Book Details:
Genre: supernatural/YA/coming-of-age
Publisher: StoneGate Ink
Publication Date: September 2011

Synopsis:

More than three months have passed since Arson and Emery were taken. Taken and then separated.

And experimented on.

Salvation Asylum is more like a prison than a psychiatric facility. Unknowingly, Arson has become a vital instrument in a campaign set to genetically alter mankind. Enraged, confused, trapped, and unable to fully manifest his abilities, he wonders if he will ever see Emery again. His new existence is one crawling with questions. Is Grandma alive? Where does the fire come from? Can he become more than a monster?

In Ashes, book two of the ARSON series, nightmare and reality collide as Arson must embrace what he is and the haunting realization that there may be others out there, others like him.

My thoughts: Fantastic follow up to “Arson!” The first chapter completely blew me away as did the entire second half of the book. Vega does a masterful job of describing things in a way where you feel you are there in the scene. His sensory imagery is wonderful.

The story itself was incredibly tense with the two main characters from the last book being separated and Emery’s father’s search for her. For me personally, after the first chapter, the pacing dragged a bit, but from the middle to the end, it grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let go. The end is jaw droppingly great and I definitely can’t wait for book three.

Author Bio:
Estevan Vega published his first book when he was fifteen, and his second followed shortly after. His fascination for the supernatural ignited a desire to write his third and most praised work to date, Arson. For those just joining, Ashes continues the turbulent story. Vega currently resides in Connecticut, where he is feverishly plotting the next chapter in the series. Get stoked.

Connect With Estevan:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Book Details:
Publisher: Ink Brush Press
Published:  October 1, 2011
Genre:  Fiction/Literary
Website: MyraMcLarey.com

Blurb:
The Last Will and Testament of Rosetta Sugars Tramble begins with the burning of a church under suspicious circumstances in Southwest Arkansas in 1988. But we are soon taken back to 1899 where the novel spends most of its time moving back and forth between Sugars Springs and Bethel, the twined black and white townships we came to know in Myra McLarey’s critically acclaimed Water from the Well. Through the magic of McLarey’s richly textured prose, we come to understand how the tribulations and triumphs of the people of those long ago days still resound in our lives.

My thoughts: This book definitely captures the essence of the time and setting in which it takes place. McLarey’s style is more like that of a conversation, like somebody telling you the story rather than reading it. The characters are deep and layered and you really do feel as if you are immersed in the story.

I particularly like how she starts the story in 1988 and then we are transported seamlessly back to 1899. Interestingly enough, the two eras don’t feel all that different from each other. The Bible quotes at the beginning of each chapter are also a nice touch and adds more to the feel of the story as well.

I was a little afraid I might be a little lost, since this story focuses on the two towns that were in one of her previous books, “Water From the Well,” (which I have not read yet), but McLarey does such a wonderful job of bringing the towns and people to life, I didn’t feel as though I’d missed anything.

The Last Will and Testament of Rosetta Sugars Tramble is available at Amazon.com. Click here.

Photo by Amilia McLarey

Author Info:

Myra McLarey grew up in southwest Arkansas listening to porch stories in the community where she was raised.  Years later, while doing course work on a doctorate in history, she conducted research in African-American history, concentrating, particularly, on Southwest Arkansas.  An award winning teacher, she has taught in public high schools, in a private high school, in community colleges, in two MFA programs (Emerson and UNH), at Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Finance, and at Harvard University. She currently lives in Nashville, TN, where she has discovered how hard it is to write a good country song.

Connect With Myra:
Facebook: Facebook
Website: MyraMcLarey.com

Book Details:
Publisher: AITE Publishing
Published: May 2011
Genre: Mystery Tourism
Website: Missing In Mexico

Blurb:
Sarah Johnson is a 19-year college freshman who, along with her roommate Mary, spent an extra week in Los Cabos, Mexico after a family vacation over the Christmas break. Unexpectedly, Sarah’s not on the plane back to Seattle, and her parents hire Stan, a seasoned Private Investigator, to locate her. Even with local help and some promising leads in the town of San Jose del Cabo, he’s unable to find her, and he returns to Seattle to inform the parents. Months later he receives a mysterious letter from someone who says she can help him locate Sarah, and he jumps on the next plane to Los Cabos. Will this be the lucky break he needs to find her? Or will she remain missing — Missing in Mexico?

Excerpt:

My thoughts: As you see from the excerpt above, Missing in Mexico starts off with a bang and was perfect to read at the beach.

Gustafson does an excellent job of showing the reader around San Jose del Cabo. He adds wonderful details about the area, including the shops and restaurants. You’d expect nothing less from “America’s International Travel Expert.” And I’d expect that anybody visiting the area who has read this book will get a little smile as they pass some of the landmarks or eat at some of the restaurants mentioned in the story. I know I was pretty tickled at the mention of one of the streets, Zaragoza, which was named for one of my distant ancestors!

The story, in my opinion, could have moved a little faster, perhaps been a little tighter. I also would have liked to see more depth to the investigator Stan Walkorski. (Awesome name for a P.I., by the way!)

That said, Gustafson did a great job of keeping the mystery going until the end, as well as tying up all the loose ends.

I’ve never read a book in the “Mystery Tourism” genre, but I hope to see more of them from Gustafson in the future.

Author Info:
Stuart Gustafson began writing in earnest after taking early retirement from the corporate world in 2007. His professional life involved travel and so it was natural for him to want to continue traveling once he didn’t have to travel as a job. Now when he travels, it’s for fun; it’s for pleasure; it’s to see new places in the world. The way he has chosen to combine his love of travel and writing is to write mystery novels set in exciting locations around the world where he likes to go.

His debut mystery novel Missing in Mexico is set in San Jose del Cabo at the tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, a charming location where he has spent 2-6 weeks each year for the past eight years. This is how Stuart researches his books, by immersing himself into the culture of the area, and getting to know the people and their charm. The best compliment Stuart has received was at a local event in San Jose del Cabo and some of the residents told him that Missing in Mexico was indeed about their town and would he please consider writing another book about San Jose or at least about Cabo.

His second mystery novel, set in Sydney, NSW, Australia, is already underway, and Stuart took five trips to Sydney in 2010 to conduct research of the area to once again ensure that the book, even though it’s a fictional mystery novel, would still contain authentic details. Publication date for that book is set for early 2012.

Stuart has been married for thirty-seven years to Darlene and they have one daughter and one son. Stuart and Darlene live in Boise, Idaho.

Connect With Stuart:
Facebook: Facebook
Twitter: Twitter

Tour Participants

Book Details:
Genre: supernatural/YA/coming-of-age
Publisher: StoneGate Ink
Publication Date: May 2011

Synopsis:
Arson Gable feels like a freak. He can create fire. He never asked for it. He never wanted it. But he can’t shut it off.

Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl–who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin–moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he’s never had: purpose. Using what he fears most about himself, Arson must face his consuming past and confront the nightmare that is his present as he walks the fine line between boy and monster. Dark, moody, and breathtakingly relevant, Arson, the chilling chronicle of an isolated boy with unimaginable ability, is sure to ignite the hearts and minds of a new generation.

Excerpt:

 My thoughts: Estevan Vega has incredible wordsmithing talent for somebody his age and I expect that will only get better. Arson contains some lovely descriptive passages that really help bring the story to life.

The characters themselves were well layered and dark, just the way I like them, though sometimes a bit erratic for my taste. They’re all dealing with some pretty heavy situations though, so who’s to say what’s “normal” as far as behavior.

Overall, Arson was an enjoyable read, I loved the cliffhanger ending and I expect that Vega will get better and better at his craft with each book. Keep an eye on this one!!

Author Bio:
Estevan Vega published his first book when he was fifteen, and his second followed shortly after. His fascination for the supernatural ignited a desire to write his third and most praised work to date, Arson. For those just joining, Ashes continues the turbulent story. Vega currently resides in Connecticut, where he is feverishly plotting the next chapter in the series. Get stoked.

Connect With Estevan:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Tour Participants

August 1-Review@The Musings Of A Book Addict

August 3-Guest Post@Tributes Books Reviews

August 4-Guest Post@The Top Shelf

August 5-Review@Gelati’s Scoop

August 8-Interview@Beyond The Books

August 9-Guest Post@The Calico Critic

August 10-Review@The Top Shelf

August 11-Guest Post@Stuff & Nonsense

August 12-Review&Guest Post@The Bookshelf

August 15-Review@Oodles Of Books

August 16-Guest Post@The Book Faery Reviews

August 16-Review@A Good Day To Read

August 17-Guest Post@Terri Forehand

August 18-Review@Coffee and a Keyboard

August 19-Spotlight@Suspense By Anne

August 23-Review@Hypnotically Entranced

August 24-Interview@Book Marketing Buzz

August 24th-Review@ Lady Lit Reviews

August 25-Interview@The Children’s & Teens’ Book Connection

August 26-Interview@Coffee and a Keyboard

August 30-Review@Romancing The Book(Valerie)

August 31-Review&Interview@Darlene’s Book Nook

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinions. I received no monetary compensation of any kind to provide my review.

Hey everybody! Happy Monday. Today, I’m thrilled to have a guest post by Blanca Beyer. Enjoy!!

There is undoubtingly an intrigue and curiosity that arises in many individuals when they hear that someone is “intuitively gifted or psychic; a seer or a knower of the past and future. Many admire these attributes and wish that they, too, could develop the abilities to be “this or that.” I say this or that because I humbly but boldly believe that we are all Everything that we can ever imagine to be and I also believe that we all possess the inherent ability to be seers and prophets.

Our ability to tap into a higher state of consciousness and knowingness is optimally and primarily developed when we are willing to become vessels for the subtler frequencies (channels if you may) that are very present in our fields and states of consciousness. It is much like having a television that is not connected to FIOS or Cable; if we do not have a connection, there is a limitation in the channels available. The channels are available but there is no reception to receive them.

Some individuals are born with a heighten sensitivity to the subtler frequencies that exist beyond our current realm of existence. This sensitivity is by no means an indication that some are superior to others or gifted in a special way. It is, however, a validation that some of us were garbed with the heightened awareness in order to utilize it as a means to assist humanity in discovering and unveiling their own unique attributes. Everyone possesses creative, divine energy and as such, everyone has unique attributes that are intended to be shared with the world. The garbs of creativity are unlimited and it does not matter whether we are gifted in a specific artistic way such as painting, singing, writing, cooking, creating, sewing, speaking, or simply just being. What is really important is for each of us to recognize the divine fuel of creative energy and to willing to share it with others.

How do we Develop and Harness Creative Energy?

We can optimally develop and learn how to harness an unlimited amount of knowingness when we:

• Fully cleanse and release emotional blockages and energies
• Honor our creative gifts and recognize them as portals of energy that must be shared
• Remove any Ego-driven energies and open ourselves to be humble vessels for the Divine
• Maintain a steady connection with the Higher Source and our Sacred Selves
• Share our creative gifts with love, responsibility and respect

Blanca Beyar is a beloved Guru and author who has devoted thirteen years to the calling of offering spiritual healing and inspired countless to unveil their spiritual essence and mission in life. She recently released her fifth book, “Goddess Mother Speaks,” a powerful yet loving dialogue from the Mother aspect of the God Force. Her book is available on Amazon.com. To learn more about Blanca, please visit her website at http://spiritascend.com

Today on Coffee and a Keyboard I’m reviewing “The Fear of God,” by B.A. Chepaitis. This is the sequel to her book “The Fear Principle” which I reviewed previously.

“The Fear of God” continues following Dr. Jaguar Addams, but this time, the stakes are even higher than in the previous story. In this novel, Jaguar must make a cult leader face her own fears. If she is unsuccessful, the cult is set to unleash horrifying destruction upon the world.

I found this book stronger than the first. The opening is incredibly gripping and suspenseful. It was nice to see the original set of characters from the first book and see how their relationships have evolved. There are also new characters obviously, who bring a lot of drama to the story, whether you’re actually rooting for them or not. Even more interesting was the timeliness of the story, which deals with the end times, since there has been recent talk from certain groups about the end times, etc.

Jaguar’s character is still as tough and intriguing as the first book, so fans of hers will not be disappointed. I also enjoyed the use of technology in this book, as Jaguar must set up a virtual reality Heaven in order to get at the root of the cult leader, Sadis’ fear.

Barbara’s website:   http://www.wildreads.com
Barbara on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=615302442
Jaguar on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jaguar-Addams-and-the-Fear-Series/135879429815445

“The Fear Principle” is the first in a futuristic series of books about Dr. Jaguar Addams. She works on the prison planetoids and her job is to rehabilitate the criminals who are imprisoned there by making them face their worst fears. In this book, Dr. Addams has just been assigned to her most challenging subject yet. Clare Rilasco. Clare is an assassin, and so far nobody has been able to make progress with her. Will Jaguar? Or will Jaguar be forced to face her own fears?

This is a quickly paced read that I’d recommend for any sci-fi fans. Jaguar is a very vivid and complex character and readers will definitely like her sharp wit and intelligence. I like a good strong female character and Jaguar is certainly that. So is Clare, which I liked too. It’s always good when the main character has a worthy foe. The way their relationship plays out is very well done.

I do wish that this book had more description of the world it’s set in. I think more description and more “showing” would have been wonderful and given the story an extra boost and really, truly immerse us into Jaguar’s world.

The story itself though is very original, engaging and suspenseful. The author did a great job of bringing the book to a satisfying close while still leaving the reader wanting more of the series.

The book tour for “The Fear Principle” continues for the rest of the month. Be sure and check out guest posts from the author and other reviews. See dates below.

To learn more about the book and author and to read an excerpt, click the banner below.

Remaining Tour Dates:

Friday, May 20th
Review at Fantasy Cafe
Review at Life in Review

Monday, May 23rd
Review at Melange of Cultures

Tuesday, May 24th
Guest Post at Life in Review
Spotlight at The Hot Author Report

Wednesday, May 25th
Interview at The Hot Author Report

Thursday, May 26th
Guest Post at The Hot Author Report

Friday, May 27th
Five Things Guest Post at The Hot Author Report
Guest Post at TBF Reviews

He packed up his life from a typical Washington D.C. suburb and moved to Borneo where he found new adventures and even better, love.

Sounds like a movie right? And it would be a great movie, except this is Tom Laughlin’s REAL life and you can take it all in, in  his book, “Borneo Tom:

In Story and Sketch: Love, Travel and Jungle Family in Tropical Asia.”

The concept interested me from the start. Here’s a guy with grown children, chucking it all and moving to not only a new place, but a new country, an entirely different culture. Most people dream of it, but would never dare.

The book is a series of different stories, each with an accompanying illustration by a well known artist in Kuching, Water Front Niki. It’s hard not to be charmed by the stories and the pictures that go with him. I found myself several times smiling, laughing and just getting lost in Tom’s story. Part of the reason the book is great is because it introduces several aspects of Malaysian culture that most people will never get to experience. For that reason alone, this is a great read and I highly recommend it.

Besides the great stories and illustrations, Borneo Tom is also a book with a heart. A part of the proceeds from this book will go to help save the endangered Orangutan, so please do yourself a favor and check it out.

You can read more about Tom, Borneo and the Matang Wildlife Center at www.borneotom.com.