REVIEW OF THE SEER BY MARTHA HARRIS

Title: The Seer.

Author: Martha Harris

Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Co.

Publication Date: October 28, 2011

About the Book:

Bobbi Wheeler is a psychiatrist who uses her psychic abilities to help her patients deal with depression and grief. This ability to know her patients' history and inner thoughts through a simple "touch" is the reason behind her successful therapy sessions with satisfied clients.

Bobbi doesn't always view her abilities as a gift, but a curse, because not all of her dreams are pleasant. She saw her grandfather's death in a dream when she was young child and tried to prevent it but couldn't. This started her feelings of helplessness whenever she dreams about dangers involving people she encountered and touched by chance.

While she may know the ways in dealing with emotional pain, she is also somehow battling with her own frailties and inner turmoil, making her long for the ocean and the pleasant things about it to give her peace. It is in one of these trips that she meets Lance Wolfe, a nonbeliever in psychics and a widower who blames himself for the death of his wife in a car accident. His guilt somehow hinders him from loving another woman again. Nonetheless, Bobbi opens his heart once more, but not completely. He seems to have the gift, as it is with him that Bobbi learns she can communicate using thoughts alone and go through someone else's psychic's mind.

In one of her visits to Lance's house in Belford, Bobbi feels like she's been inside a man who gave her the most horrifying nightmare ever. This man who for a time she mistook as one of her patients, Tobias Emerson murders a couple in her dreams. This man has the ability to control minds and although she is able to go inside the dream and prevent him from doing the crime, the man prevails over her and goes ahead with the carnage. After the police get involved, the man has only one thing on his mind killing her.

My Thoughts:


When I started reading the book, I found it hard to get into but I was glad that I decided to continue reading. There were twists and turns that kept me engaged and an ending that will surprise you. The main character, Bobbi, was likeable and very interesting. Bobbi has visions or nightmares that were vivid, descriptive and frightening. Bobbi has a special ability to see a person's inner most thoughts through touch. She sees a new client, Tobias, and feels nothing when she touches him and she realizes that he is very different. There is tension between her love interest, Lance, and their relationship grows as the story unfolds. If you like mystery,romance and the supernatural then you will enjoy the book.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Review Team. Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team. 

http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?dorrance+7XZRvv+index.html

REVIEW OF WITCH SONG BY A. ARGYLE

The world is changing. Once, Witch Song controlled everything from the winds to the shifting of the seasons-but not anymore. All the Witches are gone, taken captive by a traitor. All but Brusenna. As the echo of their songs fade, the traitor grows stronger. Now she is coming for Brusenna. Her guardian has sworn to protect her, but even he can't stop the Dark Witch. Somehow, Brusenna has to succeed where every other Witch has failed. Find the traitor. Fight her. Defeat her. Because if Brusenna doesn't, there won't be anything left to save.


About the Author-

Amber Argyle grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family's creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination while she was writing her debut novel. She has worked as a short-order cook and a janitor in a mental institution, all of which gave her great insight into the human condition and has made for some unique characters. She received her bachelor's degree in English and physical education from Utah State University. 
                 

Author's Website-

Read an Excerpt.


My Thoughts-

I was hooked from the first page and I was taken into a world of magic, innocence, adventure and drama. The main character, Brusenna is witty, charming, magical and stubborn and the author takes you on a fantastic journey to save the last of the witches. Brusenna travels with her guardian, Joshen who is protective of her and they develop a bond that gets stronger throughout novel. The medieval touch, and the scene descriptions were fantastic and all of the characters were developed fully.  This is a fantastic YA debut novel and I hope the author continues to write in the future. Ms Argyle has a wonderful imagination and a writing style that kept me interested and I could not put the book down. I recommend this book to everyone who loves fantasy, paranormal and a touch of romance.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book for my honest review and I was not compensated for my review.

BLOG TOUR AND REVIEW OF FLESH & BONES BY PAUL LEVINE.

 
I want to welcome Paul Levine to Books R Us. Paul is the author the the Jake Lassiter Series and is touring the blogosphere with his book, Flesh & Bones.  Thanks for stopping by.




About the Book:


"I was sitting at the end of the bar sipping single-malt Scotch when I spotted the tall blond woman with the large green eyes and the small gray gun.” The next thing Jake Lassiter knows, the woman pumps three bullets into the man on the next barstool.
And Jake, the linebacker-turned-lawyer, has a new client.

She’s stunning model Chrissy Bernhardt, and the dead man is her wealthy father. The defense? Chrissy claims that she’s recently recovered repressed memories of having been sexually abused by her father. Jake wants to believe her but suspects that the memories were either implanted by a shady psychiatrist or fabricated by Chrissy herself. Complicating the situation, Jake falls for his client, clouding his judgment. Is she an anguished victim or a cold-blooded killer? And what about her brother, who stands to inherit a fortune if Chrissy goes to prison? Jake wades into a quagmire of dirty water deals, big money, and family corruption, all leading to an explosive finale.

About the author:


The author of 14 novels, Paul Levine won the John D. MacDonald fiction award and has been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller, and James Thurber prizes. His critically acclaimed and bestselling “Jake Lassiter” novels have been published in 21 countries. The first of the series, “To Speak for the Dead,” was named one of the top ten thrillers of the year by the Los Angeles Times, and is now a bestselling e–book. A former trial lawyer, he wrote more than 20 episodes of the CBS military drama “JAG” and co-created “First Monday,” starring James Garner and Joe Mantegna. He is also the author of the “Solomon vs. Lord” series and the thriller “Illegal.” His next novel will be “Lassiter,” due in Fall 2011 from Bantam.

My Thoughts:

I have always enjoyed mystery novels and Flesh & Bones was a great book. This is the first book that I have read by the author and will not be the last. The book grabbed me from the first page. As I read on I was captivated by how the author combined, mystery, romance, humor and a group of characters that worked well together keeping the storyline interesting and flowing. There were twists and turns throughout the book that kept me guessing and entertained. If you like psychological thrillers then this is the book for you. I wish the book did not have to end so quickly and I wanted more. I guess I have to wait till the next book in the series comes out in the Fall.



Author's Website.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of the book for my honest review and I was not compensated for my review.

GUEST POST BY PAUL LEVINE AUTHOR OF FLESH & BONES.

I want to welcome Paul Levine to Books R Us. Paul is the author the the Jake Lassiter Series and is touring the blogosphere with his book, Flesh & Bones.  Stop by tomorrow for my review of the book.

 “PART CON MAN, PART PRIEST” – JAKE LASSITER REVEALS WHO HE IS.

By Paul Levine

“They don’t call us sharks for our ability to swim.”

 So says Jake Lassiter in “Flesh & Bones.”  Or rather, he thinks it in interior dialogue, sometimes called interior monologue.  It’s one way to reveal character and answer the reader’s question: Just who is this guy, anyway?

 I’ll let Jake answer that question, but first I wanted you to know that the international bestseller “Flesh & Bones” is now an e-book priced for a short time at $0.99, with all proceeds going to Hershey Children’s Hospital for cancer treatment. 

 Now back to Jake:  “A good lawyer is part con man, part priest—promising riches, threatening hell.  The rainmakers are the best paid and have coined a remarkably candid phrase: We eat what we kill.” 

 The linebacker-turned-lawyer is a brew and burger guy in a paté and Chardonnay world.  Noting the sign over the judge’s bench -- “We who labor here seek only the truth…” -- he  adds his own footnote: “Subject to the truth being concealed by lying witnesses, distorted by sleazy lawyers, and excluded by inept judges.”

 In “Flesh & Bones,” Jake’s client, model Chrissy Bernhardt, is accused of killing her father, claiming she had been raped by him as a child.  Jake seethes at hearing this.  Anger is not usually helpful in making important decisions, but with Jake, his fury helps form his legal strategy:

 “The male animal.  At the low end of the evolutionary scale, he lords his physical superiority over women, beating and raping.  At the very bottom, this horned beast is the father who would rape his own child.  For a moment, I felt like killing Harry Bernhardt myself.  Which made me think...if I get the jury to feel the same way, maybe I can win this case.”

 Complicating the murder trial, Jake falls for his client, while at the same time doubting her truthfulness.  All of which creates an ethical dilemma:

 “My ethical rules are simple.  I won't lie to the court or let a client do it.  But I've never been in this position before.  How far would I go for a woman who mattered?  Is there anything I wouldn't do to win?”

Is he defending an innocent woman or a guilty one?  Is there such a thing as true justice?  Rather than answer those questions – and spoil the book! – I’ll leave you with Jake’s final thoughts:

 " We seek justice in the courthouse, just as we seek holiness in a house of worship.  Justice is an ideal, a vague concept we strive for but can barely define.  Justice is the North Star, the burning bush, the holy virgin.  It cannot be bought, sold, or mass produced.  It is intangible and invisible, but if you are to spend your life in its pursuit, it is best to believe it exists, and that you can attain it."

 “Flesh & Bones” and all the Jake Lassiter novels are available on  Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords.  More information please visit  Paul Levine’s Website.  

 __________________________________________________________________

About the Author-

The author of 14 novels, Paul Levine won the John D. MacDonald fiction award and has been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity , International Thriller and James Thurber prizes. His critically acclaimed and bestselling "Jake Lassiter" novels have been published in 21 countries. The first of the series, "To Speak for the Dead," was named one of the top ten thrillers of the year by the Los Angeles Times. A former trial lawyer, he wrote more than 20 episodes for the series "JAG" and co-created "First Monday," Staring James Garner and Joe Mantegna. His next novel "Lassiter," will be published in the Fall of 2011 by Bantam.

REVIEW OF MURDER IS A FAMILY BUSINESS BY H. HAVEN

Join Heather Haven, author of the humorous mystery, Murder is a Family Business (MuseItUp Publishing, January 2011) as she virtually tours the blogosphere in May on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

Just because a man cheats on his wife and makes Danny DeVito look tall, dark and handsome, is that any reason to kill him? The reluctant and quirky PI, Lee Alvarez doesn’t think so. But the 34-year old ½ Latina, ½ WASP and 100% detective has her work cut out for her when the man is murdered on her watch.  Of all the nerve. Set in the present, Murder is a Family Business is the first in a series of humorous mysteries revolving around Lee Alvarez, a combination of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovitch’ Stephanie Plum, and rest of the Alvarez Family, detectives all. Seemingly light and frothy on the surface, the novel nevertheless explores familial love, the good, the bad and the annoying.

Completing the family is Lee’s Never-Had-A-Bad-Hair-Day aristocratic mother, Lila; computer genius brother, Richard; beloved uncle “Tio;” and her energetic orange and white cat, Tugger. When this group is not solving murders, they run Discretionary Inquiries, a successful Silicon Valley agency that normally deals with the theft of computer software. The love, humor and camaraderie shared within this family are what set this series apart from others.

My Thoughts-

When I first saw the cover with the cute orange kitten, I did not know what to expect. As I started reading the book, I was drawn into the plot and I had to keep reading.  The author combined mystery, suspense and family into a great detective novel.  There were twists and turns throughout the book that made the plot  interesting and fresh. The members of the family complemented the storyline and I really liked Lee and her little kitten Tugger. I look forward to following the Alvarez family in the next book of the series, A Wedding to Die For available now.

Author's Site-

View the Trailer- 

Read an Excerpt-

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book for my honest review and I was not compensated for my review.

REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY OF MPIRE: IN SEARCH OF THE LOST BY T.L. JAMES (INT)

I would like to welcome T.L. James to Books R Us. She is virtually touring the blogosphere with NURTURE Virtual BOOK Tourz™

The trilogy of The MPire starts with, In Search of the Lost which is the story about Mallory Towneson Haulm, a sexy financial powerhouse, who lives in a quasi paradise in Austin, Texas. His opulent world is decorated with expensive toys and women more exquisite than an exotic candy shop.

After fourteen years of separation from his family, Mallory is summoned to return back home to join The Family Business. Poised for success, Mallory is focused on turning around the ailing business, not realizing that taking his assigned reigns will put him in a position of unrelenting power which he is unaware he even has. His world crashes as he reunites with his brothers and becomes Death, the forth horseman of the Apocalypse.

With every complication popping up in his life, the biggest one by far is in the form of an old love from the past coming back to reclaim the spot in Mallory’s heart.

About the Author-

TL James graduated with an MBA from LeTourneau University. At LETU, James cultivated an interest in biblical studies and research. Little did James know, but her love for research would become an integral thread in her writing style.

After many sleepless nights, James began writing her first speculative fictional book, with her newly born son tucked comfortably at her side.  She developed the family drama storyline that showcases her love of research, biblical studies and literary classics (i.e., Chaucer, Shakespeare and Mythology). The MPire Trilogy was born.

In 2008, TL James revived PHE Ink, a Writing Solutions Firm, after discovering a number of gaps in the publishing industry.  James works with aspiring writers, one-on-one, to develop their literary voice. PHE Ink, also, assists entrepreneurs with transforming their business dreams into defined objectives and business plans. 

Author's Website. 
Tour Stops.

My thoughts-

I have never read a book like this one before. All of the characters in the Haulm family were unique and each had a hidden agenda that is revealed throughout the book. I have not read the precursor of the book, The Chronicles of the Haulm Boys and I wish I had. I had some difficulty figuring out who the brothers unique qualities were until the middle of the book. Then it all fell into place and the book came alive. The relationship between Mallory and Matthew was sweet as well as troubled. Mallory was a sexy, wealthy and intriguing individual who has to make a choice between life and death. He has to live up to his destiny of being the Forth Horseman (Death) and continue the family legacy. Throughout the book, there were supernatural beings and images surrounding Michael that kept me thinking. Who were these spirits and why are they after Michael? I guess you have to read the book to find out the answers. The author's descriptions of the supernatural was fantastic and the ending was unpredictable. I did not want the book to end and I wanted more. I look forward to reading the all of the books in the series.  I have to warn you that this book is only suitable for the adult reader due to the erotic and sometimes violent scenes in the novel.

Contest- International

Thanks to the author, I am able to give away ONE copy of the book.
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Contest ends May 1st at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be picked by Random.org. The winner will be sent an email and has 48hrs to respond or another winner will be announced.

GOOD LUCK!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for my review.

REVIEW OF BULLET WORK BY STEVE O'BRIEN

Do you like horses and horse racing? Then read Bullet Work and enter into the world of the Sport of Kings.

They lived for that one chance; the chance to get home first. They waited for that one second. For that moment when they broke into the clear down the home stretch, and no one was going to catch them. Behind the glamorous exterior of horse racing, lies the gritty reality of the backside. Within this fiercely competitive world of owners, trainers, vets, and jockeys something has gone terribly wrong. As opening day approaches, one racehorse is poisoned, another has her leg crushed by a lead pipe and a third mysteriously disappears. Shock and horror grip the racing community. Despite all security efforts, the brutal killings continue.

For Dan Morgan it becomes personal when his precocious two-year-old filly is targeted. Dan befriends AJ Kaine, a lonely, "horse whispering" young man. AJ is a hotwalker, the lowest of jobs in the backside food chain. But AJ has a secret—perhaps a secret that can corner a killer. With AJ's help, Dan must crack the extortion scheme or risk becoming the next victim.

About the Author-

Steve O Brien is an attorney, author, and former thoroughbred owner. Bullet Work is his second novel. It follows the critically acclaimed Elijah's Coin, recipient of nine literary awards, including Best Young Adult Fiction, National Best Books Awards, and Best Novella, Next Generation Indie Book Awards. He lives in Washington, D.C.

My Thoughts-

While I was in college, I had the opportunity to work in OTB and I learned a little about horse racing. Mr O'Brien wrote a realistic novel with a mysterious twist. The character I liked the best was the hotwalker AJ. He had a way with horses and was able to feel their emotions. Throughout the story, AJ is harassed by grooms and other hotwalkers and he still kept on going. The author recently wrote a wonderful post about AJ on my blog and after reading the post, I had a better understanding of AJ. There was sadness, greed, murder, and revenge all wrapped up in a well written novel. The ending was unpredictable but very sad. I will never tell. If you are a fan of horses then this is the book for you.


Author's Website.

 
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the Cadence Group for my honest review and I was not compensated for my review.

GUEST POST BY AYA KNIGHT AUTHOR OF THE CHRONICLES OF KALE.

__________________________________________________________


I want to welcome Aya Knight to Books R Us. Aya is the author of The Chronicles of Kale: A Dragons Awakening (Book 1) (Old Line Publishing). Thanks for stopping by.

 My Inspiration

It all began with the passion to write—combine a touch of Diablo II (yep, the computer game), a dash of D&D, and a cup of imagination and you’ve got the perfect mixture of inspiration for The Chronicles of Kale: A Dragon’s Awakening.

I’ve always been fond of the fantasy genre and anything that can “sweep me away” to an alternate reality. As years passed, little pieces of the story would come to me. Eventually, a plot began to form within my mind and all I could think was “I need to write this down before I forget”. It started with a few simple paragraphs and before I knew it, my pen began to lead the path ahead—page after page filled with words of a hot-headed dragon and his amazing journey. I soon fell into a repetitive routine of scribbling notes and paragraphs of content down on a nightly basis.                       

What started as an adventure I was in control of, was quickly taking me on an epic quest. Many of the aspects in the story I had originally planned out never happened. As the story progressed I began to let things unfold naturally. My advice to other aspiring authors would be to devise a plan before writing. You’ll need to have an idea of A (being the beginning of your story) to Z (the conclusion of your story). Mapping out how your character(s) will get from A to Z is highly recommended since it will greatly aid in the flow of your story—you won’t find yourself questioning “what will happen next?” as often by pre-planning. However, never let your ‘structured’ plotline hold you back. While it’s great to know where you’re going in a story, as the story progresses allow things to flow in the direction that “feels right”. If you push yourself to abide solely by your original outline, the story has good odds of coming off as forced to readers. You, as the author, know where you want to go in the story—let the characters show you how they want to get there. That to me is where the true “life” of a novel comes from.

To shed a little more insight on my book: A dragon versus humans has been the cliché storyline in countless novels and movies. I wanted to take this classic plot and throw a completely new twist into the mix. Kale, known to most as the black dragon Firehart, despises human-kind more than any other species in the world of Revaxis. Suddenly, his life is thrown into shambles as a spell is cast, transforming him into the very flesh he has longed to avoid.

It’s a roller-coaster ride of emotions; from heart-pounding battles, to bittersweet romance. If you’re a fan of dragons, yet looking for something out of the norm in a visually painted world unlike any other—then take a chance on The Chronicles of Kale: A Dragon’s Awakening!

About the Author-


Aya Knight was born in South Florida, where she spent the majority of her childhood. At a young age she developed a strong passion for fantasy and a love of writing. Through movies, books and video/computer games she would escape into an alternate reality filled with adventure, magic and epic quests. As Aya entered adulthood, she expressed her enjoyment of writing through becoming a freelance journalist. She wrote about a broad variety of topics that gave her a brighter insight of the world. Eventually a story began to develop within her mind involving characters she immediately grew attached to. Aya knew that she needed to compile her thoughts onto paper. She grew so intrigued with the evolving storyline that she placed all hopes within the hands of her imagination, leaving journalism behind. Aya now lives in Central Florida with her husband and two sons where she continues her passion.


The book will be available on May 6th 2011 but you can pre-order the book at Amazon.com.
I will be reviewing the book on my blog soon.

Disclosure: This was an unpaid post.