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Behind the Veil

11/12/2021

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the BEHIND THE VEIL by E.J. Dawson Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: BEHIND THE VEIL

Author: E.J. Dawson

Pub. Date: October 1, 2021

Publisher: Literary Wanderlust

Formats: Paperback, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 292

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org

Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited membership!

Can she keep the secrets of her past to rescue a girl tormented by a ghost?

In 1920s Los Angeles, Letitia Hawking reads the veil between life and death. A scrying bowl allows her to experience the final moments of the deceased. She brings closure to grief-stricken war widows and mourning families.
For Letitia, it is a penance. She knows no such peace.

For Alasdair Driscoll, it may be the only way to save his niece, Finola, from her growing night terrors. But when Letitia sees a shadowy figure attached to the household, it rouses old fears of her unspeakable past in England.

When a man comes to her about his missing daughter, the third girl to go missing in as many months, Letitia canâ€™t help him when she canâ€™t see whoâ€™s taken them.

As a darkness haunts Letitiaâ€™s vision, she may not be given a choice in helping the determined Mr Driscoll, or stop herself falling in love with him. But to do so risks a part of herself she locked away, and to release it may cost Letitia her sanity and her heart.

Reviews:

â€œThe author is adept at selling not only the novelâ€™s supernatural elements, but the historical era as well. She takes her time building the characters and the world around them, which pays dividends once the really spooky stuff starts to happen. Like all good ghost stories, the true horrors arenâ€™t entirely spectral: The characters are haunted by personal traumas and secrets as frightening as any spirit. An old-fashioned ghost story told with inventiveness and style.â€-Kirkus Reviews

"A powerful reflection on mortality and the lengths some will go to find closure or their own separate peace. A suspenseful but patient ride from start to finish, Dawson has created an empathic and endlessly engaging protagonist in Letitia. The plot is well supported by a poignantly penned cast of characters that readers can envision and invest in. Emulating a 1920s literary voice, without ever letting the style slip, this paranormal thriller is sinister, macabre, and hugely entertaining." -Self-Publishing Review, â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…1/2

MY REVIEW

Letitia Hawking has the power to view beyond the veil between life and death. She helps people with the death of her loved ones by doing readings in 1920's Los Angeles telling them the moments that led up to their deaths. Letitia has a strange request from a family member of one of her clients, Alisdair Driscoll. He would like Letitia to examine his niece, Finola; however, Letitia senses a dark presence around Alisdair and refuses. Eventually Letitia agrees to see Finola. Letitia sees herself in the young woman and helps her with the dark presence surrounding her. In helping Finola, Letitia might have connected the force that haunted Letita with a string of disappearances of young women around town.

Behind the Veil is a paranormal mystery with just the right amount of romance. I was pulled in by Letitia and her readings. Her sensitivity, caring and power of her gift shone through. It was really interesting to see how she conveyed the deaths of people's loved ones and gave me a great insight into her head and way of thinking. Since Letitia's past is revealed slowly throughout the story, it builds suspense and adds to her air of mystery. Once Alisdair enters the scene, more of Letitia's past is revealed as it seems to echo what Alisdair's niece is going through. I was really engrossed in Finola's experience and abilities that she discovered. The story built as Letitia discovered the presence attached to Finola. I enjoyed the story behind the spirit as well, creating a well rounded story. The romance was just the right touch with Letitia and Alisdair both respecting boundaries and taking the time to get to know one another. With a high stakes, exciting ending and hints at more to come for Finola, I hope to read more with these characters.

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

About E.J. Dawson:

E.J. Dawson both credits and blames her mother-by reading The Lord of the Rings aloud to E.J. twice-for her complete absorption with the world of fiction. Growing up in a haunted mansion sandwiched between an abandoned mine and an endless pine plantation should have been all the fuel E.J.'s imagination needed, but her parents filled her life with stories: about themselves, their lives, and the ones they had found through the pages of books.

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a finished copy of BEHIND THE VEIL & Swag, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

11/8/2021	BookHounds YA	Guest Post
11/8/2021	Writer of Wrongs	Excerpt
11/9/2021	My Fictional Oasis	Review
11/9/2021	Don't Judge, Read	Guest Post
11/10/2021	@enjoingbooksagain	Review
11/10/2021	Review Thick And Thin	Review
11/11/2021	The Momma Spot	Excerpt
11/11/2021	Nat Reads	Review
11/12/2021	100 Pages A Day	Review
11/12/2021	Lifestyle of Me	Review

Week Two:

11/15/2021	Coffee and Wander Book Reviews	Review
11/15/2021	A Court of Coffee and Books	Review
11/16/2021	The Book Review Crew	Review
11/16/2021	The Girl Who Reads	Review
11/17/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
11/17/2021	Sparetimereader	Review
11/18/2021	Once Upon a Twilight	Review
11/18/2021	Jazzy Book Reviews	Review
11/19/2021	BookBriefs	Review
11/19/2021	OneMoreExclamation	Review

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Dust

11/10/2021

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About the Book:
Kate is a woman who chooses to work in Pakistan. She creates a second family for herself, far from the cherished warmth of her parents in rural Suffolk, their surrounding soft landscape in stark contrast to the raw land and humanscape of a remote corner of the northwest Himalayas. Kate then disappears and the worlds of genteel English countryside and harsh Gilgit collide in the search for a lost aid worker.

Review:
Kate Black has decided to work in aid relief in Pakistan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in the United States. Her parents are in constant worry with Kate so far from home in Suffolk. However, despite Kate's childhood panic attacks, she has found a purpose and second home in Gilgit. Kate has picked up the languages of the land swiftly and made fast friends in the desert landscape. Her confidence and proficiency in her job causes Kate to break rules meant to keep her safe and she is kidnapped. Her kidnapping sets off a domino effect of worry for those she worked with, her family and the military. To survive, Kate must go deep inside herself and use all of her knowledge from training.

Dust is a story of survival and hope amidst a bleak landscape. It did take me a while to get into the story as the first several chapters hopped back and forth between characters and took large hops back and forth in time. This style created a sense of chaos and confusion in the beginning that mirrored the feelings of Kate, her parents, coworkers and friends. As the timeline settles on bouncing back and forth between Kate's current role in Pakistan and her parents in Suffolk, I was fully immersed in the story. All of the characters are well developed, especially Kate and her mother. I had a good sense of Kate's passion and tenacity. The story picked up as Kate was kidnapped and a chain of events with her family, friends and coworkers were set off. It was really interesting to see Kate's training for emergency events kick in and her mental well-being while dealing with being kidnapped. Her parent's reaction was just as interesting to see how the unknown affected Kate's parents differently. The ending sort of fizzled, I'd love to know the after effects of the whole scenario for everyone involved.

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

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The Good Kings

11/5/2021

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The Good Kings examines the rule of five Egyptian pharaohs- Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa- to understand what made their rule so absolute and memorable today. In addition, Egyptologist Kara Cooney compares these Egyptian rulers to our world leaders today to see how our obsession with these ancient pharaohs has led to the rise of the modern politician. As Kara states:
This book presents an analysis of how we make ourselves easy marks for the next charismatic authoritarian to come along. It's high time we see how fetishism of ancient cultures is used to prop up modern power grabs.

Cooney accomplishes this through a careful reframing of how we look at these pharaohs and the monuments that they left behind. Reading about these rulers in harsher terms is enlightening and different. Usually, I read about these rulers being put up on a pedestal, literally. Most of these rulers' actions, however, were precise moves done for power, authority and absolute rule making sure that their family stayed on top.

It was very interesting to see how Khufu built the Great Pyramid, the only wonder of the ancient world still standing. The technology used to build the pyramid was advanced and the view is amazing. How exactly Khufu's engineers accomplished building the Great Pyramid is a secret taken to the grave. Khufu's reign was most likely one of a tyrant, with little respect for the people of Egypt. The fact that he built such a large temple to himself shows an insecurity in his rule and created himself as a god to his people. Senwosret III created an image of himself as a tired leader while being a master strategist. Senwosret III churned out propaganda and took hold of Egypt's elite to establish supremacy only to have everything fall apart shortly after his rule was over. Akhenaten, who we might know better by his wife, Nefertiti used his rule to create a new political-religious agenda and threw Egypt into a series of destabilizing changes. The ideas seemed to create equality, but Akhenaten used them to control those who did not choose his way. Ramses the Great used his rule to create an image that most people still know today, a celebrity kingship. He publicized himself throughout Egypt during his long reign so that many people today still believe everything he told about himself. Taharqa wanted to unify Egypt, but used religious zeal showing his piety publicly. Taharqa used his religion to try to justify his actions and show that he was just and moral

The comparisons to some of today's leaders showed that while we have made great strides, we still have a long way to go in dismantling the patriarchy.

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

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Bellocaro

11/1/2021

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I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the BELLOCARO by P.S. Meraux Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:

Title: BELLOCARO

Author: P.S. Meraux

Pub. Date: October 11, 2020

Publisher: P.S. Meraux

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 670

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, TBD, Bookshop.org

Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!

"TWILIGHT MEETS PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" Bellocaro will transport anyone who enjoyed Twilight or loves a gripping paranormal romance... to a new world down South.

Fleeing the school jock who thinks she should be his, Skye Moon encounters a strange boy in the woods. After meeting the mysterious and captivating Thatcher Blue, she is dragged into a nightmare. Skye is targeted by a vampire who wants to kill her just for being near the alluring Thatcher.

With a target on her back, she doesn't know if she'll survive. Skye hopes that the dark-eyed boy from her premonitions will keep her safe, if he ever reveals himself.

She is astonished when Thatcher and his family come to the high school run by her mother. Thatcher has managed to keep the secrets of his monster family hidden for more than a century, but not from Skye. She rightly suspects the new kids are something other than 'kids.'

Complicating matters is the way Thatcher looks at her, like she means the world to him because he has visions too. The pair find themselves caught between danger and longing.

Will Thatcher save her?

Or like his visions have predicted -kill her?

Profoundly romantic and thrilling, Bellocaro captures the life and death struggle between disobeying your intuition and following your heart. Award winning, best selling author P.S. Meraux brings humor and heat to this vampire love story that will drive fans of books like Twilight or Shade of Vampire wild with enthusiasm.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars!!! Finally, a book Like Twilight!
"Been waiting for this to whet my vampire fix. Was ready to dive into a new vampire romance. Hello Thatcher!!!!"-Gotta Love Books Blog

"P.S. Meraux takes you on an adventure with many defining moments and a flawed family of heroes. In a literary world overrun with supernatural creatures full of foreboding, Bellocaro puts a humorous spin on the crowded genre. The author's witty writing style had me laughing out loud."- Faerie Tale Books

"Bellocaro was fabulous. It's the perfect mix of romance, suspense and paranormal fantasy in one tidy novel ... I challenge you to read this book and not love it."- Get Lost In Fiction

"I re-read this three times after I finished reading it because I didn't want the story to end. The writing is so descriptive I felt like I was there."- Novel Society

"Seeing the relationship between Skye and Thatcher develop was spellbinding ... Bellocaro has set some high expectations, and is better than the other vampire romances in this sphere." - Bookworm Reviews

"...a sizzling vampire romance with unexpected twists, an unforgettable love that excites from start to finish. It's a perfect read for Twilight fans and vampire fans in general."- YA Book Season

"I can't even remember the last vampire romance I read that I loved as much as this one, Yes I can, it was a little novel called Twilight."- Just A Book Lover Reviews

"This is the kind of book you can re-read over and over again and not get bored. The plot is ingenious -- how do you fall in love with a guy who has already seen that he's going to kill you? The characters are great, even Thatcher annoying sister, Rane, has some funny bits and the ending will leave you left begging for more!"- City of Books

Review!

Skye Moon has been transported to the mysterious island of Sceadu away from her home and mother in Atlanta. Skye must live on the magical island alongside other magical creatures until she figures out the reason that the island brought her there. Skye has had prophetic dreams, she foresaw her mother's cancer and lately has been seeing a man with dark eyes and a scar on his hand trying to protect her from something. When Skye receives a request from Sceadu Academy's headmistress to help show around several new kids, she never expects Thatcher Blue. Skye knows that something is different about Thatcher and his family, his sister Rane and his cousins Wes and Alton. As Skye spends time with the unlikely family, she begins to unravel who they are, their connection to her dreams and the dangerous figure that appears in them.

Bellocaro claims to be "Twilight meets Pride and Prejudice." This is definitely a young adult paranormal romance in a very similar vein to Twilight. What was intriguing about Bellocaro was the setting of Sceadu. Having werewolves, vampires and elves in this magical setting made it a lot easier to imagine all of these creatures coexisting in the world. I was very interested in Sceadu, probably as much as Skye was. Not much information is given about the island and we know about as much as Skye does as to where it is, how it functions and why she is there. The characters are as I expected, they are all interesting, but not too deep. I am very interested in Skye's dreams and how they are connected to Thatcher. Thatcher, Rane and their cousins were an interesting group and I'm glad we got to see some of their history, how they became what they are and why they are after the same foe. The romance is pretty quick and a little cheesy, but there are still plenty of heartfelt and tender moments. There is a lot of description in the first part of the story and the action picks up towards the end. I would love to know a little more about the mysterious monster chasing Skye and why he has zeroed in on her. Overall, an interesting and more magical take on Twilight in a unique setting.

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

About P.S. Meraux:

I mainline coffee and chocolate, worry about the width of my hips and peruse too many cooking magazines. I suspect I wouldn't fret about one if I didn't indulge in the other. I'm obsessive about quality, so much so, I keep going back to tweak my earlier books, hoping to make them better. "Why are your characters flawed?" one reviewer asked. "Because people are," I replied. Although I'm very protective of them, hoping beyond measure that they'll find acceptance. Not ridicule. As a true 'GRITS' (girl raised in the south) people expect me to have bat-shit crazy relatives. The question here isn't IF, but rather, which side of the family are they on? Needless to say they offer a pool of inspiration into which I liberally dip. My characters are a bit OCD. Not in the vein of obsessive-compulsive, that would be too a la carte, mine are 'occasionally crazy or damaged.' And I think you'll enjoy them. As someone who understands wrestling with complex issues, it's easy to share their stories. I myself grew up with an ill mum, so I began creating imaginary friends at a young age to keep me company. In addition to writing and cooking, I'm an avid mountain climber who keeps up with an assortment of pets. As a life-long globe trotter, I can tell you that I like nothing better than a good story and a road trip. I hope you enjoy this one. Please let me know what works and what doesn't. I'm always interested in hearing feedback, reviews, comments, and questions are most welcome. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration. Happy reading.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads| Amazon | BookBub

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $20 Amazon GC, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/25/2021	BookHounds YA	Excerpt
10/26/2021	Amani's Honest Reviews	Excerpt
10/27/2021	Living in a Bookworld	Excerpt
10/28/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
10/29/2021	More Books Please blog	Review

Week Two:

11/1/2021	100 Pages A Day	Review
11/2/2021	The Reading Devil	Excerpt
11/3/2021	The Phantom Paragrapher	Review
11/4/2021	My Fictional Oasis	Review
11/5/2021	Coffee and Wander Book Reviews	Review

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