Book Review! Seeds of Eden by A.P. Watson

Seeds of Eden (The Concilium #1) by A.P. Watson
Genre: New Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published: December 28, 2012
Publisher: Self

Visions of decapitated corpses, pools of blood, and a masked executioner have haunted Evey for as long as she can remember. Torn between a life in the waking world and dreams of the dead, she realizes her normal existence is nothing more than an illusion. As the veil between reality and her subconscious dissipates, she begins to question her own sanity. Each night as she closes her eyes, she wonders what wrongs she committed to warrant such a curse. When a handsome stranger suddenly appears in Evey's life, he is able to provide her with the answers she seeks. However, the only thing more mystifying than Conrad's appearance in one of her nightmares is the undeniable attraction she feels for him. It is only when he confesses their fates and souls have been intertwined for centuries that an ancient secret is revealed. Now, the two of them must outrun a great darkness or it will claim their lives again.

Seeds of Eden is the first book in the Concilium series by A. P. Watson. This book was very intriguing. I enjoyed the concept and how it weaved some Biblical characters with other areas in history with a twist and meshed it all into the present day as well. The characters were interesting and fun. Even the 'bad guy' makes you want to know more about him. I thought it was all very well put together. I didn't totally understand why Evey was the only one forced to lose her memory to begin with. Everyone else, including Aiden it seemed, gets to keep theirs. I guess that helps add the extra drama, but it didn't really make sense to me. Otherwise, this story was interesting and completely kept my attention and ended on a little cliff hanger that has me anxious for the next book!

Seeds of Eden by A.P. Watson was kindly provided to me by Xpresso Book Tours for review. The opinions are my own.

A.P. Watson, or Paige as she is known by her close friends, grew up in the small, southern town of Estill Springs, Tennessee. Growing up in a rural town allowed her imagination to run wild, and A.P. began making up stories in her head at a young age. This storytelling eventually transformed into a love of writing. She is currently penning her first trilogy, The Concilium Series, and is also planning to write four companion novellas to accompany it. She is an avid reader, enjoying a variety of genres and authors from Jane Austen to Charlaine Harris.

When she isn’t reading or writing, Paige spends the majority of her time dancing. She has been taking pole dancing lessons for the past three years and couldn’t be more in love with the sport. The blend of athleticism, grace, and flexibility required to dance continually challenges her and she strives to not only build strength but defy gravity, as well. A.P. has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing from East Tennessee State University. She has been a critical care nurse at Bristol Regional Medical Center for the last five years. She currently resides in Johnson City, Tennessee with her adorable dog, Elle.

To learn more about A.P. Watson and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Cover Reveal! Blue Bottle Tree by Beaird Glover

Blue Bottle Tree by Beaird Glover
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal)
Date Published: October 24, 2017
Publisher: The Parliament House

There’s no such thing as Voodoo. At least, that’s what most of the Baptists in Bellin tell themselves. But Seven LaVey knows better. 

In a small rural town just outside of Nashville, Voodoo conjures and curses simmer and seethe under the noses of the many who will never know. Seventeen-year-old Seven romanticizes about the meaning of life while held captive as a zombie under the shell of a kiddie pool. He's counting on the strength - and maybe even love - of a certain redheaded clarinet player to save him. But will she?

Filled with betrayal and revenge, two families struggle with a curse that stretches back to Queen of the Voodoos Marie Laveau in this contemporary Southern Gothic adventure. Prepare for a wildly original twist on the paranormal.

Pre-order at: iTunes   Kobo   Barnes & Noble

Beaird Glover grew up on a farm in rural Tennessee. He graduated from The Evergreen State College of Olympia, Washington, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in creative writing. He then moved to Southern California and wrote Secret Ciphers of the 1876 Presidential Election (Aegean Park Press). He has traveled extensively and lived in eleven of the United Sates, and Taipei and Buenos Aires. His poems have been published in the New York Quarterly and his chapbook of poetry was selected by the Austin Chronicle as one of the Top 10 Best of 1994. More recently, he acquired a Bachelor of Science degree from Long Island University in Brooklyn and has worked as a physician assistant. Beaird now lives in New Orleans with his wife Kim and their cats.

To learn more about Beaird Glover and his books, visit him on Goodreads & Facebook.

Book Review of Ascension by Hannah Rials

Ascension (Ascension #1) by Hannah Rials 
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published: August 27. 2016
Publisher: Aletha Press

Life is supposed to be perfect after Cheyenne Lane’s Ascension ceremony, but it turns out awakening her vampire half only complicates things more. Burdened with a patronizing family and constant surveillance by the Vampire Council, Cheyenne welcomes a summer vacation to the magical city of New Orleans. But Cheyenne quickly realizes that she can’t escape her problems, no matter where she goes.

After seventeen years of fearing exposing her secret to humans, Cheyenne’s world is rocked when she starts to fall for a witch named Eli. When he shows Cheyenne how complex the world really is, she must accept that everything she thought she knew about being a Deuxsang is a lie.

As if all this isn’t problem enough, Cheyenne finds herself the pawn of a conspiracy hatched by those who should be protecting her. Her whole life Cheyenne is told what to believe and who to trust. Now, she’s forced to choose for herself who and what is right. No matter which choice she makes, it will cost her everything.

Steeped in the mystery, intrigue and rich history of New Orleans and the secretive world of the Deuxsang, teen vampire, Cheyenne, and her forbidden love, Eli, embark on a very different, and vastly more dangerous, journey as the net of betrayal tightens around them. This intense and fresh novel is enchanting, engrossing and impossible to put down right up to the cliffhanger ending. Remember, the end is not the end.

Ascension is the first book in the Ascension series by Hannah Rials. I wasn't sure what I was going to think about this book, but I was curious, so I gave it a go. I'm super glad I did, because I liked it quite a bit. There are vampires, witches, Deuxsang, which are half human/half vampire, and a few humans thrown in the mix. Their world is pretty interesting, if not always pleasant. Cheyenne was a wonderful and strong character. I loved her. Aside from her cousin, I'm not a fan of her family, at all. The other supporting characters, both good and bad, are all relevant to the story. You can tell they were just as thought out when they author created them as Cheyenne was. Her writing makes you care about them., even some you don't expect to care for. Though these are paranormal characters, they are also surprisingly easy to relate to. I've never been to New Orleans, but the setting was written in such a way that I almost feel like I've seen it for myself. This one was a complete page turner. There's so much going on...from the action and family secrets to the danger and innocence of the romance. I loved every minute of reading it. Ascension was the ultimate escape for me. I enjoyed leaving the real world for a while, and getting lost in a book that was impossible to put down.

As a side note, Hannah Rials is a Tennessee girl! That's just frosting on the cake though. I can't wait to see what stories this talented, young author gives us in the future.

Ascension by Hannah Rials was kindly provided to me by YA Bound Book Tours for review. The opinions are my own.

Check out my review of the next book!

As Maryville native and current college student at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Hannah Rials began writing her first novel at age twelve. Eight years later, the result is her newly published YA novel Ascension; a modern day teenage romance filled with "double-blooded" vampires and revenge-seeking witches.

Published by Aletha Press of Maryville, TN, Ascension is Rial’s first novel. When not attending college and spending time with her family, Rials keeps busy by playing with her beloved Corgis, Buddy and Noel, leading a creative writing group at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and cultivating her writing skills.
“I feel like I am living proof that dreams do come true.”- Hannah Rials

To learn more about Hannah Rials  and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, Pinterest, and Twitter.

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Location Scouting for Andromeda by Meg Trotter

Andromeda (God-Haunted #1) by Meg Trotter
Genre: Young Adult (Fantasy/Mytholgy)
Date Published:  July 12, 2016
Publisher: Self

For as long as she can remember, seventeen-year-old Princess Andromeda has done what was expected of her. She consented to a political marriage to a hateful older man. She became a quiet, obedient housewife. After her husband’s death, she agreed to be united in yet another political marriage for the sake of her country’s stability.

However, when the Greek goddess of the sea disrupts this second wedding ceremony, jealous of the pomp of the celebration, she places a curse on Andromeda and her home: either sacrifice the princess to a sea beast or let the creature destroy her country. A visit to the Oracle reveals that Andromeda needs four ancient weapons of the Greek gods to fight off the beast and the goddess who controls it.

Now Andromeda must find the strength and the cunning to do what she has never done before — to fight for her own life — while keeping the well-meaning “hero” Perseus out of her way.

The city of Delphi is nestled on top of one of the peaks of Mt. Parnassus in Greece. In ancient times, it was though of as a holy place for the god Apollo. According to myth, Apollo battled a giant serpent at this spot, and when he killed it, he cast it down into the earth. It was on this spot that the Greeks built their temple. An older woman chosen for her "blameless life" acted as the Oracle, a person who was thought to be able to connect with Apollo during a special ceremony once a month. She would deliver her prophecies, which often had to be translated by priests into something that made sense.

Some scientists believe that the prophetic fits of the Oracle had a natural explanation. At the site where the Oracle's private chambers once stood, a crack has been found in the earth, along with traces of a natural gas called ethylene.This gas has been known to cause a "high" in people exposed to it. This is what many believed was the real source of the Oracle's visions.

In "Andromeda," the heroine gets the chance to experience this process herself. But is the resulting vision really from the gods, or just a side-effect of getting a lung-full of hallucinogenic gas?

Click here to read my review of Andromeda!

Meg Trotter writes novels about myths, legends and people who populate worlds both imaginary and real.
Her debut series, the “God-Haunted Saga” will focus on mythology set in ancient Greece. Though Meg has not gotten the chance to go to Greece herself, she’s spent countless hours pouring over books and maps. And since all her knowledge of the place, history and culture is coming from reading books, she’s pretty certain she’s pronouncing every Greek term incorrectly.
She was raised in Florida and currently resides in Tennessee with her husband, son, and extremely fluffy cat. When she’s not working at her full-time job as a journalist or wrangling her toddler, she’s usually spending way too much time playing Sims.

To learn more about Meg Trotter and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Book Review of Andromeda by Meg Trotter

Andromeda (God-Haunted #1) by Meg Trotter
Genre: Young Adult (Fantasy/Mytholgy)
Date Published:  July 12, 2016
Publisher: Self

For as long as she can remember, seventeen-year-old Princess Andromeda has done what was expected of her. She consented to a political marriage to a hateful older man. She became a quiet, obedient housewife. After her husband’s death, she agreed to be united in yet another political marriage for the sake of her country’s stability.

However, when the Greek goddess of the sea disrupts this second wedding ceremony, jealous of the pomp of the celebration, she places a curse on Andromeda and her home: either sacrifice the princess to a sea beast or let the creature destroy her country. A visit to the Oracle reveals that Andromeda needs four ancient weapons of the Greek gods to fight off the beast and the goddess who controls it.

Now Andromeda must find the strength and the cunning to do what she has never done before — to fight for her own life — while keeping the well-meaning “hero” Perseus out of her way.

Andromeda is the first book in the God Haunted Saga by Meg Trotter. This is a clever re-telling of the Greek Myth about Andromeda. In many ways, I liked this better than the myth. I felt like I got to know Andromeda and Perseus better, and I enjoyed this version of their characters quite a bit. This story followed along with the original some, but it also put a whole new spin on things as well. It was definitely entertaining with heaps of action from start to finish. I was really put off near the ending, but then a little something happens that gives me hope, and leaves me chomping at the bit for the next book.

The ARC of Andromeda by Meg Totter was kindly provided to me by The Book Vortex for review. The opinions are my own.

Meg Trotter writes novels about myths, legends and people who populate worlds both imaginary and real.
Her debut series, the “God-Haunted Saga” will focus on mythology set in ancient Greece. Though Meg has not gotten the chance to go to Greece herself, she’s spent countless hours pouring over books and maps. And since all her knowledge of the place, history and culture is coming from reading books, she’s pretty certain she’s pronouncing every Greek term incorrectly.
She was raised in Florida and currently resides in Tennessee with her husband, son, and extremely fluffy cat. When she’s not working at her full-time job as a journalist or wrangling her toddler, she’s usually spending way too much time playing Sims.

To learn more about Meg Trotter and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

Book Review of Montana Cherries by Kim Law

Montana Cherries by Kim Law
Genre: Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: July 28, 2015
Publisher: Montlake Romance

After her mother’s tragic death, Dani Wilde had no choice but to abandon her dreams. She left Columbia University and returned to her family’s Montana cherry farm, intent on being a maternal figure to her brothers. Now the kids are grown, and it’s finally her time to fly. Her sights are on New York City, and nothing will stop her—not even an old flame with gorgeous green eyes.

Celebrity photographer Ben Denton hasn’t seen Montana in years—and hasn’t spoken to Dani since “that night” so long ago. When he discovers he’s a dad to a four-year-old—and the child’s mother refuses to care for her—Montana and the Wilde farm spring to mind. The orchard is the only place that’s ever felt like home, but will the warmth of the Wilde family be enough to help Ben figure out how to be a father?

As the Wilde family gathers for the yearly cherry harvest and Dani struggles to figure out what she really wants in life, she discovers the shocking truth about her own mother—and learns that following her heart may lead her to her dreams after all.

Montana Cherries by Tennessee author, Kim Law, is a story about healing, family, and learning to love. Dani is finally moving to NYC to live hear dream, but some big secrets about her family are revealed, and she realizes why she's put everyone else first for so long. The revelations make her question everything, even her growing feelings for Ben. Ben has his own issues. He found out he had a daughter and has no idea how to be a father. This story has so much to do with family and how life isn't always perfect or pretty, but family and friends make it liveable. I loved the messages within this story. Even through the ugliness, life can be beautiful.

The ARC of Montana Cherries by Kim Law was kindly provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley for review. The opinions are my own.

Check out my reviews of a couple of Kim Law's other books!

As a child, award-winning author Kim Law cultivated a love for chocolate, anything purple, and creative writing. She penned her debut work, “The Gigantic Talking Raisin,” in the sixth grade and got hooked on the delights of creating stories. Before settling into the writing life, however, she earned a college degree in mathematics and then worked as a computer programmer. Now she’s living out her lifelong dream of writing romance novels. She’s won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award, has been a finalist for the prestigious RWA RITA Award, and has served in varied positions for her local RWA chapter. A native of Kentucky, Kim lives with her husband and an assortment of animals in Middle Tennessee.

To learn more about Kim Law and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

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