"Beneath the Mask of Sanity" by Mark Phillips (4 Stars)

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Beneath the Mask of Sanity

by Mark Phillips

Genre: Horror/Psychological Thriller

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Meet Bentley Grimes. He's a serial killer with a thirst for the big score. Families.

Now meet Katie Braddock. She was a normal teenage girl until her father was murdered, leaving she and her mom, and her younger sister Karen, to try and salvage their lives without him. But when Katie turns to new boy Brandon, she's unwittingly opening the door for the killer.

Meanwhile, Detective Frank Miles is on the hunt for George's murderer. He's becoming obsessed with finding Bentley, content to stop at nothing to capture him ... before Bentley comes back for the rest of the family.

BENEATH the MASK of SANITY is a great thriller. It will have you on the edge of your seat hugging your pillow, and if you're anything like me, you're also going to find yourself throwing that pillow and grinding your teeth. Bentley Grimes if one villain you won't find yourself feeling bad for.

To note, there are some formatting and grammatical issues I'd like to see cleaned up in a new edition, but overall I thought it was a very well put together and entertaining story.

Want more? Check GOODREADS | Buy it at AMAZON (It's currently free!) | Mark J. Phillips's WEBSITE

"Private Pain: Amidst These Ashes" by Queen of Spades (5 Stars)

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Private Pain: Amidst These Ashes

by Queen of Spades

Genre: (Adult) Poetry (Dark)

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I was lucky enough to read a blog post from the writer where she announced the 2nd edition release and free promotion of this book. Having read and appreciated another of her work, I downloaded my own copy.

As the title suggests, this short collection of poems is a recounting of one woman's very private pain. From child to adulthood, you become a witness to the devastating atrocities committed against her in heart wrenching detail. Crude and visceral, PRIVATE PAIN: AMIDST THESE ASHES will touch you and hurt you and make you wish that you could have scooped up this child to your breast and sheltered her.

This book is not for children and does contain a trigger warning. It also provides links and helplines for sufferers of abuse.

To find out more, visit GOODREADS | and buy it at AMAZON
My review of "Reflections of Soul" by Queen of Spades!

"Kumquat" by Jeff Strand (5 Stars)

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Kumquat

by Jeff Strand

Genre: Romantic Comedy (It's not Horror!)

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I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy, an "uncorrected proof", of this book and wow. I knew it was going to be good, but I didn't realize that it would force me to run the gamut of emotions!!

Todd leads a pretty uneventful, pretty unremarkable life until a chance meeting at a film festival changes everything. Her name is Amy and she's actually talking to Todd! Not just that, she seems really cool and appears to legitimately enjoy his company. There's only one hang-up - Amy has an inoperable brain aneurism and there's no predicting how much time she has left.

It's an impulsive road trip that will change you just a bit. I laughed like a crazy person (given), I was moved to tears (as in cried like a baby), and I cursed Jeff Strand for keeping me in a constant state of anxiety (oh please don't let her die now!). This is easily one of the best books, the most heartwarming, uplifting, and nail-biting stories I've ever had the privilege to read. Please don't miss out on this one!


Find out more about KUMQUAT by going to GOODREADS and Jeff Strand's WEBSITE! The e-book release date is July 1st, 2014.

"The Angel and the Warrior" by Karen Kay (5 stars)

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The Angel and the Warrior

The Lost Clan #1

by Karen Kay

Genre: Historical Romance

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I found this book while browsing NetGalley and requested a copy after the cover, and then the description, intrigued me. Luckily the publisher granted my request, because while reading THE ANGEL and the WARRIOR, I was reminded of the 'old school' romances that I used to indulge in years and years ago. It has that pure romance feel to it, bringing to mind greats such as Johanna Lindsey, Diana Gabaldon, and Cassie Edwards. The painstakingly researched history is immersive and captivating. I'll definitely be looking out for more by Karen Kay, and in particular, this Lost Clan series!

THE ANGEL and the WARRIOR:
"Many centuries ago, a village killed the children of the Thunder god.  For their crime the Creator banished them to live a half existence in the land of shadows, neither dead nor alive.  But once in a generation, a brave is given the opportunity to save his clan."

Want more? Find this book on GOODREADS | AMAZON | NetGALLEY | & Karen Kay's WEBSITE

"Bound by Her Scent" by Kara Swynn (4 Stars)

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Bound by Her Scent

Twin Canyon Shifters #1

by Kara Swynn

Genre: Erotica/Paranormal Romance

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Disclaimer Time! I was given a copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest review and I realized right off the bat that I'm not a great one for reviewing this kind of material. Occasionally, I will get a book that is primarily romance with elements of erotica, but this book, due to its short length, was primarily erotica with the story there to support the sex. My problem is that I find the language used in the genre to be rather jarring. I like my sexy sex scenes to be sensual and romantic, often erotic, spicy and dangerous, but I find that it gets a lot dirtier and a lot shocking when it comes to straight up erotica. All that being said... 

Kara Swynn wrote a great book within her chosen genre, her ability to come up with fresh ideas wonderful, and I have a hunch that she's going to have a lot of followers! So if you like your erotica to have a strong supporting foundation, BOUND by HER SCENT is the book for you.

Want more? Check it out at GOODREADS | Buy it at AMAZON

Interview with BRUSH of SHADE author JAN HARMAN!

Welcome Jan Harman, the author of The Whisperer's Chronicles!

Rebecca: BRUSH of SHADE is your debut novel, is it not?

Jan: Yes, BRUSH OF SHADE is my first published novel. I have several other stories that I hope to publish in the future.

Rebecca: Where did you get the idea for this series?

Jan: Several years ago when my children and I were exploring New Salem, Illinois, I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. The incident occurred along a forested trail near the one room school house set off by itself. The rational mom side of my brain passed off the man like shape as wildlife or branches blowing in the breeze; whereas the other part of my brain stirred to life from having grown up watching scary shows like the Twilight Zone. What if I’d caught a glimpse of someone who had the ability to make his body invisible? What if there were communities of these people living among us and they had the ability to wipe their existence from our minds? While my kids were fascinated watching a candle dipping demonstration, the beginning of a story played out in my head. Gradually the story evolved into today’s version of the Whisperer Clans.

Rebecca: You've shared with your readers that you're a stay at home mom, like myself. Was it hard to find time to write? How long did it take to complete BRUSH of SHADE?

Jan: Over the next couple of years the idea of sharing the planet with another species continued to churn in my head. Snippets of story lines would pop into my head at the most inconvenient times, usually when I was supposed to be preparing the next day’s lessons for my children. As a homeschooling mom, it occurred to me that I had an opportunity to sneak in writing time of my own to demonstrate how to write dialogue or to explain point of view. These examples stirred my creative juices, compelling me to carve out mom time. I adjusted my bed time to take advantage of the peace and quiet of the late night hours. I wrote every minute I spent waiting in the car for kids at 4-H events, scouting, or community service projects. Despite my efforts, I had scenes but not a cohesive book. Life got hectic and my writing continued to take a backseat. I don’t regret the decision. I treasure every minute I got to spend with my children. Then one day, I broke my arm and had to have surgery. Knowing I was bored out of my mind, my daughters, then in high school and college, pleaded with me to work on my story because they were still waiting to see how it all played out. The result of this labor of love is my debut novel BRUSH OF SHADE.

"Brush of Shade" by Jan Harman (5 Stars)

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Brush of Shade

The Whisperer's Chronicles, #1

by Jan Harman

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy/Romance

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and I had a good feeling about this book. I wasn't to be let down; in fact, it far surpassed my imaginings!

BRUSH of SHADE is about Olivia Pepperdine, a high school senior suffering serious mental trauma after a car wreck that killed her parents. Living with her aunt now, she has no choice when she's uprooted and moved from the big city to a valley community. To make matters worse, people seem to be looking at her funny. Could it be because they knew her parents, or does it go deeper than that?

This book is filled with action without losing deep character development and strong, realistic voices. The progressions and the reactions are all completely believable. There's some romance and some mystery, and I found this book to be a fantastic joy. I very eagerly wait for book 2.

Want to know more? Check it out at GOODREADS | Buy it at AMAZON | 'LIKE' it on FACEBOOK! - And stay tuned, my interview with Jan Harman is coming up next!