Monday, June 17, 2013

Jane's Melody by Ryan Winfield Review

Jane's Melody by Ryan Winfield



What boundaries would you cross for love?

That's the question a grieving mother must answer when she takes in her dead daughter's young boyfriend and finds herself falling for him. A touching love story that will have you equally tantalized and in tears, Jane's Melody follows a forty-year-old woman on a romantic journey of rediscovery after years of struggling alone.

Sometimes our greatest gifts come from our greatest pain. And now Jane must decide if it's too late for her to start over, or if true love really knows no age.

Jane's Melody is an adult romance novel and may not be suitable for younger readers due to sexual content.




Jane's MelodyJane's Melody by Ryan Winfield
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Please note, I'm writing this review with tears in my eyes. As with everything this author writes, I was enthralled. Up late last night, reading all day. This book has become my favorite of everything he's written. A deep touching story that any person will enjoy. The depth of pain in all the characters is felt throughout. Dealing with loss, alcoholism, love and moving on, Jane's Melody brings to you a heart wrenching story of a mother losing her daughter. Meeting Caleb, she felt she had one last link to a daughter she had lost long before her death, he shows her how to move on, and become alive again.

I can't say I've read any other book that had me crying like this. The last 15% of my phone has me feeling like my heart was ripped from my chest, but in such a good way. The life and story of Jane will make you smile, laugh and if it doesn't make you cry, then you are a stronger person than I. I don't want to spoil any of the story for you, so I'll just leave you with this. You have got to read this book. If you are a mother, a daughter, a friend, a man, it doesn't matter who you are, you have to read this book.

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Hi, I'm Ryan Winfield. I'm a 38-year-old writer living in Seattle. Author of "South of Bixby Bridge" and "The Park Service Trilogy". My latest title, "Jane's Melody", releases everywhere on June 18. If your book club is reading one of my books and you would like me to attend your next get together, either in person or via Skype, please don't hesitate to message me. I hope you enjoy my books and I'd love to hear from you at facebook.com/ryanwinfield.
I've been asked why I write. I write because I remember.
I remember waking up to snow. Great buckets of it poured from the gray skies and blanketing everything in quiet white. I remember racing to dress, struggling with my boots. "Here, don't forget your mittens." I remember the soft thump of that first footstep in the cold and virgin powder, the tracks looking back, foghorns blowing on the mist-covered bay. I feel the canvas paper bag cutting into my shoulders, the weight of Sunday's headlines heavy on my mind. I see the trees bowed with armloads of white, as if to curtsey my passing. I remember rubber bands and ink stained hands. A car spun sideways in a ditch. Always a car. Then barking dogs, a distant chainsaw. Freckles throwing fastballs that hurt for the cold of them on my neck. I remember snowmen, and igloos, and icy trails through the white and wondrous woods. And I remember sweet Mrs. Johnson waiting at her door. The smell of Avon powder, her thin smile, an envelope pressed into my palm--ten dollars and a peppermint candy cane thank you. Evening now. I remember running downtown--Salvation Army bells, white lights strung in sidewalk trees, bundled shoppers bent against the wind. I remember the heavy door, the warmth, the wood. The bookstore! Smells of paper and leather and ink. Walls of worlds bound and waiting for me to read.
Nothing has affected me as much as reading has. Dickens, Tolkien, and Lewis raised me. And while I've walked through my own hell, made my own mistakes, and found my own redemption, always there have been books. Books to help me escape, books to teach me when to stay and fight, books to help me see where I've been wrong and where I've been right.
I write because I remember. And I write because I still dream.


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South of Bixby Bridge on Facebook
South of Bixby Bridge on Amazon $3.99
South of Bixby Bridge on Nook $3.99
The Park Service Trilogy on Facebook
The Park Service: Book One of The Park Service Trilogy $3.99 on Amazon
The Park Service: Book One of The Park Service Trilogy $3.99 on Nook
Isle of Man: Book Two of The Park Service Trilogy $3.99 on Amazon
Isle of Man: Book Two of The Park Service Trilogy $3.99 on Nook

Sunday, June 16, 2013

The Impaler's Revenge (The Impaler Legacy)

The Impaler's Revenge (The Impaler Legacy) by Ioana Visan



In a world crawling with vampires, Romania is the safest place left on earth. Thanks to the Little Council, there hasn't been a vampire on Romanian ground in over five centuries. But one day, Liana Cantacuzino, also a member of the Little Council and a descendant of one of the old noble families, is ordered to bring one in, covertly. Enter Maximilien Hess, a thousand years old vampire determined to ruin the existing order of things.

Suddenly, Liana finds herself forced to protect Hess, instead of having the pandurs kill him. With the help from her trustful friends, Rodica Ghica and Åžtefan Sturdza, and that of an innocent bystander, Dr. Jesse Carver, Liana has to find out what is going on and what the President is hiding from her. When all is revealed, Hess's secret changes everything.

The first novella in The Impaler Legacy series, a vampire saga like no other.



The Impaler's Revenge (The Impaler Legacy, #1)The Impaler's Revenge by Ioana Visan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was an interesting spin on a Vampire Novel. Not your typical sexy story, this one is more about political aspects with twists. I rather enjoyed the plot. But, of course, it seemed so much was revolving around the politics. At points it does seem mundane. Seriously, how is it everyone is able to recognize Max is a vampire, yet not know what their own government is up to. I would have liked to know more about the characters. There's quite a bit mentioning the history of this generations council, but no full backstory, rather glimpses into it. It's rather hard to fully connect with the characters. Even still, I couldn't stop reading it. If you like vampires, without the sex, you would certainly enjoy this authors take on them. Almost well written and thought out, the story will carry on, and I'm sure I'll be reading the rest of the series when I have time, just to see where it goes.

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Saturday, June 15, 2013

Loving Sofia

Loving Sofia by Alina-Man

$1.99 Amazon


Just before her last year of high school, Sofia Bianchi is forced by her mother to move to the States, leaving all she knows behind: her family, her friends, her safety. She knows her mom will make her life a living hell and now there’s no place to hide. Despite all, she finds solace in her new friend Ramona who is everything she’s not: confident, rich, and loved by her parents. 
After college the two friends move together and things start to look up for Sofia. However, years of verbal abuse had shattered her confidence and she doesn’t feel worthy of happiness. Every day she puts her happy face on and goes through the motions with no expectations. 
When her best friend starts dating Jonathan, Sofia doesn’t expect to fall for his best friend Mark. As time goes by her feelings for him only grow deeper but the fear of rejection keeps her from doing anything about it. 
Mark knows he shouldn’t feel this way about Sofia but sometimes the heart has a different plan. When she starts dating Bradley, he is torn between telling her how he really feels and risking their friendship. Is he ready to risk it all?


Loving SofiaLoving Sofia by Alina Man
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll go with cons first. Yes, there are some editing issues, but not enough that you can't read the book. I would have like to know a little more background on Mark. You really get a lot on Sofia, but since there are two POV in the book, I feel we should have known more about him. The ending felt a little rushed. And, I don't see where Crazy Lisa adds anything to the story, other than filler.

Pros, this is just your sweet little romance. I whizzed through it on a Saturday afternoon. It's one of those feel-good stories that leave you smiling. Two friends in love, afraid to tell each other. Getting past my few 'annoyances' I rather enjoyed the story. If you're looking for light reading, this is it.

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To the Limit (Uniformly Hot!)


To the Limit (Uniformly Hot!) by Jo Leigh


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

More oldies

A Black Deeper Than DeathA Black Deeper Than Death by M.E. Purfield
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book is listed as young adult. I would never let my teenager read this. The main character is a drunk, egotistical girl, who can "feel" pain that others around her experience. She's trying to solve a murder she "felt" while she was drunk and being kicked out of a bar. This book is crass, and absolutely not something I would recommend for a young person. The writing feels rushed, I occasionally felt it was hard to keep up with where it was heading.

Back log reviews

So, here is the back log reviews that were all on the main site. I just wanted to make sure they were still kept somewhere !!! Not sure what you want to read next? Check these out...































































Along Came Trouble (Camelot, #2)Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a story! This book had some drama, love and lots of hotness. I really enjoyed the journey that Ellen and Caleb take you on. I sort of feel the whole "job" he had to do was anti-climatic. A little something to that would have made this a five star story. For the most part, it's predictable. Most romances are. But all in all, it's a great romance. The dynamics of the Clark family and the Callahan family, and how they grow throughout the story is just a gripping tale. I couldn't put this down.