Merry Christmas

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season.  This was the view from my house this time several years ago.  Not so this year - no snow just rain and finally some sun.

Atrophy by Jess Anastasi

Science Fiction Romance/Space Opera

From Goodreads:

No one on Erebus escapes alive...

Twelve years on the prison planet Erebus makes a man long for death. The worst part for Tannin Everette is that he was framed for murder. He's innocent. When the ship Imojenna lands for emergency repairs, Tannin risks everything to escape...only to find himself face to face with the captain's undeniably gorgeous sister.

Zahli Sherron isn't planning on turning Tannin in. In fact, she actually believes him. Sure, he's sexy as every kind of sin, but he's no criminal—so she hides him. But no one escapes from Erebus and lives to tell about it. With every day that passes, Zahli further risks the lives of the entire crew...even as she falls in love with a man she can never have for herself.

Atrophy is part Science Fiction Romance and part Space Opera.  Zahli and Tannin are attracted but there is a big problem.  That problem is found in Zahli’s brother, Rian, who is the captain of the space ship Imojenna.  The Space Opera part is the quest Rian is one.  I found Rian the most complex character in the book.  It is hard to put him in any category.  Things have happened to Rian that make him difficult to understand or to get a focus on his personality.  His reactions drive the story.

The plot has several different twists.  It starts as a prison break and ends as a hunt for aliens.  The development allowed each character to come more and more into focus. Don’t look for a solution to the alien part of the plot.  Zahli and Tannin do get their HEA but that problem is almost part of the background.   What the story really does is introduce a great cast of characters, built a complex world, highlight a very big problem, give some of the backstory, and set the hooks for future stories in this world.

I am looking forward to seeing much more of the Imojenna and her crew.

Entangled: Select Otherworld published Atrophy by Jess Anastasi in 2015.

I received an ARC of Atrophy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Of Treasons Born (Treasons Cycle) by J.L. Doty

Military Science Fiction

From Goodreads:

A gripping military science fiction adventure starring the hero of A Choice of Treasons

As a lifer in the Imperial Navy fighting in a war that has lasted for generations, York Ballin’s only hope for an honorable discharge is the grave. But what events led up to his reluctant enlistment? What spawned York’s almost fanatic loyalty to his friends—and his doubts regarding the imperial uniform he once wore with such pride?

York rarely recalls his childhood, which began with a mystery and ended at age eleven when he was given a harsh choice: Join the navy or face certain death on a prison asteroid. The navy has its own code of justice, but a youngster with curiosity and grit is able to rise in the ranks . . . if he’s given a fair shot. Trained as a pod gunner, York discovers skills he never could have used in his hardscrabble life on the planet Dumark. And though some of his crewmates would rather destroy him than see him succeed, others encourage his intelligence and teach him what it means to thrive within the military traditions.

Assignments come and go, and young York moves up in the ranks until, as a newly commissioned Ensign, he’s assigned to the hunter-killer ship The Fourth Horseman. But when an unexpected foe kills his superior officer and leaves the crew stranded in enemy territory, York must do whatever he can to save the ship—even if he’ll be court-martialed for treason.

Of Treasons Born is a novel of the Treasons Cycle; the series was written so that it can be read in any order.

I found the story to be typical of Military Science Fiction.  There is a war that has gone on for years.  York Ballin, the hero, has not had an easy life.  His past is full of bad choices.  At 12 he is pressed into the Navy and after some trial and error finds a place where he belongs.  Even in the Navy he faces some very dangerous challenges.

There is action, tension, and danger as we follow York during his first 10 years in the Navy.  There is a mystery in his past and we only get hints.  The war is never explained it just is so it was hard to connect to why they were fighting.  

The characters were stock but interesting.  The main purpose of the book was to explain York’s background and while it did a good job at that at times it did seem to just drag on.  This is part of a series.  I plan to read A Choice of Treasons to find out more about this world and how York fits into it. 

Open Road will release Of Treasons Born by J. L. Doty in April of 2016.

I received an ARC Of Treasons Born from Amazon Vine in return for an honest review.

Liam Takes Manhattan (Elder Races #9.) by Thea Harrison

Paranormal

From Goodreads

Warning: This story contains a major spoiler from SHADOW’S END (book #9, released December 1st, 2015). If readers do not want to be spoiled, they should read the stories in order of their release dates.

This is a short story (15,000 words or 50 pages) intended for readers of the Elder Races who enjoy Liam Cuelebre as a character.

Reeling from a deep loss, the magical prince of the Wyr, Dragos and Pia’s son Liam Cuelebre, turns inward and withdrawn as he struggles to come to terms with who he is, along with the challenges that lie before him.

Hoping to ease his heartache and offer comfort, a concerned Dragos and Pia offer him a gift, something he has desired for a long time. Liam’s response has a ripple effect across all of New York. Soon miracles of all kinds start arriving just in time for Christmas, along with a visit from a mysterious person who gives Liam hope and a vision of his future.

LIAM TAKES MANHATTAN is the third part of a three-story series about Pia, Dragos, and their son, Liam. Each story stands alone, but fans might want to read all three: DRAGOS GOES TO WASHINGTON, PIA DOES HOLLYWOOD, and LIAM TAKES MANHATTAN.

According to author Thea Harrison Shadows End finishes the this part of the Elder Races story arc and Liam Takes Manhattan puts Liam in a new position for future stories.

Liam has grown to match his dragon and is now a young adult.  Like many that age he is at odds with his Father, Dragos.  Something has to give and in the end Liam finds a solution they can all live with

. 

This is a nice visit with Pia, Dragos and Liam.  While it does stand alone you need to be familiar with the series for it to make sense.  If you are a fan of the series you will not want to skip finding out how Liam and his parents come to an understanding setting up future stories.

Liam Takes Manhattan releases today.

I received an ARC of Liam Takes Manhattan from Goodreads in return for an honest review.

Musing Mondays - December 21, 2015

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…Kris Longknife: Unrelenting by Mike Shepherd
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

Musing Mondays is sponsored by A Daily Rhythm.

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Think of your favorite book… If you had a song that you think represents it well, what would that song be?

I am not musical enough to even try to answer this one.

Borderline by Mishell Baker

Paranormal Mystery

From Goodreads:

A year ago, Millie lost her legs and her filmmaking career in a failed suicide attempt. Just when she's sure the credits have rolled on her life story, she gets a second chance with the Arcadia Project: a secret organization that polices the traffic to and from a parallel reality filled with creatures straight out of myth and fairy tales.

For her first assignment, Millie is tasked with tracking down a missing movie star who also happens to be a nobleman of the Seelie Court. To find him, she'll have to smooth-talk Hollywood power players and uncover the surreal and sometimes terrifying truth behind the glamour of Tinseltown. But stronger forces than just her inner demons are sabotaging her progress, and if she fails to unravel the conspiracy behind the noble's disappearance, not only will she be out on the streets, but the shattering of a centuries-old peace could spark an all-out war between worlds.

No pressure.

Borderline is the first book in a new series.  It is set in a world that looks like ours with one difference; although most people do not know it in this world there is magic.

Millie finds out when she is recruited to join the Arcadia Project.  Millie is an unusual main character.  She has a lot of problems and spends a lot of time explaining why being borderline means that she will react a certain way.  Her behavior often leads her into trouble.  It also helps her see things other may miss.

A lot of book sets up the world and introduces the characters.  There is a problem that must be solved and Millie is the one to come up with the important facts that lets the team find and stop a big problem.  Millie is helped with a large cast of unusual characters.  They help with the backstory and world building making the story and the world seem more complete.

At times I did not like Millie but I always kept reading to see what she would do next.  I likes the end.  It leaves Millie in a position to tackle future problems in this world where magic is more prevalent than anyone knows.

Saga Press will publish Borderline by Mishell Baker in March of 2016.

I received an ARC of Borderline from Amazon Vine in return for an honest review.

Shadow’s End (Elder Races #9) by Thea Harrison

Paranormal Romance

From Goodreads:

The author of Lord’s Fall and Midnight’s Kiss returns with an enchanting and sizzling new tale about debts that cannot be repaid and hunger that cannot be satisfied…

For Beluviel, consort to the Elven High Lord, and Graydon, gryphon and First Sentinel of the Wyr, even the slightest desire for each other is forbidden. But two hundred years ago, after a desperate play to save Beluviel’s stepson left them indebted to the cruel Djinn Malphas, they found their fates inexorably linked together—and the hunger between them growing too strong to ignore…

Two centuries later, with their debt to Malphas coming due, Beluviel and Graydon realize that, if they are to stand any chance of saving their souls, they must once again work together—this time more closely than ever before. But every moment they spend with each other brings them nearer to losing something even more vital—their hearts.

You know it is true love when you wait and plot 200 years before you have a chance to be together.  That is what Belluviel and Graydon have done.

I loved the story and how true to each other Belluviel and Graydon were.  They have very little contact over that time period.  Neither knows how the other is feeling but they still remained true.

Before the book is over we get to see some of the other couples in the series as they all work together to free Belluviel, her son and Graydon from the curse placed on them by Djinn Malphas.

This is sweet love story filled with danger and tension.  I loved Graydon and how Belluviel saw him so differently from so many others.  The two of them are really interesting characters who fit even if others think that they don’t.

Shadow's End is a great addition to the Elder Races series.  It can stand alone but start at book one for maximum enjoyment.

Berkley published Shadow’s End by Thea Harrison in 2015.

A Snowy White Christmas byJosie Riviera Book Blast and Giveaway

A Snowy White Christmas

by Josie Riviera

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GENRE:  Contemporary Romance (sweet)

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BLURB:

Margaret Snow doesn’t believe in fairy tales, but as a devoted mother she’s determined to give her five-year-old daughter a Christmas filled with heart-warming memories.

The once successful LA swimsuit model returns to her small upstate New York town to buy back the 
foreclosed trailer she once called home. Her menagerie of rescue animals travel with her.

She doesn’t expect to see her former high school sweetheart, the athletic, ever-popular, and decisive Fernando Brandt.

Sparks fly when she realizes that the teenage hockey star is now a successful Realtor who is also interested in her dilapidated trailer for reasons of his own.

But can she resist the handsome, charismatic Prince Charming a second time?

And can she surrender her insecurities and accept the true gift of Christmas, finally feeling worthy of unconditional love?

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EXCERPT

Sometimes Margaret Snow’s guilt would go away for a few minutes. But it always returned. Insistent. Dull. Intense.

She was a terrible mother. Check.

She’d never amount to anything. Check.

She only thought about herself. Check.

These negative thoughts chattered incessantly, tucked ever so slightly behind everyday activities. Like uncaged wild animals waiting to pounce at the first opportunity.

She glanced out her office window. Despite the wind and ice, city workers were adding cheery red bells and silver holiday trimmings to the streetlights. It didn’t help. November in upstate New York promised gray skies, bitter sleet, and not an ounce of cheeriness until spring. Today was no exception.

What was the weather like in California? She checked the weather app on her phone. As expected, sunny skies in Los Angeles were predicted.

“Unbelievable,” she whispered. “How could two places be so different?”

And why was she stuck in the least desirable of the two?

She sighed.

But her daughter Amelie seemed content, and only Amelie mattered.

Review;

A short easy to read Christmas story filled with familiar themes.  Margaret and Fernando are a great pair who were together early in their lives.  Margaret left and forgot to let Fernando know they had a daughter.  Now Margeret is back, Christmas is coming and it is the season for old flames to re-discover what they once had.  Both Margaret and Fernando are great characters and their daughter just adds to the charm.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Amazon Bestselling Author, Josie Riviera, is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA). She writes contemporary and historical sweet and Christian romances. She’s a transplanted New Yorker now living in the sunny Carolinas. She has three grown children and shares the empty nest with her husband and the family dog.

Josie's an expert at board games and a compulsive reader of every genre, especially romance. In her spare time, she eats Peppermint Patties because they're lower in calories than other chocolate candy.

You can email her at josieriviera@aol.com

She ALWAYS answers.

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Josie.Riviera

 Tweet me at@Josieriviera

Visit my blog, The Italian Blog, for recipes and updates at josieriviera.wordpress.com

Other Books by Josie Riviera:

Seeking Patience (Regency) http://tinyurl.com/a9nnbwy

Seeking Catherine (Tudor Novella) http://tinyurl.com/9cka84m

We'd Rather be Writing http://amzn.com/B01638N5PO

Lightning Strikes http://amzn.com/B0090MXP0Q

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Josie will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway