Total Pageviews

Sunday 28 April 2013

Home Wrecker by Brenda Perlin

Title: Home Wrecker
Author: Brenda Perlin
Pages: 274
Genre: Fiction



Description
 Home Wrecker is the first book in a three part series that follows the main character, Brooklyn throughout her childhood, adult life and then what seems like an “endless” journey towards redemption for her and her new love interest, Bo.
Brooklyn and Bo, each unhappily married to someone else, have to decide whether to stay with their spouses or give up everything for each other. What would Brooklyn's husband and Bo's soon-to-be ex-wife do to break them up?



When I first started reading my copy of "Home Wrecker" by Brenda Perlin, I thought it would be one of those books where they describe there lives, stretching it out to seem like some horrible dull life with misshapes and miseries. Turns out it wasn't. It was real. Good things happened. Bad things happened. But this book was overall well written. Brenda didn't complain at all, and sometimes even blamed herself a little when something happened to her. The first part of the book was more of a biography of her life, and the second part was a bit more entertaining. It was explaining her life. I really did enjoy it! And, I certainly cannot wait for the sequel! I give this book 5 out of 5 book-o-saur paws.

Meaning: To me, this book kept telling me that when life get's hard, you have to keep moving and fight for what you really want in life; in this case, love.


Here is a little more about Brenda:


Bio 
Brenda Perlin was born in Los Angeles, California in the Sixties. She studied acting and photography after high school. Later, her true passion was ignited when she became interested in health and fitness and became a fitness instructor. At twenty-nine she started writing Home Wrecker during the time she was getting married. She put her story down shortly after the wedding and didn’t pick it back up until she was forty-six and going through a divorce.
She now resides in Orange County, California.
If THAT wasn't enough about her, then check out our interview!



  • Me: What inspired you to write "Home Wrecker"?

  • Brenda: Hello Alex! Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I appreciate your kindness!
    I really started writing my story when I was getting married and was frustrated over all the silly details that went along with a wedding. That was over 16 years ago. I put my story away in a drawer and had not looked at it until years later when I was going through a nasty divorce. That was when everything changed and so did my story. I then picked it back up and the whole plot changed.

  • Me: Interesting. How do you feel about people reading all about your life?

  • Brenda: In a way it has set me free. Since Home Wrecker is such an open and honest account of my life I no longer have ANYTHING to hide. My private life is out there and in a way it makes me feel lighter. I worry less about being judged because I realize it doesn’t matter what other people think as long as I am happy and being true to myself.

  • Me: Wow. I would never be comfortable with that.

  • Brenda: I think that is because you are young. I would have felt the same way you do. Now it is liberating. See, something good does come with age. I am not sure if it is wisdom but it is certainly life experience that helps one grow.

  • Me: Wow.
    Did you change any names in the book? Your name here is Brenda, but in the book it's Brooklyn.

  • Brenda: All the names are changed mostly to protect myself from the legal system. If it wasn’t for that, I would have preferred to have kept the true names. Most of the characters in the story know about the book. Though I can’t say too many are happy about it.

  • Me: I wouldn't think so.

  • Brenda: Exactly!
    Sometimes in life you have to go with your gut. My gut told me that my story needed to be told even though some people might get hurt along the way.

  • Me: I completely understand.

  • Brenda: Then you are wiser than most. 

  • Me: At the end of the book, you refer to yourself as a home wrecker. Do you really believe that?

  • Brenda: Actually I think I let myself off the hook. It might sound like I am calling myself that but in reality what I am saying is the house was already wrecked on it’s own. It took a lot to wreck our house and I do take responsibility for some of it. I believe it was wrecked from the beginning but I was reluctant to walk away from my commitment. My wedding vows did mean something to me as surprising as that may sound considering everything that has happened.

  • Me: I personally believe that you had no responsibility in that, but that's just my opinion

  • Brenda: That is nice of you to say Alex. I wish I were completely innocent but I surely am not. We are all human and make mistakes. It is an imperfect world and we are all so far from being perfect.

  • Me: That is so true

  • Brenda: Sadly so!
  • Me: How did you feel when you learned about your illness?

  • Brenda: That is a tough one because some people in my condition are not walking today. Many doctors thought I would never walk again!
    When I was first diagnosed with this chronic illness called Transverse Myelitis in 2007 it turned my life upside down in an instant. When I realized there were certain things that could never be fixed I was quite devastated. At the time I got sick I was a personal trainer and prided myself on my healthy lifestyle. Once I got sick I had to see myself differently. I was no longer the same girl. I shed a ton of tears and have had to learn to accept my fate. Through all that, I have found that I am a survivor and I won’t go away without a fight.

  • Me: That's so inspiring for me to hear.

  • Brenda: Sometimes we are stronger than we think we could ever be. Maybe that is part of the reason why I am as fearless about telling my life story with all the gruesome details. I certainly have survived much more than a little bit of scrutiny.

  • Me: Do you still have much difficulty with it?

  • Brenda: I do have daily issues but I am walking. Everyday that I can walk out the door is a real blessing. I will never take that for granted again. It could be soooooo much worse than it is so for that I am grateful!

  • Me: Do you still go to the gym and teach classes?

  • Brenda: My teaching days are over but I am still able to workout. I just have to find the things that are not hard on me physically. I get some nerve pain and tingling in my feet (be thankful for the little things... it is god awful.) I can still do quite a lot. I just have to be careful not to overdo it or run myself down. It sucks. It is better to be healthy and carefree but this is my path and instead of fighting it I have to find the good in it. I think the good that has come from it is compassion. I think my heart is more understanding of those who suffer real problems not just bad hair days. I still hate bad hair days but I can put it all in perspective.

  • Me: That sucks. I would never be able to do that. I couldn't bare it.

  • Brenda: I know. I agree but sometimes in life you have to tolerate more than you would wish to. That is the way the ball bounces as the saying goes. I hope you will never have to experience anything as bad.

  • Me: Thank you.

  • Brenda: No, thank you!

  • Me: Do you regret not divorcing Gerard earlier?
  • Brenda: I really do hate having regrets. Regrets are hard to live with. I am a believer that things do happen for a reason. There were many reasons for me to be with Gerard. For one thing, being with him really brought me closer to my dad. Also, had I not been with Gerard I never would have met the love of my life. That is the yin and the yang to the story. When there is bad...there is also good. Yes, I wasted some good years with Gerard but had I not..who knows? Maybe things could have been worse for me. I think I am at a very good place.

  • You are asking me some very wise questions! I am impressed!

  • Me: So true. Everything happens for a reason.

  • Brenda: Whether we like it or not. Go figure!

  • Me: Did you expect Gerard to call Ruth and say those lies?

  • Brenda: Never in a million years. I new he was angry. That was a given but he was a private person and I thought he would have gotten his revenge in a different "quieter" way. He did find a very good partner in crime. He was able to stay behind the scenes while she did his dirty work. He is no dummy! I will give him that.

  • Me: I still don't understand why someone would ever do that.


  • Brenda: I mean I "knew" he was angry. Oops!! Writers need editors...big time!!!

  • Me: Do you think your parents would be proud of you at this moment, for everything you've done with your book and life?


  • Brenda: To answer your first question...Gerard's world had just fallen apart. I think I can understand him a lot better than Ruth. She on the other hand was not in love with her husband. She made that very clear. She just loved his money. She was caught off guard that he walked out the door before she did. I am sure she did not like feeling replaced. She also didn’t love that I was so much younger than she was. Karma stings!
    My parents would have been proud of what I have accomplished. They didn’t expect too much from me but they loved me and supported me. My dad would have been over the moon for me getting my book published. Though he would have felt bad about what has happened to me since he has been gone. I am glad he has missed this chapter of my life but I wish they both could have met my new love. They would have really appreciated his open and kind personality. They would have gotten a kick out of him. That is for sure.


  • Me: And for the last question, will there be a book 2?


  • Brenda: I just finished a compilation book with 7 other girls from all around the world. There are some great stories about life, love, disappointment, and redemption. I hope people will look for it on Smashwords. It is called 8 Slices of Cake and it will be available on ebook starting Thursday, February 7. Just in time for Valentine’s day.
    Right now I am working on editing down book one. John Emil Augustine who wrote a book called Love Seen From Hell is helping me with both books. He inspires me to be true and not hold back.
    Book two is going to be even better than book one, in my opinion. Let’s just say I am having more fun with it. It will be called Home Wrecker: The Brooklyn and Bo chronicles. It is a first person account from both main characters from book one.
    The first part is based on the main character, Brooklyn. Now that she has found what she considered, her “soul-mate” in Bo, she would have to continue to defend herself against even her closest of friends, family members, and Bo’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Ruth.
    Part two Bo is based on Brooklyn’s boyfriend. In this story Bo narrates his interpretation of events that transpired throughout his life.
    Bo reminisces on his tough childhood growing up in Northern California. He reflects on his three failed marriages, recounts intimate details to an affair he had with a woman while he was still married and chronicles the seemingly endless struggles over his last divorce from a man’s perspective. This story is an honest yet at times gut wrenching account of one man’s life.


  • Me: Wow I am sure excited to read it.
    I really appreciate the time and effort you took to grant me this interview. I thank you for the full answers and am excited to share this with the world.


  • Brenda: Thank you! I will be excited when there is an ending. If things do not settle soon there may have to be a book three. I do love the idea of a trilogy! Thank you again for reading Home Wrecker and giving me such a nice review. Reviews like yours makes it all worth it! 


The interview was really fun, and my first! Brenda gave me the best answers.

Make sure to check out all of her links!





FACEBOOK: HOME WRECKER: THE BROOKLYN AND BO CHRONICLES

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

TWITTER

8 Slices of cake
LinkedIn

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Reborn by Casse NaRome

Rebion by Casse Narome

Author Bio: 

Casse Narome is the alter-ego of a self-proclaimed awesome weirdo who spent her childhood reading and daydreaming. As an adult that is also how she spends her time only now she writes her daydreams down for everyone to read. Casse is never serious, has been accused of wishing her life was a sitcom, laugh track and all, has a bad habit of talking out loud to herself and she is fine with being a little insane. She spends way too much time online, too much money buying books and laughing at her own jokes. You will find her on Twitter being very random and spewing her opinions. When you see her online, tell her to get back to her writing! Or just engage her in a hilarious random conversation.







Ashes and Ice by Rochelle Maya Callen


Title: Ashes & Ice

Author: Rochelle Maya Callen          

Release Day: February 4th, 2013

Genre: Young Adult

Blitz Host: Lady Amber's Tours




Synopsis:
She is desperate to remember.
He is aching to forget.
Together, they are not broken.
But together, one may not survive.

​Jade wakes up with no memory of her past and blood on her hands.

Plagued by wicked thoughts, she searches for answers. Instead, she finds a boy who doesn't offer her answers, but hope. But sometimes, when nightmares turn into reality and death follows you everywhere, hope is not enough.

LUST. LOVE. LOSS. Sometimes, all that is left are Ashes and Ice.


Jade

            The girl’s glassy, dead eyes stare into me, through me, pierce me with a fierce urgency, with a wicked accusation. The blood is still on my hands.
            Red hair, blue eyes, a constellation of freckles on pale skin. She was fragile and innocent, a lovely thing. That is what I think until I see the gashes on her wrists and throat. With her blood spilling out, she looks delicious. She’s mine. Possessiveness shocks me, stabs into me. I run, tearing away from a craving I don't understand.
            Breathless, I grit my teeth and run harder, faster.
             
            My feet pound against the earth, away from the lifeless body and toward the lights of the city lingering on the horizon. Rot and death linger in my nostrils. Unscarred skin stretches taut over my freezing bones. Echoes of an empty memory reverberate in my mind, taunting me. The ice chases me, clutches me, and bites at my heels, sending shivers up my spine. The ice wants me back, but I run forward, toward the lights, toward the heat, toward a world that burns me, because I have no other choice.
            The lights are so close. Heat scalds my skin.
            Images race through my mind, paralyzing me. I skid to a stop, my boots digging into the mud. The vision’s blurred edges materialize into solid shapes.
             I gasp.
            A new horror rakes my insides. Desperation propels me forward; the pictures nagging at my seams threaten to tear me apart.
            Scorching fire licks over my skin. In my vision, I contort like a vile, ugly creature, eyes as black as decay. My frame hunches over the small, dead girl, like a demon looming over a defenseless child. Her blood drips from my mouth.
            I lick my lips and taste only salty sweat.
            I run, desperate to trample the vision under my feet, to crush it deep into the ground.
            I refuse to believe the image, refuse to acknowledge the monster within me demanding to be unleashed—and the possibility it has already been unbound. An unrelenting tide of fear washes over me. Past the denial, the fear, and the hope, I think I can still taste her.
            The cold stillness inside me cracks open just as the lights of the city slam into me.


Autrhor Bio:
Rochelle grew up dreaming up stories. When she entered high school, she tucked away her creative side and jumped head-first into academics, work, and service projects. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Political Science and Communication when she was twenty years old. After years away from her writing, Rochelle picked up a pen and started fleshing out a character sketch that she outlined when she was twelve. That sketch was the start of the Ashes and Ice story. Rochelle lives in the DC metro area with her husband and daughter. By day she works as a behavioral therapist. By night, she is a dreamer and is busy tapping out new stories on her keyboard.







Links:


Twitter: rockyiswriting



Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rochelle-Maya-Callen/e/B00C3YE28C/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1



Monday 22 April 2013

Kallos by Khelsey Jackson

Title: Kallos

Author: Khelsey Jackson

Genre: Paranormal



BLURB: 

Kallos is a shy sixteen year old girl unready to facethe world, but when she meets Ian and Sean Hunter the world will open up forher. Secrets revealed are to much to bear and her past life as a goddess,unimaginable. A visit from the goddess Aphrodite, Kallos is told her soul matemust be found or her life will be forfeit. Kallos desperate to find her onetrue match has discovered she may have two possibilities. Kallos has a choiceto make and her decisions may have life ending consequences.


Kallos is something you have never read before. And I loved it. Authors name has a very unique way of writing. Once you start to get the hang of the book, you really do forget about the different writing and get into the story. All in all, this was a very good and love inspiring book. I give this book 5 out of 5 book-o-saur RAWRS! ;)


AUTHOR BIO: 


Khelsey hails from the Sunshine State (California) but moved to Minnesota when she was 11 years old. Her grandmother raised her and her brother. When she was 18 she did what any sane teen would do and moved to the city of sin, Las Vegas NV. There she met her handsome husband and the rest is history. She loves to read, and will read almost anything guess when you have read just about everything, the only next logical step is to write.








LINKS:
    

.


Saturday 20 April 2013

Magic School USA: Easy "A" by Charlie Fey


Title: Magic School USA: Easy "A"

Author: Li Chaka

Genre: Paranormal Comedy

Blitz Host: Lady Amber's Tours



Book Description:
Richard "Vegas" Beltran is an underachiever. That’s bad for any student, but it’s especially bad when you go to a wizardry school. Black Magic is something to be taken very seriously, but Vegas has been caught smoking “eye of newt” in the boys’ bathroom, and all of his bubbling cauldrons seem to contain ice and alcohol…

The principal, Professor Diaz, is ready to drop Vegas into a slower-paced magic class. But Vegas would rather die, Houdini-style, in a botched escape act than have to suffer through “remedial magic.” After all, Vegas only came to Absolution High, school for the “Special Sciences,” to learn a spell that would bring his girlfriend, Katherine, back from the dead.

Unfortunately, now that his tuition's been paid, he finds that resurrecting the dead is an act of Godslaughter—a forbidden form of magic—and at Absolution Academy, an illegal activity.
But “illegal” is a funny word…and one among many that Vegas doesn’t know the meaning of…


Li Chaka is spends her time dreaming about drunken wizards, music obsessed necromancers and Bill Murray movies (Ghostbusters 2 being the FAV!). Sometimes she writes down these strange ideas just for her own enjoyment. Then she heard that some people actually make MONEY off of writing and selling their strange ideas. Lord have Mercy! Will wonders ever cease !? Magic School U.S.A is her first published book but it won't be her last.


Excerpt:

There were only a few lights on in the hallways, but other than that, the coast was clear. The adrenaline was pumping in Vegas's body and, in a way, he felt awesome. Exhilarating! It probably wasn't good that he got such a rush from being bad, but it was what it was. He pulled a beer out of the pouch of his hoodie, cracked it open and started chugging it. More awesome!   He knew there had to be security cameras mounted up all over the dormitory, especially the little lounge area with the big screen TV. Magicians were known for stealing, right? As if half of magic isn't about making expensive shit disappear. The guards were probably half-asleep or jerking off to videos of the girls’ volleyball practice. Either way, he prayed they'd be too preoccupied to care what he was up too. Once he got outside, though, there would be other problems. The Tommy Walkers were being placed around the school grounds. He remembered what Wesley had said about them being created to restrict unauthorized magic. Those Illuminati death machines were made just for bad little monkeys like Vegas.
He felt the nice cool air blast his face as soon as he opened the heavy double doors. The cold of this island was something a California boy like Vegas was not yet accustomed to. But, as he wandered around the back end of the dormitories, he admitted that the Menzai nights were even more beautiful than the California nights. The sky was filled with stars and they seemed almost close enough to reach for. He'd been on earth for sixteen years, but night and day was still an amazing concept for him.
He wanted to break into Allen Allens’ lab, but he had to make it halfway across campus to do so. The box carrying Vladimir was clutched to his chest as he snuck around the back. He saw the guard station and ducked behind a tree. Dwight was inside the booth fast asleep. Vegas wanted to conjure up a spell to mess with him a little, maybe hex him a nice wet dream starring Barney, one of the other guards. Shenanigans like that would have to wait though. Vegas was on an important mission. He was gonna have to go stealth ninja mode and creep his way across campus.
"So I creep…yeah-aah. Just keep it on da down low…" Vegas sang the old T.L.C. song silently to himself, running and ducking behind another tree. "Nobody is supposed to know...yeah-ah…"
He shot from that tree and dived behind another. He went a little go hard and almost crushed Vladimir's box underneath him. Pushing twigs and nature crap out of his way, Vegas heard a low grumbling as he started crawling on the ground like a marine.
Yeah, we're effin' pumped! Absolution Academy security probably didn't call for this much stealth warrior-ness, but the Corona he'd been sipping was making Vegas action ready. Let's milk this adventure for all it's worth!
"Yeah, I CREEP…yeah-ah, so Dwight won't know what I do..." Vegas continued as he moved through the darkened grass. The grass felt moist, cool and amazing against his skin. He imagined that the bright, white lights shining from poles around the campus were moving, searching for him. They weren't; nobody cared. But this was fun; he was a big kid using his imagination, running around in the grassy night world like he was trying to escape from prison.
A squirrel darted out at him, and Vegas let out a surprised scream. The little furry jackass landed on his back, ran down his ass between his legs and then shot straight ahead, flying up a tree at sonic speed.
"Little fucker!" Vegas shouted at it. Even the wild life in this place was psycho.
"Creeping through the grass, squirrelly seems to like my ass..." Vegas rapped. "Squirrelly wants some nuts, what a kick! It's late on a school night, he wants to get romantic!"
He laughed, wondering how much he'd get paid to ghost write for Waka Flocka Flame, when something suddenly grabbed hold of his leg.
What the Fuck?! He let out a fart from pure excitement as another hand reached out of the ground and took hold of his neck.
"Aaaaaahhhhhh!!" Vegas yelled, struggling to pull himself up. Before he could break free, two more hands grabbed his shoulders, pulling him back down to the grass and dirt.
"DWIGHT! DWIGHT!" Vegas yelled. The hand around his throat squeezed tighter, but it couldn't get a strong enough grip to stop Vegas from yelling. Not that it made much difference; Dwight was in the security booth, napping away, as Vegas's nighttime assault continued on the security cam in front of him.
Vegas pulled his neck away from the hand. "DWIIIIGGHT!!!"
His attention turned to the spot in front of him, his green eyes growing wide as saucers, when two hands, one male and one with bright nail polish like a girls, sprouted from the ground like corn stalks. He watched as the arms reached four feet tall and continued to grow.
Frozen in shock, Vegas's eyes rolled up to gaze at the sprouting hands. Like sunflowers in a nightmarish inverse world, they remained high above him, illuminated by the moonlight. The fingers spread and easy, like flower petals.
Then, they bent at the elbow, palms slapping the ground. Whatever this creature was, it was trying to pull itself out of the dirt.
Please somebody, shoot me in the head! Gouge out my eyes! I don't want to see this!  He silently begged.
The horror flushed all thoughts of escape away as the soil in front of him moved and pulled apart. A human head unearthed itself, its black, hollow eye sockets turned to face Vegas. Mort immediately came to Vegas's mind, except this cadaver was so much more terrible. There was intelligence behind those eye sockets that couldn't be driven by anything but pure evil.
The creature finally made it out of the soil only to reveal its true form. It wasn't a rotting, smelly corpse after all---it was several rotting, smelly corpses all sewn together to make a Zombie Spider!
The arms that sprouted out of the ground were the creature’s long, spider legs. Its head was stitched onto the front of its body, barely erect, but able to turn and move around. Its abdomen was made of two human ones sewn together.
Vegas had never seen anything so disgusting in his life, not even in his drunken wet dreams. It was more than he could handle, and he began to feel a strange calm wash over him. By the time he realized he was about to pass out, there was nothing he could do to sto-...
The zombie spider moved towards Vegas as the unseen monster that had snared the boy began to pull him under. The earth rumbled again as the soft soil spread apart like water. And Vegas, trapped in the quiet dark of his unconsciousness, went down, down, down. As if being dragged to hell.


Links: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagicSchoolUsa






Friday 19 April 2013

Remember the Stars by Natalie-Nicole Bates


Title: Remember The Stars

Author: Natalie-Nicole Bates     
   
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Blitz Host: Lady Amber's Tours









Book Description:


For Leah Rhodes life as she knows it has just changed forever.
Waking in a gutter in the dark surroundings of her distant past, a familiar man stands out in her confusion.
But Remy Moreland has been dead for years.
It soon becomes apparent to Leah that both she and Remy are trapped in a hell of their own making.
Can one night together not only lead to the way out, but to love as well?


Excerpts:
Barefoot, she crossed the dark street and began making her way in the direction of the police station. If she remembered correctly, it was three blocks away. A chill rose on her skin as she tried to remain focused. She concentrated on taking one agonizing footstep in front of the other.
     When she crossed over the first street, she stopped to rest beneath a street light. Leaning up against the side of a brick house, she took notice of how eerily quiet her surroundings were. The only sound was her own breathing. There simply was nothing, and no one. Was she truly alone? She wondered.
     She shook off the intrusive thought. Of course she wasn’t alone. Remy Moreland was real. Well, the late Remy Moreland was sort of real.  Maybe surreal was a better word.
     He had spun some tale of purgatory, of languishing between life and death. Then a thought struck her like a blow from above.
     What if he was telling the truth?


Author Bio:

Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author.

Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.

She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.


Links:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5241593.Natalie_Nicole_Bates

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Natalie-Nicole-Bates/e/B0071MP0DC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1365403118&sr=8-1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BatesNatalie


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Natalie-Nicole-Bates/352610728138768?ref=ts&fref=ts