Monday, October 27, 2014

Air Riders Review and Author Spotlight

REVIEW
Air Riders is written by Echo Fox and is book 3 in the Equilibria Series.  It is featured around the main character of Tai who is from a race of people that live in harmony with the wind. 

The Zephyrus build things with wind, create wind weapons from any semblance of a sound and live in a world with two other races.  There are the less flying creatures known as the Daiku who seem to resemble some sort of flying reptile that are a defensive breed by nature.  Then there are the ground bound Riku who are described as fast and reptilian like  that will attack either Daiku or Zephyrus for food if they are within reach. 

Air Riders starts out with a Prologue that shows us the character of Aiko going through an intense defensive and emotional time.  As I woman I felt for Aiko and was intrigued by her as a character.  This prologue painted a picture of her which would stick with me through at least the first third of the book.  Following the prologue we are immediately introduced to Tai, who is a young up and coming leader in the Hunting Wing who has proven his skills in hunting and earned much respect.  He is pledged to bond with a beautiful Zephyrus from the Teaching Wing named Keiko. 

Tai lives and breathes his hunting wing and can only be distracted by his love for Keiko.  The Daiku have all of a sudden begun attacking the Zephyrus, which leaves me as a reader quite suspicious and also throw the entire lives of the Zephyrus into chaos.  Tai must do all that is in his power to defend his love and his people from succumbing to the attacks coming from the Daiku, but more importantly those coming from within his own people. 

I did not read the first two books and initially I thought that they may have answered some of the questions that I had within Air Riders, however as I have looked into them, they seem to overall be standalone books about entirely different races and main characters with only an end game lead up in common.  With that being said I want to talk about the few negative aspects I felt were found within Air Riders.  There were many things that were described that seemed to need to be assumed by the reader, whereas I would have liked to have gotten a better grasp on things.  For instance, the other Zephyrus, there was not much talk about their living arrangements, how they would communicate across distance and what would happen to them during the coming together of the battle.  I also was never able to fully grasp just how many people we were talking about.  In a way, I found some of the Zephyrus qualities akin to Native Americans had they held mythological beliefs.  Although many of the Daiku and Riku are talked about, it was hard to get a really clear picture of exactly what they would look like, for me anyway.  Lastly I felt as if they Zephyrus were a bit TOO ignorant and unquestioning of anything going on or of all the people who wound up missing.

Brilliant points to this novel will first start with the sheer genius possessed by Echo Fox in her creation of many aspects of this world.  The air elements and how many things that she utilizes them within her story were wonderful.  It was nice to use a familiar religion base that was not overbearing but still was able to shed light onto some of the beliefs and culture of the Zephyrus.  Tai and Keiko was real, as was the pain that was felt by Aiko in the rare moments that it was glimpsed.  The end held a big shocker for me and I definitely found myself with tears in my eyes.  Echo did a superb job of creating relatable characters with real personalities.

Overall I give this book 4/5 stars.  It was definitely a wonderful read, it could use a tad bit of extra explanations within the story for lesser aspects but overall it is a solid good book.  I would love to read the first two books in the series as well as any that follow.  I highly recommend her writing style and her genuine sense of great story telling.  This book held aspects for any interested in fiction, mythology, fantasy, romance, suspense, mystery, young adult, etc. 

Author Spotlight
Synopsis of the book:


Tai is in love and he wants to fly across the mountain shouting it to the skies. He is ready to share his life with Keiko, when a strange event turns his world upside down.

The Daiku, long-time prey of Tai’s tribe of Zephyrus, start fighting back. With the whole tribe in danger from the reptilian creatures that roam the dark forest below, Tai must put all his knowledge of hunting to the test to help safeguard his people.

With the Daiku becoming an ever more erratic threat, control of the hunters is given to a fast-rising star of the Hunting Wing, Aiko, and for a while all seems to be going to plan. The Daiku can be defeated and Tai can finally live his life with Keiko.

However, is everything as it seems? Is Aiko really the Zephyrus’ salvation? Or will Tai need to gamble everything – and everyone – he loves for the greater good?

Excerpt:

Tai closed his eyes and was transported back into his memory. He remembered the rush of cold air over his shoulders, pressing against his head as he rose through the hair. He was following Keiko,
upwards, towards the Ororan undulating through the sky above the mountains.



Keiko dipped through the gossamer curtain, the waves of light flickering over her skin and casting rose pink tones to her hair. A glimmer of soft sea foam green swept over her shoulder as she glanced
back over her shoulder at Tai.

‘Race you!’ she called.


Tai grinned and summoned a wind to bear him along but before he could gain on her, she flipped; diving deep into the curling colours, riding the air faster and faster, disappearing from view behind
a deep purple wave of light.

Blinking in shock at her speed, Tai shook his head in wonder and then jumped onto the back of the wind he had summoned.  Whooshing through the air, Tai clashed through the delicate ripples of
colour. He raced along on the wind, glimpsing the ground in the distance as he flew above. 


Every other second or so he caught a glimpse of Keiko’s long white blond hair whipping fast around a pattern of deep pink or coloured pale green as she dove alongside a curtain of moving light. She
was so fast!

Tai felt an exhilaration bursting in his chest, he was smiling so widely he could feel his cheeks begin to ache in the cool air rushing over his face. His own white hair flickered around his neck and
back as he flew. He wondered briefly what they would look like to anyone down below.

-How did you make Hunter when you’re so slow?- Keiko’s voice snickered joyfully in his ear as she darted over a shimmering wave of lilac. She laughed, he could hear that without her pushing her voice to his ear, and blew him a kiss.


Determined to catch her; Tai stopped chasing and dropped through the light like a stone. He plummeted down, feeling his adrenaline spike as he went into free fall through the glimmer. Catching
himself in a bundle of warm air, Tai eyed the wheeling and dipping Ororan above him and spied Keiko following the movements of the light ahead of him. Sneakily, he flew straight underneath the colours, watching to see where the next ripple would place Keiko.

Smiling, he rose up through the air and appeared directly in front of her, catching her startled face just before she crashed into him.


He wrapped his arms around her, holding them both still in the air as she pummeled his shoulder.

‘You cheated! Couldn’t catch me after all, huh?’ she squealed, laughing.

‘What do you mean I cheated?’ sputtered Tai. ‘I think you’ll find I’m the one who tracked you down and caught you. And that’s why I made Hunter.’

She curled into his chest, allowing him to carry both of them through the soft streams of colour as they descended back to the ground. Tai alighted and started to stoop, to put Keiko back on her feet
but she stopped him. Her hand crept up his arm and caressed the side of his face and they looked at each other.


Tai saw himself reflected in her violet eyes as she leaned forward and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. Tai felt his heart race and he hugged her tighter.

‘I think I may be falling in love with you Tai.’ whispered Keiko in his ear.

He smiled and kissed her again.


‘I know I’m in love with you.’ he murmured. ‘Absolutely, irrevocably, in love with you.’

Buy Links:

Amazon Amazon UK 

About the Author:

Echo Fox lives in a sleepy town in the south of England with her partner and supremely fluffy cat. She studied Classics and Archaeology at university and is forever inspired by the myths and legends of the past. Echo finds the best writing fuel is freshly baked cookies and she is always 100% more productive on a sunny day.

Connect with the Author:

Giveaway:


Win a $20 Amazon gc (open internationally) or an arrow charm necklace (restricted to residents of the USA or UK). This giveaway will run 10/1/14 – 10/29/14. Enter through Rafflecopter
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Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Musician, Heal Thyself

Musician Heal Thyself is written by Annette Toenjes and is an open-minded self-healing book with a main focus on Chronic Fatige Syndrome (CFS).

Annette did a brilliant job of allowing the reader into her confidences and bravely sharing some of her experiences as she battled with CFS. I also commend her for taking the time to compile so many experts and information on the subject matter.

Personally I was especially drawn to the sections that dealt with self-healing in the form of meditation and hypnotherapy. I felt as if both Annette and the included experts did a great job of opening the door for further dialogue, as well as providing a taste and additional resources, which in many cases included the opportunity to test out methods for a free trial to see if it may be a right fit for the reader.

I loved that although the focus of this book was focused upon CFS, that it could be useful to anyone that needs self-healing for any ailment, mental or physical in their life. I don’t think that we can ever have enough tools or options in the search for always being the healthiest and most efficient version of ourselves.

Although I personally do not suffer from CFS, I could see how given the current society that we live in and how much stress we place upon ourselves in our daily lives, that many of us may not be too far from encountering CFS-like symptoms or ailments. Better stress management is useful for everyone.

My only negative comments are that there were a couple of expert sections that got a little dry for me, but may be very enlightening and interesting to someone that was actually suffering from CFS. Overall, I feel as though Annette did a wonderful job of presenting the facts, information, possible solutions in a quick, easy to read format.

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars, and would definitely recommend it, in part or in whole to anyone looking for self-healing, higher level of consciousness, and for a great opening reference guide to CFS, and any associated healing methods.

*I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

You can also read the review I wrote on Annette's awesome children's book:  What if Grandma Didn't have a Nose?

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Girl Spins A Blade

Girl Spins a Blade is written by Jacques Antoine and is the 4th book in the Emily Kane short story series.  It was originally published under the title: The High Road to the Mountain Gods.  It featured (surprise) Emily Kane, who is looking for spiritual renewal among the Buddhists of Nepal. 

This book was my first introduction to Emily Kane.  I was able to enjoy this book, however I definitely prefer NOT to start in the middle of the series, as there were some passages that talked about previous events that I had no knowledge of .  Otherwise, this book did a great job as stand-alone read.  It started out with great momentum and my biggest confusion was picking up in the middle of the story at the beginning, but it caught me up quickly and I was able to enjoy the rest of the novel. 

This is a short story that I would love to see combined with the other short stories into a complete anthology of Emily Kane.  Jacques definitely has a skill for writing and he does a great job of bringing Emily and the ancillary characters to life.  The scenes are described in detail, when needed, and I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the statues and temples at Katmandu. I did find myself craving more detail about the atmosphere within the Buddhist temple.  I am not sure if this was done intentionally to  leave an air of wonder or if it was left off.  Either way it didn't detract from the scene. 

Being that it is a short story, it definitely moved quickly a covered a lot of ground.  It would be awesome to see such a great story expounded upon into a full on novel.  Once you have written multiple short stories about the same character I would love to see it all put together.

Emily definitely stands up as an empowered female character.  I don't really understand where she got her training or mind control (I assume this was explained in previous books), but it is nice to see her take responsibility for Sonam.  She is supposedly possessing goddess-like qualities, and one may even reside in here.  There was some mention of a grandmother (that I think must have come from one of the previous stories).

I loved the detail that was put into cultural aspects as well as dress of the Nepalese culture.  Although it was hard to gauge the amount of time that was spanned throughout the book, it was great to see Emily taken in by the people and even have one of them want to arrange a marriage for her.  Given the way that her violent spirit seemed to find a shared interest, it would have been nice to get to know this new beau better as a character. 
 
Overall I give this book 4/5 stars.  IT was well written and an interesting and unique story.  Although you can still enjoy it on it's own, I would highly suggest getting the blanks filled in by reading the previous 3 short stories.  It was only 47 pages long, so it is great for a quality short story read.  I would love to read the previous stories and any that come after this one as the author has created a character I enjoy reading about.  Great for anyone who enjoys reading Asian, Eastern, Nepalese, fiction, woman empowering, fantasy, martial arts, Buddhism, spirituality, etc books. 

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Orange Brandy Pork

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love pork.  So what is better than to mix some delicious brandy into your pork?  Enjoy this succulent and easy recipe!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Butter (Unsalted)
3 Pork Loins
Seasoning (Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt, Basil, Thyme)
1 Carrot (Outside peeled off and then peel the rest of the carrot down to the core)
2/3 Cup Orange Juice
1/3 Cup Grand Marnier

Directions:
Add the butter into a heavy bottom skillet. Season the pork generously and add to the butter.  Cook until barely pink in the center (about 4 minutes per side).   Transfer the pork to a plate and cover. 
Add the carrot to the skillet and saute over medium heat until softened (about 4 minutes).  Add the orange juice and liquor and scrape up and remaining bits on the bottom of the pan and cook for 1 minute.
Return the pork and any remaining juices to the skillet until heated all the way through.  Serve the pork with carrot on top and sauce spooned over.  Enjoy.

Add the seasoned pork to the skillet
Saute' the carrot slices
Add the remaining ingredients
Bring the pork back to the sauce
Serve & Enjoy!

Friday, October 17, 2014

Liar Liar

Liar Liar is written by J. A. Coffey and Julianne Floyd and is the first book in the Sexy Southerners Series.  It is about a fraud examiner named Jessica Barlow...  Jessica also happens to be single and has dabbled in a dating site or two.  On her first solo case, she is tasked with investigating the fraud of the exact same dating site that she is currently registered with.

I just have to say that this was one of the most fun and entertaining reads that I have encountered in a long time.  It is definitely ranking up there as one of my top guilty pleasure books.  The flow of the book was fantastic, the dialogue and descriptions were titillating.  The view point of an outsider looking in as opposed to in-character narration worked superbly for this book. 

The main character Jessica sat very well with me as I could see myself in her many times over as someone having used dating sites with mediocre luck and worse luck with the men that I have dated in the past.  I also loved that the getaway resort was in Montana, as I myself am from Montana.  The headquarters are in Texas and I currently reside in Texas.  There were just so many uncanny similarities that made this book closer to me.  Matteo was definitely a wonderful sexy addition as the supporting character of this book. 

Coffey was very in tune with her writing of any teasing or sex scenes, but there was one in particular that stood out to me.  I must commend her on writing one of the most descriptive, steamiest foreplay scenes that I have ever encountered in my entire adult reading time.  Even had the whole book been crap it would have been worth it just for the picnic scene alone after whitewater rafting.  However, don't let that make you think that this book is ALL about sex.  It is not, it is about finding the ability to trust someone enough to be open enough to them to be able to experience such highs with someone else, and to find the ability to heal after mass destruction of one's heart. 

The characters were well described and personified and it was easy to relate to them as actual people (especially for me).  There may have been a couple of slightly cheesy moments when Matteo (Matt) is pouring it on a little think in his descriptions of Jessica, but the book was so damn good that it was easy to overlook and you didn't even care, you just went with it.  This is the sign of truly amazing writing skill.  Some people just have this ability to make a story flow even if not every little detail is perfect.  That is the TRUE art of story telling.

I give this book and obvious 5/5 stars as it has high re-readability value and is also the first in a series, which I cannot wait to read the next book.  The book that I was gifted had an except from the beginning of the next book and I already read it twice and need to get into it ASAP!  This book is definitely for MATURE audiences and if you are not comfortable with sex scenes than you are first of all missing out, and second of all may want to shy away from this one.  It is a book full of romance, woman empowerment, fiction, sex, and chick lit (I still don't really get what that really pertains to, but it sounds good here, so I am going to go with it.)  Although female readers may be more attracted to this one, my male readers could learn a thing or two from a few parts of the book. 

*I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

The Glass Heart Girl

Book Review

The Glass Heart Girl is written by Michelle Diana Low and is a book about statutory rape and the painful recovery process that Alena goes through in order to find a way to open her heart up completely to the man that she loves years later.  

The concept of this book is very exemplary and the base of the story is definitely well done.  Unfortunately I spent a lot of time, especially in the first third of the book wondering why so many common words that could have been used were instead interchanged with weird sounding thesaurus words.  There is a scene in which Alena and Phillip first meet and are kissing and it’s calling their mouths orifices…  I wasn’t sure if I should be picturing myself in a laboratory or in a porno….  I kept thinking back to the movie “10 Things I Hate About You” and how the counselor Miss Perky was trying to write an erotic romance novel and coming up for different names for sexual parts.   

I feel like there is definitely a wonderful story in here, but it is still in need of some major editing.  Alena’s trauma that she is going through when described is very realistic and believable when she is in her mind reliving past memories.  This part of the writing was superbly done.  Also the romance with Philip was a bit over the top and seemed geared for a younger possibly immature mindset, but this could tie into the sexual trauma that can be a result of how many people’s minds in love do not fully progress past the point of sexual trauma without healing, if ever.  

What was the biggest negative for me in this book was the way that Alena would sexualize and describe herself with such confidence one second and then immaturely cry and shut down and refuse to talk to Philip about anything.  I felt that there were two different people here and two different story lines that weren’t completely syncing up in a believable manner.  Then you throw in the in love with my friend vibe from the roommate Becca.  I get that the title of the book is glass heart girl, but there was no need to keep constantly saying that she had a glass heart, it did start to get a little old.

Most positive aspects of the book for me were that the characters are all wonderfully described in that you can see them in your mind as people and they have real human emotions, not just words on a page.  The trauma in Alena’s mind and the flashbacks again were wonderfully written and Michelle obviously has skill in this department.  

Overall I find myself giving this book a 3.5/5 stars.  I wanted to love it so much, but it felt so raw to be still.  The flow was constantly being interrupted for me.  The immature feel of the relationship would have been more believable if this would have been a book about a younger girl in high school as opposed to a college age woman (in my humble opinion).  Throw away the thesaurus and let your own words flow!  This got better as the story progressed, but in the beginning it really was breaking up the natural flow of the writing of the story.  There is no need for constant renaming of regular body parts such as mouths into orifices, it just sounds weird.  I would definitely read more by Michelle in the future and would love to see this book finely polished and to read more from her as she develops as an author.  If you are into romance, young adult, sensitive topics, real-life issues, fiction, this book is for you.






Blurb:

On the surface Alena has a wonderful life – she’s a bubbly, vivacious 20 year old woman enjoying university with bestie, Becca, her quirky Californian housemate and Phillip, her amazing boyfriend. But beneath all that happiness there is pain, a despairing sorrow and a heart cut so deep that it might never heal.   She is a wounded woman, psychologically trapped between two worlds – a realm of darkness and desolation and a life of love, hope and freedom. The man, who controlled, manipulated and mistreated her as a child, is a malignant shadow – a dangerous spectre lurking in the backdrop, who is hell-bent on destroying and consuming her. But now she must find the strength to fight for liberation. Banish the demons forever and embrace true love, before she is devoured by the spirits of yesterday.    This is a powerful and riveting story of one young woman’s courage, bravery and determination to overcome a distressing and traumatic childhood and welcome a new life with the man she truly loves.



Excerpt:

Chapter 3

The Heartthrob

A tall, dark, handsome guy breezes into my dorm room, his long brown  cardigan swooping across the scope of the generous space. I’m sitting on my bed, eyes closed, heart open, feeling the coolness of his sexy ambiance rushing onto my face. It feels refreshing, delightful, satisfying. Slowly, I ease my eyes open halfway, and my glance moves to the doorway, where the presence of an ebony shadow stands proudly, absorbing the light from the corridor. It makes me feel weak in the knees, like a damsel in distress whose superhero has come to rescue her from the tedium of uni life: studying, essays, exams and heavy assignments. My face brightens, and I welcome the distraction.

Quickly, my eyes fully open; my heart races. I know who this sexy 20-year-old guy is. I am so happy he has come. I cannot breathe for a few moments, and I push my hands firmly into the bed, leaving a dent, my imprint of love, in the malleable covers. I lift my body up vertically with these sturdy hands, and swing my bottom, back and forth, using the strength of my body weight to keep me balanced. I stare deep into his eyes, rendering him speechless at the sight of my light acrobatic performance. I’m excited! He knows it. He can see my enthusiasm shining through my eyes.

I am completely stimulated by this luscious visitor, and I can see  his eyes  nearly bursting with fervour. He wants to touch me, I can tell.  But he is much too far away to do more than enjoy my body from a distance. He licks his lips, staring readily at my breasts, nature’s  kind gift to men. I move into his line of vision like an ocean’s soft, iridescent current, and moisten my thin, red lips, desperate for him to come closer. Slowly, teasingly, he ambles towards me, his custom-made jeans with diamond studs at the sides hanging loosely down, sagging at the bottom. The waistband of his blue Calvin Klein boxer shorts is clearly visible, more than adamantly insisting on his sexual prowess.


Buy Links:

Please note: All who want to pre-order need to register first on BNBS – www.britainsnextbestseller.co.uk. Once they register, they can make their order. When readers pre-order the book, they can opt to become supporters, by ticking (checking) the relevant box on the pre-order page. If they do this, they will then be listed as a supporter – their name is added to the supporter list, which is visible to all who go on the page.

Britain’s Next Bestseller



About the Author:

I was born in East London and have lived there most of my life. I started writing stories at six and have enjoyed writing ever since. In 2005 I graduated from Roehampton University and it is then that I found my literary voice. I began writing professionally in January 2014, when my novel ‘Heaven Calls For An Angel’, was published by a digital publisher. I wrote this book as a tribute to a friend who sadly died of cancer. My latest novel, The Glass Heart Girl, I published as an indie author at first. But then I got discovered by a publisher and I am on the verge of landing a book deal.

Connect With The Author:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Giveaway:

Enter to win one of five autographed posters of The Glass Heart Girl!  Open internationally. The giveaway will run 10/12/14 – 10/19/14. To enter, simply leave a blog comment on the tour post, and please make sure to include a valid email address! Winners will be randomly selected and contacted by the author after the tour is over for delivery. To increase your chances of winning, simply follow the tour and comment at each stop.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

September 2014 Playlist

Here are some songs that affected me in one way or another during the month of September.  Enjoy my eclectic taste!



1. Requiem for a Dream- Jennifer Thomas: This song came on a lot last month and it stood out to be every time.  I know that this is a remake but I think that she does such a spectacular job.

2. Accidentally in Love-Counting Crows: With the news of the new Counting Crows album, and listening to Disney kids Pandora a lot, I just couldn't leave Counting Crows off.  

3. Fearless-Colbie Calliat: You can just feel the heartbreak in this song.  I just love Colbie.

4. Again-Lenny Kravitz:  I have always had a huge crush on Lenny and his re-emergence into my life through the Hunger Games made me so happy to hear this song, which was always great to begin with.

5. Renegade-Styx: How can you not love this song and want to rock out any time that you hear it.  If you fall into that category than I don't know why you are on my page anyway ;)

6. Shatter Me-Lindsey Stirling feat Lizzie Hale: I love everything about this song, the lyrics, the violin, the music video!  Stands out as such a great one!  "Somebody shine a light, I'm frozen by the fear in me. Somebody make me feel alive, And shatter me"

7. Stop Draggin' My Heart Around-Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty: Such a wondrous collaboration!  Just love their voices together.  Great song.

8. Warrior Concerto-Glitch Mob: I seriously love Glitch Mob, although I feel like they could have shortened the intro of the song, the rest of it is so badass that it makes it work listening to.

9. Feeling Good-Michael Buble': I am seriously in love with Michael Buble', he makes everything in life better and reminds you that hope exists.  Plus this is a great confidence boosting song that makes you saunter across your living room floor.

10. All I Have-Jennifer Lope feat LL Cool J: I have always loved this song.  Sometimes when enough is enough, you just have to walk away.  

11. You Can't Hurry Love-The Supremes: So I went through an old music kick last month, but you can't argue that this isn't an awesome song and still applicable.

12. Waking Dream-Natalie Walker: I just love how haunting this song is.

13. Spectrum-Zedd feat Matthew Koma: This was the first song that I ever heard of Zedd and I was hooked.  I can still remember the first time I saw this video and how weird it is and also how fitting it it's old weird way it is with the song.

14. Maria, Maria-Santana ft Wyclef Jean: Santana is just so talented and awesome!  This song will always be a great one.

15. Shake It Out-Florence and the Machine: The lyrics are always synced up with moments in my life.  I love you FATM!  We all need to spring clean our lives from the past and "shake it out", move on.

16. Give Me Everything-Pitbull feat Ne-Yo & Nayer: This song always makes me feel upbeat and dancey!  Pitbull just has that charisma and swagger in his smile, I love it!  Plus there is also something about a guy that calls your "dahling"

17. Turn Me On-David Guetta feat Nicki Minaj: I so love David Guetta, and this video will always be one of my favorites.  I just love the building of the mannequin that is brought to life and all that it could symbolize. 

18. Sarajavo-Blackmill: Blackmill just dominates every song that they put out.  They always stand out to me no matter what I am doing, I instantly stop and look at my Pandora and it's Blackmill being awesome agian.

19. Cups (When I'm Gone)-Anna Kendrick: Liam freaking loves this song, and it is catchy and I like it now too.  We sing it together at loud volume in the car :)

20. Now We Are Free-Lisa Kelly/Gerard: I LOVE this song, and it is from the grand movie Gladiator.  Such a beautiful Celtic melody.

21. Shimmer-Fuel: This was always my favorite Fuel song!  I love everything about it!

22. Beauty is Her Name-Dru Hill: Great R & B by Dru Hill, makes me miss good music.

23. Years of War-Porter Robinson feat Breanne Duran: Such a great song to listen to.

24. I Choose You-Sara Bareilles: Somehow Sara has taken over one of my stations, and I have gotten to hear a lot of her songs that had never crossed my ears before and I am loving it.  This song is a great representation of a lot of her awesome.  Love the lyrics.

25. Happy-Pharell: You just can't listen to this song and NOT be happy.  Liam and I love it as a pick me up, dance around the house kind of song.

26. Sorrow-Flyleaf: Flyleaf is great at exploring a range of emotions!  I just love Lacey's voice and I am sad to hear the she decided to leave the band, but becoming a mom can change your life priorities for sure.

27. Never Too Late-Three Days Grace: I seriously need to make an entire station dedicated to Three Days Grace!  Always great music.  Always nice to think that you can make new choices and it's never too late.

28. Shake It Off-Mariah Carey:  You really do just need to shake it off sometimes, and move on.

29. You Make Me Feel-CobraStarShip feat Sabi: I love Cobra Starship and this song is fun! "I'm known for taking what I think I deserve, and you're over due"

30. Love Somebody-Maroon5: This song always makes me want to be in love.  It's been so long since anyone make me feel this way.  The older I get I start to wonder if it's even possible anymore.


Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Spotlight on Jennifer Ott








About the Book:

Quote:



“You and I are now time itself, not just the city,

The whole world is taking part in our decision.

We are more than just the two of us now.

We embody something.

We are sitting in the People’s Square

And it’s full of people with the same dream as ours.

We define the game for all.

I’m ready.”
Wings of Desire

Wim Wenders

Peter Handke

 

Blurb:
From the outside, starlet Olivia Hammond has it all—fame, fortune and a Hollywood hunk boyfriend. No one suspects her rising self-doubts and anxieties. In order to escape the realities of her chaotic world, she dives into an Oscar quality role of a young woman trapped in the horrors of postwar Berlin. It is here that Olivia feels most comfortable.

Her real and fictional lives collide when the director casts Dimitri Malakhov, a Russian porn star, as her costar. She immediately fears her image and reputation will be tainted. Personally and professionally, she must face what frightens her most—exposing herself, her fears, her imperfections and her desires to the world.

The experience of filming the movie with Dimitri and being on location in Berlin destroys her prejudices and judgments. It shatters all her illusions and perceptions. When liberated from her own confines, her life and love truly shine.


Manchmal das Herz muss zerstört werden, um zu heilen.
Sometimes the heart needs to be broken in order to heal.
Excerpt:

Wings of Desire

The theater was surprisingly crowded for a weekday afternoon. Olivia wondered if the patrons were tourists or Berliners. From the voices, she heard they were mostly native. Olivia paid for their tickets. Dimitri bought a round of beers and the two found seats in the darkened theater.

Both were sullen and quiet as other people entered to watch the movie. Olivia listened to the soft German whispers. She glanced at Dimitri, who seemed a mile away. There was no doubt his mind was on Daniella. It had to be the worst feeling, making love to a man knowing he loved another woman. Guilt, shame and overwhelming disappointment shrouded her once liberated mood.

Soon after the movie began, Olivia started to cry, but it wasn’t the movie. She felt as though she was watching her own life. Why am I me?  Why am I not you? Who am I? The questions were so complex, yet so simple. If the questions were so simple, why are they so hard to answer?

She didn’t remember when sadness annexed her life, but she was able to see it in pictures and hear it in her voice. She became crass and blunt. What was it that made me this way? Was it really Trent? I care for him. He is a good man. Is it movies? Is it the fans, the media? There was really no one she could blame her angst on; it just existed inside her. Numbness arose when there was no release. Sex became unfulfilling. The limelight ceased to excite. Designer gowns did not differ from ten-dollar rags. The movies she made no longer inspired.

Wings of Desire character Marion struck her deeply—the winged beauty on the trapeze. She flew so high and with ease for everyone to admire, but inside she was haunted by sadness and fear. No one saw her pain; she never showed it, yet every performance she thought of letting go and falling to her death. Every performance was a near act of suicide. This is my life, Olivia thought.

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About the Author:


 
Inspiration comes from watching way too much Monty Python.  The abstract and the absurd way of looking at normal life, not only offers humor, but questions many problems in society in a light-hearted manner. If we can laugh at ourselves, if we can laugh at life, problems do not seem quite so difficult to tackle.  In fact, problems are not as complicated as they seem; everything is very simple. If you can laugh atit, write about it and read about it, most likely one would think about it.

Author Jennifer Ott has written several satire fiction, Wild Horses, The Tourist and two non-fiction books Love and Handicapping and Ooh Baby Compound Me! She recently published, Serenidipidus and Edge of Civilization. She also is the host of the SuperJenius Internet Radio show on Artist First radio Network.


Jennifer Ott lives in Long Beach, California, enjoys the sun, the sand, the surf and lots of Mexican food.


Connect With Jennifer Ott:


Twitter
Pinterest
Website
The Super Jenius Show
Youtube

Giveaway:

There are two giveaways on this tour! Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card through Rafflecopter. Open internationally! Then, enter to win one of two print copies of A Soul To Shine through Goodreads! This giveaway is restricted to residents of the US, UK, Australia and Canada. The giveaways will run the length of the tour.



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A Soul To Shine by Jennifer Ott

A Soul To Shine

by Jennifer Ott

Giveaway ends October 10, 2014.
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