Bedtime Story: I'll Follow the Moon

 

Synopsis: "On a quiet, moonlit beach, a baby green sea turtle stirs from a dream of home. Slowly, slowly, with a tap, crick, crack, the baby turtle embarks upon a mysterious nighttime journey. Gentle, tender verse and enchanting illustrations carry this tranquil tale from sand to sea."

My Review: This is a beautiful children's book. I had downloaded it on my Kindle and might just have to go back and get a print copy to share with Munchkin. The verse is very soothing and mellow and the illustrations match the mood set by the story. You can almost hear the waves lapping at the shore through out the book.

 

My Rating: So cute and great for those animal lovers! I really loved this book and want to get copies for all of the little kids in my family. I give it a rating of Four Paws!

 

 

Good Night! Sweet Dreams!

After Dark Review of Big Girls Do it Wetter by Jasinda Wilder

I have added After Dark Reviews to my blog as a way of notifying you of a review of a book with Adult themes and scenes. From now on I will keep my reviews of all books I read that have explicit scenes in them for late night posts for those of you who prefer to avoid them or easy to find for those of you who seek them out ;)

 

 

Synopsis: "Chase went to New York...without me. It was only one night, one delicious, sinful night, but it awakened something within me, and now, with him gone, I have no one to satiate my sudden, ferocious hunger. Then I woke up one day and looked at someone near and dear to me in a whole new light. And my world was rocked once again.

**This is an explicit, erotic novella for adults only! Contains super hot, one on one sex between two great characters.**"

My Review: Ack! I want to shake Anna! How could she not see the hunky Jeff in front of her all these years?! He is such a sweetheart and a hotty on top of that, and yet it took heartbreak for Anna to see him. I love the budding relationship between the two of them, not to mention the searing heat between them. Warning this one is very explicit and often. The end frustrated me so, (even though I read the books out of order and I know what happens eventually) and I want to sit Anna down and have a little chit chat with her.

 

My Rating: This one definitely improved upon the previous book in the series.  I find myself very attached to the characters, for some reason especially Jeff. I will definitely continue the series. I give it a rating of Three Paws.

 

Review of A Lifetime by Morris Fenris

 

Synopsis: " Lifetime is the story of a struggle. Of one man born into nothing and who fights to make his way through life, to leave the place of his birth -- a place of suffering and strife -- and to create a new life elsewhere. To find himself a wife, to start a family and to achieve the things he thought unachievable. It is a story of success, loss, delight and grief; a story of what it means to have everything and what it feels like to have nothing. It is also a story of the very special bond between a father and his daughter."

My Review: At first I thought I wasn't going to like it, the gentleman narrating the story (I don't believe we ever learned his name) sounded kind of self entitled and pompous. I understand he had a struggle to come from nothing but you never got the feel for that struggle only how proud of all the material things he now owned. That said though, the story really took a turn for the better when he met his future wife. The emotions that poured out of the story for the remainder were fantastic! I can also appreciate how the story ended as the next phase of his life was about to begin. I think with a little more cultivation of the struggles at the beginning of his life would be nice to fill out the story. It was a lovely story of the emotions of one man's life.

 

My Rating: Given the start I wasn't fond of this short story really wiggled its way in and ended beautifully.  I give it a rating of Three Paws.

 

 

A Lifetime was sent to me by the author for an honest review.

 

To find out more about Morris Fenris and his work please visit his Amazon Author Page.

 

You can purchase your own copy of A Lifetime in digital or print format on Amazon.

 

Wednesday Writing

So Wednesday is my official writing update day. I have so many story projects going on and I need a push to get some done. So I will be trying to post each Wednesday about how my writing adventures are going (and I may need a swift kick in the pants by you guys sometimes).

Current Active Project:

Each Item a Story - 25,000 words
A journal a woman keeps as she sorts through antique items and documents left in a home she purchased.

Olivia's Mountain Tale - 3,607 words
Olivia is left in the mountains by her uncle to guard the sheep grazing in the summer pastures.  This summer could change the course of her life.

Princess Bs - 34,317 words

A story about a woman, recently divorced and returned to her home town to figure out what is next. She encounters an old friend and spends a weekend with him and his daughters. Feelings that are long since buried are rising up again, but are her recent loss and his current life going to stand in the way of their happily ever after?

Tamlyn Marie's Grace - 5,811

Think Cinderella only with a matchmaker ;)

Other Works in Progress:

The New Old Home - 17,193 words

Everyone dreams of winning the lottery, but what would you do with that money? That is the question presented to Natalie, when she is at the lowest point in her life, she is presented with an opportunity to make any normal person's dreams come true, but all those winnings can't give her what she wants most.

Night Rider - 17,229

Alice is a recent high school graduate who is a very accomplished competitive rider in Hunter/Jumper, Dressage, and Western/Rodeo. Her parents had arranged for her to attend a private college on the east coast geared specifically to equine professions. However, Alice wants to focus on her studies in English Literature. When she arrives at the college she hides her riding abilities, but can she keep her talent and love of horses hidden?

The Last Mountains - 13,468 (handwritten) = 15,766 (typed)

A equine shapeshifting family is being hunted to near extinction and the young new leader must go against all her lessons and approach the elite council for aide. Will they help her? How will she keep her family's traditions and values alive, let alone her herd?

Other Ideas Plotting:

Bloodsoar's Story

A pegasus struggles through life, ejected from the herd, near capture by humans.

The Assassin's Assassin

A student learns what the school is really teaching and sets out to destroy those who support the program.

Angel Story

Angels battle out an age old feud in a parallel world

All in the Company
A business that keeps to itself, employees marry employees and live on company property. Lissandra is ordered to marry Cody but both are always on business and don't know one another.

Little Wind Guides
Little Wind must lead her clan to new territory as the gods of the Fire Forest are cleansing their home with wrath.  Will they follow her while she holds so many secrets.

 

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So with last weeks disappointing update, I pushed through and have been writing like a mad woman! I am turning out 3 to 4 thousand words on average for the days I write.  I have regained steam on my original story and now know where it is going, though it will only be a short story (I only have about 5 - 10K left for it) I have reached my original goal of 25,000 words!! Can you believe it?! I reached my goal and am going to surpass it by far!  With the inspiration of a secondary story, that I started writing this week as of last night, I am only 3K behind the official Nano pace!  With both stories flowing and plenty of inspiration, I hope to be caught up by the end of this week and maybe, just maybe I can win this year.

But even if I don't win, I can honestly say I finally achieved a goal, and will hopefully have at least one completed story (my first since all the others are sitting in my box waiting for an ending) to show for it!

It is amazing the difference a week can make! How is your Nano experience going, or your writing project?

Review of Johnny and the Seven Teddy Bears of Sin by James E. Venn

 

Synopsis (taken from Amazon): "Johnny Meryevan has been left in his elderly grandfather's household in Victorian London. To terrify the little boy into quiet behavior, his grandfather warns Johnny about the Seven Teddy Bears of Sin. His plan backfires. Johnny sets out to defeat these terrifying monsters, and the teddy bears are only too pleased to take up the challenge.

The results? A comic romp through the serious business of childhood: governesses, cakes, cabs, toast, tea, goldfish, nutcrackers, attics, bordellos, bears and temptations abounding.

The definitive update of medieval morality verse."

My Review: This was a pretty clever story. The verse and rhythm remain throughout the story and doesn't get lost. A little comedy mixed in with the verse and the warnings of the Sins. The war Johnny and his bear Gladly wage against the seven bears of sin is a battle everyone faces through out their lives. I really enjoyed the ending where it is left open, that the war is never won and the sins are always waiting to take you hostage. I found it to be a very well thought out story and one that I really enjoyed.

 

My Rating: This was an interesting short story and a fun read outside my normal genres.  I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

 

 

Johnny and the Seven Teddy Bears of Sin was sent to me by the author for an honest review.

 

To find out more about James Venn's work please visit his Goodreads Page.

 

You can also download your own digital copy of this book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

 

Monday Reading List

Its Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey. Share what books you have finished in the last week, are currently reading and what might be coming up next!

Reviews Posted Last Week:

Links will take you to my review

 

The Unbelievable Story of How I Met your Mother by Preston Randall
A Tricky Game by Seraphima Bogomolova
Little Bear's Little Boat (Bedtime Story)
Northlanders Vol. 2: The Hammer and the Cross (Graphic Novel)

Books Finished Last Week:
Reviews will be posted at a later date

A Lonely Dog on Christmas
Silver Bells
Airs Beneath The Moon
Evergreen
One Winters Day
The Christmas Owl
Catching Barramundi
Secret Santa

 

Currently Reading:

Dark Chatter by Andrew Branch - Kindle - 22%
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen - PB - on Page 40 of 383
One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker - Kindle - 47%
Clara Claus by Alexandra Lanc - Kindle - 13%



 Books to be Read Soon:

 

Water Harvest by Eric Diehl (Requested Review)
Knightmare by Deborah Valentine (Requested Review)
The Lover from Hell by Rob Palmer (Requested Review)
The Clock of Life by Nancy Klann (Requested Review)
The Christmas Wish by Alexandra Lanc (Advent Reads)
Judgment by Jade Varden


 



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So after the first half of last week being a crazy reading fest even though I should have been writing I finally sat down and worked on my project.  It was fun though to read a bunch and take a break, especially with all the books I got to finish! I think that may just become a new way for me, I will write at work and if I keep my word count up I can spend my evenings reading (after munchkin goes to bed of course).  That way I get the best of both worlds.

How was your week? Did you get some reading done? or did you spend the week writing? Or maybe you were working on your Holiday cards?