Tuesday, May 21, 2013

WINGS OF VENGEANCE

Kelly's review of Kylie Price's book
WINGS OF VENGEANCE
    *    *   *   *
Wings of Vengeance starts out a little more slowly than I like because there is so much background information you need to know. One big saving point is that the background information is spread out nicely in dialog, both internal and verbal, so you don’t feel like too much is dumped on you before the story starts. Once the action get rolling, it is nearly non-stop with a good mix of, as the title suggests, vengeance, lighthearted banter, action, and sexual tension. I did have a problem with some of the coarse language, but you expect expletives from the characters who use it. There is a great plot and several captivating subplots with a lot of characters, making this a great, fascinating read that you really want to sink your teeth into.  I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.     * * * *

I received a copy of this book in the hopes that I would write a review. This in no way influenced my opinion of the book. The opinions in this post are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of others at Ravenz Reviews.  --  Kelly

Friday, May 17, 2013

Hidden Secrets by Angee Taylor

Welcome to Angee Taylor. She is introducing her latest book, Hidden Secrets. Here is a little bit about the book:

Rose has been struggling for years to find out about the mysterious illness that’s killing her. She’s decided to end her life after one last trip to the French Quarter…Her plans go awry when the sexy Caleb Glasson, who carries a dark secret, saunters into her life. She discovers that she’s not what she appears to be, to rest of the world. The only man that can unlock that secret is dead at Caleb’s hand. The most startling epiphany is that she has latent powers that will emerge in a haunting thrilling story that will answer all of her questions.
Check out the Book Trailer:

Excerpt:
What a sight she thought they were in violation of every vampire lore out there. They were awake during the day, driving a convertible with the roof down, enjoying the sunshine through their dark glasses, of course. The wind made conversation hard and she was grateful. She didn’t know what to say and didn’t know if she could stand to hear what he had to say. The car ride would only last so long. She had to pull herself together. By the time, they arrived at the airport she had reined her emotions in and was ready for anything he could throw at her. Thanks to private airports and no security, she had been able to keep her knives. As they boarded the plane Caleb asked, “Where to? The pilot needs to know where he can file a flight plan.”
Rose took a deep breath and let it out. “I guess that depends on what it is you have to tell me. I call Vegas home. I left stuff at the hotel in Shreveport, Dallas is somewhat like a second home, and all New Orleans holds for me is the memory of you and Magura. So you choose between Vegas or Dallas I don’t care.”
“John, we will be headed to Vegas,” Caleb said into the phone, “We would like to be airborne as soon as possible.” The phone closed and he turned to her, “I had your hotel room packed up it’s in the cargo area. I think Vegas will be the better choice. We won’t have any problems fitting in there.” He smiled, lighting up his eyes.



Author Bio:

Angee was born in Houston, Texas in 1977, to an interesting family. Her mother and father separated when she was young. She lived with her mother who later remarried a wonderful man, who had a huge impact on her as she grew up. Angee has always had a love of reading, mostly paranormal. As a child, she would sneak up at late night when her mom thought she was sleeping, to read. They moved around a lot, eventually settling in Deep East Texas. Angee married at a young age and eventually divorced. She has raised her now 15-year-old son alone. Angee works full time as a pre-hospital nurse and sometimes sees things that would make the rest of us have nightmares. On other days, she is blessed to see miracles. These things are what drive her to write.
 Angee describes her job as- “I fight to save people’s lives. Sometimes I lose. Sometimes I win. It's the emotional roller coaster of that job, which leads me to writing. I'm able to put those emotions into my characters and let them out of my heart and soul.”
In 2006, she was diagnosed with a rare disease, shortly after that she was told she would be on full disability in five years and most likely to be dead in ten. She’s fought to live a normal life every day since and is beating those odds. She works at a demanding job, is a single mom, cares for an elderly mother, and a hyperactive dog. Her life has inspired her paranormal novel Hidden Secrets. Sit back and enjoy.

That's the 'official' story. Here's our game of Three Questions:

Q - What was your favorite book when you were a child?

Angee - Charlotte's Web was my favorite. It influenced me because it made me cry. So I tend to always write emotionally, like I found that story to be.

Q - A fan of a classic. Next question: Tell me a secret that your fan's haven't heard before.

Angee -  My dog's name is Shadow. My son named him. If we only knew how fast he would be when he grew up, we would have named him Bullet!

Q - What are you reading now?

Angee - Actually I am reading a book for work. It's a critical care refresher book. I try to read at least one a year. I break it up with a fictional read because it is very long and tedious to read. So next week I will be reading a new one by Dawn White.

Thank you, Angee. It was great having you. And where can your fans find you? 



Where can they find Hidden Secrets



Saturday, May 4, 2013

Review of Solstice by Debbie Christiana

Solstice 
by



Overview
Time is running out for Armend Zogu. The 250-year-old family curse on his head will claim his life on his 30th birthday, the winter solstice.

Sofia Palmalosi might be just the Strega who can save him. A descendant of a long line of powerful Italian witches, her family’s magic was a gift from the Goddess Diana.

Together Sofia and Armend embark on a journey from New York, to Sicily and the ancient ruins of Diana’s temple, and back to New York, all the while fighting a battle of magic and wits with a psychopath who wants them both dead and the curse intact.

If the curse doesn't kill Armend, breaking it just might.



My review:
Solstice is such a genuine and authentic representation of the Stega tradition, it absolutely blew me away. I honestly cannot recall any other book I've read that was as authentic in its representation as Solstice. Sofia is a Strega witch and direct descendant of Messalina, a dear friend of the Goddess Diana, who was left broken-hearted by Vulcan. With Diana's help. Messalina emerged from the heartbreak a strong and wise woman. Diana gifted Messalina the Diana Dagger, "a beautifully-crafted blade with a pure gold crescent shaped hilt". The Diana dagger has been passed down to each generation of Messalina's descendants. Ever generation, one Strega is personally chosen by Diana to possess the dagger. In this generation, the chosen one is Sofia. She is gifted the dagger and bestowed the gifts from Diana herself.

Armend is a man on a mission, to save his own life. He has watched Sofia from a distance, working for her parents and falling in love with Sofia at first sight. He knows that he cannot express his feelings for her because he knows his life will end on the Winter Solstice. A victim of a centuries long curse, on his 30th birthday, he will die, unless the 2 pieces of a sonata are brought back together. Sofia's parents own an art gallery in New York City and when they start receiving threats to release a certain painting, Sofia and Armend are brought together to help find the person responsible for the threats. Armend has his own gifts, to locate a person by touching something that that person has touched. After touching the threatening letter, Armend discovers who is sending the threats and realizes that Sofia's parents are being threatened because it is believed that one piece of the sonata Armend needs to save his life is hidden in a painting that is currently on display in the art gallery. As Armend reveals to Sofia and her parents what the threatening letters are really about, they all embark on a mission to save his life. Much to his surprise, Sofia has returned the same feeling to Armend as he has for her. They're love is so pure and beautiful. Sofia will stop at nothing to save Armends life, including putting her own life at risk.

Debbie Christiana, has, in my opinion, written a Masterpiece. I truly hope that she continues the story of Armend and Sofia because I certainly have not had enough of these two. I can see this story even being made into a movie, it is that good. The detail in Solstice is so exquisite, I can feel myself in the story. I felt like I was there, on this journey with Sofia, Armend, Sofia's parents, her sister and her sister's new love interest, Aaron. I cannot say enough about Solstice. It is simply amazing and not a story you want to miss. I give this book 5 big beautiful stars.





Solstice Release Party

Solstice Release Party
May 3-4, 2013


Debbie Christiana has released her new release Solstice. To celebrate, Ravenz Reviews is hosting the event over on Facebook. We're giving away tons of stuff including signed paperbacks of Solstice, Debbie's first book, Twin Flames, ebooks, swag packs, Amazon gift cards, and both days we're giving away a grand prize. So head over to the event and join in the fun! Oh, and don't forget to check out Debbie's blog where the main character in Solstice, Sofia is hosting. She shares with us the history of Liquore Strega.


Blurb for Solstice

Time is running out for Armend Zogu. The 250-year old family curse on his head will claim him on his 30th birthday, the winter solstice.
Sofia Palmalosi is just the Strega who can save him. A descendant of a long line of powerful Italian witches, their magic was a gift bestowed on them by the Goddess Diana.
In order to break the curse, Sofia and Armend must piece together the sheet music for a sonata Armend's ancestor composed on his violin for his forbidden love.
Together Sofia and Armend embark on a journey from New York to Sicily and the ancient ruins of Diana’s temple and back to New York while fighting a battle of wits and magic with a psychopath who wants them both dead and the curse intact.
If the curse doesn’t kill Armend, breaking it just might.