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Showing posts from October, 2013

The Energy of Words

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  Description Manifest the life you truly desire with The Energy of Words. Choose the most powerful words and let the secret energy of language attract joy and abundance into your life! Join internationally renowned numerologist Michelle Arbeau as she shows you how to determine your top ten power words; how to calculate the vibration of a word through the language of numbers; practical tips for positivity; the top one hundred positive and negative words; and stories of celebrities who have successfully worked with the power of words. Negative words are energetic junk food. We can't manifest our desires if we're using words of lack and doubt. Learn how to eliminate negative vocabulary and replace it with positive personalized language that will transform your life into one of fulfillment and gratitude. Review Before reading this book, I had already been aware of how what we say creates and shapes our realities.  I also knew the basics of numerology as it coincides with my bi

Review–Writing Is My Drink

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. With NaNoWriMo almost upon us, I have been trying to get myself back into the mindset of a writer.  I have always dabbled, but I truly want to start putting pen to paper on a regular basis.  One of the things on my bucket list is to write a book.  I have started many times, but just never get around to finishing because something always comes up.  This cancer scare has made me sit up and realize that life is too short not to do some of the things that I have always wanted to do. One thing that I felt the author touched on that many other writing books don’t is the feeling of being exposed.  Even if you are writing fiction, you are exposing aspects of yourself that would otherwise be hidden.  And when you are submitting these to be published, not only are you exposing yourself, but you are now being asked to be judged.  These are some of the hardest thing

Review–Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons

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Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons by Jane Yolen My rating: 4 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. I have always been in love with the old mythologies. I can never understand why the older religions are called myths by mainstream society and the newer religions are called religions. They are all stories of gods and how to live your life. Well, that is just a personal beef with how society views things that it doesn't approve of or doesn't want to acknowledge. The story however is a retelling of an old myth but with a fictional twist. Historical fiction has become all the rage. One of the great things about historical fiction is that it helps create a thirst for historical knowledge. Anything that helps people to learn some of the historical occurrences is a great thing in my opinion. That being said, this is a great introduction into ancient mythology for middle grade r

Review–French Roast

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French Roast by Ava Miles My rating: 5 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. Back in September, I had reviewed Nora Roberts Land by Ava Miles . I instantly fell in love with the story. This book didn't disappoint in any way. During Nora Roberts Land, we met Jill and her friend Brian. They had a major falling out prior to the beginning of the book. It was never really explained. In French Roast, we get to see more about what went on with Jill and Brian. We learned why they fought and we get to see them make-up. I was so glad to see Jill's story. I really felt bad for her in the first book. It was great to see her to get her happily ever after. Now I can't wait to sink my teeth into the next book in the series. Any book bought through the Amazon link below will have a portion of the sale go towards the Unitarian Fellowship of South Florida . French Roast (Dare Valley) e

The Bionic Man Vs. The Bionic Woman–Artificial

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Diamond Book Distributors in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Growing up in the 70s, I was glued to the TV set when either the Bionic Man or the Bionic Woman came on.  I so wanted to be Jamie Sommers.  The artwork were superb.  The story was pretty decent.  There were a few moments that just felt really forced, but overall it was done rather well. The characters weren’t exactly like they were on the old school TV show.  Then again, this is written for the younger generation.  I just can’t help it that I still love to read comics.

Review–A Dark Faerie Tale Series Omnibus

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A Dark Faerie Tale Series Omnibus Books 1-3 with Extras by Alexia Purdy My rating: 2 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. This book is actually an entire series rolled into one. There are 3 full length stories and 2 novella length. I had really high hopes for this book. I love fantasy lit, but this just didn't flow right for me. I felt like things were missing or that things were thrown in as an after thought. Sort of like an important conversation took place but instead of "seeing" the conversation through the readers eyes, you are just told that it happened. Sort of like an "oh by the way" moment. I would have rather have "witnessed" the conversation happening. There were too many of these types of events throughout for my taste. Plus it seemed that the story line just sort of hopped around. It became difficult to follow and I ended up having to

Review–The History of Florida

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from University Press of Florida in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. You would think that since I was born and raised in Florida, that I would have learned much of what is presented in this book.  Unfortunately, my education seems to have been lacking.  There were many stories and events that I had never heard about prior to reading this book. This book started out when the University of Florida had asked 23 historians to collaborate on a project about the history of Florida.  The original book was published in 1996.  The book has since had information added to it.  Did you know that 2013 is the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon finding the Fountain of Youth in Florida?  I remember visiting there on a school field trip.  However, I hadn’t heard anything of this anniversary at all this year.  You would think that this would have been big news since it is the 500th anniversary.  Maybe it was only mention

Review–The Godborn

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The Godborn by Paul S. Kemp My rating: 4 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. This book is the second in the series. I enjoyed it alot. However, I just felt that R.A. Salvatore's treatment in the first book was so much better. That being said, I did like this story a lot though. However, there were times that I felt a little lost not having all the back story about some of these characters. It seems that during the time I had stopped reading the Forgotten Realms novels, Paul S. Kemp had written some that created characters and situations that were referred to in this book. Even though I did feel a little lost occasionally, the over all story line was still able to be followed and understood. It wasn't a complete epic romp through one of my favorite worlds, but it still ranked right up there. Any book bought through the Amazon link below will have a portion of the sale go t

Review–The Companions

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The Companions by R.A. Salvatore My rating: 5 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. I hate to admit this, but I hadn't read any of the Forgotten Realms series in years. Actually more like decades... I have played some of the video games based in the Forgotten Realms such as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights. I have even played Dungeon's & Dragon's campaigns set in the Forgotten Realms. So when I got the chance to review this book, it was like coming home to an old friend. Yes, I have missed them greatly. I just didn't realize how much until I caught up with them again. What a way to start off a new series in the Forgotten Realms world, but with R.A. Salvatore. This was a wonderfully written fantasy tale that is the start of a new series. Each book in the series will be written by a different author. I just hope that the other author's will be able to l

Review–Homecoming

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Homecoming by Cecilia Robert My rating: 5 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. WOW! This was the first book I had read by Cecilia Roberts and it definitely will not be the last. This quick little novella gives us a glimpse into a new series to come. And I can't wait for the first full length book. This book mixes weres and steampunk. I absolutely loved it! First off, Levian is so hot that I thought my Kindle was going to melt. Secondly, it is difficult to impart much in the way of characterization and world building in a novella, but Cecilia Robert certainly did just that. This book was just too short! I didn't want it to end it was that good. Any book bought through the Amazon link below will have a portion of the sale go towards the Unitarian Fellowship of South Florida . Homecoming: A Cloaked Devices Short Story (Cloaked Devices #0.5) eBook: Cecilia Robert, Tricia Kri

Review–Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute

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The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard My rating: 4 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. This was the third book in the series. Unfortunately, I hadn't read any of the prior books. I kept seeing all these great reviews on them though. So I thought I would grab this one when it became available on NetGalley. The overall story was pretty good. Some of the characters felt a little confusing to me. Especially Johannes, the main character. He seemed to flip flop between the way he would act or react to certain situations. I don't know if this is the way his character is in the other books or if this was just an effect of him being in Dreamland. The pacing was a little slow for my tastes. I like books that grab you and keep you reeled in. I found myself getting slightly bored in parts because it just seemed to drone on. It was a decent read, just not my style of writing. Maybe

Review–Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas

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  Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas: A Perfect Fit Holiday Novella by Sugar Jamison My rating: 5 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. I had the pleasure of reviewing the first book in the series, Dangerous Curves Ahead, back in September. I am certainly glad that I didn't have to wait too long to get my hands on this novella. Just as I had thoroughly enjoyed Dangerous Curves Ahead, this book did not disappoint. Sugar Jamison has really mastered the craft of story telling. To be able to pack in such a story in only a few short pages (this book is novella length), is truly incredible. First, this book is about Dina and takes place about 2 years after Dangerous Curves Ahead. Dina had gotten pregnant and felt that she could no longer turn to her family since she had done nothing but behave like a spoiled brat in book one. However, being a mother has completely changed her. Sh

Review - G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files Volume 1

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G.I. Joe: The Cobra Files, Volume 1 by Mike Costa My rating: 3 of 5 stars For as much as I loved the Transformers TP that I just read and reread, I wished I could have liked this one better. I just really couldn't feel the same old connection to the G.I. Joe comics that I grew up with. Yes I am a female and used to read G.I. Joe comics! Heck, I would read most comics that I got my hands on back then. After awhile though, there are certain things that you come to expect from the old standards. This one just really missed the mark for me. Any book bought through the Amazon link below will have a portion of the sale go towards the Unitarian Fellowship of South Florida . G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files Volume 1: Mike Costa, Antonio Fuso: 9781613777312: Books ISBN : 1613777310 ISBN-13 : 9781613777312 View all my reviews

Review–The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap

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The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap by Donna Kauffman My rating: 5 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. I love it when the holiday anthologies start to roll out. They are always such sweet, feel good stories. Several times, I have found authors that I had never heard of before. There was one major difference between this anthology and most that I have read. In the majority of them, there is a central "theme", but the stories are not interrelated. However, in this book, all three stories are interrelated and the prologue and epilogue tie them in together. So if you are one of those who skips the prologues and epilogues, make sure to read them in this book. I absolutely loved these stories. My favorite was definitely the Donna Kauffman story. Then again, she was already an author that I knew and loved. If you haven't read any of her Highlander series, then I suggest you ch

Review–The Tao of Stress

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The Tao of Stress: How to Calm, Balance, and Simplify Your Life by Robert G. Santee My rating: 4 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. This book is meant to be done as you read it. Skipping around will not have the desired effects. Plus, you should also make sure to do all the exercises in the book. And take your time. This is a book about releasing stress. Rushing through it will only increase your stress levels. One of the things that the author says is important is to journal. Make sure you journal along the way to help get your thoughts in order. You will be surprised at the insights you will receive as you do this. Each section has both a physical and psychological aspect to it. It is important that you do them both. Only when creating a balance between the physical, spiritual, and mental aspects of yourself can you truly be at peace. The author goes into detail as to the types

Review - Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters Volume 1

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. Since I have always loved The Transformers from back in the 80s, I decided to save this one to read while I was in the hospital.  I figured that it would be much easier to follow along a graphic novel then a regular novel. Well, let me tell you, I have already reread it a few times!  I absolutely love this one.  First off, I have to say that I love the dinobots!  So any story line that involves them is great.  This one is well written.  One of the things that I like is that it is a completely stand alone story line.  It isn’t one where you have to watch certain episodes or read other comics or anything like that in order to understand where it takes place in the timeline.  The place in the timeline is explained and the reader doesn’t even need to really know about the prior events to really appreciate this graphic novel. The artwork was to die for!  Ok,

Review–Vampirella Strikes

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. I have always been a big fan of comic books and graphic novels.  Even though I am a female, I had read the Vampirella comics back in the day.  However, I really feel that this TP didn’t do her justice.  The story line was very baffling at times.  At other times, it felt like it just droned on.  The majority of the art work was great.  However, there were points where it just seemed like the artist couldn’t be bothered to put in an effort.  And I have seen works by this artist before and it really shocked me that he put out work like that.  He usually stuns me with his talent.  This TP just had me stunned. I wish I could say that I enjoyed this one.  I have seen other works by both the artist and the writer, but this was definitely not their best.  Vampirella Strikes TP: Tom Sniegoski: 9781606904312: Books ISBN : 1606904310 ISBN-13 : 9781606904312

Review–Wm & H’ry

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. For some reason I was under the impression that this book was going to have whole letters between the brothers and an analysis of the letters as to how they played a part in history.  Instead, this book was about how these two great men played a part in history with information from their letters scattered in.  Overall, this book was very interesting.  It just wasn’t what I had expected.  It did take me a little longer then usual to read this book.  Mainly because I wanted to really drink in all the rich details.  I was amazed to find out how much these two men helped influence each other and eventually the world around them. Any book bought through the Amazon link below will have a portion of the sale go towards the Unitarian Fellowship of South Florida . Wm & H'ry: Literature, Love, and the Letters between Wiliam and Henry James (Muse Books)

Review–To Walk A Pagan Path

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. Having been a pagan for a little over 20 years, I am always reaching for the latest books on paganism.  Even if they are beginners guides, I feel that I can always learn something new.  Plus, I am always on the look out for new books to suggest to people interested in the pagan path. This book was well thought out and well formulated.  One of the things that I found interesting was that it was based off of the author’s Saxon path.  I hadn’t known to much about the Saxon ways.  This helped me to learn a bit more of that tradition.  It is always nice to be able to compare and contrast the various traditions in paganism.  I personally follow a more celtic path.  However, I do combine rites and rituals from other traditions as well.  I feel that if the rite or ritual calls to my soul, then it was meant for me to follow.  I highly suggest this book for all

Review–Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. This is book two in the series.  It isn’t necessary to read book one first, but I highly suggest it.  There were a few points in the book that I felt like I was being left out on a few things.  That was because they referenced the plot from the first book. That being said, it didn’t hamper my enjoyment of this book at all.  I really loved the characters.  I could so picture myself having the same types of reactions as Leah did to the major differences.  There are so many conveniences in our lives that we take for granted because we live with them on a daily basis.  But imagine traveling back in time and not having those simple luxuries.  Then again, if traveling back in time meant meeting up with YUMMY Avery, then I don’t think I would complain.  I will definitely be reading book one in this series & I hope she plans on writing more.  Geek Girls Do

Review–The Republic of Thieves

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. I had heard such rave reviews about the first two books in this series.  So when I saw this one up on NetGalley, I figured I would give it a shot.  There are many series where you can pick up a book part way through the series and still understand what is going on. I liked the writing style of this book.  The characters were great.  I just kept getting lost.  I really think that you would need to read the previous books in order to entirely understand what is going on. I definitely plan on going back and starting with the first book.  Once I have read one and two, I plan on going back and rereading this one.  I am hoping by having more of the previous two under my belt, that this one will make much more sense to me. The Republic of Thieves: Scott Lynch: 9780553804690: Books ISBN : 0553804693 ISBN-13 : 9780553804690

Review–Keep Me Ghosted

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. Keep Me Ghosted was a cute read.  It wasn’t something that I would completely gush over, but it kept my interest.  There were a few points in the story where I felt it just moved too slowly.  Otherwise, it went at a rather decent pace. The characters were completely fun and quirky.  They were not completely believable or relatable though.  I think that is one of the reasons that I didn’t get completely absorbed into the story.  Even though it was rather short, this was not a book that I read in one sitting.  Would I read another book by this author?  More then likely. Would I read another book in this series?  Probably.  I definitely won’t rule either out since this was a cute book that did have me laughing. Keep Me Ghosted (Sophie Rhodes Romantic Comedy #1) eBook: Karen Cantwell: Kindle Store ASIN : B00C0ULZ84

Review - The Ancestral Continuum

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. This book played into two of my favorite things.  First being genealogy and the second being the spirit realm. Those who know anything about various religions and spiritualities know that ancestor worship is nothing new.  In fact, in Ancient Japan they honored their ancestors with shrines and rituals.  This book teaches how to get in contact with your ancestors and how you can help to heal the family by healing them. There are a number of practices that can be used to help start the healing process.  And as one who has studied my own genealogy, I can attest that my family needs a lot of healing of past hurts.  An example would be that my grandmother (Ann Flynn) never knew her dad because he left Scotland and came to America shortly after she was born.  He only sent money back a few times for the family.  Then he was never heard from again.  We aren’t ev

Review–A Study in Darkness

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. I was sooo glad to see this one pop up on NetGalley.  I absolutely devoured the first book in the series, A Study in Silks.  And it wasn’t just because it was steampunk.  It was because it was a well written book that just screams to be read over and over again. And just like A Study in Silks, I couldn’t put this book down either.  Have you ever had one of those books where you are so caught off guard by the characters actions or some situation where you actually shriek out loud?  Well that happened to me in several points in this book. I certainly can’t wait to get my hands on the third book in this series.  I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by Emma Jane Holloway. A Study in Darkness: Book Two in The Baskerville Affair: Emma Jane Holloway: 9780345537195: Books ISBN : 034553719X ISBN-13 : 9780345537195

Review–A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. If you have already mastered the techniques to Lucid Dreaming, then this book will not provide any new insights into this.  If you are like me and have not yet mastered it, this book is written in a way that some of the concepts and steps that need to be taken are much more easily understood. I had heard of lucid dreaming for years.  I remember reading a book back in the late 80s about it.  However, it was so complicated that I didn’t stick with attempting it.  I just gave up.  This book makes it easy to figure out what you need to do.  However, be aware that it will not just happen instantaneously.  As with anything that is worthwhile, it takes practice.  I loved how there were personal experiences interspersed with the how-tos.  It made it seem that much more tangible.  I loved working through the various exercises.  I have by no means mastered it yet

Review–Carniepunk

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. This anthology consists of several short stories that combine gothic themes, horror, paranormal and a carnival atmosphere.  So if you were ever afraid of those hawkers, clowns, roustabouts, and whoevers at the carnivals as a child, you will definitely learn that there was a real reason for it. I enjoyed most of the stories.  However, some of them were parts of series and I felt sort of left behind on those.  Mainly because in the short story format, you can’t convey all the history of characters or the settings.  Whereas, if you are developing all new characters and settings for a short story, it is much easier to convey. Even though I did feel somewhat lost on those stories, I still enjoyed them immensely. This book would be better if you have read any of the series that the shorts are part of, but it can still be appreciated even if you did not. Car

Review–Choices and Illusions

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. This book demonstrates the power of the mind.  There are times in our lives when we think we see something.  When in actuality what we perceive is not real at all.  Plus our minds can trick our bodies into doing things.  A perfect example of this would be the placebo effect.  This is where a patient is given a placebo (usually a sugar tablet) and told that it is a cutting edge cure.  The patient then believes so much in this new cure that it actually works.  Once we understand the power of our mind, we can then harness this to change the outcome of our lives.  The author gives numerous examples and means of doing this.  The book normally comes with a free CD.  However, the copy provided through NetGalley does not.  Therefore, I can not comment on the effectiveness of the CD.  However, the author does have a few free downloads on his site that I listened