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Playing with Power
Playing with power can land a girl in all sorts of trouble with her man, as six ladies soon discover. Whether she’s a witch who disobeys the no-magic rule, a fairy making lust cakes, an amateur sorceress casting a spell on her boyfriend, a victim of an enchanted necklace, a revenge fairy messing with a deity, or a pleasure fairy abusing her abilities…
Once they’ve experienced the sensual consequences of playing with their magical powers, can these ladies find their happily for now with a hint of forever? Or have they spoiled their chances?
Publisher’s Note: This steamy anthology contains elements of power exchange.
Masks – Same Cake Different Icing Book Trailer
The art and science of manipulation has been formally and informally studied and dissected a countless number of times.
Seasons: Once Upon My Innocence
![Seasons: Once Upon My Innocence by [Vandygriff, Lea Ann]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51AuxlSF6GL.jpg)
The first chapter of Lea Ann Vandygriff’s book, Seasons: Once Upon My Innocence, is entitled “A Quiet Little Town.” That’s exactly what Rhinehart is. Rhinehart is a southern ranching town where everyone knows everyone else and everyone else’s business. It is Mayberry-like and seems picture-perfect until things go a little off the rails. A tornado and a few menacing characters sweep through town wreaking havoc on the townspeople and shaking both their homes and their faith. Especially shaken are the town’s younger citizens who can’t reconcile one question in their young minds. “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?”
Vandygriff takes us through a season of disaster, desperation, hope, and forgiveness within this close-knit community. It seems like every time one thing comes together, something else falls apart. We are introduced to a cast of characters that range from sweet, Godly, and endearing to violent, neglectful, and unstable. Fortunately, there are more former than latter. Most of the book seems to center around 8th grader, Aubree, her brother Randy, and their parents, Clyde and Dolores. A large focus is also placed on a trio of brothers who have been dropped into the lap of their elderly grandmother.
Many parts of the book made me long for a time when neighbors were more than the people we wound up living beside. They were family. They were there at a minute’s notice to help with whatever was needed. Whether it was cleaning up after a tornado, helping an old lady with her groceries, or befriending the new kid with a bad reputation at school, the people of Rhinehart stuck together through it all. Being raised in a small, southern town myself, I found myself identifying with the town and the people. I saw myself and my family in the characters.
Vandygriff weaves a lot of scripture into her writing. Those who have suffered tragedies in the book are directed to the Bible for answers. Every meal in Aubree’s house is blessed. Prayer is always the answer. Church is a big part of the community. Aubree and her middle school friends find it so hard to comprehend why God lets bad things happen. They are always directed to the Bible and particular verses for answers, and reminded that forgiveness is a huge part of being a Christian.
One particular scenario did bother me in the book. Without going into too much detail, a man abused a young girl. There were no consequences for him. He was forgiven with hardly a blink. There was no accountabilty and no amends made, yet he was still allowed to be around the girl and her family as usual. I wouldn’t have been as forgiving. It was explained as the Christian thing to do, but I don’t know if readers will be able to reconcile themselves with this part. I couldn’t.
That being said, there are plenty of breaks thrown in to lessen the weighty themes the book contains. Plenty of comedy is exchanged through family dynamics and middle school friendships and drama. Often, situations in the book start out as tense and serious, but end with characters laughing. This eases the calamities and stress that the characters find themselves in.
There are some parts that are left intentionally unresolved. Some problems reintroduce themselves on the last page of the book. It is left open-ended. It definitely begs for a sequel.
I will say that there were several spelling errors that I think could have been caught with another once-over by an editor. I also had trouble, at times, pinpointing the era it is set in. Party line telephone circuits are mentioned, but other things seem much more modern in the story. Otherwise, the story seemed to flow well. The characters and the messes they find themselves in are interesting. I’d love to see what happens to the townspeople of Rhinehart next!
Pages: 274 | ASIN: B079647HZH
The Cursed Girl
![The cursed girl by [Vermisoglou, Maria]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51VV9XOmuNL.jpg)
Eva, a sixteen-year-old witch, lives with her mother and friend Ritta in 13th century Spain. Eva is a renowned healer who wishes to live a simple life among human peasants. One day she meets a boy named Johnathan who is more than he appears to be. Together with her friend Alec, and her faithful familiar Midnight, the trio travel across medieval Europe to help save the human world from war and the powers of darkness that threaten to engulf them all. Along the way Eva and her friends discover that friendship and love are a powerful type of magic that may help awaken the ultimate power lying dormant inside of Eva.
The Cursed Child by Maria Vermisoglou has everything a young adult fantasy reader could wish for. Supernatural creatures, handsome young men, and a feisty heroine who seems to always find herself in the middle of a major catastrophe – a catastrophe only she can solve. While all the ingredients are there for a delightful supernatural adventure, although sometimes predictable.
The story begins with our heroine, Eva, explaining to us that she is a witch and that witches live for hundreds of years and protect humanity from demons and other dark forces from taking over the earth. Eva has a best friend Ritta who is also a witch and lives with her and her mother in a humble house in the village. One day Eva runs into Johnathan, a handsome boy who asks her to attend the royal ball. Eva agrees begrudgingly and thus begins an adventure across 13th century Europe. Without giving away too much of the plot, Johnathan turns out to be the heir to the throne of Spain, but his ascension to the throne is far from guaranteed. Johnathan’s father and uncle have both been warped by their privilege (and in Johnathan’s father’s case – an actual demon) and end up turning on their own son/nephew to try and take the throne from him. Luckily, Johnathan and his best friend Alec, are interested in being better rulers than their relatives and accompany Eva as she magically wisks them around Europe trying to escape civil war and evil demons.
While Vermisoglou’s main trio, Eva, Alec and Johnathan, are a captivating and entertaining bunch, I wanted more unexpected twists to be thrown at the group to see them continue to develop and make them truly engrossing. Eva and Alec are best friends but nothing more. Eva continually berates Johnathan for being stupid but seems to very quickly and neatly change her opinion as things wrap up at the end of the novel. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book however is the great descriptive flair of the author. The fabulous ball gowns and wedding dresses are described in specific detail that leave enough room for the reader’s imagination to make them come alive.
All in all, The Cursed Child contains enough magic, political intrigue and heartwarming moments to keep its young adult audience enthralled until the last page.
Pages: 574 | ASIN: B07BV423FK
Eternal Bloodlines
![Eternal Bloodlines by [Brennan, J.C.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510kYCvbutL.jpg)
In Eternal Bloodlines by J.C. Brennan, Amanda Rain Holston is a young woman living a very boring life. Her parents have been dead for five years and lives completely alone. She works as a waitress and finds it hard to even get up in the morning because of her tedious existence. A point that is captured perfectly by the picture frames she has with stock images of people in them. The one thing she does that she actually enjoys is going on long walks. It is on one of these walks that she discovers a ghastly sight: a dead body in the snow. This discovery changes everything and Amanda’s life will never be the same.
The book is set in Skidway, Michigan. Amanda has spent her life in the town and expects to grow old and die there, probably from boredom. She longs to escape the confines of the small town. The only good thing she has there is her best friend, Jessica.
The paranormal plot of this book has promise. It starts as a standard tale of a fantasy come true but with some quirky additions that turn this piece into a unique supernatural thriller. It definitely gets interesting when Amanda meets Mihnea. They bond immediately and their love story is sweet. The story loses me a bit with the attempts at making the dialogue fit a different time. It does not always work, and sometimes seems stilted, but it’s saved by the intriguing relationship that develops between Amanda and Mihnea.
I really enjoyed this book, but I found that there were some editing mistakes, to the point where I was a bit distracted; having to go back and reread some sections to make sure I understood them correctly. The book did pick up toward the end. The story became so interesting that I was able to overlook the mistakes a bit more easily. In my opinion, all the book needs is a good editor and I’ll be begging for more. I wanted so badly to focus on the unique and suspenseful story, because under the typos is a fresh take on the vampire genre, one that puts its methodically developed characters into a deadly and captivating world.
Pages: 177 | ASIN: B075G1GK4F
Upon Broken Wings Book Trailer
Bound by a dark act of hate and despair, high school freshmen, Andrew and Kiernan, learn that their untimely deaths did not bring an end to their pain, but only began the suffering of those left behind. While his lost memories return, Andrew must master seemingly impossible feats, both spiritual and physical.
As a dark spirit stalks Kiernan through the borderlands of life and death, he must also face the pain his actions have caused his loved ones. To save both their souls, Andrew must convince Kiernan to return to life and open his eyes to the love and beauty which had always been there.
Interflow of Things
![Interflow of Things by [Dröge, Dave]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51l7Gv1dexL.jpg)
The year is 2050 and the overreaching A.I. is about to achieve total domination of the planet. If it succeeds, the end of humanity is certain. No resistance is expected since the human race has been herded into obedience and a false sense of security using high tech illusions and complacency. But the resistance is brewing – the Free Hackers are moving in the shadows, avoiding the scanners, blending with the crowd. They will cross the world, from Rotterdam to Sicily and all the way to California, in hopes of stopping the inevitable.
Interflow of Things by David Droge is a highly realistic vision of the future brought about by the constant revolutions in computing we have been witnessing in the past few decades. His A.I. starts its journey in our time but quickly spreads to control the world from the shadows. Its insatiable hunger for processing power has it manipulating governments and even change entire stratas of society. It uses high tech gadgetry to mask its debilitating effect on the planet. I enjoyed the superbly technical implementation of the technology which was always believable, especially when we remember how human totalitarian regimes have been able to accomplish the same effect without it.
Human emotions are the bedrock of its power – living in the A.I. controlled reality is comfortable. So much so that unplugging from it requires drug treatments and therapy. Julia, the first character we meet, needed extensive therapy provided by the Free Hackers before she got her emotions and clarity of mind back. And she was one of the lucky ones. Augmented reality dream is a prison of your own mind and you carry it everywhere. Why wouldn’t you? It makes everything, vision, smell, feel and touch, more beautiful! Droge is able to touch and develop every detail of the story so that you are completely immersed by the time you are just a few chapters in.
But the human emotion is something the A.I. doesn’t understand. Throughout the book we get inklings into the operation of this vast mind. Millions of calculations are being done in hopes of understanding basic human concepts and abilities, all in vain.
These passages serve the purpose of giving us the idea of the incomprehensible A.I.’s motivations. They turn out to be one of the few passages of the book that make sense. Dave Droge has translated this novel into English and the results could have been better. A layered and interesting world of the future was hard for me to comprehend. His human characters are intriguing but their motivation was obscured by poor translation.
Interflow of Things – the name of the novel is an obvious, ominous allusion to the current “Internet of Things” trend in computing integrated with ordinary business of living. It shows the future that we might be heading in. Droge gives us a warning that we might become willing slaves of computer controlled social constructs that we don’t really understand or care to understand. If the object of our desires is a real person or an android, will we know? Will we even care at that point? This is a fantastic science fiction story that can only get better.
Pages: 196 | ASIN: B07BTT6KRK
The Vegetarian Diet Planner
“The Vegetarian Diet Planner” is a nutrients-based menu planning guidebook that explains and provides strategies to design diets that meet nutritional specifications according to individual requirements. There are low-calorie recipes for weight loss; low-glycemic carbohydrates based recipes for blood sugar control in pre-diabetes and diabetes; rice, millets and oats-based recipes that can be used for individuals with wheat gluten hypersensitivity; high fiber vegan and vegetarian recipes for gastro-intestinal health; high protein dishes using lentil bean and dairy proteins to lower BMI (Body Mass Index) and increase muscle mass for vegetarians. The unique feature of this book is providing relevant nutrition factors for each recipe like total calories, carbohydrate, fat and protein per serving. Using Food exchange groups for balanced nutrition and Carbohydrate counts for diabetics is also explained in detail with corresponding information charts. The 150+ recipes in this book are planned with healthy and nutritious ingredients, and sample menus with calculated nutrient values are provided for 1200 to 2800 calorie diets. Several Menu planning Templates and options are outlined in the book to select from based on personal choices. Dietary management using a scientific and precise approach will greatly help to control and maintain a normal and healthy lifestyle and promote well-being. Whether planning a fully vegetarian meal or using dishes to supplement non-vegetarian food choices, this book is a valuable resource for health-conscious food lovers.
LITERARY TITAN 