WHAT'S THE BUZZ?: Hold My Place by Cassondra Windwalker - REVIEW!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're spreading a little pre book birthday BUZZ for a short story coming THIS TUESDAY (01/25/22) via Black Spot Books.  It's a Fiction novel that walks the line of Psychological Thriller and Paranormal like a well versed aerial artist, allowing the story within to take you where it may with surprising results.  Ready to explore?  Here we go.  Ladies and gents, prepare to explore obsession on a whole new level as we step between the epages of today's featured title...

Hold My Place

by

Cassondra Windwalker

Black Spot Books

About the book...

Obsession never dies.

When librarian Sigrun falls head-over-heels for the sophisticated and very married Edgar Leyward, she never expects to find herself in his bed—or his heart. Nevertheless, when his enigmatic wife Octavia dies from a sudden illness, Sigrun finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance worthy of the most lurid novels on her bookshelves.

Sigrun soon discovers Octavia wasn’t Edgar’s first lost love, or even his second. Three women Edgar has loved met early deaths. As she delves into her beloved’s past through a trove of discovered letters, the edges of Sigrun identity begin to disappear, fading into the women of the past. Sigrun tells herself it’s impossible for any dark magic to be at play—that the dead can’t possibly inhabit the bodies of the living—but something shadowy stalks the halls of the Leyward house and the lines between the love of the present and the obsessions of the past become increasingly blurred—and bloody.

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If you're like me, the title intrigued you...because HELLO...bookworm!  It evoked a certain curiosity because bookmarks are used to hold your place, temporarily...and the way the plot unfolds, is very much indicative of that meaning.

Sigrun was a unique character and certainly not your typecast librarian, but today's world shouldn't be surprised by that at all because it takes all types to make this world go round, and judging a book or person by their cover is so last century.  Anywho, she's her own person and very much a live wire...which sparks all the brighter when she happens upon another soul that she feels drawn to down to her very bones.  It doesn't matter that he's married, he being Edgar, or that the other woman (or rather, the first woman, aka his wife) even visits the class she is attending simply to be closer to him.  It's enough to spend time with him...for now.  The thing is, if distance makes the heart grow fonder...constant awareness and exposure apparently makes the heart grow obsessive...and that obsession has bigger outcomes than simply getting what she thinks she wants.  You see, there are other forces at work here, things her friends have tried to warn her about despite not knowing the whole story because red flags are red flags, but when the heart wants what it wants...reason goes out the window.  Too bad that reason was the only thing left to hold on to...

I won't go into further detail for the sake of the story, as it is best experienced first hand.  However, I will say, though intriguing and twisty, I find myself decidedly on the other side of obsession...or at the very least tales of.  The only single mindset, the object of their attention being pretty much the only things they focus on...it just doesn't hit the right notes for this reader...but to each their own and if it IS your cup of tea, than this is definitely one you shouldn't skip out on!

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Special thanks to the Black Spot Books team for access to the ecopy for review.  (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is set to celebrate its BOOK BIRTHDAY this Tuesday, 01/25/22, via Black Spot Books, an imprint of Vesuvian Books, so mark your calendar or pre order your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

HAPPY (Almost) BOOK BIRTHDAY to... Jaclyn and the Beanstalk by Mary Ting - GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for a stop along their current BLAST featuring a Young Adult Fantasy set to release TOMORROW (09/04/18) via Vesuvian Books!  Initially, it looks like a fairytale redo (consider the title), but from the sound of things, it's gonna be SO MUCH MORE!  So, if you're ready to add your next potential must read to your wish list, let's do this!  Today's title in the spotlight is...

Jaclyn and the Beanstalk

by

Mary Ting

9781944109745

Vesuvian Books

Add to Goodreads

What fate awaits a girl who hears monsters at night…

Sixteen-year-old Jaclyn looks up to her father. An honest man who once fought for the king, he now teaches Jaclyn how to use her wits—and her sword. But he has a secret. And his secret may have a connection to the one thing Jaclyn is hiding from him. Upon hearing “monsters” are terrorizing the small villages around Black Mountain, Jaclyn’s father and his friends head out to hunt them … but they don’t return.

AMAZON
 

 

About the author...

International Bestselling/Award Winning Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. She also toured with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.  

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram

$50 Amazon Gift Card

or

Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 9/23/18

**Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. The giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Special thanks to Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for the chance to bring this tour to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title hits virtual shelves TOMORROW via Vesuvian Books, so mark your calendar, or pre order your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

In This Life by Christine Brae

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're shining the spotlight on a title that quite literally just left my "current reads" list.  Yep, just finished about 4 hours ago, give or take.  Close call?  No...just simply me trying to show life who's the boss....(you hear that life?  I have your number!)  Anywho....the title on deck came to my attention via Meryl Moss Media, and stars a late 2016 release via Vesuvian Books.  It's a work of Fiction that seems to have a touch of magic, or other-worldliness to it that you can only really capture by immersing yourself in the story.  Ready to discover what this title has in store?  Today's book of choice is...

In This Life

by

Christine Brae

9781944109387

Vesuvian Books

About the book...

Secrets ruin lives, and lies protect those secrets…

Wanting to escape her life in New York City before starting medical school in the fall, Anna Dillon convinces her best friend Dante to travel with her to Thailand on a medical mission. While volunteering in a coastal village recently ravaged by a tsunami, Anna meets Jude Grayson. They share an instant attraction that leads to a brief, passionate affair. When she has to rush home for a family emergency, he promises to stay in touch.

But Jude never calls, and Anna tries desperately to forget him.

Five years pass, and Anna finally moves on with Dante after giving up hope that Jude will ever return—until they come face to face again in a chance encounter. Reeling, Anna discovers the life-altering secret of why Jude never contacted her—and why they can’t be together. But the passion that ignited between them on an exotic beach years ago never died, making it impossible to stay away from each other.

And Dante? Anna discovers that the friend she grew to love—and trust—has a secret of his own.

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I really didn't know what to make of this one as I was reading.  I mean, we have three characters whose lives are inexplicably entwined and yet they keep falling just short of reaching an earthly paradise time and time again.  Just when you think the winds have changed in their favor, nope...bottom drops out...but as the author says through her leading lady's closing passages,...

"This isn't a story about death, dying, sadness, or the indescribable emptiness that comes with losing someone you love.  This is a story about the infinite bounds of true love and commitment and the redeeming gift of hope."  - pg 312

It's a story best looked at through the eyes of those the lived it, so I give you, my take on the characters and their roles in the story.

Anna...our fiery red head (or Blue) whose passion for life and love light a thousand hearts ablaze...okay, two...two hearts, but they burn no less bright than the thousand.  Her desire to help others and make a difference is what led her to her career or choice as well as the trip that will change her life in SO many ways.  It won't just make her humble and more conscience of the things she's been afforded in life, but break her down into her smallest parts and make her sort the order back out again over a lifetime.  Can it be done?  Oh, yes...but there is much love, life, and heartache to be felt along the way.

Dante...he was always his true self, a ladies man that fell for his best lady friend, and yet, even he had secrets.  The ones he kept, like most people's, were supposedly to keep additional hurt at bay and let time heal the wounds.  Word to the wise, never decide what another should hear...let the cards fall and be there for them, whatever may come...a lesson he may have learned too late.  In this story though, too late is a very relative term, and despite the fact that a "player" would be my last choice for Anna, he really did have a heart of gold.

Jude...though who exactly he is remains a mystery for the better part of the first half of the novel, you get hints and feelings about his true "identity" from the start.  If you've been exposed to any sort of secular study or beliefs, you'll catch them (though they are much more apparent the further we go), but even so, I wasn't sure truly what to make of them, or rather, him.  Man or myth?  Chance encounter or fate's intervention?  Lifelong love or soulmate?  So many QUESTIONS!  He really was a conundrum...and despite the battle he faces within himself, despite his negative attributes, you can't help but see he is a second half to Anna's whole...

So, as you can see, it's an unusual tale that needs to be approached with an open mind AND heart.  Be ready to both love and loathe the characters, their choices, and some of the topics covered...some of which may be slightly controversial to some audience members...but also be ready to accept the messages the author is conveying through their struggles, AND triumphs.  What you do with the lessons after that is entirely in your hands...

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About the author....

Christine Brae was born and raised in the city of Makati, Philippines before she met and married her best friend who whisked her away to Chicago over twenty years ago. Since then, Christine has established herself as a full time career woman, holding a senior executive position in one of the largest global advertising agencies in the world. She is the author of four novels, has an established fan base and a dedicated following. Her titles have consistently ranked in the Top 100 months following their release.

SITE  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK

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Special thanks to Erika at Meryl Moss Media for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on 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 Vesuvian Books, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: In This Life by Christine Brae + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Well, today's the day.

You know...VALENTINE'S DAY?

If you have a sweetheart in your life, I sure HOPE you knew this info before now because, yeah...they might not be too thrilled if you forgot the flowers, chocolate, or other red-pink-and-white-item-of-choice for celebration.  Just sayin'...anywho...

Today, we're shining the book spotlight on a title that is sharing in the love fest as it takes us on a journey of the heart.  IS there really ONE PERSON we're meant to be with?  Our other half out there searching, waiting, and anticipating becoming one?  All good questions, and as this title is slated for a read through in the coming weeks, I'm sure I'll see how the beliefs of the ladies and gents in the story manifest throughout the work.  In the mean time, today's spotlight belongs to...

In This Life

by

Christine Brae

Vesuvian Books

9781944109387

About the book....How do you know what fate has planned for you? Is there really one person who we are truly meant to be with? In her latest novel, IN THIS LIFE (Vesuvian Books; November 2016), Christine Brae will take readers on an emotional roller coaster, exploring love, fate, and spirituality.

Anna Dillon wants to escape her life in New York City before she starts medical school in the fall. She convinces her best friend, Dante Leola, to take a trip with her to Thailand on a medical mission. They volunteer at an orphanage in a coastal village, recently ravaged by a tsunami. In this village, Anna meets the compassionate and enigmatic Jude Grayson and they are instantly attracted to each other. Their affair is short-lived, and when Anna has to rush home for a family emergency Jude promises her that he’ll stay in touch.

But Anna never hears from him, and she tries desperately to move on.

Five years pass. Anna moves on with Dante and has given up hope that Jude will ever come back into her life. And then one day, on the streets of New York, they come face to face again. Reeling after their chance encounter, Anna learns the life-altering secret of why Jude never kept his promise – and why they can’t be together. But the passion that ignited on that beach in Thailand never died, and it becomes impossible for them to stay a part.

And Dante? Anna begins to discover that the friend whom she grew to love – and trust – has his own secret.

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About the author...

After the release of her first two novels, The Light in the Wound and His Wounded Light, [Christine] Brae never imagined that her words would touch so any people. Her third novel, Insipid, is a standalone that was released in June 2014. She lives in Chicago.

SITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

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Special thanks to Erica at Meryl L. Moss Media for the chance to bring this spotlight to you!  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, or those tours on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Vesuvian Books, so be on the lookout for it at your favorite brick & mortar or online retailers.

Now, to the BEST PART.  It's time for a CONTEST!  Yes, that's right!  Thanks to the generosity of the gang at Meryl L. Moss Media, you have a CHANCE TO WIN this very title to call your own.  All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below and you're in it to win it!

Open to U.S. Residents only; no P.O. Boxes please.

Entries will be accepted TODAY through Monday, February 20th, 2017.  Winner will be drawn, contacted, and have 48 hours to respond with their full mailing information to be sent to the promotion team for prize send out.  If no contact is made, a new winner will be chosen. SFIR is not responsible for lost packages/prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!