Blog Tour | The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody | Review

April 3, 2021April 3, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

A boy who accidentally bonds with a magical Beast must set off on an adventure in the mysterious Woods in this whimsical and cheeky middle grade fantasy debut—perfect for fans of Nevermoor and How to Train Your Dragon.

The last thing Barclay Thorne ever wanted was an adventure.

Thankfully, as an apprentice to the town’s mushroom farmer, Barclay need only work hard and follow the rules to one day become the head mushroom farmer himself. No danger required. But then Barclay accidentally breaks his town’s most sacred rule: never ever EVER stray into the Woods, for within the Woods lurk vicious magical Beasts.

To Barclay’s horror, he faces a fate far worse than being eaten: he unwittingly bonds with a Beast and is run out of town by an angry mob. Determined to break this bond and return home, Barclay journeys to find the mysterious town of Lore Keepers, people who have also bonded with Beasts and share their powers.

But after making new friends, entering a dangerous apprenticeship exam, and even facing the legendary Beast of the Woods, Barclay must make a difficult choice: return to the home and rules he’s always known, or embrace the adventure awaiting him.

I am always into middle grade adventure stories, especially when they are fantasy based so I was super excited to get my hands on this one. I really enjoyed the aspect of Barclay not wanting to be a hero or have an adventurous life, it was a nice twist to the typically adventure story. I also really loved the world that Amanda Foody created and in many ways felt like a lot of the settings, based on the way she described them, could be imagined easily. That being said though, I think it was the perfect amount of world building and imagery for the target audience of younger readers and I think a lot of readers would be able to identify with at least one of the characters in the story. I couldn’t put this one down and am eagerly hoping I get to pick up any future books written in this world.

Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After a double life as an accountant preparing taxes for multinational corporations, she now spends her free time brewing and fermenting foods much more easily obtained at her local grocery store. She lives in Boston, MA with a hoard of books guarded by the most vicious of feline companions, Jelly Bean.

Her books include The Shadow Game series and more. Her middle grade debut, Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice, hits shelves March 30, 2021, and her next YA novel, All of Us Villains, co-authored with Christine Lynn Herman, releases on November 9, 2021.

Author Links | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Want to check out other posts on the blog tour? You can check them out here!

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | The Trouble with Picket Fences by Teri Wilson | Review

April 3, 2021April 3, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

She could teach him to turn lemons into lemonade.

All her life, Melanie Carlisle knew how to succeed in the face of failure. So when she finds herself pregnant—and her ex-boyfriend bows out, claiming he’s not the “picket fence type”—Melanie is on her own. Now she has a house—with a picket fence she wants gone. Cap McBride is dealing with his own problems, what with a potentially career-ending hearing loss and his surly teenager. So the last thing he wants to do is get involved with a single pregnant woman. As for fences? The only thing he knows how to do is put them up!

Lovestruck, Vermont

Will this fence make good neighbors into something more in the latest installment of award-winning author Teri Wilson’s Lovestruck, Vermont series?

This is the first book I’ve read from this series, and while I do feel it can be read as a stand alone, it may be better if they are read in order as there are probably things in this book that spoil things in the first couple books. That being said I really enjoyed this very sweet love story. The love aspect did happen very quickly, but that doesn’t mean the story was over at that point. Our main characters legitimately have obstacles they have to overcome in their relationship and lives and I felt like the positivity that was reflected throughout the story played off of this well. I really enjoyed the writing style and pacing, which made this a quick and enjoyable read.

USA Today Bestselling Author Teri Wilson writes heartwarming romance with a touch of whimsy. Three of Teri’s books have been adapted into Hallmark Channel Original Movies, including UNLEASHING MR. DARCY (plus its sequel MARRYING MR. DARCY), THE ART OF US and NORTHERN LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS, based on her book SLEIGH BELL SWEETHEARTS. She is also a recipient of the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction for her novel THE BACHELOR’S BABY SURPRISE.

Happy reading!

Birthday Month Giveaway!

April 2, 2021April 2, 2021 DeAnne4 Comments

Hey everyone! It’s my birthday month in April and I feel like sharing some love. I know a lot of us are still doing our best to weather the ongoing pandemic (I know my second birthday where I don’t get to really see people is not going to fun) but we have to keep going and keep doing what needs to be done. Since it is my birthday month I want to share some of the fun with some of you!

So here are the details, one person will win a book of their choice up to $15 from Book Depository (or Amazon if the winner is in the US). This is available internationally as long as book depository ships to you. For the blog giveaway there are a number of ways to enter, for which I’ve set up a rafflecopter.

Click Here to Enter!

Now for the twitter part – I’m holding a second giveaway (for the same prize) on twitter! You can enter both giveaways, but there will be two separate winners. You can enter the twitter giveaway by retweeting the giveaway tweet AND following me on twitter (if you already follow that counts of course).

Both giveaways will end on 4/9 and I will contact the winners at that point.

Thanks so much and happy reading!

Review | The Eye of Zeus by Alane Adams

April 1, 2021April 1, 2021 DeAnne2 Comments

Meet Phoebe Katz, a twelve-year-old foster kid from New York City who’s been bounced around the system her entire life. Things happen around Phoebe, but it’s not like they’re her fault! But when a statue of Athena comes to life, Phoebe gets the stunning news she’s the daughter of Zeus, has a twin brother named Perseus―and was sent away from ancient Greece as a baby to stop a terrible prophecy that predicted she would one day destroy Olympus. Athena warns Phoebe to stay in hiding, but when the vengeful god Ares kidnaps her beloved social worker, Phoebe has no choice―she has to travel back to ancient Greece and rescue him! There, Phoebe and her friends Angie and Damian discover a new prophecy, one that may fix everything. The catch: Phoebe has to collect talismans from six Greek monsters, including the fang from a nine-headed hydra, a talon from the Nemean lion, and a feather from the sphinx. No problem for a girl with the power to call up lightning bolts and change the weather! But can Phoebe collect them all and stop the prophecy before she destroys Olympus?

I won’t lie, I enjoy pretty much any stories featuring mythology and while there are some notable series featuring Greek mythology, that doesn’t mean other stories featuring the same mythology can’t be enjoyed. I did enjoy Phoebe’s back story as it did set it apart and we do see some of the typical childhood behavior from others and herself that come from being in her situation. I did really enjoy the friendships she had and how she and her friends interacted, not always agreeing, but working together.

Her journey did harken to ‘hero’s journey’ stories (which most adventure stories follow) and was full of adventure, growth, colorful characters and obstacles to overcome. The illustrations peppered throughout the story were a nice surprise and a great addition. Phoebe was a well fledged out character, as were Damien and Angie. No one was always right and there was plenty of learning from mistakes or missteps. I think this is a great story for anyone looking for an adventure including mythology and look forward to reading further books in the series.

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison | Review

March 31, 2021March 31, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

Fast-paced and brilliantly unpredictable, J.T. Ellison’s breathtaking new novel invites you to a wedding none will forget—and some won’t survive.

Jutting from sparkling turquoise waters off the Italian coast, Isle Isola is an idyllic setting for a wedding. In the majestic cliff-top villa owned by the wealthy Compton family, up-and-coming artist Claire Hunter will marry handsome, charming Jack Compton, surrounded by close family, intimate friends…and a host of dark secrets.

From the moment Claire sets foot on the island, something seems amiss. Skeletal remains have just been found. There are other, newer disturbances, too. Menacing texts. A ruined wedding dress. And one troubling shadow hanging over Claire’s otherwise blissful relationship—the strange mystery surrounding Jack’s first wife.

Then a raging storm descends, the power goes out—and the real terror begins…

I’ve previously enjoyed one of J.T. Ellison’s books so was excited to pick this one up. I did really enjoy that this story was very fast paced but didn’t always love the perspectives that we were reading from. The settings were great and really set the tone for the story. It would have been even better if there had a been a little more mystery/history thrown in as the setting could have thrived even more with it. It definitely had vibes similar to Rebecca or mysteries set in an secluded spot such as And Then There were None. Overall I really enjoyed it and would definitely read more of J.T. Ellison’s books.

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim, prestigious awards, and has been published in 28 countries. Ellison lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens.

Happy reading!

Writing Update | 3/30

March 30, 2021March 30, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

Well, here we are. We’re on the cusp of the end of March and April is staring me in the face. I have chosen which idea I’m going to work on for Camp Nano, and set a soft goal of 30k words. I figured that is 1000 words a day, but I know that it could end up being a lofty goal with the reading I’m hoping to do, plus working a full time job.

With all that said, I am going to do my best to get a solid start on this story done. It’s only in the beginning stages, but so far I like what I have. I’m not going to give away too much information because it is so new, but I’m hopeful that the muse will play nice and allow me to write.

Who else is doing Camp this year? Are you writing something new, or editing?

Happy writing!

Blog Tour | Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham | Review

March 29, 2021March 29, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

This Spring, Heather Graham returns with a sultry and shocking standalone thriller about an FBI special agent trying to run from his past and a state police agent bent on solving a horrifying crime, even if it leads the two of them into the web of a vicious cult. Graham deepens the intrigue and raises the stakes in DANGER IN NUMBERS (MIRA Hardcover; March 23, 2021; $27.99).
On the edge of the Everglades, a brutal murder and an eerie crime scene set off an investigation that sends two agents deep into a world of corrupted faith, greed and deadly secrets.

A ritualistic murder on the side of a remote road brings in the Florida state police. Special Agent Amy Larson has never seen worse, and there are indications that this killing could be just the beginning. The crime draws the attention of the FBI in the form of Special Agent Hunter Forrest, a man with insider knowledge of how violent cults operate, and a man who might never be able to escape his own past.

The rural community is devastated by the death in their midst, but people know more than they are saying. As Amy and Hunter join forces, every lead takes them further into the twisted beliefs of a dangerous group that will stop at nothing to see their will done.

As a big fan of Heather Graham’s other books I was excited to get the chance to pick this one up. I really enjoy her romantic suspense/thrillers and was excited to read this new story that involved cults and ritualistic murders. I would say that she definitely stepped up the intensity of her murder scenes and I found the intricacies of the actual case intriguing.

One thing I love about Graham’s writing is how she gives her characters great back stories and also gives them their own personalities. I really enjoyed how Amy and Hunter learned to trust each other and worked together while their relationship grew. The pacing of this story kept me engrossed, as did the twists and turns and secrets that were revealed.

Heather Graham is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author has written over two hundred novels and novellas, has been published in approximately twenty-five languages and with about 60 million books sold in print in the categories of romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. For more information, visit her at TheOriginalHeatherGraham.com.

Happy reading!

April TBR | Reading Plans

March 28, 2021March 28, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

Well everyone, here we are again. It’s almost the beginning of April, so it was time for Rich and I to sit down and do my monthly card picks for what I would like to get to in April. The last couple months haven’t exactly been wins for my card picks in terms of getting through the books, but I’m keeping anything I don’t read out so I can pick it up if I have time. That being said I have just been super busy, and with Camp NaNoWriMo happening in April I don’t know how much free time I will have. We’re just going to have to see how it goes.

So let’s get into what cards I pulled for April:

9 of Diamonds – Fantasy
4 of Clubs – Mystery
5 of Diamonds – YA
6 of Hearts – Random Kindle
3 of Spades – Anthologies
7 of Diamonds – Rich Pick

For the first one I decided to pick up a fantasy from an indie author that I’ve been wanting to read, so I picked The Falling. For mystery I’m stretching it a bit by picking The Hollow Places as it’s not technically a mystery, but I checked Goodreads and say that people had shelved it as a mystery, so I’m counting it.

For the YA pick I decided to pull from my TBR cart which has some of the books I really want to get to on it, so I pulled Rules For Vanishing because it’s high time I got to it. Next was the random kindle pick, which I’m going to select Poems for the End of the World for. Picking an anthology wasn’t hard since I have a stack of them, so I pulled Hungry Hearts.

By this time Rich was disappointed that I hadn’t pulled a face card yet, so he was happy to see that I drew a card for Rich Pick. He also stuck to my TBR cart even though I told him he could also peruse the TBR shelves, but he pulled Greek Myths since he knew I really wanted to get to that one.

So that’s what the cards determined for this month! We’ll see how well I do. I’m hoping I’ll get to most of them as well as maybe getting to some of my carry overs from past months.

Happy reading!

Blitz | I Put a Spell On You by Sarah Vance-Tompkins

March 27, 2021March 27, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

I Put a Spell On You
Sarah Vance-Tompkins
Publication date: March 23rd 2021
Genres: Adult, Fairy Tales

“Being a modern-day fairy godmother isn’t all ‘bibbidi bobbidi boo,’” the legendary Lilliana Willowbrook says. “It’s hard work, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. We don’t handle cash, jewelry, real estate or revenge.”

AVIANA WILLOWBROOK had no idea that her mother is a living legend until the day the tattered old copy of “The Fairy Godmother’s Rulebook” arrived in the mail on her twenty-first birthday. Estranged from her mom, and living in Beverly Hills with her father, her stepmother and two super-achieving stepsisters, Aviana is unhappy and directionless.

Hotel heir NASH NOLAN isn’t content to use his family’s fortune, instead he’s used his computer knowledge to create a successful travel app. He’s not the kind of guy to wear his heart on his sleeve, Nash is immediately attracted to Aviana’s confidence and kindness.

But everything changes when novice fairy godmother Aviana is tasked with sparking a romance between Nash and her wicked stepsister. Will she use her powers to help Nash and her stepsister find their destiny, or will she use her pixie dust to find her own happily ever after?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

The next time I stirred the house was still and dark. The Fairy Godmother’s Rulebook was open next to me on the sofa. Mesmerized by the pattern of lights dancing across the ceiling from the pool in the backyard. I came to the dawning realization I wasn’t alone. Someone was in the house with me.

Maybe I was dreaming, but every time I came to full consciousness I had the terrifying feeling of being watched. I tried to sit up, but I couldn’t. It was as if I’d lost the use of my limbs. I drifted in and out of sleep. Then a shadow moved over me and soft hands brushed against my face. I couldn’t move and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make a sound.

“Look at her ears,” a man said in a hissing whisper.

“She’s almost reached full maturity,” a woman whispered in response.

A pair of hands gently pushed my hair back over my shoulders. A hand lightly touched the skin on my back, gently moving over the raw, bumpy skin protruding out of the middle of my back.

“She’s fledgling. It won’t be long now,” a woman’s voice whispered. “No more than forty-eight hours.”

I struggled to become fully awake, but couldn’t move. It was as if I was drugged. I laid on the sofa paralyzed with terror and fear until I slipped back to sleep.

Author Bio:

Sarah Vance-Tompkins received an MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California, and went on to work in feature film development in Hollywood. Prior to film school, she wrote and produced radio and television commercials. She grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan, and now lives in Southern California with her husband and a glaring of unruly cats.

Website / Amazon / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest / Google+ / Tumblr

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Blog Tour | The Setup by Carol Ericson | Review

March 26, 2021March 26, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

With a serial killer on the loose…

Secrets get you killed.

Detective Jake McAllister isn’t aware Kyra Chase is connected to a twenty-year-old unsolved murder. He sees his new case partner only as an unwelcome distraction. But with the body count rising, they’ll need to trust each other to help them catch a killer who seems to know more about Kyra than Jake does.

From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

This is a start to a new series that so far is more centered on the mystery and suspense than romance, but I felt it was a great introduction to the characters, team and setting. Even though this was a shorter book I found the characters well developed and it was full of lots of twists that kept the pace going. Overall I found the writing to be really compelling and really made the book fly by. It’s a good start to a series and I look forward to the rest of the series.

Carol Ericson lives in southern California, home of state-of–the-art cosmetic surgery, wild freeway chases, and a million amazing stories. These stories, along with hordes of virile men and feisty women clamor for release from Carol’s head until she sets them free to fulfill their destinies and her readers’ fantasies. To find out more about Carol and her current books, please visit her website at http://www.carolericson.com, “where romance flirts with danger.”

Happy reading!