Important Notices

Special Announcements

Giveaways:

There is nothing in this category at the moment.

Other:

There is nothing in this category at the moment.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Here's a Book Highlight: Grimnirs by Ednah Walters



 If you think that Ednah Walters's name sounds familiar, you must have seen my review for AWAKENED! Check it out if you haven't!
________________________________________________________________





Book Title:  Grimnirs
Series:  A Runes Novel
Author:  Ednah Walters
Release Date:  December 2nd 2013
Genre:  YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher:  Firetrail Publishing
Presented by:  As You Wish Tours
Banner Made by:  Julia Hendrix



BOOK BLURB

One lost love.

One lost best friend.

One hot soul reaper.

Straight out of the psyche ward, Cora just wants her life to be normal. She doesn’t want to see souls or the reapers collecting them. The love of her life, the guy she’s loved from a distance for years, has moved away without saying goodbye. So yes, she’s nursing a serious heartbreak. It’s no wonder love is the last thing on her mind when Echo storms into her life.

The chemistry between them is mind-blowing. The connection defies logic. It doesn’t help that Echo is the poster boy for everything she hates in a guy—hot, beautiful, and cocky. A general pain-in-the-butt. Being around him makes her feel more alive than she’s ever felt before. But more important, the souls leave her alone when he is around.

Echo is perfect for her. Echo might even be her soul-mate. There is only one problem. Echo is a freaking soul reaper. A Grimnir. The very beings she wants out of her life. Maybe normal is overrated because Cora wants it all. Answers. Love. A life. You see, once you fall for a Grimnir, your life will never be the same again. 

CLICK THE "READ MORE" FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GRIMNIRS AND EDNAH WALTERS!

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Currently Reading / NaNoWriMo

Hello, readers!

I'm going to update you on some things!

What I'm currently reading

Right now I'm reading Islands of the Heart by David Stringer and, I've gotta say, so far so good! Although, if you're not into cursing and the dropping of the F-bomb a lot, then you may not like it. (It's really good though.)

NaNoWriMo

So, that's failing pretty epically. (As you can tell from my word count on the right.) I think I have to write 3000 a day to catch up now? I don't even know. I didn't write any words yesterday. Oh well. I'll try my best and see where that takes me. Maybe next year, right? :P
M.A.Chase

Friday, November 1, 2013

Book of the Week: Tyger, Tyger/ NaNoWriMo

This is a short post today, as I have quick somethings to mention to you! 

This week Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton is Apple's book of the week! 


What does this mean? 

For this week you can download Tyger, Tyger for free. Just click this link and you'll be taken to the page! If you haven't seen it, I have a review of Tyger, Tyger. It's my favorite book, and I highly recommend you read the Goblin Wars Trilogy!



NaNoWriMo

In NaNoWriMo news, I have my word count on the right side of my blog! I figured that if I made it public to everyone who reads my blog, I would be more encouraged to try to finish it this year. It also helps that I have a technology class this year. It gives me a whole hour (in the case of this Monday two hours) to write for NaNoWriMo. 

I'm working on a Mystery/Suspense story. It's something I've never written before. I hope that I could deliver something decent.

If you want to add me as a writing buddy, find "Roxaslover14" and send me an invite! I'll add anyone back!

  M.A.Chase

Thursday, October 3, 2013

KIERA'S QUEST: SACRIFICES by Kristy Brown Review

Title:  Kiera's Quest: Sacrifices
Author: Kristy Brown
Release date: August 3rd, 2012
Rating: 5/5
Publisher: MuseItUp
Book Summary: 
After almost beating the villainous Witch Queen, Kiera’s triumph is tainted with sadness for the loss of Joe and Daz.

When the handsome Prince Zakk asks Kiera to re-enter his world in order to save her friend, she does not hesitate.

On their perilous journey Kiera realizes that she is there to save many lives. As she comes face to face with her evil nemesis once again, Kiera comes closer to finding out the truth to why she has been chosen.

Will she succeed? Will this be the end to Kiera’s quest?
Review:
 
As the second installment of the book series Kiera's Quest, Sacrifices dealt with the continuation of Kiera's journey after the horrible events that ended the first book.
 
Back on Earth, Kiera is listed as a missing person along with her friends Daz and Joe; Maddy was left alone to carry the burden of her friends' "disappearances." What made the situation worse is the fact that she knows where Kiera is and why she left and she knows what happened to her boyfriend Daz and Joe. She's forced to keep it secret. Kiera, on the other hand, struggles with Prince Zakk to defeat the Witch Queen and indirectly looking for Joe and Daz.

In this installment of Kiera's Quest, we finally get to see Zakk in action and not as a plastic Ken doll. He was brave and very noble (duh, he's a prince). He always made sure that everyone was safe and didn't leave anyone behind. For his introduction as a walking and moving character, he hit it hard and I really liked him.

I'm not going to spoil anything, but Terrance the dog was probably my favorite character as I was reading. He's so awesome and comes to the rescue at the perfect moments. Read the book, and you'll understand why Terrance is definitely the Character of the Week. (Is that even a thing?)

Again, I could really feel myself as Kiera. She was brave  and yet she had her moments of fear and distress. I think the one thing I don't like about Kiera is that she can rely on the ring a little too much sometimes. She does take care of business when it's necessary with the ring or without it.

The Witch Queen strikes again! Wow, she's a pretty awesome villainess and the way Kiera and the others describe her kind of send chills down my back. The things she does to people just for the fun of it; the things she does just to gain her power back. It's really magnificent. In my scale of villains, so far she's up there with Maleficent, Valentine, and Voldemort. (Maleficent is still my favorite though. She did all that stuff because she wasn't invited to the birthday party.) 

Anyway, there is also a twist that no one expects, though both got me mad and yet I was kind of happy with it. (Unlike THINGS IN DITCHES which just made me mad.) We also meet some new characters: Alex, Mouse, Jamie and others.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would love to continue following Kiera on her journey and her battles against the Witch Queen.

A big thanks to Kristy Brown for giving me the opportunity to read the second installment!
    M.A.Chase

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

THINGS IN DITCHES by Jimmy Olsen Review

Title: Things in Ditches
Author: Jimmy Olsen
Release date: December 28, 2000
Rating: 5/5
Publisher: North Star Press
Book Summary:
A murder mystery novel. The story of Phillip "Dutch" Cleland, a man with a hidden past and a future about to explode in his face. A seemingly average man whose love for two women drives him to such extremes that deception, even murder and suicide are not longer unthinkable.   

When a lovely corpse is discovered near Dutch's home town, the nearby ditches begin to yield a harvest of secrets, none of them comforting for Dutch. Soon he is forced to flee for his life, before his past and the police slip a noose around his neck.

Things In Ditches is peopled with small town characters that are so humorous and eccentric, their oddball antics enliven every paragraph and page. A reader can't help but be reeled in by the strange citizens of Willow River, until soon discovering they're really not so different from all of us and Dutch's story is the oldest story on earth; good and evil, betrayal and laughter. And finally, the power of love and friendship, forging one man's determination to overcome all odds, even death.
Review: 

Warning! There are some spoilers!
Marlene came in carrying a candle.
"Ah, Lady Macbeth!" he sighed with great drama. "Whyfore did he kill her now after all these leagues?"
"League is a distance, dope, not a time," she said pouring hot candle wax into a puddle beside him."
Chapter 15, page 159.

Things in Ditches is written in third person past and follows the life of Dutch Cleland, the Butcher of Willow River.

Dutch Cleland is a lying, cheating, sneaky rat, and above everything else, the murderer of his mistress, Vicky Murdock, whom he loved with all his heart. Was it that love that ultimately got her killed?

In a small town like Willow River, stealing is unheard of and murder, even less. Cleland, unable to commit suicide, runs off into hiding, leaving Jean to face the music of his murder of which he detailed in a little note left in the kitchen. But on his way to pick up some food from his butcher shop, he's held up and things for him start getting much, much worse. Whatever Dutch thought he could save of his future was thrown down the drain.

Like most small towns, people start to talk. Gossip circles suddenly have something to talk about and the only name in the mix is Dutch's. He grows into the star of Willow River and news coverage on the little town explodes. What the newscasters don't know, however, is that the body is suddenly missing.

It becomes a race to who can find Dutch first: Len Davis, the lawyer, Carroll Johnson and Murdock, Vicky's husbands, Sherriff Mattson, the Sherriff of the county, or Charlie, the police chief of Willow River.

Who will find him first? Will Dutch ever go back to the home he loved so much?

Jimmy Olsen brings the world of Willow River to life with beautifully crafted sentences and very real dialogue. I felt like I was experiencing what was going on. I was completely lost in this book and would gasp out loud in the middle of class. I had never read a murder mystery before this one, but now I think I may start picking some up. It was humorous, dark, and wonderful. I found myself unable to put it down. Each character was very well-rounded. 

I think my favorite characters may have been Jean. I say Jean, because she was a very strong female character. She didn't let things get to her and she certainly didn't let Dutch destroy her. Jean fought against Murdock and Carroll and although she was shaken up, she didn't let it bring her down. She is an extremely powerful character, that I enjoyed very, very much.

I promise I'm not going to spoil anything, but the ending really made me frustrated and mad. I saw part of it coming, because he does have foreshadowing to it, but I did not see the huge twist that he left behind. I complained to probably every one, and I think that's probably a good thing. I didn't see part of it coming. Then I read the epilogue and I think that made me angrier both because I saw it was coming, and because I didn't see it coming. I really felt involved in this book.

I've even recommended it to my AP Literature teacher!

Thank you, Jimmy Olsen, for sending me a copy of this book!
M.A.Chase

Thursday, September 19, 2013

IN THE BETWEEN Giveaway!

If you're a regular visitor to my blog, you'll know about the book In the Between by May Sinclair, PhD.

Now you can own in the between!

How?

Enter the contest!

Contest starts on 9/20/13 and ends on 10/11/13

What do you win?

A copy of In The Between signed by May Sinclair, PhD!

What do you need to do?

Follow this link to the form, or click the <> button below to fill it out on here:

Saturday, August 24, 2013

May Sinclair, PhD Interview!


Here's an interview with May Sinclair, PhD! View my review of her book In the Between here.
______________

Q.  What inspired you to write a novel on reincarnation?

A.  I’ve been attracted to the concept of reincarnation for a long as I can remember.  Especially, after I read The Tibetan Book of the Dead, where the concept of getting to choose our parents is described.  It was all quite intriguing.  Then when I was invited to join a writers’ group and they were all writing fiction, I decided to put aside the non-fiction book I was then working on for a while to write a metaphysical fantasy.  Of course, I also used prior research from other books I’d written, and my personal experiences, along with my imagination, to develop the story. 

Q. What made you decide on those specific places and time periods?

A.  Conversations with various people over the years suggested some places and periods of time that fit into the overall story.  My husband and I used to sit in our kitchen enjoying ourselves as we made up past-life stories about the two of us and people we know. 

My real sister, just like my sister in the book, believed she was buried alive in Egypt and she told me that was why she was claustrophobic.  One of my dearest friends told me she felt she lived in Greece and could picture herself looking out from a set of wide steps to view a columned Greek temple.

Q.  How did you come up with the character of Starry and her traits?

A.  Now that is both psychological and metaphysical.  Psychologically, I, like most people, hear voices in my head that tell me what I “should” do.  Things like: hurry up, you can’t have fun until the work is done, you won’t succeed unless you to this or that.  Those voices come from the pieces of me that I developed throughout my life to cope with it.

 The core of metaphysics indicates there is more to us than our five senses: hearing, speaking, seeing, smelling, and touching, while many religions and philosophies teach that a soul is placed within a physical body to learn—to increase consciousness. 

The Starry character is a creation from those parts of my concept of soul that is both a goad to cope and to evolve consciousness.  She is a blend of instincts that are often automatic and self-protective along with the sense there is something greater than can be comprehended with only five senses alone.  Starry is joyous.  She knows life is infinite and if one choice doesn’t turn out well, there are many more opportunities to choose from again and again.  Still, Starry’s character flaw is that she’s not using the emotional element in the best way to feel compassion and to cooperate with her physical aspect to grow more easily.  Her detachment is necessary yet stressful for evolution of the complete soul.

Q.  Who do you think you were in a prior life?

A.  At one point my life, I experimented with Past-life regression.  Of course, all of it could be from my imagination, but I saw myself during one of the regressions with other young women in the Ambassador’s wing of the palace of Versailles.  I used that as a basis for the parts of the book that took place in Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands.  In another of those regressions I saw myself in a harem where a man (my real husband in this life) was mutilated for some misdeed that could have been attributed to me.  That was a terrible experience and I remember telling my husband after I came out of the trace state that it wasn’t my fault.  He looked at me as though I was nuts and then we laughed about it.

Q.  How much research did it take to write as true to the time periods as possible?
  
A.  The amount of time was lessened because I was able to use my prior research about the sacred marriage rites from Mesopotamia, the medical practices used to produce a son in ancient Greece, and how the throne mysticism of the Kabalah affected temple worship in Jerusalem from another non-fiction book I wrote many years ago: Infamous Eve, A History.

The second book in this series, The Beginning Begins, continues the progression of the soul (two souls rather than one), but it also weaves into the story the mystery surrounding the scrolls that were hidden, along with the Urim and Thummim that were said to be used to get answers to questions from God—by Salome Alexandra in Jerusalem—in this book.
 ______________
 

Thanks to May Sinclair for answering all my questions! The link to my review of her book is posted above. It's an amazing book and it's an interesting concept so please go check it out!

 M.A.Chase

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Kiera's Quest: Awakenings by Kristy Brown REVIEW

Title: Awakenings
Author:  Kristy Brown
Release date: October 19th, 2011
Rating: 4.5/5
Publisher: MuseItUp
Book Summary:  
Meet Kiera, a pretty, intelligent, and talented girl, brought up by her uncle, and abandoned by her parents. Life is as normal as she believes it to be, apart from the deep ache inside her, telling her she’s different. For years, Kiera had dreams where she ventures into a different reality. She’s not alone; a presence is always there, keeping her safe, yet she feels vulnerable, and hunted.
Zakk, Prince of Zantar, is under the Witch Queen’s spell as she tries to take over his world.He crosses paths with Kiera, and their fates are entwined.
As their journey unravels, she learns that she is not the only one affected by this prince. Who is on her side? Will she find out why she has been chosen? How can someone so young, defeatsuch evil? Will she find the strength to save the ones closest to her? Will this be Kiera’s only Quest?
Review:

Thanks to Kristy Brown's event on her Facebook page I was able to request, read, and now review Awakenings the first book in her, as of right now, trilogy.  If you like evil witches, princes, quests, and magic then this is the book for you. I promise.

I read the book's synopsis and I immediately wanted to snatch it up, curl up on my couch, and read. And once I started, I couldn't stop. I literally read the whole book in one day and when it ended I wanted more of Kiera and Zakk. Brown's imagery was vivid and flowed so beautifully.  Personification brought the scenes to life: "Zakk knew his only response would be that of his own echoes chasing each other round the stone cave walls." And that was only in Chapter One. I read this in one day because I didn't even realize how many pages I had read until I was done. I was so immersed in Kiera's world and her thought process.


However, the reason why I didn't give it a 5 is because I felt that certain things happened too quickly. I can't think of the exact scene when I thought that, but I felt things were kind of sped up. I also have to take into consideration that the time span of the novel was a few days, though I still felt certain things should have taken their time. For example, traveling across the gorge full of spikes. Also, certain lines felt a little cliché. 

Brown's character's were really, really great, though. I could really relate to Kiera. The way she was handling her situation and getting paranoid with the people around her was probably how I would have been. Saving a prince's life and an entire world was on her shoulders and it was her fault if everything was destroyed. She had also come to like the prince that she was trying to help and she wouldn't have been happy with herself if she didn't succeed.

The Witch Queen was a really cool character. Honestly, I wouldn't want to run into her in a dark alley. She knew what she wanted and when she wanted it. It wasn't her fault that her henchman Googe couldn't deliver. (Also, as a side note, I read Googe as Google the first time and I had to re-read it cause I was so confused. Though, it was really funny.) The things she did to Zakk (most of which were just revealed) in the first Chapter in order to rise to the throne was completely insane and wonderful. She was powerful and yet she was vulnerable which is probably why I liked her so much. I hated her so much I loved her!

Joe is probably the most adorable thing ever. I have a friend named Joe and for some reason both his personality and the personality of the Joe in the book really fit. I don't know. Haha. I guess it really made my connection with Joe a little stronger, because he was so similar to my friend in real life, which is a very good thing. Her character was well rounded and exhibited qualities and quirks and personality traits that are seen in normal humans. Joe jumped off the page for me. He was lovestruck and faithful, but he also had his dorky qualities which were super duper adorable.

I fell in love with Daz at the end, and since that was the case, you'll have to read Kiera's Quest: Awakenings.  You'll also have to read it to find out why the ending killed me. (Trust me. You won't be disappointed reading this book.) 

I would definitely love to pick up the remaining book sometime in the near future. Thank you again Kristy Brown and I hope to hear more from you soon!
M.A.Chase

Friday, August 2, 2013

City of Bones Cast Q&A and Meet and Greet!

On Wednesday (July 31) I was able to meet Jamie Campbell Bower, Lily Collins, and Kevin
Zegers from the City of Bones cast. They were the most down to earth actors ever. 

During the signing, Kevin Zegers, Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower greeted everyone with big smiles and were so happy to see us. 

Jamie Campbell Bower: "Thanks for waiting to see us. It's great to meet you." 
Lily Collins: "It's lovely to meet you." 
Kevin Zegers: "Hey, sweetie. How are you?"

They gave fans hand fives and honestly, treated them like if they were friends. I don't know why that shocks me, but it does. To me, it made them feel more like people I could relate to and not just stars that I see on the big screen. 

During the Q&A it was so much better; all three of them were completely shocked with how many people came out to see them and were standing in the heat just to hear them ask questions. They stood up and started taking pictures on their phones with the sheer volume of people that were standing there. Jamie even said that the fact that so many people were out there made him "super happy." 

They revealed many things about themselves and their characters:

Lily revealed that she read the books and wanted to be Clary; that when she heard it was being turned into a movie got on her email and emailed all sorts of people. She also revealed that she is very close to her mother and was happy to portray that closeness on screen. She said that when she watched the final screening of City of Bones that it was hard to tell when she was acting and when she was having fun because she enjoyed being there and working on the set so much.

Jamie cracked jokes the whole time during the Q&A about Justin Bieber being a poser and how he would really mess up lines during filming. He also revealed that his favorite part about being Jace was Jace's vulnerability. Jamie also revealed that at the end of ever movie, he keeps a momento from the movie; in this case, he had (and was wearing) the Morgenstern ring which he showed the audience (who, again, cheered wildly).

Kevin laughed along with Jamie and Lily and revealed that if he had to choose something other than being a Shadowhunter, he would want to be a warlock (which was followed by loud cheering from the audience). He also revealed that his favorite character other than Alec was Simon (although the audience was hoping to hear Magnus in that answer). 

They were having as much fun as we were. None of them expected a whole audience to go wild over the word "greenhouse" or over their answers and stories. I don't know, I guess it shocked me that they were as happy to see all of us as we were to see them. Seeing them really made me excited about The City of Bones and it also made me excited for the next one (which they frequently mentioned during the Q&A.)

If they do end up reading this, I just want to thank them for taking their time to come out to meet fans and say hello. It was absolutely brilliant.   
 M.A.Chase

Friday, July 19, 2013

Book to Movie: City of Bones and Catching Fire




Seeing all this new information coming in about the City of Bones and Catching Fire movies is kind of exciting. Where do I even start? For those of you that have read books and have watched the movies come to life in front of you like if the books had come to life and were talking, you'd know what I'm feeling; those characters and their stories have become a part of you and you wonder how you've managed to live with out them. 

First off, it feels like I've been waiting a life time for the Catching Fire movie to come out. I mean, I read the Hunger Games trilogy when I was in seventh and eight grade (6 years ago). I mean. Wow. I remember begging my mom to take me to the book store after school to buy the final installment (which I got at a discounted rate at the time cause it was the first rate, lol. Go past me!). 

Anyway, seeing these stories on a movie screen, playing right in front of you, is just an amazing feeling. Especially when it's done right, which thankfully the director of the Hunger Games got it pretty well. It's also pretty phenomenal when you see stills like these coming out.  I mean, just look at them! I have to thank the casting director of the Hunger Games  and Catching Fire. I'll be honest, when I saw Jennifer Lawrence was playing Katniss the first time around, I was kind of iffy about it. I didn't know what to think, but when I saw the first movie trailer, and the teasers I knew that no one else could play Katniss like Jennifer Lawrence. That goes the same for Josh Hutcherson as Peeta and Liam Hemsworth as Gale. Of course, this casting only hypes me up for Catching Fire. 

The full cast was finally revealed recently and I'm so happy. The people that they've chosen couldn't be any better. For me, it's still a question of how this movie will be laid out. Will it be like the last where Caesar Flickerman is hosting it like we're watching the actual games again? How will they present the violence in this second installment (which in my opinion the second book is definitely a lot bloodier)? I've seen stills of them in the actual arena, them during the reaping, in the training room with the other tributes, but there's not much else. Unfortunately, we won't know these answers until November 22, but I'm still ecstatic to find out!

I joined the City of Bones fandom a lot later than most. I didn't pick the books up until my Sophomore year, which was almost two years ago. But when I did, I fell in love. Where do I even start with these books? I fell in love with Jace, Clary, and Simon and I tangled myself in their problems, and issues, and worries, and fears. I was hoping Shadowhunters really do walk the Earth protecting us from the demons that are trying to destroy. Again, the casting didn't start settling in until I saw the first trailer. I guess it's just me and having to see the actors in play that makes the casting really set in. 

I fell in love with Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace in--what?--two seconds? Though, I'm pretty sure the fandom was dead set with Alex Pettyfer playing the role of Jace. (I mean seriously, there were pictures comparing him to the cover all over the Internet. You think I'm joking?) Lily Collins took the whole length of the trailer to convince me that she was the one to play Clary. I'm not sure why, but she was and I love her just the same. From what I've seen so far, I can tell that this movie is going to be well done. Of course that doesn't mean anything, as we saw from the Book to Movie rendition of Beautiful Creatures. *rubs temples* (If you need to, refer to my Beautiful Creatures MOVIE Follow-Up post.) I do really have high hopes for this movie though. However, we haven't had a previous movie to judge if this one is going to be good or not like we have for Catching Fire. I'm just putting my trust the director will see that things go well.

We'll have to wait until August 23, which isn't that far, let me tell you. I can't wait to see Jace, Clary, Alec, Isabelle, Magnus, and Simon in action for the first time! 

Trailers:

Catching Fire:

City of Bones
 
 M.A.Chase

Friday, June 21, 2013

Here's A Book Highlight!



Age of the Aura, Phase I: Champions of Power (SYNOPSIS)

Genre: Science Fiction (Space Opera)

The Blessed Galaxy has no other name. After being gifted with the Auras—five great powerhouses of celestial creation—the title was a suitable fit. For millennia, the governing bodies have ruled their respective reaches of the Galaxy while harnessing the might of the Auras. But now they face the threat of a calamity, from an unlikely source, that could shake the lives of all.

Lowen Sars, a devout man of science, decides to take on the burden of saving the Galaxy’s people once he learns of the calamity. But he soon realizes that the role of a hero was a calling not meant for him, even with his sudden promotion. In his process of self-discovery, Lowen begins the fateful saga of not only the Blessed Galaxy, but also the kingdom in possession of the corrupt Aura.

Read more behind the story! http://ageoftheaura.com/universe/

Download Phase I for FREE on Amazon! (June 24th-28th ONLY!)

http://amzn.to/M8k1vf
Enter to Win a Physical Copy of Phase I on GOODREADS!







Goodreads Book Giveaway





Champions of Power by Samuel Odunsi Jr.







Champions of Power



by Samuel Odunsi Jr.






Giveaway ends July 24, 2013.




See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.








Enter to win






Watch the Book Trailer!




M.A.Chase

Sunday, June 9, 2013

IN THE BETWEEN by May Sinclair, PhD REVIEW

Title: In the Between

Author: May Sinclair, PhD
Release date: Feb. 13, 2013
Rating: 4.5/5
Publisher: Createspace
Book Summary:

In the Between is a metaphysical fantasy about a woman who dies and travels through the Bardo. The book opens with an explanation of the term: she is going from one life to the next. The Bardo comes from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, loosely translated as: The In Between. And according to that book, souls travel through it for 49 days, during which time they are encouraged to accept any one of numerous heavens being offered.  
There are 49 chapters in the book because according to the Tibetan Book of the Dead souls travel for seven weeks through the in between. 
Well, unless there is some karma left over from another past life. But our soul, in the story, is not Buddhist, she is from the West. And being the kind of woman she has become through all the countless lives—she believes she has lived—she developed her own ideas about living and what happens at death.   
Based on her ideas she has about the Bardo she gets to re-live some of her past lives to help with the evolution of her soul. But, before any of that happens—right from the start—when she first arrives at the Bardo, she is surprised to discover something odd about her soul that is confusing. She learns there are two parts to her soul—the animal and the spiritual. The two aspects disagree about what the soul is supposed to accomplish and the book spells out the differences through lively dialogue between them.

After coming to some harmony, our soul agrees to re-live her past lives that took place in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Spain, Brussels, France, England, the U.S., and India. After each experience the two aspects of our soul review what happened—why she made choices causing karma that must be balanced in her future—and the two parts of our soul begin to grow together.

She learns everything is much more complicated than she ever thought, including all of her relationships whether they seemed, good or not so good. She also finds out how it is that thinking people develop their personal ideas about God, the universe, energy, but most importantly why souls are on planet earth—at all.

 The book allows for all of us to ask ourselves: What if it is true? What if we don’t go to Heaven…or Hell when we die? What if karma does exist? What if we do reincarnate into another life to try to learn about our past mistakes and get to balance out misdeeds?

Review:

When May Sinclair e-mailed me to read this book, I was extremely excited. This is the first time that I have ever seen an author tackle a book about reincarnation. Reincarnation has always fascinated me, so it was an automatic yes when I saw what this book was about.

It's not very often that the first few pages of a book are the main character's death (The Lovely Bones is one of these, I think), so it reeled me in right from the get go.

Sinclair's dialogue and description really stood out from me as I turned the pages. They were vivid and detailed, yet they remained simple and not overbearing.

Starry, our main character's soul self, leads her through her past lives in all sorts of times and places and teaches her lessons that will later be imprinted on her soul and taken to the next life. Starry was probably my favorite character in the whole book, because she was lively and her emotions changed dramatically.

However, it was difficult to differentiate which "I" or "me" belonged to our main character's animal self, or to the current self she is replaying in the reliving of the life. While I was reading, it did get rather confusing as to who did what during the life. Another thing I noticed was the typo regarding either a word that wasn't supposed to be in italics (I think I only saw this once) or the quotations around dialogue were forgotten, or doubled, or misplaced. It's not so much of a problem, though I did notice them.

Sinclair, how long did it take you to research for your novel? Everything was so accurate down to the drinks and the dances and everything! It was a wonderful reading experience.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to read something different and out of the ordinary for once!
  M.A.Chase

Friday, May 24, 2013

Free Book This Weekend!

Double award-winning YA novel 'You Can't Shatter Me' is FREE from the 29th to the 31st of May 2013. (Pacific Standard Time)
This book on empowering ways to handle bullying has been hailed as a must-read for teens, parents & educators
Shatter4+2med

This heart-warming magical realism story has received an AIA Seal of Excellence and a B.R.A.G.MedallionTM for outstanding independent fiction. It offers real solutions for handling bullying that will inspire and empower teens and adults alike.

When superhero wanna-be, Carly, stands up to a bully, he turns on her, forcing her to battle cutting words, flying hooks, a doubt dragon and a suffocating closet. Her karate-trained boyfriend, Dylan’s desire to stop the harassment sets off a struggle to control his inner caveman. Meanwhile, Carly searches for inner strength and a peaceful solution. Will she find it before Dylan resorts to violence?

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT YOU CAN’T SHATTER ME

 ‘I was awed  . . .  Tahlia Newland’s fiction is some of the best YA on the market . . . in Newland’s deft hands, this novel is an absorbing, educational read, that both satisfies and gives hope to adults and younger readers alike.’ Blibliotica Book Reviews.

‘An entertaining and uplifting read.’ Linda Gillard, best selling author of ‘A House of Silence’.

‘This is a story about understanding, kindness and compassion, uniquely told with surreal fantasy elements, and is both entertaining and thought-provoking.’ Kevin Berry, author .’

‘This is a book that all young adults should read. It is also a great book for parents and educators who may need a fresh look into teen struggles and bullying . . . Tahlia does a brilliant job making an otherwise tedious topic fun and relatable for readers . . . You are left feeling complete and some what light.’ Little Hyats Book Reviews.

About the Author

Award winning author Tahlia Newland writes contemporary fantasy and magical realism with a metaphysical twist. She also  mentors authors and provides Digital Reading Seminars in High Schools. When not reading, writing or reviewing you may find her being an extremely casual high school teacher or making decorative masks.

Tahlia is a bone-fide expatriate of the performing arts, with over 20 years experience in scripting and performing in Visual Theatre and Theatre in Education. She has studied philosophy & meditation for many years, lives in an Australian rain forest and loves cats, but she doesn’t have one because they eat native birds.

Connect with Tahlia.
Weblog
Ripples in Water Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads Author page

The promotion is available from approximately 12:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on May the 29th to approximately 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time on May the 31st.

Kindle US
Kindle UK
Other Kindle stores

Don't forget to share the news and support the author by leaving a review. 

 M.A.Chase

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Beautiful Creatures MOVIE Follow-Up

Why Richard LaGravense?

I was expecting so much from this movie. It was a very good book. I hadn't read something like it in a long time and I liked to read something fresh.

But why?

Why did you have to get sucked into the turmoil that was Percy Jackson?

I was really looking forward to watching it. Did you have book burnings on the set instead of actually reading the book? Honestly. Characters were missing, Larkin was supposed to be so much more important, Sarafine was supposed to leave Mrs. Lincoln's body

That leads me to the casting of the movie. I'm sorry, but Alden Ehrenreich does not look like a high school Junior. He looks like a college graduate. Even my brother leaned over and said, "He's a Junior?" Lena was casted all right, but I wish she would have done more with her character! There was so much that Lena Duchannes could have been and that wasn't shown in the movie.

Emmy Rossum was the only one who was close to her character, Ridley, and they still messed her up. How do you replace lollipops with strawberries? Are we trying to advocate eating right in movies now? Why?

They didn't even cast Ethan's dad and later on in the book he's important to why Lena gets into the whole deal with her mom at Greenbrier. Whywhywhy?

I just can't express how disappointed I was in this movie. Important parts, and characters were missing. . . Amma was not the bookkeeper in the Caster library/ the regular library. What happened to the Caster library only being opened on certain days at certain times? What happened to the scenes shown by Genevive's locket? What happened to the whole relationship between Link and Ridley? Why did Ethan forget about Lena? That never happens in the book! What happened to Ethan and Lena finding the locket together?

If you've read the book, avoid the movie. Please. Save yourself the heartbreak of watching it crash and burn. If you haven't read the book, pick it up and see for yourself that it actually is a great story.
 M.A.Chase

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Champions of Power REVIEW

Title:  Champions of Power (Age of the Aura, Phase 1)
Author: Samuel Odunsi, Jr.
Release date: June 5, 2012
Rating:  5/5
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Book Summary:
There was no other name for the Blessed Galaxy. After being gifted with the Auras, five great powerhouses of celestial creation, the title was a suitable fit. While harnessing such energies, the governing bodies have ruled their respected reaches of the Galaxy for a number of millennia, but now they face the threat of an inevitable calamity that could shake the lives of everyone, caused by one of the five Auras.

After accepting a sudden promotion, a devout man of science, named Lowen Sars, decides to take on the burden of saving the Galaxy’s people after he learns of the calamity, but soon realizes that the role of a hero was a calling not meant for him. In his process of self-discovery, Lowen inadvertently begins the fateful saga of not only the Blessed Galaxy but also the kingdom in possession of the corrupt Aura, and especially its two young heirs of the throne.

Age of the Aura, Phase I: Champions of Power is the first book in a science fiction series that has yet to be seen elsewhere and it will certainly be one for the ages.
Review:

It's been a while since I've been absolutely obsessed with a book. I would be in the middle of class with my phone hidden and reading to find out what would happen to Lowen and his group. I couldn't put it down. It was written so well, and all the descriptions were just captivating. It was different from other things I've read or seen. 

Champions of Power is basically about a man named Lowen who lost his grandfather to the green Aura, the source of power in the Ludoran Imperium. He figured out that the Auras' powers are being drained into the Central Reach's Aura--the oldest in the Blessed Galaxy. Lowen and his friends took it into their own hands, working outside of the Assembly to try to prevent the Balance Point.

All of these characters are amazing, though I think I enjoy Ambrose and his little lion pet Jak the most. I don't know why. They just seem to stand out and interest me the most. It might be the fact that he seems to understand that they're something wrong with the Aura in his Kingdom and that he figured it out without even really knowing. I can see Lowen and Ambrose probably teaming up in later books. 

I'm very excited to read the next books in this series. I was very pleasantly surprised. I didn't think that I would like this sci-fi book as much as I did. Even if you can't stand other sci-fis like Star Wars or Star Trek, pick up this book. I promise you won't be let down. 

M.A.Chase

Review of "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" by Carrie Ryan

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth Author:  Carrie Ryan Release date:  July 1, 2009 Rating: 2.5/5 Publisher:  Gollancz Book Summary: ...