About the Book: 
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (June 2, 2015)

A memorable coming-of-age story and love story, laced with suspense, which explores a hidden side of the home front during World War II, when German POWs were put to work in a Wisconsin farm community . . . with dark and unexpected consequences.

The war has taken a toll on the Christiansen family. With food rationed and money scarce, Charlotte struggles to keep her family well fed. Her teenage daughter, Kate, raises rabbits to earn money for college and dreams of becoming a writer. Her husband, Thomas, struggles to keep the farm going while their son, and most of the other local men, are fighting in Europe.

When their upcoming cherry harvest is threatened, strong-willed Charlotte helps persuade local authorities to allow German war prisoners from a nearby camp to pick the fruit.

But when Thomas befriends one of the prisoners, a teacher named Karl, and invites him to tutor Kate, the implications of Charlotte’s decision become apparent—especially when she finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Karl. So busy are they with the prisoners that Charlotte and Thomas fail to see that Kate is becoming a young woman, with dreams and temptations of her own—including a secret romance with the son of a wealthy, war-profiteering senator. And when their beloved Ben returns home, bitter and injured, bearing an intense hatred of Germans, Charlotte’s secrets threaten to explode their world.



Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble


Review: 

In Door County, Wisconsin the war has taken its toll on the farming community.  With all of the young men gone to fight and migrant workers finding better paying jobs, many of the farmers have missed their harvest.  When the opportunity arises for German Prisoners of War to work on the farms, Charlotte Christiansen does not hesitate to take up the offer for her family’s cherry farm.  When the prisoners arrive, however, she begins to have second thoughts:  will her daughter Kate be safe?  What about all of the dangerous tools around the farm?  How can she allow the enemy in her home when her son is away fighting them?   Her husband, Thomas takes an immediate liking to one of the prisoners, Karl, who speaks English.  Karl is eventually allowed in the Christiansen home to tutor Kate in math.  Karl is a good man, but not all of the Prisoners are.  When tragedy strikes on the farm, the decisions made by the family turn out to have lasting effects.

This story intrigued me, based on the real Prisoner of War Camps in Door County, Wisconsin; there is plenty of opportunity for conflict both internal and external that is displayed throughout The Cherry Harvest.  I was amazed to know that American families with boys fighting overseas really did have German prisoners helping them on their farms, like the Christiansen’s.  The internal struggle that some of the characters faced with this fact was intriguing.  I was engrossed reading about the experience that an American family faced while WWII was raging.  Charlotte faced daily decisions about how to feed her family, Kate worried about paying to go to university, and Thomas worried about how to get gasoline for the tractor.  Intense and well developed characters filled the story.  Charlotte and Kate, the women, were the central figures of the story.  With many men gone, they took on bigger roles.  Charlotte was already a strong woman, but took on more decision making roles.  Kate is just blooming into adulthood when the prisoners arrive and is left to discover a relationship on her own while her mother worries about the Prisoners and her own growing feelings for Karl.  Suspense slowly builds in the story with the distrust of the Prisoners and provides quite unexpected ending.  Overall, an engaging story of one families experience during World War II.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

 

About the Author: 
Lucy Sanna has published poetry, short stories, and nonfiction books, which have been translated into a number of languages. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Sanna now divides her time between Madison, Wisconsin, and San Francisco. The Cherry Harvest is her first novel.

Find out more about Lucy at her website and connect with her on Facebook.

About the Book: 
Consumption
Published by : Hydra (May 26, 2015)
Pages: 288

For fans of Stephen King, Joe Hill, and Sarah Langan comes a thrilling new vision of American horror. In Heather Herrman’s heart-pounding debut novel, evil is ready to feed—and it’s got one hell of an appetite.

In the wake of tragedy, John and Erma Scott are heading west in search of a new life. So when car trouble strands them in sleepy Cavus, Montana, they decide to stay for a while, charmed by the friendly residents and the surrounding ambiance. Here, they hope, is the healing balm that their marriage needs.

Then John and Erma find themselves in a fight not just to save their marriage, but their very lives. For this is no ordinary town. Its quiet streets conceal a dark and bloody secret that has slumbered for centuries. Now, that secret is awake . . . and it’s hungry.

Like a slow infection, evil is spreading through Cavus. Soon John and Erma—along with the local sheriff, an undocumented immigrant, a traumatized teenage girl, and an old man with terrible secrets of his own—must join together to battle an all-consuming force that has set its sights on its prey: the entire human race.

“Both the evil that suffuses the pages of Consumption and the motley gang of innocents who defend against it are much more interesting than those usually found in your average scare fare. Solid writing elevates this imaginative fright-fest from an invigorating new voice.”—Sophie Littlefield, bestselling author of the Aftertime series



Purchase Links
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Review: 
The small, old mining town of Cavus, Montana holds a dark past that stems from an ancient evil.  Most of the town does not know the true events that led up to the fire that killed all of the residents of Cavus except one girl named Jessi and the now famous black squirrels.  Jessi’s husband, Pill now keeps the secret of what truly happened all those years ago, and he sees the signs of the evil coming back… just in time for the town’s annual Black Squirrel festival.  Some members of the town notice that something is just not right with their friends, family and neighbors, but for most it is already too late.  The Feeder has found a way to spread itself quickly and efficiently through the town’s brand new beet sugar plant. 

Consumption is a classic type of horror story with a slow burning plot and an interesting monster. From the prelude, where we first meet the monster, The Feeder, as it likes to be called, I was intrigued.   I liked that this is a smart monster that takes over people and changes them little by little, bringing out their darker side and a hunger for human flesh.   I liked that all of the characters who noticed the changes were underdogs:  John and Erma Scott are trying to move on with their lives in the face of tragedy by moving across the country, Star, a teen going through a rough time, Javier, and immigrant determined to make more of his life, and Pill, an older man whom everyone discounts.  While there are a lot of characters introduced, the characters stories are rich enough that they are easily distinguishable and the writing weaves the subtle horror aspects throughout each of their stories and eventually bringing them together.  Some of my favorite parts were of the Feeder’s past, when it inhabited Lucy in 1908, and Jessi’s journal about its reappearance in 1930’s.  The ending was very strong for me, exciting and suspenseful as the Feeder showed its full potential and those left over decided how they would act. 

 

About the Author: 
Heather Herrman explores American society through horror fiction. She holds an MFA from New Mexico State University, and her work has appeared in such publications as Alaska Quarterly Review, The South Carolina Review, and Snake Nation Review. Herrman’s fiction has also been honored with a Frank Waters Fiction Prize and a scholarship to the Prague Summer Program for Writers.

Connect with Heather
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Book & Author details:

The Enchanted Rose by Nadia Nader 
Publication date: January 14th 2015 
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult


Synopsis:
When Vivian’s mother dies in a tragic accident, Vivian’s world is turned upside down. Her life, as she knows it, is over. A new life, full of her mother’s secrets, begins…

Sent away by her father to live with two eccentric aunts on the mysterious Tremaine Estate, Vivian comes to learn that a powerful curse lurks over her family – one that only she may have the power to break. With each day she spends in Misty Hills, Vivian uncovers more unsettling discoveries about the town, her reclusive family, and herself.

Can Vivian let go of every truth she’s ever believed and discover who she really is, before the dark secrets hidden within the supernatural town threaten to consume her and those she loves?

Review: 
Vivan’s entire life changes after her mother dies and her father decides that he cannot take care of her.   She is sent to the small town of Misty Hills to live with her two aunts that she did not even know existed until after her mother dies.  As soon as she arrives in Misty Hills, things seem disconcerting.  She learns that her aunt’s never really leave the Tremaine Estate, where they live, that the town was founded by people escaping persecution by the Salem Witch Trials, that everyone seems to have secrets, especially her mother, and that her whole family lives with a curse. 

I was very intrigued by the mystery of the curse and the town of Misty Hills.  Everyone in Misty Hills holds a secret, which made the overall tone of the book very mysterious.  However,   I don’t know why none of the characters wanted to divulge anything about Vivian’s family or the town secrets even when Vivian asked directly; but then everyone acted was defensive when Vivian wanted to try to find out more by herself.  It was like they wanted Vivian to stay ignorant of the town and the people, but then hold her accountable for not understanding what was happening.   Vivian does prevail in learning about her family’s past and holds it together pretty well when an overwhelming amount of secrets about her mother come to light.  I empathized with Vivian when she is kept in the dark for so long.  The supporting characters add a lot to the story and make up  a great cast, from two eccentric aunts to the typical high school mean girls and plenty of guys that are easy on the eyes, Vivian has many personalities to deal with.  The ending bothered me a bit, it just sort of stops…I don’t even know to call it a cliffhanger.  I do really want to know what happens next for Vivian now that she has some things figured out.

 


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24513660-the-enchanted-rose?ac=1

Purchase: 
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-Rose-Misty-Hills-Novel-ebook/dp/B00S99Y4I8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425942231&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Enchanted+Rose+Nadia+Nader
--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-enchanted-rose-nadia-nader/1121090542?ean=2940150267220

About the Author: 
Nadia Nader was born and raised in Kuwait.

You can find Nadia on her website: www.NadiaNader.com

In addition to writing, Nadia’s interests include traveling around the world.

Author links:
http://www.nadianader.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7945488.Nadia_Nader
https://www.facebook.com/NadiaNaderBooks
https://twitter.com/nadia_nader

About the Book: 
Publisher:  NR Bates (January 30, 2015)
Category: Epic Fantasy, Magic Realism, Literary Fiction, Celtic Mythology,  History
Tour Date: May/June, 2015
Available in: Print & ebook, 239 Pages

AT THE SHARP END OF LIGHTNING is the  tale of family, of loss and sacrifice, of unexpected gifts and coping with disability and new abilities set against the backdrop of climate change occurring across parallel worlds.

The intertwined worlds of Oceanlight and Earth are no longer hidden from view of each other. In one realm, Yalara Narika, a winged Sea Sprite, searches for her family and she encounters a deadly blue haze at sea. Escaping the poison makes her realize that her world, Oceanlight, is experiencing sudden and catastrophic environmental change.

Meanwhile, in the safe suburban normality of North Wales, Einion Morgan Alban, a restless youth with haemophilia, is nearly murdered by a man in a white suit who intentionally shoves him off a cliff. If Yalara and Einion don’t uncover the connections between their worlds and near-deaths, it will have dire consequences for the worlds they live in. Book one of the OCEANLIGHT series.



Praise for ‘At The Sharp End of Lightning’ by NR Bates:

“What a fantastic book, the author takes you into another realm. I couldn’t put the book down, a real page turner. Seeing as this is book 1 I can’t wait for the next one to be written.”-Scotialassie, Amazon.UK Reviewer

Ambitious and enchanting, At The Sharp End Of Lightning by author N R Bates proves a rich and original foray into the realms of fantasy fiction. Compelled by a commanding narrative that readily enthrals the imagination, the magical intrigue simmers throughout as Bates renders his fantasy world in rich hues. A world parallel to our own yet retaining a time worn familiarity that makes it feel immediately authentic. It’s an intricate, intrigue-laden telling, which plays to the best in this popular genre and it’s clear from the start that Bates is in his element.

“There’s certainly much to enjoy here. From cleverly contrived and vibrant scenes to a captivating blend of magical mysticism, he ably manages to avoid prescriptive tropes whilst a certain descriptive economy and a tight word count brings a penetrating levity to his dialogue. Both timely and well observed, he notably avoids the trite mutterings of mediocre characterisation to create genuine depth and emotive resonance, which in turn ensures the reader becomes fully invested in the trials and tribulations of his characters.

Beautifully written and undoubtedly the start of an exciting new series, At The Sharp End Of Lightning proves a fine example of fantasy fiction. Definitely deserving of a place on your bookshelf, it is recommended without reservation!”-Book Viral



Review: 
The boundary between the realms of  Oceanlight and Earth has dropped.  In Oceanlight, the Sea Sprites are experiencing catastrophe as a blue haze changes their climate and wipes out their population.  On Earth, a teen in North Wales, Einion Alban faces challenges with his diagnosis of hemophilia.  Einion has enough struggles in his life, but one day while visiting his favorite spot he is given a mysterious gift and a cryptic message.  Right after receiving the strange gift, Einion is attacked and almost killed.  After a long hospital stay, Einion discovers a “Thinness” between worlds that he can pass through and begins to explore. Now the Sprites and Einion must discover the connection between their two worlds.

This story weaves together environmental change, fantasy and Celtic lore.  There is a lot going on in this book and it took me a while to get into the story.  Two distinct story lines are introduces with the Sea Sprites in Oceanlight and Einion in North Wales.  I definitely connected with Eionion’s story a little easier as he was a fairly normal boy living in the world as I know it.  The Sea Sprite world was a little more difficult to get into and is introduced with a lot of explanation of their culture and customs. Once the two story lines were combined a bit, I felt better connected.   It probably would have helped me if Einion’s story was introduced first.  I was really intrigued by the” Thinness” and the other world that Einion was transported to and I wanted Einion to explore there more.  I also empathized with the Sea Sprites as their world was destroyed.  The book ended a bit abruptly for, but this is a first book in a series.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

 

About the Author: 
NR Bates was born in London, grew up in Wales, and lived in Canada and Bermuda. He shares his life with his wife,seven cats, one dog and the tropical wildlife of lizards, wolf spiders and ant colonies that seek out a better life indoors. He is an oceanographer and scientist, and has published more than one hundred and twenty scientific papers on ocean chemistry, climate change and ocean acidification.

He is a Senior Scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Professor of Ocean Biogeochemistry at the University of Southampton, UK. His novels focus on epic fantasy and magic realism, and inspired by his deep love of the ocean and environmental sciences.

Website: nrbates.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NR-Bates/1536689869946441
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NRBatesAuthor

Buy At the Sharp End of Lightning by NR Bates:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

About the Book:

Publication Date: May 19, 2015
MadeGlobal Publishing
eBook; ASIN: B00X806742
Genre: Historical Fiction


The last hour of Anne Boleyn’s life…

Court intrigue, revenge and all the secrets of the last hour are revealed as one queen falls and another rises to take her place on destiny’s stage.

A young Anne Boleyn arrives at the court of King Henry VIII. She is to be presented at the Shrovetide pageant, le Château Vert. The young and ambitious Anne has no idea that a chance encounter before the pageant will lead to her capturing the heart of the king. What begins as a distraction becomes his obsession and leads to her destruction.

Love, hate, loyalty and betrayal come together in a single dramatic moment… the execution of a queen. The history of England will be changed for ever.

Praise for Phoenix Rising“Compelling, captivating and moving.” Claire Ridgway, The Anne Boleyn Files

“Thought provoking, esoteric and heart wrenching.” – R.J.Askew, blogger, reviewer, author and journalist

Phoenix Rising Available at Amazon

Review:


As the last minutes of Anne Boleyn's life draw to a close, the decisions that she made and the actions of those around the doomed Queen come together to fulfill a prophecy told in the stars.  From Lady Bliant, the woman who drew up the star chart for the best day for Anne's life to be taken, to King Henry who once loved her, to the year-old Daughter that she left behind and Queen Anne herself, all of the players in Anne's life examine how they have come to the the point where Anne's star will fave and Jane will rise like a phoenix in her place.

This novella concentrates on the last hour of Queen Anne Boleyn's life and is a quick must-read for any Tudor fans. Split into twelve sections, like the star chart that foretold her last day, twelve points of view are brought to light. As I have read in many other books, Queen Anne's deportment approaching the day was very composed throughout the last minutes of her life.  However, in this version Anne's inner thoughts on the matter are revealed.  I enjoyed her recounting her first memories of meeting King Henry and where it all went wrong.  I also enjoyed reading from King Henry's perspective about the whole ordeal and his conflicting views at the time.  The views of Anne's mother, the Princess Elizabeth, Jane Seymour, Thomas Cromwell and the swordsman rounded out the story and gave Anne's final moments depth and meaning. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author:
Deb Hunter publishes as Hunter S. Jones. Her best-selling novel, “September Ends” won awards for Best Independently Published Novel and Best Romance, based on its unique blending of poetry and prose. Her story “The Fortune Series” received best-selling status on Amazon in the Cultural Heritage and Historical Fiction categories. She has been published by H3O Eco mag, LuxeCrush, Chattanooga Times-Free Press, and is now a freelance contributor for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. She has recently been accepted into the prestigious Rivendell Writers Colony. Her arts, music and culture blogs on ExpatsPost.com are filled with eclectic stories regarding music, writing, the arts and climate awareness. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her Scottish born husband. Her undergrad degree is in History with an emphasis on the English Renaissance and Reformation.

For more information please visit Hunter S. Jones’ website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

About the Book: 
Eve Brenner: Zombie Girl by A. Giacomi 
(The Zombie Girl Saga #1) 
Published by: Permuted Press
Publication date: January 25th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Zombies

Synopsis:



Eve used to be an ordinary girl, from an ordinary town, with ordinary dreams, but her dreams rapidly turn into nightmares when one grave mistake leaves her a little less than human and a lot less average.

Eve’s not quite the same girl she used to be. She desperately clings to her humanity as new desires, new abilities, and new urges take over with each passing day.

Eve Brenner: Zombie Girl is a tale that takes you on an emotional and terrifying journey as Eve struggles to cope with her new life and find a cure for her strange illness before time runs out. She desperately clings to her humanity as she tries to control the monster she knows is lurking inside her.

Turns out living was the easy part.

Review: 

Eve Brenner is a nineteen-year-old anthropology student who convinces her teacher, Dr. August, to let her and her two best friends tag along on an important dig at a tomb-site in Egypt.  Eve is so determined to find something important on this dig that she wanders into an unsafe part of the tomb by herself.  She is attacked by something in the tomb and badly wounded.  After Eve recovers from the attack, she is not the same.  She is able to rapidly heal, food won’t stay down and she has periods of lost memory.  Concerned for Eve, Cam and Alex take her to see Dr. August to find out what she may have contracted in the ancient plagued city in Egypt; the answer isn’t quite what they expect.  Now, Eve and her friends try to deal with her new abilities on top of college and family drama with Cam’s abusive father.

This was not what I was expecting in a zombie book at all, but I really enjoyed the different combination of an ancient Egyptian curse mixed with zombie lore. It made the book unexpected and had the possibility of many different outcomes and not just the same old zombie apocalypse setting.  Eve was a great character, at nineteen she is very smart, but does not have her life figured out yet.  Her friends Alex and Cam are unconditionally supportive and are like family to her, which makes Eve’s deeds much easier to deal with. The narrative switches between Eve, Alex and Cam which creates a fast-paced read.  Cam's character stole the moment many times and the dynamic with her father made a very interesting story.  I'm interested to see what else Eve can figure out about herself and her abilities, all of the testing and the different powers or abilities that each zombie had was very intriguing. I also want to see where Eve and Cam's relationship will go.  I was really impressed with Eve's decisions at the end, it showed how she had grown and matured, even if she was really dead. Overall, a unique new-adult/ zombie read, I'll definitely be checking out the next book. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

 




Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24703416-eve-brenner?ac=1

Purchase:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SRLJUIM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00SRLJUIM&linkCode=as2&tag=permutedpress-20&linkId=XGICPOXNA7QZGHUF
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eve-brenner-a-giacomi/1121116057?ean=2940149950850

About the Author: 
A.Giacomi is the author of the wildly entertaining Zombie Girl Saga, a four part series from Permuted Press. Eve Brenner: Zombie Girl is A. Giacomi’s debut novel. You can catch the latest updates about her writing on her blog: www.poeticzombie.com

A. Giacomi is a wife, and mother to one small human child. She is a Canadian born writer, educator, and artist. She proudly waves her York University Alumni flag and continues to thirst for knowledge and devour books. She is a zombie enthusiast, lover of all things Tim Burton, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Marvel, Star Wars and just generally just loves film, essentially she’s a fangirl.

Author Links:
http://www.poeticzombie.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13311317.A_Giacomi
https://www.facebook.com/agiacomi
https://twitter.com/thepoeticzombie

About the Book: 
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (May 5, 2015)

From the USA Today bestselling author of When We Were Strangers and Swimming in the Moon comes a lush, exquisitely drawn novel set against the turmoil of the Great War, as a young German-American woman explores the secrets of her past.

A shopkeeper’s daughter, Hazel Renner lives in the shadows of the Pittsburgh steel mills. She dreams of adventure, even as her immigrant parents push her toward a staid career. But in 1914, war seizes Europe and all their ambitions crumble. German-Americans are suddenly the enemy, “the Huns.” Hazel herself is an outsider in her own home when she learns the truth of her birth.

Desperate for escape, Hazel takes a teaching job in a seemingly tranquil farming community. But the idyll is cracked when she acquires a mysterious healing power—a gift that becomes a curse as the locals’ relentless demand for “miracles” leads to tragedy.

Hazel, determined to find answers, traces her own history back to a modern-day castle that could hold the truth about her past. There Hazel befriends the exiled, enigmatic German baron and forges a bond with the young gardener, Tom. But as America is shattered by war and Tom returns battered by shell-shock, Hazel’s healing talents alone will not be enough to protect those close to her, or to safeguard her dreams of love and belonging. She must reach inside to discover that sometimes the truth is not so far away, that the simplest of things can lead to the extraordinary.

Filled with rich historical details and intriguing, fully realized characters, Under the Same Blue Sky is the captivating story of one woman’s emergence into adulthood amid the tumult of war.


Review:
Hazel Renner is a German-American living in Pittsburgh with her parents at the dawn of the Great War.  Hazel longs for more and feels restless within the steel city.  Her parents hold on to the American Dream for her and want her to go to school to be a doctor. They believe that Hazel has the healing touch since she has a way with her father’s headaches. Hazel follows her own dreams and takes a teaching position at a one room schoolhouse in the country. Hazel feels like she is fitting in and doing well at the school until someone there discovers her healing touch also; when the rumors start to fly, Hazel is asked to move on.  As the effects of war reach American, the German-Americans are ostracized, called “Huns” and Hazel’s father feels the death of every soldier.  Hazel returns to her family and learns a tightly-held secret of her birth; now with another dream to chase, she sets off to find a German Baron’s castle in New Jersey to find the ghosts of her past.

From the very first paragraph, I was captivated by Under The Same Blue Sky, I knew Hazel was going to be special as she painted and described memories of a grand castle that her mother dismissed as dreams.  The story begins as a great piece of historical fiction, the writing emotionally capturing and describing the immigrant experience and the discrimination they face; Hazel’s name is changed from Hilde to seem ‘more American’ and her father reads the German newspaper behind an American newspaper.  The characters were all very real, raw and complex.  Hazel’s father was the most intense for me as he took to heart every death and dealt with every blow from the discrimination he received from being a German-American.  Hazel’s character intrigued me more as the story progressed, her ‘healing touch’ drew me in, but as a person Hazel was determined and intelligent.  I enjoyed watching her mature as she found herself and her history.  Some things could have been resolved a little more at the end for me, but overall this was a great mix of historical fiction and magical realism.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  

Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

About the Author: 
Pamela Schoenewaldt lived for ten years in a small town outside Naples, Italy. Her short stories have appeared in literary magazines in England, France, Italy, and the United States. She now lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with her husband, Maurizio Conti, a physicist, and Jesse, their dog.

Find out more about Pamela at her website, keep up with her on her blog, and connect with her on Facebook.

About the Book: 
• Print Length: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dey Street Books (April 7, 2015)

A charming novel about falling in love (or like) in the digital age—the never-before-seen full story.

Madeline and Elliot meet at a New York City restaurant opening. Flirtation—online—ensues. A romance, potentially eternal, possibly doomed, begins.

And, like most things in life today, their early exchanges are available to be scrutinized and interpreted by well-intentioned friends who are a mere click away.

Madeline and Elliot's relationship unfolds through a series of thrilling, confounding, and funny exchanges with each other, and, of course, with their best friends and dubious confidants (Emily and David). The result is a brand-new kind of modern romantic comedy, in format, in content, and even in creation—the authors exchanged e-mails in real time, blind to each other's side conversations. You will nod in appreciation and roll your eyes in recognition; you'll learn a thing or two about how the other half approaches a new relationship . . . and you will cheer for an unexpected ending that just might restore your faith in falling in love, twenty-first-century style.



Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble


Review:
Boy meets girl…and the rest is history, right?  Well, Elliot, a chef, meets Madeline at his restaurant opening in New York City’s West Side.  Their romance unfolds in a series of emails and texts to each other and their respective best friends, David and Emily; who only see one side of the story.  With constant contact through phones and Facebook stalking, relationships aren’t as easy as they used to be and Elliot and Madeline’s rollercoaster relationship is all too real. 

Contemporary and very true to reality, I felt like I was getting a chance to snoop through a friend’s phone to see all of their dirty little relationship secrets.   Touching, hilarious, quirky and gritty, Read Bottom Up took me through all the facets of a relationship.  With just the e-mails and texts, this was an extremely quick read, but engaging.  Unfortunately, we do just dig into the relationship and there is not a lot of background information on anyone, but some of that does come out in the correspondence.  I actually felt a closer connection to Emily, Madeline’s best friend who is level headed and dishes out advice.  I also enjoyed the collaboration of the two authors that gave a fresh voice to each of their characters.  Overall, a unique, modern and light romance that made for a quick read. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  

About the Book: 
Publication Date: December 13, 2014
Black Opal Books
eBook; 306p
Genre: Young Adult/Historical Mystery/Romance



Winner of the 2014 Rosemary Award for Best Historical for Young Adults.

Venice, 1643. Isabella, fifteen, longs to sing in Monteverdi’s Choir, but only boys (and castrati) can do that. Her singing teacher, Margherita, introduces her to a new wonder: opera! Then Isabella finds Margherita murdered. Now people keep trying to kill Margherita’s handsome rogue of a son, Rafaele.

Was Margherita killed so someone could steal her saffron business? Or was it a disgruntled lover, as Margherita—unbeknownst to Isabella—was one of Venice’s wealthiest courtesans?

Or will Isabella and Rafaele find the answer deep in Margherita’s past, buried in the Jewish Ghetto?

Isabella has to solve the mystery of the Saffron Crocus before Rafaele hangs for a murder he didn’t commit, though she fears the truth will drive her and the man she loves irrevocably apart.

Review: 
Isabella longs for nothing more than to sing in Monteverdi’s Choir, but in 17th Century Venice, only men may sing in public, not fifteen-year-old young ladies.  Isabella’s vocal teacher, Margherita encourages her to keep singing in hopes that she will be able to perform in opera.  However, after one of Margherita’s performances Isabella finds her dead, strangled.  After Margherita is murdered, secrets about her life begin to surface.  The secrets affect Margherita’s handsome son, Rafaele, as well.  Rafaele kept Margherita’s saffron business alive, but now someone seems to want to kill Rafaele also.  After a botched attempt on his life, Rafaele is accused of murder and Isabella is determined to find out who killed her beloved vocal teacher and set Rafaele free. 

The Saffron Crocus is an intriguing young adult historical mystery that incorporates many historical aspects and people in 17th Century Venice.  Isabella is young but determined, and while trying to solve the mystery of her teacher’s death, she matures and grows into a young woman.  Isabella is given many challenges to overcome, finding out who killed her teacher, a chance to sing in men’s clothing, and the opportunity to save the man she loves; by the end she is a woman I could connect with and respect.   The mystery is engaging, with a few twists and turns.  I was glad to see a lot of history of the time incorporated into the mystery also, such as saffron as a cure for the plague, the treatment of Jews in Venice as well as art, music and culture.  Overall, an interesting young adult historical mystery.


Excerpt
Who knew a singing career would be this much trouble?

“Rafaele!” She flew into the garret. “Piero, it was so wonderful, wait until I tell you!”

The stool next to the bed was knocked over. The tray with the genepy bottle was on the floor, one of the cups broken. The fat candle that had been burning next to Rafaele’s bed had been flung to the other side of the room.. Canvases were strewn all over the floor, some of them slashed, and many of Master Strozzi’s jars of paint elements were broken.

Did Piero and Rafaele have a fight? She quickly suppressed the thought. Who would get into a fight with a man who was already injured?

Something else must have happened.

She walked across the garret. “Piero? Rafaele, are you here?”

Rafaele was not in the bed. The sheets and blankets she had piled on top of him were strewn everywher. Blood-stained sheets spilled over the edge of the pallet. There was a pile of clothes on the floor.

She walked around to get a closer look.

Not clothes. It was Piero. Face down, one arm stretched out before him, as if in supplication.

A puddle of blood under him.

Dead.

Praise for The Saffron Crocus
“I adored this beautifully written, passionate book. The Saffron Crocus is a glittering, thrilling opera of a novel that plucked my heartstrings and kept me reading at fever pitch. Brava, Alison McMahan! Encore!” -Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Wicked Saga

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About the Author
Alison McMahan chased footage for her documentaries through jungles in Honduras and Cambodia, favelas in Brazil and racetracks in the U.S. She brings the same sense of adventure to her award-winning books of historical mystery and romantic adventure for teens and adults. Her latest publication is The Saffron Crocus, a historical mystery for young. Murder, Mystery & Music in 17th Century Venice.

She loves hearing from readers!

Author LinksWebpage for The Saffron Crocus
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About the Book: 
Publication Date: April 14, 2015
Gallica Press
Formats: eBook, Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-9907420-4-3
Pages: 400Genre: Historical Fiction



A sweeping tale of ambition, treachery, and passion…

For generations Lady Diana de Vere’s family loyally served England’s crown. But after King Charles II’s untimely death, her father firmly opposes James II’s tyranny. Charles Beauclerk, Duke of St. Albans—the late king’s bastard son by actress Nell Gwyn—also rebels against his newly crowned uncle’s manipulation. Secretly pledging to wed Diana, he departs for the Continent to become a soldier.

Political and religious turmoil bring about revolution and yet another coronation before Charles returns to claim his promised bride. As companion to Queen Mary II, Diana has followed her de Vere forbears into royal service. She expects Charles to abandon his military career after marriage, but he proves unwilling to join the ranks of the courtiers he despises and mistrusts.

In palace corridors and within their own household the young duke and duchess confront betrayals, scandals, and tragedies that threaten to divide them. And neither the privileges of birth nor proximity to the throne can ensure their security, their advancement—or their happiness.



Review:
Lady Diana de Vere is the daughter of the Earl of Oxford.  As a young woman, Diana meets and enchants King Charles II, winning his favor.  However, when King Charles II dies unexpectedly, his brother, James II takes the throne; the coronation of King James II brings about turbulence for politics and religion.  Within this time of disorder, Diana falls for one of King Charles II illegitimate sons by Nell Gwyn, Charles Beauclerk, the Duke of St. Albans.

I did not know much about this time in English history and I knew nothing of Diana de Vere before I read this book, so A Pledge of Better Times was very informative for me.  At first, the writing threw me into the complicated courts and multiple points of view, which displayed the intrigue, fashions, secrets, and liaisons that happen behind the palace walls.  As the story settled on Diana and Charles, I felt that I could relate better.  Diana’s story carried through the multiple monarchs of the time and her perseverance as well as the descriptions of the people around her dealing with the chaos makes the history shine. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

 

About the Author: 
Margaret Porter is an award-winning, bestselling novelist whose lifelong study of British history inspires her fiction and her travels. A former stage actress, she has also worked in film, television, and radio.

For more information please visit Margaret Porter’s website. You can also find her on Facebook here and here, and on Twitter.