You can leave your hat on

I’m not a massively girly girl. I like clothes and shoes and handbags, but they’re not can’t-live-without items for me, and after being away I’m still in the mindset of thinking ‘why do I need all this STUFF??’ That being said, I do like transformation.

I love redecorating (okay, maybe not actually doing the redecoration, but the before and after). I love changing my style on a regular basis. I love butterflies and how they were once caterpillars. And so, it came to pass that I had to do the same with my blog.

It’s not the first time I’ve changed the theme. I’ve window shopped, tried out different styles and discarded them for being too snazzy, not snazzy enough, too bright, too dark – you get my drift. It seems I’ve finally found a theme that works, for me, on most levels.

And so for now, I’m feeling grand. It’s the equivalent of going to a posh hairdressers, having a cut, blow-dry and highlights, plus a manicure and pedicure from the spa up the road. I’ve even gone and got my own domain name. I kinda feel like I need to go bouncing down the street now, checking out my reflection in shop windows and the like. Or is that just being egotistical?

Of course, if it all looks like a big pile of poo then, please let me know why you think that is. Don’t be the friend who says ‘no’ when you ask if what you’re wearing makes your bum look big/washes you out/makes you look a hundred times older than you actually are. Nobody likes those friends.

x

 

Review: The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

So, I was a bit slack with this one, given that it was around from my days on Authonomy, BUT, I’ve finally gotten round to reading The Forever Girl by the multi-talented, mind-blowingly-always-busy Rebecca Hamilton. And here’s what I thought:

TheForeverGirl

The Forever Girl

by Rebecca Hamilton

A Cult. A Murder. A Curse. 

At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her. 

Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she’d settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. When the spell she casts goes wrong, the static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous. 

One of them is a man named Charles, who Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that might help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor’s hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him. 

The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampires, ghosts, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.

Buy it now!

So, what did I think?

I don’t usually read fantasy or paranormal books – simply because I don’t know where to start, there are so many. I started reading this way, way back in 2011, before it was even published I think, but I’ve only just got round to reading the published version properly. I’m a bit annoyed with myself that I waited so long.

What I loved about this, was that it wasn’t angsty. Sure, there’s tension between Sophia and Charles from the outset, but it’s NOT a Bella/Edward style romance. Sophia isn’t a sap, she’s assertive, she’s smart. She’s real. And as for Charles? Swoon.

I liked the different aspects to this – the wicca in particular. It’s the first time I’ve read a book with a Wiccan element that was close to the truth of what the practice, religion, whatever you want to call it, is. It took me back to my teens anyway. I must admit, I did start to worry when vampires and the like were introduced, but luckily, it wasn’t overpowering.

I can totally see why this has been optioned for film, and I really hope it goes that far. It would be awesome to see it translated to the big screen.

Five stars and highly recommended.

Hands up who wants an e-book reader and up to 40 free books?? #win #competition #ebook #amreading

Or perhaps the question should be ‘Who doesn’t?!’ Have you entered the competition to win a Kindle Fire and 36 fab books? If not, why not?? It’s super easy, all you have to do is follow the directions on the Rafflecopter link below! A list of the books up for grabs can be found further down, but here’s more info on one of them as a teaser!

 

img_8440-small-image_med

 Call Sign Karma

by Jamie Rae

Tinklee Pinkerton is the first female pilot chosen to fly the F-35, the same jet that killed her brother. She’s on a mission to prove his death wasn’t due to pilot error and to fly her heart away from anyone who might get through her walls. Then she meets Locke Sinclair, a handsome stranger that makes her heart soar and her world dive into a dangerous no fly zone…

                                                                                                 Get more info here!


The Giveaway

 a Rafflecopter giveaway


Books up for grabs from our sponsors

Embers at Galdrilene

Tears of War

Together Apart

Let Me Go

Captured Again

Rise of the Goddess: Divine Awakenings

A Prescription for Delirium

The Forever Girl

Summoned

Chasing Azrael

The Forgotten Ones

The Reading Lessons

The Making of Nebraska Brown

Ready For You

Shadow Wolf

The Survivors Book I: Summer

Darwin’s Children

A Ranger’s Tale

The Bo(d)y Next Door

The Seance

Desires (A Legacy Novel)

Frostwalker

The Boy From the Woods

Charmed Vengeance

Thunderstorm

Empath

The List of Five

Eating Sarah

The Zodiac Collector

The Raie’Chaelia

Sworn To Raise

The Extractor

Wings of Shadow

Mad for You

Call Sign Karma

Fragile Bonds

Good luck!

x

Win an e-book reader and 36 awesome books! #win #amreading #giveaway #competition

It’s May! It’s spring! All good things and why not make it better by telling you about an awesome giveaway? If you fancy winning an Kindle Fire AND 36 fan-bloody-tabulous books, just follow the directions on the Rafflecopter link below! It’s that easy! A list of the books up for grabs can be found below, but as a teaser, take a peek at one from one of our giveaway sponsors!

DLOVE

 Ready For You

by D. Love

Author Penny Lane decides to team up with fellow author Kain Brooks because she believes the collaboration will bring something refreshing and new to her humdrum life. It is at first, but what she doesn’t count on is developing feelings for a man that’s hundreds of miles away while continuing to struggle with the death of her fiancé, Zack.

The newly divorced Kain is excited about the partnership and happily realizes that it may lead to much more than just a book.

However, there is a threat! A stalker’s evil intentions are far more serious than either of them can ever imagine– so serious that they may not make it long enough to discover if their feelings are genuine or just a long-distanced crush.

Buy it now


The Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Books up for grabs from our sponsors

Embers at Galdrilene

Tears of War

Together Apart

Let Me Go

Captured Again

Rise of the Goddess: Divine Awakenings

A Prescription for Delirium

The Forever Girl

Summoned

Chasing Azrael

The Forgotten Ones

The Reading Lessons

The Making of Nebraska Brown

Ready For You

Shadow Wolf

The Survivors Book I: Summer

Darwin’s Children

A Ranger’s Tale

The Bo(d)y Next Door

The Seance

Desires (A Legacy Novel)

Frostwalker

The Boy From the Woods

Charmed Vengeance

Thunderstorm

Empath

The List of Five

Eating Sarah

The Zodiac Collector

The Raie’Chaelia

Sworn To Raise

The Extractor

Wings of Shadow

Mad for You

Call Sign Karma

Fragile Bonds

Good luck!

x

Giving myself away

In a move that will probably break self-publishing rules, Together Apart is currently up online, for free, from beginning to end. The reason? The Wattpad Prize 2014. Along with countless other people, I’ve entered and so until the end of May, you can read Together Apart for free.

Please do take a look, and comment! If you comment on it, AND leave a review on Amazon, I’ll love you forever and ever. Amen. You can find it here:

http://www.wattpad.com/story/10043093-together-apart

In other news, my travels are slowly coming to an end. While that’s good news for my writing (as I’ll have more time to focus), I can’t help being sad. It’s been, without a doubt, the best experience of my life. I’ve met an awesome group of people who have most definitely provided inspiration for my future books.

Maybe I could just continue travelling forever…