Now in My Bookbag: Devil Creek, by Casey L. Bond

I like this novel about love, heartbreak, and acceptance. Set in rural West Virginia, this story delivers a sense of community, old and new friendships, and the story of unconventional family. It also contains suspense and some violence.

It has lovable characters who face life, the highs and the lows. Aislin, the female protagonist, has experienced a lot of hard knocks. The history of her life includes abandonment, abuse, betrayal, loss, and heartbreak. She works continually to overcome and persevere. Her best friend, Gabe, suffers from a misplaced sense of duty, a tendency to overprotect, and a desperate need to suppress the survivor’s guilt he feels. The other characters are also well imagined and well written.

The plot of the story is very interesting. It contains a lot of different elements, yet remains cohesive throughout. I am unsure, however, about the end of the book. I can’t help wondering if the story resolution might have been better served at the end of chapter 16, then there could be a look a couple of years into the future. However, I am okay with the ending as it is. This is an enjoyable book that I really like. 4 1/5 stars

Your Introduction to Judgement of the Six, by Melissa Haag

Hope(less) is the first book in the Judgement of the Six Series, by Melissa Haag. It is currently FREE on Amazon, so it is the perfect time to get started!

Gabby’s brain is like a human fish finder. It comes in handy when she wants to avoid people. Mostly men. They seem to like her a bit too much. It’s lonely being different, but she’s adapted to it. Really. She just wishes she knew why she is different, though.

In her search for answers, she discovers a hidden community of werewolves. She immerses herself in their culture, learning about their world until she meets Clay. He’s unkempt, prone to mood swings, intense without saying a word, and he thinks Gabby is his.

It’s going to take every trick she knows to convince Clay to go away, and every bit of willpower not to fall for him when she discovers the man beneath the rough exterior.

Delve into a riveting world of werewolves and young women with unexplained abilities, in Hope(less).

Judgement has begun…

Hope(less) at amazon.com
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“I could not put this book down for a second, it was simply wonderful!” – Vanessa Vendrasco-Aere author of yabookbutterfly.blogspot.ca

From my original review:

“This is not your typical book about werewolves. It is a fresh, original, unique spin on a subject that has been told over and over. I can’t wait to read Book #2!” – Karen Metcalf, author of My Bookbag

Pre-Order Depravity (A Beastly Tale Part 1) by M.J. Haag

Pre-Order Your Copy Here:


Pre-Order price only .99
Prince increases to 2.99 after release


This book is a contemporary romance (18+)

Now in My Bookbag: Hope, Book 2 in the Harvester of Light Trilogy, by SJ West

This book is the perfect complement to Harvester. It is full of unexpected twists and provides a lot of information that I feel will be important in Dawn, the third book of the trilogy. West delivers this information in a plausible and interesting way.

The first third of the book progresses at a fast pace with lots of action. It is also during this segment that Skye realizes some inconvenient truths. There is a lot of shock and awe here.

The second third of the book is the critical information gleaning stage. It includes shocking, heart aching decisions. Also, it is difficult to see just how cruel some people can be. It is also encouraging to see how unconditional love can be.

The final third of the book provides a lot of character development for Skye, and delivers Hope, and makes me cry… a lot. Grab some tissues and this book. It is truly a great read.

Available Now for Pre-Order: The Beastly Tale Book 1, Depravity, by M.J. Haag!!

A classic fairy tale with a new twist, the Beauty and the Beast saga begins with Depravity… Sixteen year old Benella is concerned with two things–avoiding the two village boys who torment her and… 

AMAZON.COM

Pre-order your copy here:

http://bit.ly/DepravityAmazon

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Excerpt of Depravity, Part 1 of the Beastly Tales

I wrapped my hands around the cold bars of the massive, black iron gate and glared after the smith’s sons, Tennen and Splane. The pair cast nervous glances back at me as they scurried away from the beast’s shadowy garden. They had locked me inside because of misdirected spite. It wasn’t my fault I’d seen what I had.

“This is what you get, Benella,” Tennen had said as he had pushed me into the beast’s lair.
Tennen thought his treatment just. However, the current situation was anything but just.
A strand of my dark hair, loosened from my braid by the encounter, fell across my cheek and partially obstructed my view of my retreating tormentors. I shook the hair away from my eyes and took stock of my situation.

Outside the gate, early morning mist floated around the trunks of the trees, and blue sky shimmered through the gently moving canopy. Inside the gate, neither the light mist nor blue sky penetrated the garden in which I stood. Cast in shadow and eerie silence, the beast’s domain welcomed nothing from beyond its walls.

Sides still heaving, I struggled to quiet my breathing. I needed to leave quickly. Tennen and Splane hadn’t departed quietly, and it wouldn’t be long before the creature came looking for me.
I studied the top of the gate. The iron should have been easy enough to scale, but vines climbed the rock walls and twined with the iron rods. I didn’t trust the vines. They tended to move on their own. I didn’t much trust the gate, either. It should have been closed and locked.

The birds outside the gate fell eerily silent, and my stomach gave a sickening twist as I realized I’d run out of time. I dropped my head and squeezed my eyes shut.

The beast had come.

From My Bookbag: Champion by Marie Lu

Champion is my least favorite of the Legend trilogy. It is about trying to save the Republic and cure the plague. It deals with infirmity, mortality, insecurity, love and loss. There is a lot of focus on war strategy, though I am not quite sure the Republic’s strategy is sound.

The war plays out in a predictable way, and that is okay. However, all of the other things thrown in during the peak of the fighting take away from expected battle scenes. The build-up in the book all leads to war, so I feel that the clash between the Republic and Colonies with friends lacks depth.

Day chooses to keep a very important secret from June. In my opinion, doing so is selfish on his part. What does he think will happen to June when she learns the truth, in the way he expects? What a waste of time.

There are choices made by June that do not make sense either. Keeping the truth really gains nothing because eventually the truth will out. When it finally does, the wounds become fresh again. With truth, and a few years, grief becomes less palpable and forgiveness becomes possible.

With memory never encouraged nor restored, a person remains a victim of circumstance. I am not a fan of the way this book ends.