In the Books featuring Brigid’s Flame by Laura DeLuca

Good morning and welcome to another installment of In the books, featuring Brigid’s Flame by Laura DeLuca.

About the Book: River is a struggling author who is depressed about his failing career and his strained relationship with his girlfriend. On the sacred night of Imbolc, he looks to the Gods for inspiration. The goddess Brigid answers his prayers. In her arms, his passion is rekindled.

My Review: This is a quick read, but fun all the way.

It starts out teasing something dark and sinister, making this a page turner from the beginning. The main character is so real that I saw myself in him. Writers tend to have difficulty when our muses aren’t cooperating like we feel they should, and we handle it in different ways.

This tale shows how one’s talent and love can be ignited by a single event and gets better each time you read it.

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In the Books featuring Bump Time Origin by Doug Cooper

Good morning and welcome to this edition of In the Books, featuring Bump Time Origin by Doug Cooper.

About the Book: On his twenty-fifth birthday, Diesel Lagerford meets “Twenty-Six,” a one-year-older version of himself. Twenty-Six tells Diesel that there are others like them in parallel timelines spanning the ages of twenty-five to sixty, and they can visit each other’s worlds using a machine called a T-box. He introduces Diesel to Lilah Spencer, the AI developer who maintains the T-box, and Diesel is smitten. But when he travels up the timeline, Diesel learns that Lilah will soon die under suspicious circumstances. Devastated, he and Lilah agree that a super-AI could solve the mystery of her death, and they race to create an artificial intelligence of extraordinary capability. But can they finish their work in time to save Lilah? And will the super-being help them in the ways they had hoped?

My Review: The author impressed me with his previous sci-fi series beginning with Crystal Deception, and he continued to do so with this book.

The characters are well-rounded and engaging, pulling us into their lives with an ease born of increasing familiarity as we continue reading. While their exchanges are fun, they can leave us scratching our heads at their decision making. While their motives for following the instructions sent to them are understandable, it’s interesting seeing their hesitation being rationalized throughout, and that only cements them further into our liking whether we like it or not.

The story, while fast flowing and engaging, is done in a way that, in my opinion, is the only or best way to tell the story. By jumping around, the layout utilizes the time traveling theories within and helps us become familiarized with both at the same time. This frees our minds to enjoy the story instead of trying to figure out where and when something happens.

The one down side to this is we’re introduced to so many Diesels, their plight to save Lilah becomes repetitive as the story nears its conclusion. The AI is partly to blame, as it mentions how many timelines it’s gone through, which lessens the impact of the tragedies to a certain degree.

This does, however, set up the next book in the series in a way that is sure to be fun and exciting when it comes out, so to the author: no pressure.

In the Books featuring Brushed by Fate by Laura Deluca

Good morning and welcome to this week’s In the Books, featuring Brushed by Fate (Jersey Girl #3) by Laura Deluca.

About the Book: Elisa Manna gave up on romance after a string of abusive relationships. She comes off as a brusque biker, but beneath her rough exterior she longs for something more.

Scott Heron is a Marine veteran trying to cope with the residual effects of war. His art is his only refuge from the dark memories that haunt him.

When fate nudges them together, they can’t deny there’s chemistry, but Elisa is terrified of commitment and Scott’s physical and emotional scars make him abrasive and unpredictable. Can these two wounded warriors overcome their damaged past and paint a new future together?

My Review: This is a heartwarming story, as well as hilarious. Not all pain is physical, and it can be difficult to demonstrate the internal pain people suffer while matching it to their actions and the world around them. It’s a line that can easily be tripped over, and it’s awesome that the author walked it perfectly. It helped add three dimensions to the characters as their relationship grew while they helped one another.

Even more impressive was how the comedic moments were woven in at just the right time to give more weight to the difficult times or lighten them afterwards, as evidenced by Eliza’s friends. While also three dimensional beings, Eliza and Scott’s friends add another layer beneath the one we’re reading. My personal favorite was Scott’s friend and former sergeant (I so envisioned R. Lee Ermery in this role as well as a friend of mine) who continues initiating communication between them and helps Scott through some difficult times.

The story itself flows smooth and fast as the personal moments were described so well they make you keep reading. We move from scene to scene flawlessly, taking us into the characters’ minds and understanding their good-intentioned, yet often misguided attempts to help the other or themselves. One thing that is certain is this is a read you don’t want to miss.

With that in mind, I’m reading this series back to front. Don’t ask, I have no clue why; it just worked out this way. Lol While that offers the opportunity for spoilers for previous relationships and events, I’m confident that won’t be a problem. One thing I will say is, I’m not going to share any spoilers with you all.

Have a great one, everyone. 🙂

Phases of a Story: The Flowing Liquid of Plot

An interesting read. Thanks! 🙂

Legends of Windemere

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This one might be easier than I expected because we’ve heard the comparison as much as the solid foundation phrase.  So, what is something that comes to mind when you think of a liquid?  Oceans, drinks, showers, baths, streams, rivers, rain . . . I’ll be right back.  *toilet flush and washing of hands sounds*  Didn’t think that list through.  Anyway, most people probably thought of something along the lines of flowing.  I hope because you could also have considered that liquid is wet, takes the ‘shape’ of its container, and a few other things that don’t work for my post.

Authors need to have their stories flow in a way that the reader doesn’t feel like they’re in stop and go traffic.  This goes for word-to-word all the way up to beginning-to-end.  If the story is choppy or so twisty that nothing makes sense then you…

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Cover Reveal for Trinity by CP Bialois

Yep, you heard that right. I’ve got a new book coming out and today I’m revealing the cover.

You want to know what’s really cool about this? It’s my first foray into the erotic romance genre.

This is seriously something I never expected to write, but it quickly took on a life of its own and here we are.

The release date is April 15 (tax day), so what else could you want to spend you return money on but a fun (dirty) adventure. 🙂

I’d also like to thank the awesomely talented R.J. Keith for her incredible work on the cover. If you haven’t, please check her out at one of her following links. You won’t regret it. 🙂

Find R.J. Keith at:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Now for the reason for all this fluff…

Blurb:

Years of living under her mother’s thumb has taken its toll on Madison. Anxiety is a way of life, and it’s getting so bad it’s nearly killing her. Madison knows things can’t go on the way they are, but she can’t bring herself to do what she needs most: cut the source of her problems off.

Mimi Wambach has seen first-hand the effects of Madison’s upbringing and has become her fierest defender. Madison’s making a few strides, but Mimi knows she’s not going to be enough to heal Madison’s heart.

Will bringing a third person into their lives help Madison heal, or will it end up tearing Madison and Mim apart?

 

In the Books featuring Expectations: Bitter Sweet by Andrew Wilkes

Good morning and welcome to this installment of In the Books, featuring Expectations: Bitter Sweet by Andrew Wilkes.

About the Book: Almost dying to Orvin had afforded her some insight into her vulnerabilities. Her reliance on that little red flower and her inability to fight had been too easily exploited. Five years seemed a fair trade-off for a better toolset, and now she felt ready. Her vengeance had rested long enough, it was time to reawaken it and destroy the men that had slighted her.

My Review: First off, I have to admit that this is the first book in the series I’ve read, so I came into it with a complete ignorance of what had happened previously. While that gave me an unspoiled and unexpected viewpoint, it also took me a couple of chapters to familiarize myself with the characters. It’s no different than reading any novel, and to me, it meant that this can be read on its own as well. If nothing else, it’s a fun introduction to the series and I can’t wait to see what happens next, and before. Lol

The characters were interesting and engaging. The contrast between how Sal views her friends and family and her desire to torture and kill those that wronged her is fun. I enjoyed how the author separated the two views while referencing the other. It’s not easy to do and keep the reader and characters in the moment, but it was successful here.

The sex scenes were fun, but not too extensive and remained organic, keeping the story flowing. It’s an interesting balance to achieve, and I think it was done well.

I don’t give out spoilers, but I have to say the ending surprised me. It was the one I expected the least, and for that, my hat’s off to the author. It’ll be fun to see where it goes from here.

Author of the 1980’s – CP Bialois

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Originally posted on CRISTINA ISABEL – AUTHOR/POET:
BIO: A child of the 1980s, CP was born to pretend. He loved to create intricate plots based on his favorite shows. In time, his interests expanded into horror, sci-fi, action, and…