Hi guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're joining an iRead Book Tours promo already in progress starring a work of Fiction that will have you turning pages long into the night. It's unique. It's different. It mixes a little supernatural ability with familial loyalty and the quest to find our true purpose with murder, mayhem, and badness on a fairly supreme level. It's not like anything I've personally read before and I was PLEASANTLY surprised by how much I really got into the story. So, if you'd be so kind, allow me to introduce today's blog tour guest and book of choice...
Loreena's Gift
by
Colleen M. Story
9781938103476
Dzanc Books
About the book...
A BLIND GIRL'S TERRIFYING "GIFT" ALLOWS HER TO REGAIN HER EYESIGHT--BUT ONLY AS SHE FERRIES THE RECENTLY DECEASED INTO THE AFTERLIFE.
Loreena Picket thinks she knows herself. A blind young woman who lives with her uncle, a reverend at a small-town church, she's a dutiful niece and talented pianist for the congregation.
But they're both hiding a terrible secret. Loreena can kill people with the touch of her hand.
While her uncle sees her as an angel of mercy, helping usher the terminally ill members of his flock into the afterlife, Loreena has her doubts.
Torn between doing her uncle's bidding and the allure of the fleeting moments when her eyesight returns on the journey to the other side, Loreena cooperates with her uncle until her troubled older brother returns to town. When she reveals her power by saving him from a local drug dealer, she is drawn into a sinister and dangerous world that will test the true nature of her talent and force her to consider how far she is willing to go to survive.
An exciting debut that crosses fantasy and literary fiction, Loreena's Gift is a thought-provoking meditation on life and death and what ultimately lies beyond this world.
Loreena Picket thinks she knows herself. A blind young woman who lives with her uncle, a reverend at a small-town church, she's a dutiful niece and talented pianist for the congregation.
But they're both hiding a terrible secret. Loreena can kill people with the touch of her hand.
While her uncle sees her as an angel of mercy, helping usher the terminally ill members of his flock into the afterlife, Loreena has her doubts.
Torn between doing her uncle's bidding and the allure of the fleeting moments when her eyesight returns on the journey to the other side, Loreena cooperates with her uncle until her troubled older brother returns to town. When she reveals her power by saving him from a local drug dealer, she is drawn into a sinister and dangerous world that will test the true nature of her talent and force her to consider how far she is willing to go to survive.
An exciting debut that crosses fantasy and literary fiction, Loreena's Gift is a thought-provoking meditation on life and death and what ultimately lies beyond this world.
PICK UP YOUR COPY:
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Gift or curse?
That is indeed a GOOD question...and one you'll be trying to answer the whole story through.
Loreena was a great leading lady...so unexpected and refreshing. I found her warming my heart with her innocence and bringing a smile to my face with every hesitant step she took towards finding not only her family but herself. Dominic was a welcome distraction to her otherwise sheltered existence (and not hard on the eyes either!) and gave her the first real reason, the first excuse for her to step outside her personal box. Once that first step was taken, there was no turning back and the events that follow wouldn't even allow her if she tried. All it took was one move in the wrong direction, one decision made on instinct to tear her carefully cultivated world to pieces. They do say that secrets have a way of eventually coming out...but this is one bigger than them all. Though Dominic would love to rebuild it with his own two hands (for multiple reasons), there are other kingpins that have their eye on the prize....the prize being Loreena, or more specifically her unusual gift...and will do anything, ANYTHING to be in control of it.
I was an emotional rollercoaster while between the pages because honestly, there is so much going on, so much to care or worry about, that you can't help but be anything else. From the moment we learn of Loreena's gift to the first time we experience it in a controlled environment, from the impact it has on her every moment to seeing it released without restraint, it was a lot to take in. When it's revealed how she lost her sight, your heart aches. When we learn how her gift was discovered, you want to shed a tear in sadness for the fear of self implanted within this little girl. When you see the first arrows of potential love shoot her way, you can't help but cheer for her a little louder. When you see what man is capable of doing to man, you want to turn away in shame. I was utterly heartbroken for some of the characters because they truly did not deserve their fate, but there were others that I was elated to be right about. There's just so many emotions jumping right off the page, it's hard to read and not be affected by it.
In the end, it was an amazing and surprising story. There are definite twists and turns for all involved along the way...some more deserving of their fates than others. Though there are many characters to choose a favorite from, mine would have to be Loreena, hands down. The way she looks at the world, even without actual sight. The way she keeps pushing forward even when all she wants to do is give up because what little hope she had died somewhere along the way. The way that she chose to use her gift, curse, whatever you want to call it, because as the story shows, not everyone would be able to resist that type of power in the palms of their hands. It truly was a great story that I would recommend to adult Fiction readers (due to some content and concepts) without hesitation because there's a little something for everyone while serving as a great reminder to do the best with what we are given, live life with a true heart, and NEVER GIVE UP.
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About the author...
Colleen M. Story writes imaginative fiction and is also a freelance writer, instructor, and motivational speaker specializing in creativity, productivity, and personal wellness. Her latest novel, "Loreena’s Gift," was released with Dzanc Books April 12 2016. Her fantasy novel, "Rise of the Sidenah," is a North American Book Awards winner, and New Apple Book Awards Official Selection (Young Adult). She is the founder of Writing and Wellness (writingandwellness.com) a motivational site for writers and other creative.
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Special thanks to Laura at iRead Book Tours for the review copy as well as the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on THIS TOUR, this title, the author, the publisher, or those promotions on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Dzanc Books, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.
BEFORE YOU GO....
DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A SIGNED COPY OF THIS VERY TITLE AND/OR A $15 GC IN THE TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY! JUST CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM AND YOU'RE IN IT TO WIN IT!
Until next time...happy reading!
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