caught ordinary people like him unaware—he had no doubt in his mind that his job would follow them.

Book Promo | Pawan Mishra | Coinman



Title: Moxie’s Problem (Book #1)
Author: Hank Quense
Pages: 294
Genre: Fantasy

Book Description:

Do you enjoy untypical coming-of-age stories? Well you find one more untypical that Moxie’s Problem. Moxie is an obnoxious, teen-age princess who has never been outside her father’s castle. Until now. The real world is quite different and she struggles to come to grips with reality. The story takes place against a backdrop of Camelot. But it isn’t the Camelot of legends. It’s Camelot in a parallel universe. So, all bets are off!

Purchase a copy on Amazon.


About the Author:

Hank Quense writes humorous and satiric scifi and fantasy stories. He also writes about fiction writing and self-publishing. He has published 14 books and 50 short stories along with a few dozen articles. He often lectures on fiction writing and publishing and has a series of guides covering the basics on each subject. He is currently working on a series of two humorous novels that take place in the Camelot era. 

He and his wife, Pat, usually vacation in another galaxy or parallel universe. They also time travel occasionally when Hank is searching for new story ideas.


Visit Hank's websites: http://hank-quense.com/wp and http://strangeworldsonline.com/wp


Follow the Tour!
March 29 - Book Wormie Spot
March 31 - Bound 2 Escape
April 4 - Mels Shelves
April 7 - Genuine Jenn

Book Review | Pawan Mishra | Coinman

Coinman: An Untold Conspiracy

I received this book from free through Legit Lit Book Tours Company. I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review. 



Author: Pawan Mishra
Title: Coinman: An Untold Conspiracy
Genre: Humour, Fiction

Synopsis: Coinman, a junior level office worker in India, has a number of eccentricities. The laughing stock of the office, he finds no release at home, his wife Imli, an obsessed actress, completely vanishes into each role. When tough bully, Hukum, beautiful enchantress, Tulsi, and the office sage, Ratiram, unite the office to conspire against Coinman, they have no inkling of an apocalypse looming in the office.

Review: This is an excellent book and I found myself lost completely amongst the pages of the book for hours and hours. I found this book really easy to get into and I was just endlessly amused by the storyline. This is such an amazing book that I will be keeping in my collection for many years to come and I will be reading it again in the near future as I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book to anyone as it is such an intriguing and funny story. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Monday 28 March 2016

Author Interview | Hank Quense | Moxie's Problem



Faux News Network in cooperation with Strange Worlds Publishing is excited to present this interview of author Hank Quense by Marcia Hammerhead, FNN’s cultural reporter.  And now, Here’s Marcia.

Marcia Hammerhead:  if there is anything worse than an author who writes genre trash, it's a prolific author who writes gene trash.  My latest assignment is to interview, once again, prolific author of genre trash, Hank Quense.  His newest genre trash is called Moxie's Problem. According to Quense, it is a coming-of-age novel that takes place against a backdrop of Camelot.  If we're lucky, Quense will have left the lovely Camelot legends unchanged.  I doubt that will happen.  Well, I may as well get this onerous assignment over with.

MH: Mr Quense, in Falstaff’s Big Gamble, you utterly destroyed two of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Othello and Hamlet.  In Wotan’s Dilemma, you forever damaged Richard Wagner’s reputation and his Ring Cycle of operas.  What possessed you to write yet another genre novel instead of a literary work that would enshrine your name in history?  Nothing says talent like an incomprehensible work that befuddles critics and readers.
HQ: To me, literary works are boring.  Thousands of words without any action.  On the other hand, my genre trash, as you call it, is filled with action, humor, satire and entertainment.  I love writing stories like this, Martha.

MH: Action, humor and entertainment have no place in real literature.  True literary novelists rely on many, many words to hold the readers' attention.   Are there any literary elements in your new novel?
HQ: I hope not.  The story is about a teenage princess, Moxie, who struggles to come to grips with a reality that is quite different from the world she grew up in, her father's castle.  The book also has a number of unusual activities in it.

MH: I'm sure I'll regret asking this, but what unusual activities are you talking about?
HQ: In my story I have a retelling of part of the Robin Hood legends.  I have the witches from Shakespeare's MacBeth, and even the Tristan & Isolde legend, sort of. The  Saxon invaders concentrate on beating the Knights of the Round Table football team.

MH: Good Heavens! This is even worse than I anticipated.  How can you possibly justify all this disconnected nonsense in one story?
HQ: That was the easy part, Margo.  I just sprinkled some sci-fi dust on the plot.  Once I did that, I realized this Camelot wasn't the Camelot of the traditional legends.  My Camelot is in a different parallel universe.  So all bets are off and I'm limited only by my imagination.

MH: This is an outage,  The Camelot traditions and legends are part of the English-speaking culture.  How dare you play fast-and-loose with Camelot.
HQ: Sorry, Margaret.  It's my job to rewrite stuff like this in order to entertain readers.

MH: That's preposterous.  The purpose of literature isn't to entertain readers, it's purpose is to give them weighty subjects to discuss at prestigious cocktail parties.  Since we are so far apart, I must terminate this interview.  You've wasted enough of my time. And my name is Marcia!
HQ: Thanks for talking to me, Mary.


FNN apologizes for Ms Hammerhead’s strident tone.  We will schedule her for additional training courses on how to get along with people. 

Book Promo | Hank Quense | Moxie's Problem



Title: Moxie’s Problem (Book #1)
Author: Hank Quense
Pages: 294
Genre: Fantasy

Book Description:

Do you enjoy untypical coming-of-age stories? Well you find one more untypical that Moxie’s Problem. Moxie is an obnoxious, teen-age princess who has never been outside her father’s castle. Until now. The real world is quite different and she struggles to come to grips with reality. The story takes place against a backdrop of Camelot. But it isn’t the Camelot of legends. It’s Camelot in a parallel universe. So, all bets are off!

Purchase a copy on Amazon.


About the Author:

Hank Quense writes humorous and satiric scifi and fantasy stories. He also writes about fiction writing and self-publishing. He has published 14 books and 50 short stories along with a few dozen articles. He often lectures on fiction writing and publishing and has a series of guides covering the basics on each subject. He is currently working on a series of two humorous novels that take place in the Camelot era. 

He and his wife, Pat, usually vacation in another galaxy or parallel universe. They also time travel occasionally when Hank is searching for new story ideas.


Visit Hank's websites: http://hank-quense.com/wp and http://strangeworldsonline.com/wp


Follow the Tour!
March 29 - Book Wormie Spot
March 31 - Bound 2 Escape
April 4 - Mels Shelves
April 7 - Genuine Jenn

Sunday 27 March 2016

Book Promo | Iain Reading | Kitty Hawk And The Curse Of The Yukon Gold




Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new young adult series of adventure mystery stories by Iain Reading. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations. 

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales, Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada. As the plot continues to unfold, this spirited story will have readers anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climatic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves. 

There are currently five books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold (book 1), Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost (book 2), Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue (book 3), and Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic (book 4), and Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces (book 5). Each book can be read as a standalone.

“In the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series the heroine finds herself in a new geographic location in each book. The series will eventually have a total of 13 books in it (maybe more) and her flight around the world will be completed in the end,” says Iain. “The books are sequential but one could definitely read any of the later ones before reading the earlier ones.”

For more information, go to http://www.kittyhawkworld.com/

About the Author:

Iain Reading is passionate about Root Beer, music, and writing. He is Canadian, but currently resides in the Netherlands working for the United Nations.

Iain is the author of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series, The Wizards of Waterfire Series, and the dragon of the month club. To learn more, go to http://www.amazon.com/Iain-Reading/e/B00B0NGI6Q/


Connect with Iain on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Saturday 26 March 2016

Book Review | Michael Philip Cash | Monsterland

Monsterland

I received this book for free from the author. This book was sent to me through Bostick Communications. I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.



Author: Michael Phillip Cash
Title: Monsterland
Genre: Horror, Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis: All guests can interact with real vampires in Vampire Village, be chased by actual werewolves on the River Run and walk among the dead in Zombieville. Wyatt, Melvin and Howard, three unpopular high school friends are stuck in Copper Valley, California. Nerdy Howard Drucker is oblivious to social cues, Melvin is an oddball outcast and Wyatt is in love with the unattainable Jade - the most popular girl in school. Due to a fortuitous circumstance, they are invited to the star-studded opening of monsterland. In a theme park full of real vampires, werewolves and zombies, what could possibly go wrong?

Review: I would like to thank the author, Michael Phillip Cash, for giving me the chance to read another of his amazing books. Previously, I have read two other books by Michael Phillip Cash and they just blew me away with the amazing storylines and how they kept me hooked on the book so when I came to this one I had high hopes for how much I would love this book. After reading other books by this author, I was very excited to jump into this book. The anticipation for this book mounted with every moment and I have to say that this book did not disappoint. The anticipation for this book was definitely justified as this book was absolutely amazing and it was worth every minute that I spent reading this book. I found it easy to get into this book and then just could not bring myself to put this book down. This is a gripping book that I would recommend to anyone interested in trying out a new author and come out their book comfort zone. This book is worth reading for those who enjoy or favour young adult and fictional stories. This book will remain in my book collection forever and Michael Phillip Cash will always be an auto-buy author for me in the future. I loved these books so much that I need to have all of Michael's books in my life and on my shelves. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Friday 25 March 2016

Book Review | Michael Phillip Cash | Pokergeist

Pokergeist

I received this book for free from the author. This book was sent to me through Bostick Communications. The author sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 


Author: Michael Phillip Cash
Title: Pokergeist
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Adult, Horror, Contemporary, Suspense, Humor

Synopsis: Sometimes life, as well as death, is about second chances. Luckless Telly Martin doesn't have a clue. An awful gambler trying to scrape by as a professional poker player, he becomes the protege of the world famous poker player Clutch Henderson. The only catch ... Clutch is a ghost. Telly and Clutch must navigate the seedy gambling underbelly of Las Vegas learning to trust each other in order to win the elusive international series of Poker, repair their shattered personal relationships and find redemption in this life and the hereafter. 

Review: I would like to thank the author for giving me the chance to read such an amazing book. Having read other Michael Phillip Cash books I was very excited to get started on reading this book. After reading the synopsis of this book the anticipation for this book mounted and I have to say that this book did not disappoint. This book has an amazing storyline and it keeps the reader gripped to the book. When I received this book, the cover got me interested and it just made me want to read the book then and there. Once I started reading this book I became hooked on the story immediately and could not bring myself to put this book down. This book will be in my collection forever and I will be adding many more books by Michael Phillip Cash to my book collection in the future. Michael Phillip Cash is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and I think that he may be an auto-buy author for me. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Saturday 19 March 2016

Book Review | Lucia Mann | Africa's Unfinished Symphony

Africa's Unfinished Symphony

I received this book for free through Bostick Communications. The author sent me this book in exchange for an honest review. Previously, I have reviewed another book, A Veil Of Blood Hangs Over Africa, by Lucia Mann and I thoroughly enjoyed that book so I had high hopes for this book and I was sure that this book would also be an amazing read. 


Author: Lucia Mann
Title: Africa's Unfinished Symphony
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Slavery

Synopsis: A witch doctor's power and his ancient tribal ways cruelly collide with the force and authority of modern Africa. 

Africa is viewed through myriad eyes. You will never forget these characters:
  • A young girl forced to endure a painful, cruel and antiquated tribal custom
  • The sole survivor of a vicious tribal massacre
  • A nun who endures a physical assault that compels her to question her faith
  • A disadvantaged school girl who is infected with HIV
  • The translucent soul of a murdered friend
While the tale of South Africa in the wake of world war II is riveting, violent and cruel, it also is brimming with stories of kindness, compassion and courage. Africa's unfinished symphony highlights commanding characters who not only bring haunting racial clashes to life but also convey the intense conflicts that existed between archaic customs and modern influences. You will be captivated as you follow the convoluted path of Farida of the ancients battling to become Bertha of the modern world. But are the outcomes of her struggles the best results for her and her beloved Africa? This book will immerse you in historic African themes that will jolt you out of complacency and into compassion.

Review: I would like to thank the author for the chance to read another of her amazing books. This is the second book that I have read by Lucia Mann and it has lived up to the expectations that I had about how much I would love this book based on the first book I read. I am positive that this book will be in my collection for many years to come and that I will settle down in front of the TV with this book many more times in the future. I plan to buy all the rest of Lucia Mann's books. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Friday 18 March 2016

Book Promo | Mary Lynn Cooper | Always, My Valentine

Always, My Valentine




Title: Always, My Valentine
Author: Mary Lynn Cooper
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Fiction
Publish Date: 25th January 2016
Pages: 377

Book Synopsis: Damn you, Matthew Philippe Warwick! 
For as long as Trisha Valentine James can remember, Matthew has been obnoxious, rude, condescending…with the most beautiful green eyes she has ever seen. She tries to forget their painful past, along with the longing she holds deep in her heart for the smart, wealthy and funny bachelor. But it’s not so easy to forget one of London’s most eligible bachelors, not when he dances the waltz with you under the evening sky. And just when she thinks she has it all figured out, Matthew walks back into her life. What’s a girl to do? Despite having a beautiful face, a stellar career and a hefty trust fund at her disposal, Trisha can’t seem to grasp the love of the man she’s wanted all her life. And if seeing him again wasn't enough to throw Trisha off, he pulls her out of the comforts of her work, her adorable friends, Luis and Darcey, and thrusts her into the limelight, into a world where gossip bloggers and the paparazzi can’t get enough of London’s elite. With a champagne flute in one hand and the arm of a dashing date in another, can Trisha handle the heat? And when Matthew brings along his two equally gorgeous brothers, Leo and Marcus Warwick, into the mix, Trisha just might be writing checks her heart can't cash. Join Trisha as she figures out how to forget Matthew and allow her heart to heal, land the promotion she’s been eyeing and escape the glare of the tabloids. Dine with her at the most opulent places in London, mingle with her friends at parties fit for the crème de la crème, and fall in love with a former flame that even time can’t seem to extinguish. With an amazing ex-boyfriend trying to find his way back into her life, and from a sexy yet vicious Spanish heiress to a pretty but flirty Danish princess clinging to the arms of the one man she truly loves, will Trisha watch her stock plummet? Or will her story end with both a business and marriage proposal?


About the Author: 
Mary Lynn was educated in Los Angeles, London and Siena. Her first passion is love: loving God, her family and friends. Travel is her second passion. Her affinity for travel extends to learning languages (Italian, French, Korean and Japanese). She's a huge foodie and took up cooking lessons from a chef in London. A sports enthusiast, her favourite athlete is Novak Djokovic. Mary Lynn loves sailing, horse races, polo and poker. London is her home for the moment but a part of her heart will always be in California. She loves meeting artists, actors, athletes and other intriguing personalities. Plenty of scenes in her books are from real experiences she encountered in London and California.




Thursday 17 March 2016

Book Promo | Mary Lynn Cooper | Be Mine This Christmas

Be Mine This Christmas




Title: Be Mine This Christmas
Author: Mary Lynn Cooper
Genre:   Fiction, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary, 
Publish Date: 14th December 2015
Pages: 253

Book Synopsis:Meet Darcey Vaughn--no husband, no children and no proper job, the female version of her generation’s Peter Pan. At thirty, Darcey has a dead end job and her last boyfriend recently left her for a Russian Barbie doll. But despite her romance and career woes, she’s honest, holds on to an irrepressible spirit and is one very loyal friend. And things are about to change for Miss Vaughn. Weeks before Christmas, Darcey finds herself caught up in a love triangle of a lifetime involving, not just one but, three handsome gentlemen. Meet Dimitri, the hot Greek superhero with all the right trimmings. But there’s also something elusive about her neighborhood Superman. Is he the one she’s been waiting for? Will he prove that love is better with the boy-next-door? Or perhaps she wasn't cut to be his Lois Lane. 
Then there’s Nicholas, a sexy chef who happens to be second in line to an Earldom. He’s charming and can whip up a mean soufflé, except he has list of girlfriends as long as our heroine’s list of angst. With him showing her attention, can love be on the menu? Or is friendship the only thing they’re having for afternoon tea? And of course, let’s not forget Nathan Cromwell--handsome with eyes that peer in your soul. He’s charismatic and a successful executive who happens to spill coffee on Darcey while insulting her at their very first meeting. Will their meet-cute sizzle into a deep romance? Or is theirs an alliance that will lead to a broken heart this Christmas? With Christmas coming up, and with the help of Santa and mistletoe, find out if Darcey will get her wish. Is she naughty or nice? Will she find herself all grown up with a dream job and the man of her dreams? Who will wrap Darcey in his arms this Christmas and utter the words ‘Be mine this Christmas’? This book will have you rooting for the right hero while whisking you away to the most romantic places in London. From five-star hotels that serve delicate fashion-inspired afternoon teas to charming soirees in the quaint English countryside, you'll fall in love this Christmas while taking a trip with Darcey around the most artistic and historic city in the world!


About The Author: Mary Lynn was educated in Los Angeles, London and Siena. Her first passion is love: loving God, her family and friends. Travel is her second passion. Her affinity for travel extends to learning languages (Italian, French, Korean and Japanese). She's a huge foodie and took up cooking lessons from a chef in London. A sports enthusiast, her favourite athlete is Novak Djokovic. Mary Lynn loves sailing, horse races, polo and poker. London is her home for the moment but a part of her heart will always be in California. She loves meeting artists, actors, athletes and other intriguing personalities. Plenty of scenes in her books are from real experiences she encountered in London and California.