Book review: Winter Wonders anthology

Winter Wonders by Jenny Twist
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Winter Wonders anthology is of stories that took place in winter, mostly around Christmas time. They all had one thing in common…they warm the heart.

- Christmas Hope by Jane Wakely: 4 stars
What's sweeter than a man who cures animals and genuinely likes them? This story makes a great start for an anthology…Sweet and light on the heart. I'm glad the author didn't forget to punish Simon.

- Christmas Angel by Sharon Donovan: 3 stars
I was torn between liking and disliking the main characters in this tale. On one hand, Oliver came across as a chauvinist when he ordered his wife to have a baby even though they agreed not to before they got married. But then Eve wasn't a sweetheart herself. She was selfish, rude, and flirty with other men in front of her husband. My problem is that even though both characters had flaws, the focus was on Eve's.

- Mantequero by Jenny Twist: 5 stars
Happiness is found through the most outrageous methods and in the oddest of ways. June, overweight and she knows it, has given up on meeting prince charming. She could never be like her sisters, but I have a feeling by the end of the tale she got what she really needed. A well written, thought provoking story…the author went at it from an unexpected (and sweet in it's own way) angle.

- Hearts of Fire by Regina Puckett: 5 stars
Jordan and Samuel belonged together and the author gave them time to reach that goal. The story's development was paced just right to lead to a heartwarming ending. There's something touching about a fireman who has eyes only for his love.

- December Bride by S M Senden: 4 stars
Some people work hard to reach their targets, others take short cuts. Missy is of the latter group. She reached her goal, but at what cost?

- Burgers and Hot Chocolate by Angela Adams: 3 stars
The story is very moving and sweet. The characters were believable and I found myself rooting for them to be together. The problem was the first person POV switch between 3 different characters. Perhaps a dashed or starred scene break would have helped.

- Long Winter by Paul McDermott: 3 stars
Tom is a lonely man whose life is cold and desolate. Overall, I enjoyed reading this story but wish there were a stronger reason for the thaw at the end.

- If Only by Janet Durbin: 3 stars
If only I could understand the secret behind the instant attraction between Raymond and Jenny. I believe in love at first sight but usually there's something more plausible afterwards to sustain it.

- Saving Santa by Melissa Hosack: 5 stars
This tale is a creative and light take on how Santa finds and marries his missus. Santa hasn't been this sexy in fiction (at least the fiction I read.) I thoroughly enjoyed how he handled his future wife. A very suitable last story to end the anthology.

A definite recommendation to read any time of the year, but will be perfect on those cold nights in winter. Fireplace is for wimps :-)

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Hellbound's Signature Cake

It pays off to have a foodie for a sister.
Muna (owner of MunatyCooking) read Hellbound and couldn't help transforming her feelings to a cake. We've named it Choco Diavolo and you can read my guest post about it, see it, and get its recipe here:
http://munatycooking.blogspot.com/2012/05/choco-diavolo.html
You can also see the devil's reaction to the cake :-)

Please stop by and leave a comment...we'd love to hear from you.

Book Review: Tales from Imagination's Closet by M. Allman

Tales from Imagination's Closet by M. Allman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

29 stories! Each unique, intriguing, and touching in its own way. I couldn't stop reading, the "just one more and then I'll sleep" promise was repeated several times a night.
My personal favorites are "Existence," "The Guardian," "My Friend, Clarence," and "The Roads Not Traveled."
The book is a mix of genres, sure to satisfy different tastes. I wish the book received stronger editing, despite that, M. Allman's imagination managed to shine through.
I'm sure the author's imagination isn't dry yet, I hope she's planning another collection of short and intriguing fiction

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Spellbound 2011 by Multiple Authors

Spellbound 2011 by Jenny Twist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is rare to find a book that is aptly titled to befit the stories within it. It is also surprising to like every story in an anthology. Spellbound 2011 scores on both accounts.

Without giving the stories away, Spellbound 2011 has werewolves, a possible vampire, a haunted house…among other elements of the darker fiction. Each author succeeded in building a tense tale that drew me in until the last word in each. The book is like a quilt, each section created by a different person, yet all the pieces fit together to make it one complete masterpiece.

I'm already familiar with Jenny Twist's masterful writing, now I have 8 new authors (for me) to check out.

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Book Review: Shadow Game by Christine Feehan

Shadow Game by Christine Feehan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In this first book of the GhostWalkers series, we are introduced to men of power and stealth experimented upon by Dr. Peter Whitney to enhance their psychic abilities and make them into the perfect weapon for deadly missions.
We're also introduced to the love story between Dr. Lily Whitney, who was a victim of her father's obsession with psychic enhancements, and Captain Ryland Miller. Ryland is a man committed to serving and protecting his country, even if that involved volunteering for this experiment along with his men.
We experience the romance, the danger, and suspense wrapped in this intriguing story. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Ryland expressed his love and total devotion to Lily.
Lily is educated, rich, intelligent, and in love…all of this is shown and not told. She never stepped out of character.
I would love to read more from this series as I'm curious about the other Ghostwalkers mentioned in this book and their possible matches.



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A review of His to Possess

It's a nice surprise to stumble across a good review of a book that's close to your heart. His to Possess was published in 2010, and though I didn't forget it, I admit this review warmed my heart all over again. I think I'll be re-reading it :-)
This is the full review: http://novellynice.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-his-to-possess-by-su-halfwerk.html
But I can share a tidbit here:

"His to Possess is such a sweet and heart-warming paranormal story. I found myself tearing up by the second page, but that's me.

Jeremy is a ghost who is haunting a mansion that Stacy was hired to appraise the valuable collection of books within its library. Jeremy has been dead for seven years and Stacy is the first person he really felt connected to..."

Hellbound Tour Winners

Thanks to everyone who participated in Hellbound's Tour. It was fund because of your positive comments and support.
I have the names of the winners here... Drum rolls please....
Leigh Salvage won a PDF copy of Hellbound
Pam Rosensteel won the $25/- Amazon gift card

Congratulations Pam and Leigh, I will contact you with your prizes shortly.
Thanks to everyone else who participated. Perhaps you'll have better luck next time ;-D

I'm back :-)

Not 100% yet but working my way to it through the recovery path. Thanks to everyone who commented, emailed, or called. I'm happy and proud of the friendships I made.
May God bless you all.

Going away for a while

One month ago, I suffered severe pain in my lower back and left leg. By the time I reached the emergency room I was in tears. They treated me, gave me painkillers, and transferred me to an Orthopedic Surgeon. By then, total numbness and weakness had set in my left leg. That beside the pain in my lower back. I walk with a limp now.

Last week—and after an array of tests, some painful some not—the orthopedic confirmed that I have 4 slipped discs in my back and they were stressing the nerves in my leg. He feared the nerves will die if they are subjected to more of that pressure and accordingly he strongly recommended surgery.

I'm leaving in a couple of hours to be admitted to the hospital today, my surgery is due early morning tomorrow, and should be out of the hospital in few days if everything goes according to plan.

I have met and made great friends, and for that I'm grateful. So, even though I might not be able to check my email, blog, twitter, or FB for sometime, I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors.

I will follow up on your news when I'm out, so please prepare a list of your good news, it will help me heal fast :-)

Hellbound Tour & Giveaway: It isn't over yet 8-}

I'm aware that the Rafflecopter was closed (technical issues,) but it's open again and that's only for today. Why, you might ask!
Well, it's for my last stop which comes with an awesome review of Hellbound. You know how some books grab you? this review grabbed me.
Read it here and enter the draw:

http://iheartreading.net/2012/04/book-review-hellbound-and-giveaway/

You might win:

PDF copy of Hellbound

Or

Amazon gift certificate worth $25/-

Hellbound Tour & Giveaway: "Manda-Rae's" stop

Today's stop is at Manda Rae's blog:
http://manda-rae-reads.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-tour-and-giveaway-hellbound-by-su.html


Manda has reviewed the book, and even though she's given it 3 stars, I think she made great comparison to a series of movies...
Join us, you might win

PDF copy of Hellbound

Or

Amazon gift certificate worth $25/-

Hellbound Tour & Giveaway:Nick's Book Blog

Today I'm at Nick's Book Blog:

http://nicksbookblog93.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-tour-stop-su-halfwerk.html

Join us, see my answers to Nick's questions, like what inspired me to write Hellbound.

 You might win

PDF copy of Hellbound

Or

Amazon gift certificate worth $25/-

Hellbound Tour & Giveaway - Today's stop

Today's stop is at Sweet Southern Home, and Carrie has done a great job with the post's formatting. Thanks, Carrie.
Here's the link:

http://sweetsouthernhome.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/book-tour-promo-giveaway-hellbound-by-su-halfwerk/

When there, remember to scroll down to Enter Here to go to the rafflecopter.
A quick reminder that by entering you might win:

PDF copy of Hellbound

Or

Amazon gift certificate worth $25/-

 Good luck everyone.

Hellbound Tour & Giveaway

I'm going on a Hellbound tour to promote the book (LOL, hell bound tour...get it!!!)
The tour will have combination of stops; reviews, guest posts, promo stops...etc. Follow the tour and enter the draw, you might win:

PDF copy of Hellbound

Or

Amazon gift certificate worth $25/-

The stops are listed here: http://enchantedbooktours.eternalised.net/2012/03/tour-schedule-for-hellbound
And I will announce each post's direct link here on Vivid Sentiments
So, without further ado, here's today's link to an awesome review:

http://ereadingonthecheap.com/hellhound-by-su-halfwerk-book-review-sweeps

See you there!

Hellbound is on Examiner.com

Hellbound, my latest release from Double Dragon is on examiner.com
Here's the link:
http://www.examiner.com/paranormal-literature-in-national/this-week-s-showcase-hellbound-by-su-halfwerk

Thanks, Bertena Varney.