Atlantis Awaking: Poseidon’s Warriors #1 by Alyssa Day

Conlan, High prince of Atlantis, comes home after seven years of being held prisoner by the Goddess of the Vampires. The water portal, a being of its own magic, answered his call and dumped him – literally – home in front of a known guard.

Riley Dawson is a human, a social worker, an empath, she knows vampires and shifters exist, they announced themselves about ten years ago, now are taking over the human governments – getting their own House in the American Congress. She’s had a very bad day, so the beach calls her for a walk. Trouble finds her again, but this time their is a six foot plus warrior to save her. Their minds connect, maybe even their souls, and she sees only beauty and pain.

This is the start of the love of these two, a young human empath that is to take on the very God of the Seas and Oceans, to become queen. Is she strong enough to withstand the shifters and vampires that line up between her and her happy ending? When they take down her protective Warriors, and she goes against their God to get them back, can she survive the anger of the most powerful Greek Gods? A family secret, her twin sister’s life in danger, will this prevent her from going below the ocean?

A beautifully woven woven tale that take you to this new world Ms. Day has created. Immerse yourself in the waters of the Warriors of Poseidon, you will never want to leave this five star world.

Acre’s Orphan: (The Lucca La Pou Stories #2) by Wayne Turmel

I got this book as a gift from the author, and I loved it! I wasn’t sure when I started it, not real sure what it was about. But I started reading it, and could not put it down, word to word, paragraph to paragraph, chapter to chapter then it was done, and I went, but…. 

I am happy to hear there is a third book in the making for this series. 

As you can tell I was sucked in from the first word, pulled into the pageantry, suffering, and intrigue that was so much a part of that world. The Crusades, since I have not read the first book not sure which one, I will get the first soon. The dry desert, with it’s days of pouring rain, relentless sun, open night skies. I was there. And Lucca, our hero, his love of cities, dislike and distrustfulness of open desert, yeah, for a city rat, I totally got that. Except for not knowing which Crusade I was in, usually means the first one, I didn’t feel lost in his world. His memories, nightmares, general statements by other charters, filled in most of what I needed to know. 

This is a wonderful stand alone book, I am sure the first will add to the story, and the third even more, but there is no way you can go wrong with this book. If you like historical, specutive fiction this is a great young audult to pick up. If you have or know a child that might like this and needs something to read, this might just be somethin to get them started. A five star read. 

Thank you, Mr. Turmel, for sharing your world with us, and you daughter for telling you “No!” to the way you wanted to end the first one. Can’t wait for the next one. https://www.amazon.com/Acres-Orphans-Historical-fiction-Crusades-ebook/dp/B07MDYDR44/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39RQBSIRZI4A8&keywords=acre%27s+orphans&qid=1551030743&s=gateway&sprefix=acre%27s+%2Caps%2C244&sr=8-1

The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife by Julia Justiss

I got this book as an ARC. It was wonderful. The settings and protocols of the regency period are in full use in this book, which helps to bring you into the story.

From page one I was caught in this story. Lady Temperance Lattimar is saying good by to her sister, her twin sister. Prudence is heading to Bath with their aunt to attend the Season there so she can find a quiet husband away from her mother’s latest scandal. But Temper has decided to ride the scandal out in London, She is determined not marry any way, so a Season and no takers, maybe a minor scandal society will blow out proportions will help, and she’ll get her inheritance from her father and go exploring antiques for her father in the world.

Griffinel Newell, second son and member of Parliament who also happens to be a long time family friend of her brothers, steps in to help since no one will sponsor her. He offers to ask his godmother and aunt, Lady Sayleford, a lady no one in Society dares to cross. The Countess agrees with the stipulation that Giff acts as her protector at all functions.

At one point to get out of the Season, and to help Griff who is taking flack from his mother for taking money away from estate (and her) by living in London and being part of Parliament, to a marriage blac. Or a marriage of Convenience. He turns her down at the time, thinking that she will change her mind about some young buck. And that with her hoyden ways she really wasn’t the political wife he was looking for.

One young miss is very jealous, and wants Giff for herself. When she realizes he is not in the market for a wife, and disbelieves Temper is not in the market for a husband, she connives to get them caught together in a room, locked from the outside I might add, ruining Temper.

We all know what happens from there, Griff being an Honorable young man. I liked this book a lot. It was a fun read with a spunky heroine who knew what she wanted. A darkness from her past haunted her, and her mother’s reputation made things extra hard for her. But she took it in stride and loved her mother. I give this book 4 1/2 stars. If you like Regency Romances you must pick this one up for a wonderful read.

The only real problem I had with book was the fact that it was Earl’s Inconvenient Wife. So I knew at some point his brother would die. And since we never hear anything about the brother except how perfect he was back home, you knew it was going to be an unfortunate death. I was of course still sorry when Giff got the news – on his wedding day to Temper – it wasn’t a surprise. I did enjoy the book and give it 4 1/2 stars. The title was the only thing that really caught me. Excellent writing, keeping the reader in the era well done, protocols well established and followed through with. Well, done, Ms. Justiss. Going to get the first book in the series now.

Author Branding by Rayne Hall

This book came along for me at just the right time. I’m getting ready to publish my first book and while I had heard about author branding before, I’ve never studied it.

In her simple straight forward way, Ms. Hall explains the various ways an author can use archetypes that match her own personality to create the persona she wants to put forward to her fans. Then she helps the reader find the ways to enforce that persona on social media and in personal appearances.

This is not a long read, but engages from the beginning and slides you along with her. From telling about the points to relating her good and bad experiences in her career to asking you questions that make you think about what you just read and how to put it to work in your life.

Five Stars, a must add to your Writing Craft library, whether you are a new writer or not, it may give you an idea or two on how to tweak your brand.

A Christmas Brothel: An Anthology

Oh, I loved this book!  My first Christmas book of the season.  This book came about when one of the authors saw a book’s title that was  supposed to be betrothed, and she read brothel.  Well… great books come about this way!

In this book, Faur Elke Klaus opens up her brothel to stranded travelers over Christmas, see Canterbury is experiencing the worst blizzard in years.  Complete whiteout conditions, and all the Inns are full, so Faur Klaus can do nothing else but open her haus to travelers who have no where else to go.  She does love Christmas so, and it is a time of Miracles.

The group of people that end up gathered in the haus is truly funny and heart wrenching at the the same time, and the their reasons being there are as varied as they are.  Songs are sung, and tales are told.  Some find old loves, some new, some renew their their commitment to each other.

I loved all the stories. They were great, the only one I had issues with one story, where the author dressed her heroine in fishnet stockings, it is 1816, they didn’t come about till much later, and she changed the last name of her couple also.  (and it was a short story!) All the rest were great.  With all the proceeds going to Toy’s for Tots and the cost only .99 this a book you much pick up for the holiday season.  I may have even found the start to a new series I am going to have to investigate. That, my friends, is the joy of an anthology like this one.     Five stars for this one.

 

 

 

Heart Untouched by Andrew Grey

This book was classic Andrew Grey, opened it and only put down because life interfered. Five stars, couldn’t have been better.

Duncan is trying to find his way in a world that just got harder. In a bad accident on the Skeleton run, he hurt his back. Foe now no walking, life in a wheelchair is heard to get used too. But when a friend for the team gets reaches out…. a business opportunity presents its self, along with love. If he can see past the damaged nerves he’s dealing with and see the man Todd sees.

Todd still has dreams of making the Olympic team. But money us tight in an Olympic athletes world, and he us seriously thinking of quitting as the dept keeps piling up. But a commerical and things are looking up.

The twi things about thos book that took my breath were the love scene to the sounds of the major thunderstorm – just wow. And how Duncan’s mom never gave up on him or believing in him getting the use of his legs back. And statement that made me giggle because I haven’t heard it in years. “Her bread isn’t buttered all the way to the edge.” It fit the scene and the character being talked about perfectly.

This is a myst read for any one that likes overcoming stories. It gives hope for love no matter you physical state. Thank you for sharing, Mr. Grey.

April in Atlantis by Alyssa Day

This book was months in the publishing loop. But it was worth the wait!

April is the first female warrior in Poseidon’s Elite Warriors. She does everything right and is lethal with her bow and arrow.

Pine is the Prince of the European Wolf Shifters, during a huge fight in March he was trying to provide cover for the beautiful archer when she saved his life, then he got to save her’s. And when going for his kiss… yeah should have known better…. got punched in the face. He wants her, she’s his mate. So politics has it perks, he asks for her to be the new ambassador between Atlantis and his people.

It wasn’t about the dress… but wow the dress made her feel something new – or was how it made Pine look her? Or everyone else at the table treat her? Then of course you had Annie, a thirteen year old spunky shifter who wants to kill everybody (or at least pounce on them) and Pine’s evil twin brother he didn’t know he had.

A quick fun read, loved it. Five stars and a great addition to the Warriors of Poseidon series.

The Island of Dispair by Brian S. Converse

I loved this book. It was a fun and emotional read. I roll with the words, such evoking words, like a waves in the ocean. Sometimes there was a big wave with would make you laugh out loud, then another that would slam you to the bottom bed. If you enjoy poetry that takes you on a walk of a persons growth, this is the book for you.

TCS: Tribel Culture Studios by Mike Galloway

This book is a good four star read, I enjoyed it very much.

This is not a book for everyone, there is not a lot of emotional outbursts or emotional hooks.  It is a book about a gay collage student who starts a photography company, not planing on doing anything with it except get dates and get laid.

Jason is a collage drop out, he is young and socially awkward. But he wants to get laid, and he has the perfect guy in mind for it.  So he borrows money from his older cousin, Tyler, to buy some nice camera equipment. He’d always like photography. He decided to ask cute guys to pose for him, and maybe he’d get lucky and one of them, maybe more?, would have sex with him.

This is story of growing up, paying your debts, meeting people, and learning that what started out as lark could be really big.  Jason managed to make his photography studio pay off, made some real money and in the process one of his models that he innocently got involved with, turned on him and tried to take his studio away from him.  The danger became real, the enemy’s grew bolder and more plentiful.

I enjoyed this first book by this author.  Hot collage guys in Speedos as they played water polo, and posed for pictures that others bought off the website like candy, a young man learning to handle himself, relationships and his unexpected success all combined to create a book of steamy sex, rainbow auras and enough abs to keep you busy for while.

If you are looking for a deep emotional book, this is not the one you are looking for. If you are looking for a HEA, nope not here either, but if you are willing to go on a journey with Jason, and to have a laugh or two, you is something you need to pick up and take the time to read.  Have fun, dream of some hot guys, and enjoy.

 

 

March in Atlantis by Alyssa Day

It’s here! After months waiting patiently (Okay, maybe not so patently)my wait was over. And it did not disappoint in any way. Five stars for this wonderful continuation of her Warriors of Poseidon Series.

In this one, Lucas, the son of the traitor, and berserker warrior goes on a road trip with a single mom. They are after her daughter who the biological father’s mother had stolen. He’s never had Doritos or beef jerky. But he has a solid gold credit card that is usable at any back and he get pretty much as much money has he wishes. Oh, yeah, while in the bank he foils a bank robbery and then takes a minute to sit on the floor and play with a couple children, who were scared, with water magic.

And Rhiannon, the single mother?, she is fearless, and determined to get her daughter back. She was not happy to be left behind when he went scouting, but she couldn’t not think of him, even though her daughter’s life was on the line.

I loved this story, read it in a couple hours, could not put it down. It starts up in in the Human Prime compound where we left off in February, and finishes up that story line then finishes this story line with a flare that is uniquely Alyssa Day and her Warriors. You mush pick up this book.