Carries Book Reviews

5 Chances
B. Austin
(Outcast, #2)
Publication date: September 13th 2016
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult

Ivory vows to find out more about what is going on at Dead Horse Bay but she wrecked the Renegade and must find a rogue replacement, a fixer-upper boat someone threw away a long time ago. Ivory is a Smuggler, a member of one of the Outcast underground groups of New York City.

Ivory is obsessed with saving Outcasts from vanishing from the Commonwealth of Earth. She has smuggled an Outcast out of Dead Horse Bay, but can she smuggle herself in to learn more about the secrets the Commonwealth is hiding?

Or perhaps the answers she and her friends seek are in Lockup, the dreaded insane asylum Outcasts are dragged to when they have accumulated 50 demerits. At Lockup is the Mortuary, a tunnel leading into darkness. All Ivory must do to be throw into Lockup is to act even more rebellious and gain the attention of Behavior Drones and the FRE (Fanatic Rule Enforcers).

Ivory will do whatever it takes to save herself and her friends from extinction in a world where people have become immortal, except for Outcasts, the thorn in the Commonwealth’s side.

5 Chances is the second book in the Outcast series.

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Author Bio:

Author B. Austin writes Dystopian and Science Fiction Books. She is the author of the Young Adult Dystopian series Defective.

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Behind Dark Doors (three): Six Suspenseful Short Stories by Susan May
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Behind Dark Doors (Three) is the third book of short horror stories by Susan May. Included in this read are:

Gone
Ring Ring
To Be or Not To Be
Things That Will Kill You in Australia
Program Delete
Back Again

Again as with the previous sets of short stories Susan has written a brief lead into the story before each read and then followed with a brief note on how she came to write each piece. Most of her stories seem to just come from every day events we all go through but she somehow manages to come up with an entertaining horror twist to every day events.

I will be the first to admit I am I one of those Americans that Susan refers to in Things That Will Kill You in Australia, got a great chuckle out of that one when finished. Back Again is one that is an obvious nightmare to any parent out there and Gone also would be for anyone that has had someone not show up when they say they would and that bit of worry runs through the mind. Again, just everyday things that Susan twists into a horror tale that the next time these happen to you you’ll find yourself thinking of these tales.

Overall, another nice collection of twisted tales for the horror fans.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Something Wicked: A Ghost Hunter Explores Negative Spirits by Debi Chestnut
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Something Wicked: A Ghost Hunter Explores Negative Spirits is a non-fiction book written by a real life ghost hunter, Debi Chestnut. In this book Debi shares her own life-threatening encounters with the darkest entities known to man. She gives also explanations of the different types of spirits involved in her encounters.

This book is supposed to be a work of non-fiction but I also suppose that all depends upon ones belief in the paranormal too. For those that do not believe that any type of spirits exist then they of course would be skeptical about what you find within the book. For me I thought this would be an exciting read whether I truly believe that it could or did happen to Debi or not so I thought I’d give this one a shot.

Unfortunately, this book really never grabbed me at all. It really just seemed to read very technically as explanations of what the different encounters involved that I found it very dull. It also seemed to get very repetitive to me after awhile. Perhaps I just should have stuck with fictional ghost stories as they seem to be more entertaining.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gypsy Love
Angela McPherson & Lynn Vroman
Publication date: June 28th 2016
Genres: Adult, Paranormal Romance

Two centuries ago, Adrian vowed to seek revenge against the Gypsy woman who bound his spirit for eternity. Despite how far under the dirt Miryah Kotorara’s bones lay, he won’t stop tormenting the Kotorara bloodline. The person doesn’t matter, only the name.

Until her.

Dr. Mia Kotorara has spent the last ten years trying to forget her Gypsy heritage. Ostracized by her family and emotionally damaged, Mia throws herself into her work to fill the void. She forgets everything from her past—except for the man who solely exists in her dreams.

When reality and dreams collide, Adrian and Mia find something they never expected. Love.

Magic will bring them together, but it may not be enough to mend Mia’s broken heart and Adrian’s lust for revenge.

The Kotorara curse is never satisfied.

As the curse threatens everything they have overcome, Adrian and Mia must fight to save what matters most—each other.

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EXCERPT:

Adrian

Their routine never changed. Smack the alarm clock for fifteen more minutes of grunting, snoring sleep. Grumble when the contraption bleeped its nauseating music again. Shower, wake the children in the next room, eat some sugary swill, and leave for a day of school or work. Day, after day, after day.

If I hadn’t already hated these rotting people, their boring lives would’ve put me over the edge.

Unfortunately, my life, or lack thereof, mirrored theirs. An apparition only had so much to do to fill the time. My routine never changed, either, not for over two hundred years. Yes, the families would turn into other families as generations progressed—I lost count of how many had passed—but they were all from the same insane bitch of an ancestor. I wasn’t too particular. All they required was the right name.

The little things kept my sanity. Push the clock out of reach. Adjust the water until it grew frigid or scalding, depending on my mood. If I were really on point, I dumped that slop they shoveled into their mouths every morning onto the floor for the mangy dog. So what if these specific Gypsies hadn’t cursed me. A curse, I might add, undeserved. Two hundred years built enough anger to spread vengeance without prejudice.

Pathetic, but those little things were all I had. Not much else to occupy my time, and as any good haunt would do, I followed the man, Luca, to the city after he dropped his children off at school–every day.

I wouldn’t have been a decent ghost if I hadn’t at least tried to heave him into oncoming traffic as he scurried to his custodian job. I’d been practicing that trick for years, coming so close a few times. Once I perfected it, the push would probably be at the back of the wanker’s grandson. Hell, great-grandson. Unlike them, I had eternity on my side. But one day, a few of the sodding Gypsies would decorate the windshield of a city bus.

Not today, though. Luca weaved around the crowd while I slinked through it, body after body. The beastly man tended to hurry, always late due to his nightly drinking binges, and I enjoyed tripping him up in his rush, a skill I had mastered. A millisecond of physical contact might not get anyone smacked with a speeding car, but stumbling in a hurry irritated even the most patient person, which Luca wasn’t.

“Christ!” He grabbed a lamppost in time to save his face from the pavement. “Knock your shit off. I ain’t got time for it today.”

To an outsider, the bloated man appeared as if he spoke to himself. But I knew better.

“Well, good thing for you I’ve plenty of time for us both,” I answered him. Even though he couldn’t hear me, we’d had plenty of conversations over the years, as I had with his father, and his father before him. I used to rage, scream until my voice grew hoarse. Not a blooming soul ever gave any indication they knew I existed. To answer now became habit, needing to speak to him as if I had a voice left in the world.

Unfortunately, I’d become as much a part of this heathen family as every other bastard whelped by the likes of a Gypsy bitch. My story became an heirloom, passed from generation to generation. The angry ghost of Miryah Kotorara’s curse. No one had the ability to see me, much less hear a damn word I had to say. Bad luck, a faulty alarm clock, a stumble on nothing, all of it blamed on something none of them really believed in. Me.

In truth, no one believed in me except for maybe Luca, probably the reason I chose him to annoy instead of his brother this generation. What good were all my efforts if the person I haunted thought me a fantasy? I was a curse to a god who didn’t exist for the rest of the family. My attempt to scare, kill, or maim them in some way ended up being part irritation, part fun story to repeat at dinner parties.

Even vapor had pride, and the Kotorara clan stomped on it any chance they had.

Luca straightened his jacket and mumbled curses as the crosswalk light blinked to proceed. Oh, to have the power to push his fat, greasy body into a lorry. I swiped at his back, my hand disappearing through his skin and blubber.

One day, you tosser.

As soon as we hit the curb, Luca stopped. If I were matter, I’d have rammed into his back. Instead, I whooshed through his body. Times like these, I was grateful for the lack of senses, not particularly fond of body odor, sweat, and soft man flesh.

“Well, come on, then. Move your bloody arse.”

Even if he could hear, I doubt he would have listened. Luca directed his attention to a sleek building in front of us, a scowl twisting his lips.

I followed his gaze, frustrated as if I were the one late for work. “What has your attention, fat man?” My eyes landed on a woman who focused on the building, her hair so dark it almost shined blue. Her slim shoulders stiffened before she turned—and saw me.

Author Bio:

Born and currently residing in Texas, Angela shuffles three active children (not including her husband) all over the place. She works in a busy pediatric doctor’s office as a nurse during the day and writes at night. She is addicted to coffee and chocolate, laughs a lot, often at herself and is willing to try anything once. When Angela isn’t rushing kids around, working or writing, she’s reading. Other than life experience, Angela turns to a wide variety of music to help spark her creative juices. She loves to dance and sing though her kids often beg her not to.

Connect with Angela:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

—

Born in Pennsylvania, Lynn spent most of her childhood, especially during math class, daydreaming. Today, she spends an obscene amount of time in her head, only now she writes down all the cool stuff.

With a degree in English Literature, Lynn used college as an excuse to read for four years straight. She lives in the Pocono Mountains with her husband, raising the four most incredible human beings on the planet. She writes young adult novels, both fantasy and contemporary.

Connect with Lynn:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

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Filled with magic, thrilling adventure, and sweet romance, Elementals 3: The Head of Medusa is the latest installment in Michelle Madow’s exciting Elementals series. Follow Nicole and her fellow Elementals as they journey to the end of the world, unsure of who to trust, and facing choices that will put their lives and the entire world at risk. Will they all survive the mission? And if they don’t, will the ones who do be able to find the strength to continue?

Buy Links: Amazon

Add to your TBR List: Goodreads

Excerpt:

“What we’re about to do is scary. Terrifying, even. But we’ve been through things that were just as challenging. We slayed our first monster together in that cave, we escaped the Land of the Lotus Eaters when everyone there was trying to kill us, we blew up one of Scylla’s heads, we slayed the hydra, and we stole the Golden Sword of Athena from a goddess’s ice palace. No matter what challenges we face, we’ve always come out on top. Tonight won’t be any different. We’re the Elementals. We train together, we fight together, and we win together. And don’t any of you ever forget it.”

My Review:

Nicole, Blake, Chris, Kate and Danielle are back in this third installment of the Elementals series by Michelle Madow. In the first book Nicole moved to a new town and learned that magic is real. She also discovered she not only had magical powers but unlike her friends who were witches, she was a demigod. The group of five were gifted extra abilities when a comet passed by and then learned of a prophecy and that they as a group needed to help save the world from the Titans who would soon return to Earth.

The latest mission the group needs to take on is to find a way to obtain the head of Medusa to use to defeat those crossing over from the prison world. In order to obtain Medusa’s head they need to first take off on a mission to retrieve a sword to use against Medusa and the action doesn’t stop from there.

The Elementals series is an extremely action packed, fast paced young adult fantasy adventure based heavily on Greek mythology. There’s never a dull moment in the books as the characters take on each dangerous task to try to save the world. There’s a tad bit of romance in the books but really it’s a secondary plot point as the action usually completely takes over the story.

This is definitely one series that I’ve found myself completely enjoying and highly anticipating each book as they come out. It’s set to be a a five book series and each has been filled with fast paced action so far in the journey. It’s fun to read about the Greek Gods and other mythological creatures involved and I can’t wait to see what happens next after the twists and turns in this read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: 5/5 stars

 

The adventure began in the first book in the series, Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows. Visit www.michellemadow.com to get the first Elementals book for FREE!

The Elementals series is available on Kindle Unlimited, so subscribers can read it for free.

About Michelle Madow:

Michelle Madow writes fast-paced YA (young adult) fiction that will leave you turning the pages wanting more! 

She grew up in Baltimore, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida, where she writes books for young adults. Some of her favorite things are: reading, traveling, pizza, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle went on a cross-country road trip from Florida to California and back to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship. 

Visit her website, http://www.michellemadow.com, to get books of Michelle’s for FREE!

Connect with Michelle: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Rafflecopter for Release Tour Giveaway:

Michelle is offering up a fabulous prize during her Elementals 3: The Head of Medusa Virtual Tour event. One (1) lucky winner will receive a signed paperback copy of Elementals 1: The Prophecy of Shadows! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

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