Tag: #amreading

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Listen (Earthen Witch #3) by Sarah Doughty

Title: Listen (Earthen Witch Book 3)

Author: Sarah Doughty

Series: Earthen Witch

ISBN: 9781370998340

Language: English.

Published: October 7, 2016

Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Urban, Fiction » Romance » Paranormal

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Sarah Doughty’s latest novel, Listen is Book Three in The Earthen Witch series and I must mention here that I have not read the other two books. However, Book Three is fully capable of catching you up. Literally out of this world, I invite you to step into a place of vampires, werewolves, a shamaness and wolf extraordinaire, a cat that is really a Sphinx, a ghost that possess the body of a little boy, pixie’s and let’s not forget the protagonist herself, Earthen Witch Aisling Green.

As an Earthen Witch, Aisling possess supernatural abilities that show up even during her hot and steamy sessions with Connor Jennings, her soul mate (literally). Also a witch, Connor is Aisling’s Supernatural Soul Mate and fellow Earthen, though he is still trying to figure out how to access his powers in the way that he needs to. If Aisling got hurt sparing for instance, Connor wouldn’t be able to offer his blood’s healing powers to her, not like the master Vampire Liam. In fact, it was during sparing that the dream-sight began, a series of blackouts that causes Aisling to see fog so cloudy that she cannot see or understand what’s happening.

The story picks up when the team— vampires, werewolves, shamaness and wolf extraordinaire, a cat that is really a Sphinx, a ghost that possess the body of a little boy, pixie (and a partridge and a pear tree…lol hee hee, had to say it)— realizes two of their team members, Liam and Jon, have gone missing and set out to look for them among a common enemy: Renata Crane, a New Orleans voodoo priestess who wants more power than she has. She wants Aisling the witch, Angela the shamaness, and even the power and blood of Liam, the vampire Aisling is seeing in her dream-sights. The war is on but Aisling is sick, throwing up and having fainting spells. Something is not right with Aisling and her powers are not as strong as they were. How would this influence the battle with Renata? Listen to find out.

I’m not into the whole witch thing and I thought the beginning was a bit slow, however the story is written with enough description to help those who have not read the first two books to get a thorough understanding of what’s going on. It’s not my ideal read but it is well-written and those who are interested in stepping into the dark side will definitely have their hands full with this one.

Ratings:

Plot Movement / Strength: 3/5

Entertainment Factor: 4/5

Characterization: 4/5

Authenticity / Believable: 3/5

Thought Provoking: 3/5

Overall Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Listen is available now. And guess what? It’s free!

(This Book Cover tho! Nice..)

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Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/thesarahdoughty
Barnes And Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Sarah%20Doughty%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall
Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/search?query=Sarah%20Doughty&fcsearchfield=Author
iBooks – https://itunes.apple.com/us/author/sarah-doughty/id990778287?mt=11
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13753138.Sarah_Doughty

Connect With The Author

Website – www.sarahdoughty.com
Instagram – www.instagram.com/thesarahdoughty
Twitter – www.twitter.com/thesarahdoughty

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Did you just write a book? In need of more reviews? Register Your Book HERE! Please be sure to read through my guidelines and to register long books (300+ pages) far enough in advance for me to read them thoroughly  if you have a preferred date for your published review. I publish reviews to this blog every Friday (or every other Friday). I also post them to the authors Amazon and Goodreads page and feature the linked book covers on my  Author website and email list. Stay tuned for next weeks author.

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Listen (Earthen Witch Book 3) by Sarah Doughty

Title: Listen (Earthen Witch Book 3)

Author: Sarah Doughty

Series: Earthen Witch

ISBN: 9781370998340

Language: English.

Published: October 7, 2016

Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Urban, Fiction » Romance » Paranormal

Sarah Doughty’s latest novel, Listen, is book three in The Earthen Witch series. While I have not read the other two books, book three can catch you up.

I invite you to enter a universe that is literally out of this world, one where there are pixies, vampires, werewolves, shamans, wolves of extraordinary prowess, a cat that is actually a Sphinx, a ghost that inhabits a little boy’s body, and, of course, the main character, Earthen Witch Aisling Green.

As an earthen witch, Aisling possesses supernatural abilities that show up even during her hot and steamy sessions with Connor Jennings, her soul mate (literally). Also a witch, Connor is Aisling’s supernatural soul mate and fellow earthen, though he is still trying to figure out how to access his powers however he needs to.

The story picks up when the team realizes two of their team members, Liam and Jon, have gone missing and set out to look for them among a common enemy: Renata Crane, a New Orleans voodoo priestess who wants more power than she has. She wants Aisling the witch, Angela the shamaness, and even the power and blood of Liam, the vampire Aisling is seeing in her dream sights. The war is on, but Aisling is sick, throwing up and having fainting spells. Something is wrong with Aisling; her powers are not as strong as they were. How would this influence the battle with Renata?

You would have to Listen to find out.

The pacing was slower than I would have liked in the beginning, but the story is written well, with enough description to help those who have not read the first two books. While it is not my ideal read, plenty of action and revelations keep you on your toes.

Ratings:

Plot Movement / Strength: 3/5

Entertainment Factor: 4/5

Characterization: 4/5

Authenticity / Believable: 3/5

Thought Provoking: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Listen is available now. And guess what? It’s free!

(This Book Cover! Nice..)

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Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/thesarahdoughty
Barnes And Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Sarah%20Doughty%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall

Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/search?query=Sarah%20Doughty&fcsearchfield=Author

iBooks – https://itunes.apple.com/us/author/sarah-doughty/id990778287?mt=11

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13753138.Sarah_Doughty

Connect With The Author

Website – www.sarahdoughty.com
Instagram – www.instagram.com/thesarahdoughty
Twitter – www.twitter.com/thesarahdoughty

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Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – House of the Hanging Jade by Amy M. Reade

Title: House of The Hanging Jade

Author: Amy M. Reade

Print Length: 246 pages

Publisher: Lyrical Underground (April 26, 2016)

Publication Date: April 26, 2016

Sold by: Penguin Random House Publisher Services

Language: English

ASIN: B0138NHCMO

Not willing to cope with Washington’s brutal winters, Kailani breaks up with restaurant owner Geoffrey and leaves her job to return home, returning to the warm weather and beauty of Hawaii, black sand, and the curling waves of the Pacific Ocean. In preparation to return, Kailani searches for employment and secures a position as personal chef to Lars Jorgensen, owner of Kaimana Surf Company, and his wife, Dr. Barbara Merriweather, on the West Coast of the Big Island in the district of North Kohala.

When she arrives, the Jorgensen’s house is beautiful, and this sous-chef is ill-prepared for what awaits beyond the lush tropical gardens of palm trees, midnight jasmine, red ginger, and pergola laden with hanging Jade. As Kailani settles in, a series of events begin to unfold that question the stability of the Jorgensen household. First, Lars and Barbie don’t seem to like each other much, which could have something to do with Barbie’s roaming eye.

When Barbie asks Kailani to make more nutritious meals to reduce her family’s craving for junk food, the kids dislike Kailani’s healthy cooking. Nevertheless, this is not the full scope of Kailani’s issues. As Geoffrey relocates to Hawaii to be with her, things start to become strange, and a body is discovered on the Jorgensens’ property.

I liked reading about the kinds of meals Kailani would make for the family because she is a chef, especially as she started to get inventive to convince the kids to eat healthily. I got a sense of Hawaiian culture through it.

I also like how the plot focuses on this one family. That gives the story a TV show feel, which I like. Whenever I put my Kindle down, I think about what I will read in tomorrow’s House of the Hanging episode. The Jorgensen’s are off the chain.

What’s really going on in the house with the hanging Jade?

Ratings:
Plot Movement / Strength: 4/5
Entertainment Factor: 4/5
Characterization: 5/5
Authenticity / Believable: 4/5
Thought Provoking: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4 / 5 stars

House of the Hanging Jade is available  now on Amazon!

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Be sure to contact this Best Selling Author at the links below!

Amy can be found online at the following places:

Website: www.amymreade.com

Blog: www.amreade.wordpress.com

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/8189243.Amy_M_Reade

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Amy-M.-Reade/e/B00LX6ASF2/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/AmyMReadesGothicFictionFans/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/readeandwrite

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/amreade

Instagram: www.instagram.com/amymreade

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Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – SICKER by Christa Wojo.

Title: SICKER – Psychological SICK Series Book Two

Author: Christa Wojciechowski

Print Length: 107 pages

Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1533513538

Publication Date: April 13, 2016

Language: English

ASIN: B01CWGKIL0

I’m amazed that John can be even sicker in book two of Christa’s psychological thriller than in the first book. If you’re new to this blog, you can read my review of book one in this series here.

In book one, we pick up where Susan Branch left off, having just learned the truth about her husband’s ongoing ailments. Because of these circumstances, she was deprived of a fulfilling marriage and a feeling of self. These ailments compromised the most private aspect of her: her thinking. A disease brought on by a sick person robbed her of what may have been.

John’s secret is so bizarre that Susan is caught up in a wrath that consumes her and is forced to question her own sanity. As a medical professional, how could she miss so many of the signs that revealed the true nature of her husband’s illness? How could such an illness, so much more superior than physical bruises, have gone unnoticed?

Sicker focuses on the source of John’s obsession as he recounts a childhood riddled with sadness, loneliness, and trauma.

While my first impression from the first book was that he was mentally unstable, book two offers much more insight, changing my initial judgments. As crazy as this sounds, I almost feel sorry for John. This book made me think about the importance of love in our lives. The need to feel loved and be loved is critical to our operation and balanced and healthy individuals. People denied the privilege of this love become the same people we deem crazy in mental institutions. The truth is, it doesn’t matter whether you grew up with a silver spoon in your mouth or a plastic spoon; everyone everywhere at some point in their lives needs love, without which we are no longer human beings and can, therefore, be driven to do unspeakable things.

Ratings:
Plot Movement / Strength: 5/5
Entertainment Factor: 4/5
Characterization: 4/5
Authenticity / Believable: 5/5
Thought Provoking: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5 / 5 stars

SICKER is available  now!

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Be Sure to Follow Christa Online:

Blog:  http://christawojo.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@christawojo

Facebook: Facebook.com /WebbellaChrista 

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Need a review? Apply for one here.

Meet a Book Reviewer

Wow, I’m truly honored! Special thank you to Linda for introducing me!

Linda G. Hill's avatar

I’m writing this quick post to introduce you all to Yecheilyah Ysrayl, a book review blogger, author, and all-round nice gal here on WordPress. It’s not just because she reviewed my novelette, All Good Stories, and gave it 5 stars, I’m writing about her because she gives great (and helpful) reviews. In a market so full, it’s hard to choose what to read, isn’t it? We really need reviews these days that go beyond the minimalistic, “I liked it,” to know what we’re investing our money in. Because money doesn’t grow on trees. Neither do books anymore, for that matter. (Sorry for the cheesy joke, I’ve been watching too much Stephen Colbert.)

If you’d like to check out Yecheilyah’s reviews, you can find a great example by clicking here. (Spoiler alert: it’s mine. It’s a really fantastic review!)

And even more importantly, if you’d like her to review YOUR…

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Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – All Good Stories by Linda G. Hill

Title: All Good Stories

Author: Linda G. Hill

Print Length: 62 pages

Publication Date: August 10, 2016

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Language: English

ASIN: B01JQWMQAE

Familiar with Linda through her blog, Life in Progress, I expected humor. What I didn’t expect was to finish the book in two hours. Everyone knows I love a good laugh, and Linda did not disappoint. All Good Stories is a romantic comedy about friends Jupiter and Xavier and takes place mostly at the bookstore where Xavier works. From the onset, we can tell there’s a bit more heart invested on Xavier’s part. The cute way Jupiter shortens his name, the way he dreams of being with her, and the added bonus of being her best friend.

However, Jupiter’s got a new novel. It wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t lead her to Bob the Blogger, a novelist and blogger obsessed with alliterations whose profile picture looks nothing like the real him. After a steamy three hours of commenting back and forth with Jupiter, Bob has agreed to critique her novel. He has written her three love poems with the added warning that he will not use the first letter of her best friends’ name (because he’s a Serial Alliterator and X just wouldn’t go well with his alliterations) and has given her his phone number.

Bob’s weirdness causes Xavier’s growing love and concern for Jupiter to thicken into a hilarious investigation. Plus, what’s Jupiter’s book about anyway?

I enjoyed the pacing of the read and that it continued toward the end. It’s a short read, but it didn’t need to drag on beyond what the author gave us. It’s like a literary treat if ever you’re waiting at the doctor’s office or airport and could use a good chuckle or two.

This book is not only a comedy but also has an important message. The seriousness of meeting people online and of rushed relationships has been the focal point of many books I’ve been reading lately. All Good Stories is definitely a good story and well-written.

Ratings:
Plot Movement / Strength: 5/5
Entertainment Factor: 5/5
Characterization: 4/5
Authenticity / Believable: 4/5
Thought Provoking: 4/5
Overall Rating: 5 / 5 stars

All Good Stories is available  now!

AND we’d like to give special highlight to Linda’s amazing Cover Artist Belinda Borradaile!

Check her out here!

Book Cover For Linda G HIll
Book Cover For Linda G HIll

Please also follow Linda on the web!

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For free short stories and poetry: https://lindaghillfiction.com

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Did you just write a book? In need of more reviews? Check out my book review policy here.

Reading to Write – Message for Aspiring Authors

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Earlier this week, as I scrolled through my email, I came across my girl Lisa’s Guest Blog Post  on the importance of having a good story line when writing erotica.First, I invite you to check out Lisa’s post (especially if you’re an Erotica writer) to get a better understanding of what I’m about to say. Lisa drew me in and nailed it. I’ll definitely be reading up on her upcoming series. Check her post out here.

One of the reasons I don’t review Erotica (I do read it occasionally, I just don’t review it) is because I’ve had bad experiences with Indie Author writers of this genre and not just Erotica but also Urban Fiction. Many of the writers who are emerging now showcase a variety of books that have bomb book covers and invite you in to read. Sometimes I just sit back and scroll through Google looking at book covers! They’re really nice. In fact, that’s what happened to me. This one cover was so enticing I just had to see what the book was about. Then, I got into the book and I’ve never been able to finish it. Needless to say, I was turned all the way off.

When I finished reading Lisa’s post a thought struck me, “They’re not reading.” It occurred to me that there are many people who write strictly from their own experiences and backgrounds, which is great no doubt, but is it enough? Are the stories really up to par? Or is it just that relatable aspect that we love and support? From a genuine writing perspective, are these books well written? Many of them are. But many of them are not.

I love how many of these books capture the gritty realness, but I’d be remised if I didn’t mention that I also see that something is missing. That missing link is reading. Many new writers, especially of Urban Fiction though not strictly UF, do not read books to write books.  In addition,  many of us are just not broadening our reading shelves. Many writers who write these books only read these kinds of books. This isn’t a bad thing but for writers, is this enough? The truth is no, it’s not. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy UF and applaud Urban Fiction’s impact on the increased reading of teens. Because of Street Lit, for instance, black teens are coming into libraries, checking out books, and increasing the number of books read.  However, for Indie Authors venturing into this genre reading books that are actually not well written, this provides for those readers no nurturing of the skill.

If you plan to write a book, it’s not enough just to read the kinds of books that you love. It occurred to me, after reading Lisa’s post, that there’s a host of young writers writing books who have never been readers and never plan to.

Note: There is NO such thing as being a writer who does not like to read. This is not judgement. This is fact. It is the same as saying that you like to teach elementary school but you don’t like children. How can you ever learn to write if you don’t read? Anyone can write and I encourage many young writers to do just that. However, to craft, a story of your own that is truly engaging will require you to study how other writers have done it. This can only be done by reading other writers.

Reading helps writers with:

Story Structure and Dialogue Tags

I didn’t learn about how to structure a basic story from a classroom, I learned it from a book. Writer’s don’t have to have a Masters in English or a Bachelors in Creative Writing. All we have to do is read more. It was books that taught me about dialogue tags before I knew what they were (not college). Sure, I didn’t know what it was called, but I did know how they were to be written.

“Writing in The Guardian, Dan Hurley pointed to recent studies confirming that the relationship between reading and intelligence is so close that it could be symbiotic. Listing out three types of intelligence most recognized by psychologists, Hurley stated that people who read overall performed better on all fronts.”

Why do you think brothers come home from Prison geniuses? All they did was read.

Plot

Speaking of story structure, a lot happens to a reader subconsciously that is then spilled into his / her writing. When a person reads, he or she is processing everything about that book to include the plot. You can learn how to write a good plot even if you haven’t been in school. Even if you knew nothing about the grammatical rules and even if you don’t understand it. Read more and you will learn from your teachers in ink: Authors.

Vocabulary

Study the language of the book and the style of the writer. Look at the vocabulary, how does the writer use the words? As a writer words are your everything anyway so you want to know how to use them. Don’t just read books to hurry up and finish them just so that you can say that you read it. Take your time with it so you can study it. Pay attention to what the author did with the words, how they made you feel, the symbolism, and multiple meanings. I have books I’ve been reading for a while now because I am studying them. I need to take my time and process how this bestselling author delivers.

Inspiration

I hear a lot about inspiration in the blogosphere but did you know that reading is the secret weapon of inspiration? Yes! Whenever you get writer’s block or can’t decide what to do next, read. It’ll jump start the creative juices. There is a way this works, though: As you read and come up with ideas, write them down! Remember, don’t just read, study what you read. Reading is the most powerful form of research for a writer.