Kain (Sex, Drugs, and Cyberpunk, #1) by Brie McGill #ReviewShare #GoodReads @briemcgill

Kain by Brie McGill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am assuming the book cover has changed because we were given a book with a different cover. Hmmm, like the new one because it is related to the story. Love the old one because it was more artistic.

Brie's book, Kain, gave me more than a wow experience with her array of wonderful characters and her amazing imagination. Loved, Loved, Loved “Kain (Love, Drugs, and Cyberpunk)". It was difficult not to get ahead of book club discussions or to stop reading this book.

I love it when a book leaves me thinking of the future for the characters - what are they doing now? I am definitely recommending this book to all of my friends.

Now for technical bits. Character development was flawless. Plot was something not all of us at the book club was happy with. It moves at lightning speed, and then Lukian goes into a lull, this was confusing and at some stretches got a bit annoying. The violence is tolerable but there was far more sex than violence so not too sure if many readers will be comfortable about that.

However, if you find yourself in a similar situation, all I can say is STICK WITH IT. It turns out to be an AMAZING book...as it got closer to the end.

Brie McGill has created a fascinating world that will challenge your notions of what is right, what is moral, what is human long after you finish the last page. The book can stands on its own (I think), with no sequel necessary. I'll be the first in line should she choose to revisit these characters, though! 5 stars!

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.


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Colorworld by Rachel E. Kelly @colorworldbooks #Free #Romance #SciFi

Wen knows what love looks like. Since her mom died over a year ago, she’s seen it every day on her orphaned younger brother’s face. Wen’s made good on her promise to her mom that she’d take care of Ezra, even quitting her carefree party-girl ways to become a hard-working college student so she can provide for him. 

Wen knows what love feels like, too. Because when she touches people, she feels what they do. "Uniquely perceptive" is what her mom called it, and Wen’s not going to argue; she doesn’t know any different. 

But an energy therapy study changes not only what Wen knows about her unusual gift; it also changes her. Now, instead of feeling emotions, her touch brings death to others. No one is safe around her, especially Ezra. 

Wen turns to energy healers for help. And that’s where she meets him: Mr. Tenacious and Audacious, Gabe Dumas. He knows about love, too; he speaks it in ways Wen has never experienced. And he’s never even touched her. 

With her heart unravelling, Wen discovers a world only she can see. It may offer hope for her condition… or it may be better left hidden. 

*Intended for 16 and up

Amazon Kindle US

Rating – PG13

Genre – Romance / Sci-Fi

4.6 (19 reviews)

Free until 15 January 2014

Post-Human Series #Books 1-4 by David Simpson @PostHuman09 #SciFi #TBR

LIMITED TIME OFFER! This collection of the first 4 books of the Post-Human Series tells the epic and fast-paced story of the future of humanity and the extraordinary benefits--and profound dangers--of powerful artificial intelligence.

Book 1: Sub-Human

(Age Range: 14 years and up)

Before he was Old-timer, he was Craig Emilson, a young doctor, sucked into military service at the outbreak of World War III. Enlisting to become a Special Forces suborbital paratrooper, Craig is selected to take part in the most important mission in American military history--a sortie into enemy territory to eliminate the world's first strong Artificial Intelligence. The mission is only the beginning of Craig's story, and for the story of humanity as well, as they accelerate towards a world that is post-human.

If you're already a fan of the smash-hit Post-Human Series, this prequel to Post-Human, Sub-Human, will answer the previously unanswered questions of how the post-human world came to be. And, if you're new to the series, Sub-Human will serve as an engrossing introduction to a possible future that has enraptured tens of thousands of readers in 2012 alone!

Book 2: Post-Human

(Age Range: 12 years and up)

The future should have been perfect. Microscopic robots known as nans could repair any damage to your body, keep you young by resetting your cellular clocks, and allow you to download upgrades like intelligence, muscle strength, and eyesight. You were supposed to be able to have anything you wanted with a simple thought, to be able to fly without the aid of a machine, to be able to live forever. But when a small group of five terraformers working on Venus return to Earth, they discover that every other human in the solar system has been gruesomely murdered. Now, James Keats and his four companions must discover what happened to the rest of humanity and fight back if they wish to avoid the same, horrifying fate. Welcome to the post-human era.

Book 3: Trans-Human 

(Age Range: 12 years and up)

In this sequel to Post-Human, humanity will be forced to face a future more advanced than it could have imagined if it wants to survive. Nineteen months have passed since the A.I. turned against humanity and was subsequently destroyed. In the meantime, James Keats has turned over the A.I.'s powers to a non-intelligent, easily controlled operating system. He and Thel have left the planet and spent six months vacationing on Venus, which has been newly terraformed without the consent or knowledge of the Governing Council. The A.I. has been deleted, but the message it sent out into the abyss of space in search of a companion has been answered. An alien force dwarfing the Earth is on its way to find out why the A.I. has stopped communicating. Keats and company can only assume its intentions will be hostile when it finds out the truth. Only one thing is for sure: nothing will ever be the same again. Welcome to the Trans-Human era. Welcome to the singularity.

Book 4: Human Plus 

(Age Range: 14 years and up)

The Post-Human Trilogy is done, but the Post-Human series is just heating up! Human Plus is Book 4 in the smash hit science fiction series. Not exactly a sequel, not exactly a prequel, Human Plus will defy expectations. No matter what you thought was coming next, you're in for a surprise! 

JUST ONE CAUTION: When you're finished, you're going to want to share the surprises with everyone online...Please don't! Please respect future readers and let them enjoy the surprises just as much as you did!

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Genre - Science Fiction

Rating – PG

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#Romance #BookReview Dance for A Dead Princess by Deborah Hawkins @DeborahHawk3

Dance for A Dead Princess by Deborah Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What did you think about the beginning. The story starts off with the Duke of Burnham being widowed and people thinking he was a playboy. He was meeting with lawyers about the sale of Burnham Abbey to a girl’s school. I liked the introduction given for each of the main characters because although seemingly obvious, you’re kept guessing about how the main characters would actually get along with each other.

Which character was your favourite? I really liked Taylor. She starts off by not liking the Duke and she just wanted the sale of the Abbey over and done with. These sentiments can be found in any romantic comedy or love story where the heroine is wooed in unlikely ways to fall in love and the author did a fantastic job at the chemistry between the two of them. In Taylor’s case, when she found the journals, everything changed about how she felt and thought about the Duke.

What did the title have to do with the book? We discussed this endlessly at the book club. Some members felt the use of Princess Diana was inappropriate, others loved it. I for one didn’t really see the connection. The title of the book didn’t really fit because the main plot has little to do with Princess Diana. I would either have left Princess Diana out or given the tape more relevance.

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.

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#AmReading - Dead Set by Richard Kadrey @Richard_Kadrey

Dead Set by Richard Kadrey

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Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey creates a wonderful, stand-alone dark fantasy

After her father's funeral, Zoe moved to the big city with her mother to start over. But change always brings trials, and life in the city is not so easy. Money is tight, and Zoe's only escape, as has always been the case, is in her dreams—a world apart from her troubled real life where she can spend time with her closest companion: her lost brother, Valentine.

But something or someone has entered their dreamworld uninvited. And a chance encounter at a used record store, where the vinyl holds not music but lost souls, has opened up a portal to the world of the restless dead. It's here that the shop's strange proprietor offers Zoe the chance to commune with her dead father. The price? A lock of hair. Then a tooth. Then . . .

#Book Spotlight - The Forgotten Child by Lorhainne Eckhart @leckhart #romance #amreading

 

How do you tell a man there is something wrong with his child?

This is by far one of the best books I have read. Lorhainne Eckhart proved herself yet again  by pulling you in with a heartfelt story and keeping your attention with the passion that fills   the pages. ~ ROMANCE JUNKIES

A Real Tear Jerker: Omg, I loved this book. I stayed up all night trying to finish it. I cried,  My heart broke, I have an 18 year old with autism. This would make a fabulous movie...  Tammy

Overview:

He wasn't looking to love again. But what he got was a woman who shook his lonely bitter world upside down, and touched him in a way no other woman could.

Emily Nelson, a courageous young mother, ends a loveless, bitter marriage and strikes out on her own. She answers an ad as a cook and live-in caregiver to a three-year-old boy on a local ranch. Ranch owner Brad Friessen hires and moves in Emily and her daughter. But Emily soon discovers something's seriously wrong with the boy, and the reclusive, difficult man who hired her can't see the behavior and how delayed his son is. So Emily researches until she stumbles across what she suspects are the soft signs of autism. Now she must tell him, give him hope, and help him come to terms with this neurological disorder--to take the necessary steps to get his child the help he needs.

As their lives become intertwined, their attraction is unavoidable--a connection sparks between them. But just as they're getting close, Brad's estranged wife, Crystal, returns after abandoning the family two years earlier. Among the shock and confusion is one disturbing question Brad can't shake: How does Crystal know so much of his personal business, the inner working of the ranch, and Emily's relationship with his son?

Crystal must've had a plan, as she somehow gains the upper hand, driving a wedge in the emotional bond forged between Brad, Emily, and the children. The primary focus for care and therapy of three-year-old Trevor is diverted. The lengths to which Crystal will go, the lies, the greed, just to keep what's hers, are nothing short of cold and calculating. Emily's forced out of the house. Brad fights to save his boy, to protect what's his, and struggles over his greatest sacrifice--Emily, and the haunting question: Has he lost her forever?

More Praise for THE FORGOTTEN CHILD...

"Brilliant, there is no other word for it, heart grabbing, heart warming, gut wrenching, well written well researched, wanted to read it over & over again." Amazon Reviewer – Maureen

BLACK RAVEN'S REVIEWS - Ms. Eckhart has crafted a delightful story with engaging  characters, enough drama for a Hallmark movie, and enough unconditional love to last a lifetime.  ~Rated 5 Ravens and a Recommended Read by AJ!~ 

READERS FAVORITE *5 Star Review A real page turner ~ fast moving plot ~ a must read!
Reviewed by Brenda C. For Readers Favorite

I didn't expect I'd fall for the four main characters as hard as I did, but The Forgotten Child is an amazing book, not just for a romance fan like myself, but for single parents who may or  may not have a child with autism. ~ Reviewer ~ Adria

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Western Romance

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Lorhainne Eckhart on Facebook & Twitter

#AmReading - Ever-Flowing Streams by Dana Taylor @SupernalDana

Ever-Flowing Streams by Dana Taylor

Amazon

What is “energy healing” and how can it change your life? “Ever-Flowing Streams: Tapping into Healing Energy” follows the path of one woman on a journey from middle class mom to Reiki Master. A lifelong medical mystery leads to studying alternative medicine traditions including Chinese herbs, essential oils, Eastern medicine, and past life therapy. In 2005 an encounter with a Reiki energy worker becomes a life changing healing experience. Ultimately, the book encourages readers to discover their own healing capabilities and take charge of their own physical and mental well-being.

#AmReading - Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson @booksbyjanice

Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson

Amazon

Feisty wedding photographer Hannah McDermott has dealt with her share of difficult brides. But none can compare to the ultimate Bridezilla she's dealing with now. Still, she's trying desperately to impress Bella Neeley, Galveston Island's most sought-after wedding planner, so she can take the top spot in Bella's list of recommended photographers--a spot currently occupied by her arch-rival, Drew Kincaid. What she doesn't count on, however, is falling head over heels for the competition.
With her contagious humor and cast of quirky characters, Janice Thompson gives readers more of the bridal business drama they want in a brand-new series all about those long-suffering people who make beautiful weddings happen. Readers are desperately waiting for more of Bella and this new series brings her back in a big way, while introducing new characters fans will love. Fans will laugh out loud as they experience this breezy and entertaining novel from a great storyteller.

#AmReading - My Cheeky Angel by Mimi Barbour @MimiBarbour

My Cheeky Angel by Mimi Barbour

Amazon

Woman-hater, tomboy and a Cheeky Angel! Sparks fly when the tomboy grows
up and decides to make drastic changes to her boring life, and thanks to her
helpful angel she's goes all out. Instead of being a playmate for her bachelor
buddy, she's turned into a real dazzler. Now what's a guy to do?

#AmReading - A Time to Love by Angelina Rose @RoseRomanceBook

A Time to Love by Angelina Rose

Amazon

Gracie Tillman is well known in Mill Creek Crossing as the sassy waitress at Stella's diner. But what many people don't know is that she has virtually no family left, and the one person she should have in her life is her sister, Eva. Unfortunately, Eva did some rotten things to her sister years ago, and Gracie says she'll never forgive her.
As Eva's life starts to fall apart in Atlanta, she finds out that the only way to survive is to depend on her sister and crawl back to Mill Creek Crossing. Keeping a major secret, she shows back up in town and tries to convince her sister to forgive her. At the same time, Eva starts to change when she meets an interesting biker named Brice.
Will the sisters be able to mend their relationship? Will love bloom between high class Eva and biker Brice?

#AmReading - Frail Blood by Jo Robertson @jorobertson29

Frail Blood by Jo Robertson

Amazon

"Frail Blood" is an historical romantic thriller.
California, 1909. A woman straps a pistol to her ankle, walks to her lover’s home, and shoots him. Her motive? After an affair of four months, he jilted her for another woman.
How would an attorney defend the woman in light of her outright confession? Would an all-male jury view her actions with repulsion or pity?
The climate of California in the early twentieth century when women couldn’t vote and men held the real power, where immense wealth rested alongside poverty, held a paradox of contradictions.
The bare bones of this true California court case sparked the idea for the fictional story of Alma Bentley, attorney Malachi Rivers, and Emma Knight, the woman who helps him investigate the case.
When jaded lawyer Malachi Rivers engages newspaper editor Emma Knight to aid him in the case of Alma Bentley, he has no idea they'll eventually unmask a vile web of family deceit, wickedness, and treachery. Constantly putting herself in harm's way, the feckless Emma uncovers dark secrets that lie behind the wealthy facade of the Joseph Machado clan.
With her strong opinions, Emma tests Malachi's patience even while he's strongly attracted to her. She disagrees with every aspect of his trial strategy, but he defends his client the only way he can – by insisting that a woman, a naturally frail creature, is incapable of committing such a heinous crime.
Emma wants to experience true passion and detests the false notion that women are inferior to men in any way. Even while she confronts Malachi at every turn, she falls ridiculously in love with him.
Readers of historical fiction and mystery/suspense, as well as historical romance, will enjoy the elements at play in this slice of life, fictionalized story of California.

#AmReading - The Conduit by Stacey Rourke @Rourkewrites

The Conduit by Stacey Rourke

Amazon

All 18-year-old Celeste Garrett wants is to head off to college and make those fun, yet ill-advised, choices college kids are known for. And maybe to spend some time with the hot cameraman she just met. Instead, because of a pact her ancestors made in the 17th century with a mythical creature, she has to save the world.
While normal kids are slamming energy drinks and cramming for exams, Celeste will get her adrenaline rush fighting a fire breathing dragon. She wants to meet friends in the quad to exchange lecture notes, but first she must exchange blows with a shapeshifting demon on the rooftop. Life isn’t always fair for a superhero, but at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. With her brother and sister as sidekicks, they alternate between saving lives and getting on each others’ nerves. Together the trio encounters unspeakable odds, mystical forces and comes face-to-face with an image that will haunt them forever—their grandmother in a leopard print bikini.

#AmReading - The Bloodletter’s Daughter by Linda Lafferty @LindaLaffs

The Bloodletter’s Daughter by Linda Lafferty

Amazon

Within the glittering Hapsburg court in Prague lurks a darkness of which no one dares speak…

In 1606, the city of Prague shines as a golden mecca of art and culture carefully cultivated by Emperor Rudolf II. But the emperor hides an ugly secret: His bastard son, Don Julius, is afflicted with a madness that pushes the young prince to unspeakable depravity. Desperate to stem his son’s growing number of scandals, the emperor exiles Don Julius to a remote corner of Bohemia where the young man is placed in the care of a bloodletter named Pichler. The bloodletter’s task: cure Don Julius of his madness by purging the vicious humors coursing through his veins.

When Pichler brings his daughter Marketa to assist him, she becomes the object of Don Julius’s frenzied—and dangerous—obsession. To him, she is the embodiment of the women pictured in the Coded Book of Wonder, a priceless manuscript from the imperial library that was the mad prince’s only link to sanity. As the prince descends further into the darkness of his mind, his acts become ever more desperate, as Marketa, both frightened and fascinated, can’t stay away.

Inspired by a real-life murder that threatened to topple the powerful Hapsburg dynasty, The Bloodletter’s Daughter is a dark and richly detailed saga of passion and revenge.

#AmReading - Identity by Ted Dekker @TedDekker

Identity by Ted Dekker

Amazon

Who am I?

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen and I'm about to die.

I'm buried in a coffin under tons of concrete. No one knows where I am. My heart sounds like a monster with clobber feet, running straight toward me. I'm lying on my back, soaked with sweat from the hair on my head to the soles of my feet. My hands and feet won't stop shaking.

Some will say that I m not really here. Some will say I'm delusional. Some will say that I don t even exist. But who are they? I'm the one buried in a grave.

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen. I'm about to die.

So who are you?

In a return to the kind of storytelling that made Black, Showdown and Three unforgettable, Ted Dekker drags that question into the light with this modern day parable about how we see ourselves.

Humming with intensity and blindsided twists, Eyes Wide Open is raw adrenaline from the first page to the last pure escapism packed with inescapable truth. Not all is as it seems. Or is it? Strap yourself in for the ride of your life. Literally. (Young Adult)

#AmReading - Drowning Mermaids by Nadia Scrieva @NadiaScrieva

Drowning Mermaids by Nadia Scrieva

Amazon

She is an elegant princess displaced from her home. He is a rough sea captain with a heart of gold...

To escape the war in her underwater kingdom, the noble daughter of a murdered king must flee to Alaska. Doing all she can to keep her younger sisters safe, Aazuria tries to assimilate and work among the Americans, with her feisty red-haired bodyguard at her side. This refuge holds pleasant surprises, for the princess meets a somber gentleman in a dark corner who promises to show her his world. 

Trevain Murphy is a successful crab fisherman who has spent his life building an empire above the sea, but knows nothing of the greater empire beneath the surface. When a graceful dancer captures his attention, he becomes fascinated with her old-fashioned speech and unique mannerisms. Learning that her father has recently died, he cannot resist extending his kindness in offering to guide and protect her.
As it becomes clear that the dark-haired woman is much more than she seems, Trevain is unprepared to uncover the staggering secrets behind her innocent facade. Neither the captain nor the princess can imagine that their lives will become forcibly entwined as a common enemy threatens both of their worlds...

#AmReading - Christmas Dessert Recipes by Jane Jeffreys @noojeenumnums

Christmas Dessert Recipes by Jane Jeffreys

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Christmas Dessert Recipes: simple delicious recipe cook book with 3 main ingredients - chocolate, cakes cookies, pops and more.... This book will give you my secrets for creating spectacular desserts and sweet treats with minimal effort and minimal ingredients. Half the work is already done so you will have more time to spend with friends and family and less time in the kitchen.
You’ll find many of the recipes use the same few ingredients, which means that with quite a small shopping list you can make any or all of the recipes you see here.
The main thing is, have fun with it. Think outside the box and always buy the best quality ingredients you can afford. Enjoy the festive season and the time you spend with those you love.

#AmReading - A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter @E__Hunter

A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter

Amazon

   No secret stays hidden forever.

   A phone call from an old friend sets mysterious book researcher Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery that has eluded him for centuries.  Little does he suspect a young librarian holds the key to an ancient secret, nor could he expect the danger Beatrice De Novo would attract.  

   Now both will follow a twisted maze leading from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a passion that could destroy them both.

#AmReading - The God King by James A. West @jwestbooks

The God King by James A. West

Amazon

The adventure begins here…
Heroes are not born, they are forged in the fires of apocalypse...
Mercenary Kian Valara wants nothing more than to retire from a life of blood and butchery. But when an arrogant princeling offers him enough gold to buy a throne, Kian straps on his sword for one last mission. And besides, what could be easier than guarding a prince who wants to sow his royal seed in every backwater fortress and village throughout the realm?
Turns out, dying would’ve been easier.
Kian discovers too late that the prince’s ambition has shattered the foundations of the world, and that he intends to remake all Creation.
As the moons collide and the skies burn, Kian and his devastated company of warriors hound the demented prince across a nightmare realm. At every turn, Kian must fight for his life against demons escaped from the underworld, and those who they have transformed into blood-hungry terrors.
Along the way, Kian meets a powerful and beautiful woman who prepares him for a battle he has small hope of winning. To triumph, Kian must summon all his skill and courage, he must sacrifice more than he ever imagined he could, and he must embrace the dark secret that binds him to the power-mad prince.
Only one thing is certain: if Kian fails, the world of men will burn in the fires of apocalypse, and the God King will rule unchallenged and unpunished.

#AmReading - The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead @RichelleMead

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

Amazon

Prepare to be Tested.
The story that kicked off Richelle Mead's international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series is NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE.
Read it Before it Hits Theaters February 14th, 2014!
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.
In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .
But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.
Pulses will race throughout this smoldering fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

#AmReading - Avoiding Decisions by K.A. Linde @AuthorKALinde

Avoiding Decisions by K.A. Linde

Amazon

Two Avoiding Series novellas written from Jack and Ramsey's point of views from the first time they each meet Lexi with an EXCLUSIVE first look at the intro to Avoiding Temptation!!!
Jack's POV: Jack and Lexi never had a typical relationship. In the bestselling novel, Avoiding Commitment, you find out why. There are two sides to every story, and Lexi doesn’t even know this one. Get inside Jack’s head in this never before seen short story—the first time he meets Lexi.
Ramsey's POV: Ramsey recently went through a terrible break up. In the bestselling novel, Avoiding Responsibility, you find out why. Out for an interview for his father's company, he meets a gorgeous girl that changes everything. Get inside Ramsey’s head in this never before seen short story—the first time he meets Lexi.