Saturday, April 2, 2016

BLOG TOUR and REVIEW - Anne Conley's FOUR WINDS SERIES


Four Winds Series
Anne Conley

The Four Winds is a series of stories by Anne Conley of God’s archangels: Uriel---the archangel of destiny, Rafael—the archangel of healing, Gabriel—the messenger, and Michael—the angel of war. Watch as each one defeats the devil, known as Damien, who thinks he’s entitled to their brides. See their struggle as they experience humanity for the first time in the name of love. Warning: contains elements of Christianity, coupled with some sex scenes, and what people may consider heretical viewpoints. 




REVIEW - SERIES AS A WHOLE


[Patti]

Amazon/Goodreads rating: 5/5
In Patti's Imagination rating: 9.6/10

As a series, this was a home run for me. Despite minor errors here and there, I stayed thoroughly invested in each book, and if you're picking this up as Falling for Eternity (the set), then it'll be an easy sell to keep going. Not only that, you'll be thrilled you have the next book available already. So, as a set, this is easily an 'I loved it' type of series. Intriguing concept, great characters, engaging execution, and enough creativity that the stories don't feel stale at all, despite the same basic premise in each. I've written separate reviews for the individual stories to explain my reactions to each set of characters. Overall, a job well-done, and I highly recommend this set.

If you are paying attention, you will heed the author's warnings with this series. Do not assume that, because it's about angels, it will be clean fiction. It's not. I'm happy with that, but some people won't be. Should you choose to read this series, and ignore the warning, then you have no right to complain that the story is something other than what you'd hoped it would be. Angels, graphic sex, and some fascinating conceptions of Christianity (and God). I definitely enjoyed it. I will be including this disclaimer in each of my individual reviews when they appear on Amazon and Goodreads. At the blog, it will only be noted in the set review.


Falling for Heaven


Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | B&N | Kobo

Uriel is one of God's Four Winds, the Archangel of Destiny. He has helped thousands of people throughout the ages find their destiny according to His will. This time however, what he doesn't realize, is that it's his own destiny he's supposed to fulfill.

Heather is an exotic dancer, who's stage name is Heaven. It's not that that's what she's always wanted to do, it's just that it helps her pay the bills, and she's got a lot of bills, with taking care of her mother and her sister. When the mysterious Uriel comes into the club, she can tell he's different, just how different will rock her world... 





REVIEW - Falling for Heaven


[Patti]

Amazon/Goodreads rating: 3/5
In Patti's Imagination rating: 6.8/10

This was the weakest book in the series for me. Though I enjoyed it by the end, it started a bit slow. At first, I wasn't sure why, but once I'd finished the other books, I realized that it was a combination of a couple things. The first is that this story sets up the premise for the series. Because the reader discovers everything as the main characters do, it moves at a pace which can be frustrating. Perhaps there are ways to improve the pacing, but at this point, I'd say that things are what they are. Any reader just needs to understand from the outset that the other four stories progress at a better rate. The second reason is that, and I'm being honest here, I think I wasn't a huge fan of Heather/Heaven. Or maybe it was Uri. Or possibly both of them. I didn't dislike them, and I'm sure there are readers who absolutely adore them, connected with their story, etc. I just wasn't that reader. However, I'll say again, even if you felt as I did, keep reading! This might not be the best of the series, but it's still a good book, and it's worth the time here so that you can jump into the other books after this. I didn't REALLY like it, nor did I love it. I liked it, hence the rating.


Falling for Grace


Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CcA

 Rafael is one of God’s Four Winds, the Archangel of Healing. He has answered the countless prayers for healing of loved ones, wondering what it was about the emotion that made humans willing to sacrifice so much. 

Grace is a lifeguard who has been on Rafe’s radar since she lost a little boy three years ago. What she doesn’t realize is the green haze that comes over her during a rescue is actually a divine presence who’s about to give up his celestial body to become a very real entity in her life. 

While Grace is trying to overcome her own demon, Rafe is discovering his own sexuality, but there’s a darker presence making himself known. The Deceiver wants what Rafe is getting, and he’ll do whatever it takes to have her.





REVIEW - Falling for Grace


[Patti]

Amazon/Goodreads rating: 5/5
In Patti's Imagination rating: 9.7/10

In contrast to book 1, book 2 had me on the edge of my seat for much of the story. As I noted in my review for book 1, I think my issue there was about the setup process, and that just wasn't an issue here. I loved Rafe and Grace, their chemistry, their story. The plot moved for me, the characters were engaging, and I was heavily rooting for them the whole way through. Once I was done, I couldn't wait for book 3. Minor errors didn't detract much here, and the sexy factor was boosted a notch. An excellent read, and I think, with this story, the author really hit her stride for the series.



Falling for Hope


Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA

Hope is an eccentric librarian who lives with her five cats and loves to spend her time fantasizing about living in a world of shape-shifters, vampires, and fairies. Although the existence of a paranormal world is far from Hope's reality, she can't help but sense there's something different about the mysterious man lurking in her library. 

Gabriel is God's Strength, the Messenger, who's been tasked with delivering the Word for millennia. His most recent assignment will be his last, to fall in love and become human. But he can't quite figure out what he's done to displease the Boss. Gabriel's latest assignment might be the hardest, but this gorgeous rubenesque quirk of a woman definitely has him intrigued.




REVIEW - Falling for Hope


[Patti]

Amazon/Goodreads rating: 5/5
In Patti's Imagination rating: 9.7/10

Yet another excellent entry in this series. I adored Gabe and his dorkiness. Hope's immediate recognition of his 'otherness' was a nice twist on the formula, and it altered the trajectory of the entire plot when there was no point at which Hope wasn't on board. Loved these two dynamic characters, so very different from any of the others in the series. I flew through this book, too, because the pacing tugged me along at a fast clip. With the escalation of Damien (aka, The Devil)'s machinations, the stakes changed. Lots of twists and turns, leaving you at the edge of your seat. Basically, for me, it felt as if that was the name of the real game once we left Uri and Heather, and each book after the first really steps it up a notch from the last one. Book 3 is no different. Definitely a recommended read, and this is further proof that a reader needs to devour the whole series, even if they are someone who didn't jump on board the train eagerly at book 1.



Falling for Faith 

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Amazon US | Amazon UK  | Amazon CA 

In this, the fourth book in the Four Winds Series, the story is more intense, Damien is more intense, the sex is more intense. The entire series thus far has escalated into this, the archangel of war's story. 

Michael, the archangel of war, is pissed. Humanity has taken every last vestige of any feelings he might have had and colored them in with cynicism. He’s ready to be done. So when The Boss gives him the deal, he’s eager for his mortality, at any cost, regardless of who he has to ‘fall in love’ with to get it. Blessed death. That’s what he’s looking forward to. When he finds out what Faith does for a living, he’s pissed off all over again. 

Faith is a cat burglar, but when she inadvertently makes a deal with Damien, Michael steps in to protect what is rightfully his. She’s not over her own tragic past, and this hulking bundle of hotness can’t change that. But when he insists on protecting her, claiming her, and dominating her, she is powerless to deny her own emotions. 

For mature audiences. Contains swear words, sex, elements of BDSM, and possibly heretical viewpoints. 





REVIEW - Falling for Faith


[Patti]

Amazon/Goodreads rating: 5/5
In Patti's Imagination rating: 9.8/10

There was something about Michael that pushed so many buttons. True alpha, as you'd expect the Angel of War to be, Michael also exhibited a sweet side (but maybe only for Faith; she's his, after all). Once again, the author twists the narrative a bit and creates an entirely different tale from the others. If you had hoped for the stakes to rise, for the heat to singe, for the excitement to build, you will not be disappointed. And if you're like me, by the end of this book, you will be itching for book 5. Thankfully, I jumped into the fray after book 5 was complete. All in all, this might have been my favorite up to this point in the series. Errors be damned, these two were smokin', and the story was a page-turner.




Falling for Cyn


Amazon US | Amazon UK  | Amazon CA

Damien is bad—the original Evil. Satan from Hell on Earth has been his identity since forever. The Devil. Beelzebub. Minister of Evil. Prince of Darkness. Lucifer. Old Scratch. 

He’s never been given a choice in this prison of fate, but it’s his turn now. 

Hell is about to meet his match. When Damien gets a woman, the only underworld he’s ever known changes. She’s chosen for him, but she’s enough… 

Cynthia doesn’t believe in Hell; she believes in kindness and science, and the greater good. She’s perfect, and pure and… 

dying. 

But she’s his. 

And he’ll move Heaven and Hell to keep her. 

This is Anne Conley's final installment in the Four Winds series.





REVIEW - Falling for Cyn


[Patti]

Amazon/Goodreads rating: 5/5
In Patti's Imagination rating: 9.9/10

I wish I could give this a true 10, but as with the other books, some of the errors were too obvious to ignore. However, in all other aspects, I think this story capped the series just right, and that makes it a winner for me. When we approached the end of book 4, my mind kept thinking, "Give Damien his story." How lucky that my wish was granted before I started this series, because I didn't have to wait to read his tale. And what a yarn is spun! If ever there was a tale of the bad boy reformed, this is it. How can you get any worse than THE Bad Boy? One thing that made me smile in every story was that each angel had to fight for his woman, somehow. Every one of them had a major obstacle to overcome, be it internal or external. We get some of both here. Damien is, after all, the Deceiver, so he'd be warring with himself as to whether or not he should give in to his natural instincts. With numerous twists and turns in this tale, the reader is always on their toes. That makes for an exciting read. It would be fun to continue with the 'other' angels, but if this is the very last book in the series, I won't complain too loudly; finishing with Damien was fitting. What an epic story it was! I think the best part was that the entire rest of the series was flipped on its head this time around. It's absolutely worth the read of the whole set just to feel prepared to read this book.



About the Author



Anne has written her entire life and has the boxes of angst-filled journals and poetry to prove it. She's been writing for public consumption for the last four years. Currently she is writing three romance series. In Stories of Serendipity, she explores real people living real lives in small town Texas in a contemporary romance setting. In The Four Winds, she chronicles God's four closest archangels, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, falling in 

love and becoming human. In Pierce Securities, she gives us Ryan, Evan, Miriam, Zack, Quinten, and Simon. She lives in rural East Texas with her husband and children in her own private oasis, where she prides herself in her complete lack of social skills, choosing instead to live with the people inside her head.



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Friday, April 1, 2016

RELEASE DAY BLITZ and REVIEW - Claudia Burgoa's UNDEFEATED



TITLE: Undefeated
SERIES: Unexpected Series, #5
AUTHOR: Claudia Burgoa
COVER DESIGN: By Hang Le
RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2016


SYNOPSIS
Porter

“Porter, only you can help yourself. We’re here to guide you, but we can’t take you to the next level if you refuse to work.”
…there’s nothing they can do for me.

No matter what I tell them, what I do or whom I talk to, my woman is gone, my kid is dead, my career is over and the only family that loved me, now despises me.
I was once the nation’s biggest musical sensation. An International heartthrob. Now, I’m a skeleton of a life I once lived.

Porter Kendrick: the man, the myth, the legend.


A fallen branch of the Colthurst-Decker dynasty.

The demons of my past haunt me. Do I have the strength and will power to put them to rest? Can anyone really have it all?

Mackenzie

Love is a four-letter word more powerful than the energy of the sun. Love can move mountains. Love can conquer all. But there’s also the other side of the story, the sad truth. Love can destroy. Once, there was this boy I met with a set of amber eyes and a bright smile who took my breath away. It wasn’t love at first sight. No, we fell in love slowly, through the day-to-day contact.

Leonard Brooke promised to be my prince charming, as long as I could save him when he needed me. No other man could make me feel strong, safe, loved, and cherished.
But Leonard Brooke died, leaving me to figure out how to handle the grief of his loss. Inside though I’m incomplete. Broken.

My sassy-fiery daughter, and my creative-sweet son are who keep me afloat. Trying to find a new normal without the love of my life, I head to Oregon. Leaving behind our old life and dreams.

Am I strong enough to start over? Can I turn my back on the only man I’ve loved?

BUY LINKS


 Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RvdbjJ
B&N: http://bit.ly/1ULiG3i
iBooks: http://apple.co/25jCDmC
KOBO: http://bit.ly/1VAPrAY

REVIEW


[Connie]

Amazon/Goodreads rating:5/5
In Patti's Imagination rating:10/10

I have had the pleasure of reading all of the books in this series and after reading about Porter and Ainsley in the previous books I really didn't like Porter. But Claudia Burgoa got me I loved his story. This book tied up the series so well. You still got to read about some of the characters from the previous books. And meet up with some new ones. This series is not to be missed but you should read the books in order. I was gifted this book for a fair and honest review.


PLAYLIST





GIVEAWAY
Two $25 Amazon Gift Cards

Unlike Any Other (Unexpected Series, #1)
is FREE for a limited time!

AUTHOR BIO
Born on the mystical day of October 30th in the not so mystical lands of Mexico City, Claudia grew up with a childhood that resembled a caffeine-injected soap opera. Seventeen years ago she ventured to the lands of her techie husband—a.k.a. the U.S.—with their offspring to start a new adventure. She now lives in Colorado working as a CFO for a small IT company, managing her household filled with three confused dogs, said nerd husband, two daughters wrought with fandoms and a son who thinks he’s the boss of the house. To survive she works continually to find purpose for the voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high quantities of chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact. 


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REVIEW of Neeny Boucher's BACK OF BEYOND


Title: Back of Beyond
Series: Complicated Love
Author: Neeny Boucher
Genre: Teen & Young Adult; Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: March 20, 2016


Synopsis

Dina Martin and Nicholas Riley are total opposites. She's the good girl with the perfect grades and he's the bad boy with a reputation. Growing up together with close family ties, they have been at war as long as they can remember. When the unthinkable happens, neither of them wants it. Set in a small town at the turn of the millennium, this story is about family and friendship, the love of music and how sometimes who you don't want, is exactly who you need.

Buy Links



Review

[Janet]
Amazon/Goodreads rating:  5/5
In Patti's Imagination rating:  10/10
This is the first book in the series but it was actually written last.  I read the other two books prior to reading this one and the author did such a great job in going back to when Dina and Riley were kids that reading it out of order was not an issue.  
The story begins with Riley, the handsome, green-eyed best friend of Dina's brother, leg propped up leaning against the garage.  If you said that he would be in love with Dina, he would have laughed and given one of his sharp wit comebacks, but fate has a sense of humor.
Dina and her two best friends have a plan to be popular starting with crashing her brother's party.  Dina, who dyes her hair black and can dance very sexy is dancing with the wrong boy and that is just another reason for the mean girls, the Anys, to hate and harass her.  That party fuels the fire of Dina's resolve to be noticed.  

A story of bullying in school and the bullying of the rich families who own the town is told so well. I felt like I was back in high school with these events taking place.  The parallel between what is going on with Riley and what went on with the shop owners and their workers is brilliant.  The minor cast and crew of Dina and Riley's friends had this reader laughing. The drama between being the new lead singer in her brother's band and the Any's is over the top!  The chess clue was an excellent idea.  I turned every page with what will happen to them even with knowing the future.  Would Riley ruin the new love interest because of his past?  Will Dina escape the wrath of the Any's?  Can they fight for each other in the midst of so many trying to tear them apart?  The author’s ability to tell the story of these two is very romantic.  This book is a five star book and the series is excellent. Well worth the read and highly recommended.


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Excerpt

“Prissy. What are you doing here?” Dina Martin’s heart sinks. Nicholas Riley’s unnerving green cat eyes measure her and find her wanting. Pretentiously called by his last name, Riley lounges on the door of her family garage with one leg up behind him. Dressed for the river with a towel wrapped around his neck, his long dark hair is tied up on his head. Avoidance competes with irritation. “I live here,” Dina sighs. “What are you doing here?” Peeling his lanky frame off the garage, Riley stands in front of her. “Waiting for Johnny, your cool brother. You didn’t think we were here for you?” His words leech confidence, but Dina’s mind focuses on the plural. Cars are parked on the side of the road, filled with the beautiful people from high school. She shrinks. Lighting a cigarette, Riley blows smoke at her through his pouty, sullen lips. “Um, health,” Dina snaps. She waves a hand, but the smoke keeps billowing. “You look like a blowfish.” Riley laughs, a real one. Her internal alarm rings. Narrowing his eyes, he jabs a finger. “There’s something different about you.” Dina does a quick tally. She’s gotten taller and is nearly fifteen. Her opinion of Riley is low, but he isn’t stupid, and his powers of observation are acute, albeit cruel. “Really?” “Yeah,” Riley grins. He points at her chest. “It looks like your boobies finally came in.” Heat bursts on Dina’s face and her palms go sweaty. Puberty was monstrous. One moment she was as flat as a board and the next, “C” cups sprouted like giant fungi. She cried and tried binding them in the hope they’d go away, but Mom made her stop. Dina’s mind shies away from the next scarring encounter. The one where she was marched shame faced and head down to be poked and prodded by old ladies. When she returned home with bras, no one was allowed to mention it. Defensively folding her arms across her chest draws a derisive snort from Riley. Tears start at the corners of Dina’s eyes, but she blinks them away. “Snitched on anyone lately?” Riley’s mouth quirks up at the corners. “Are you still pissed about this summer? I saved your life.” He winks, tapping her on the arm. “You can thank me later.” Dina’s hand tingles as Riley bats his eyes at her. “Pissed? I’m not sure that fully encompasses the depth of my annoyance and your hypocrisy.” “Oh,” Riley mocks. “You’re a little grudge holder, aren’t you? Was it the grounding?” Very bad words are on the tip of Dina’s tongue, but she swallows the obscenities. Her father is strict on matters of propriety and she is in enough trouble as it is. “Ironic, isn’t it? You, the juvenile delinquent. The worst behaved person I know, snitched on us. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for juvie right now? Does it have semesters, or does it go all year round?” Riley’s eyes narrow. He bites his bottom lip. “I didn’t get you grounded for the other stuff. Who are you going to blame for that?” Dina’s head rocks up and their eyes lock. Her heart beats a steady drum against her ribcage. The urge to somehow hurt him dances in her mind. “Back off my sister, Riley,” Johnny warns, hitting Riley on the arm. Lithe, unruly, black hair with a Celtic cross tattoo that got him grounded, her big brother is one of her favorite people in the world. He’s also Riley’s best friend. “And, you.” Johnny grins, wagging a finger at Dina. “Stop picking fights.” He charges down the driveway, but Riley loiters, walking backward. His cat eyes glitter and he drops his index fingers. “See ya. Wouldn’t want to be ya.” Dina glares. His words hurt. She doesn’t want to be her either.

Author Bio

Neeny Boucher is a nom de plume because my real name sounds like a 19th Century suffragette. Originally, I'm from New Zealand and am a long-time supporter of the All Blacks. Currently, I am living in Europe and a trailing spouse, following my husband all over the world for his work. This not only gives me the opportunity to write, but also, experience the world and indulge in one of my favourite past-times: people watching. 
My own employment history is varied and ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous. All of those experiences and encounters, however, have allowed me to collect amazing stories, which now form the basis of my writings.
I have always loved the weird, the outcast and those on the margins of society because they see the world in a different way. These are the people my characters are based around. 
I have a BA Hons (English and Pacific Studies) and a PhD in Sociology/Indigenous Studies.

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