Review for Discovering Tayrn by AC Wilson

Discovering Tayrn by AC Wilson is a wonderful young adult themed book. There's enough emotional drama to keep you drawn to reading this book and in the series go come following our lead characters and their guardians. See what it's like to fall in love in a sweet pure kind of way.

Buy it! Read it! Review it! Share it with your friends!  

Review for Biker Blues by Dale Mayer

I've read the 3 part book and overall I really liked it! I even told my husband that he'd really like the suspense and drama that played out in the book and kept you guessing up until the end. I really think that my best friend would like it too! Anyone that's into a lot of mystery, twists and turns and some hot sexy action that isn't over done- well this is the book for you! I highly recommend this book!
But it! Read It! Review it! Tell your friends about it! 
This is from my reviews on Goodreads. Part 1 is available on Amazon, parts 2 & 3 will be available soon!
Part1
5 stars
I received this book as am ARC for a fair and honest review

This is my first book by author Dale Mayer and I have to say that I am impressed! This story started with a BANG and it kept that tempo! There's a lot of past history (both good and bad) with our main characters Morgan and Jazz. Heartbreak on both of their parts, add in a manipulative half brother named Billy and you've got the makings of a great book. The story spins around a tattoo that may or may not have been done by Jazz (she's a tattoo artist). This story is full of mystery and intrigue. I quite literally read this book from start to finish taking only 1 break. There is some steamy love making and it ends on a cliff hanger. I'm looking forward to reading the next part of this story!

I don't want to say more because that would give away the suspense!




Part 2
5stars

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review 

Holy Crap! I'm hooked! I've never read Dale Mayer before this, but I will now! 

More danger and intrigue and it leaves you guessing at every turn! Just when you thought that Morgan and Jazz were getting closer to solving the murder mystery, more stuff happened to make you wonder who is behind all of the fact stuff that's been happening to them! 

www.CaliforniaGirlinMA@blogspot.com

On a different note- this series could use better editing.







Part 3

4stars
I received this book as an ARC for an honest review.

The twists and turns of this book were everywhere. You were kept on the edge of your seat not knowing what was going to happen next.  

The book ended abruptly but it also gave me the feeling that part 3 is not the end. I'm still unsure at this point. I know that this is a 3 part book but it let leaves our couple with a HFN and not a HEA.

www.CaliforniaGirlinMA@blogspot.com

Thank you authors for trusting me with your babies

I'll say it, it's not very often that I receive an ARC from an author (advance reader copy) of a book that I don't enjoy. I know what I like (genres and subject matter) and sometimes it's just a leap of faith. In 2016 I'll be trying more indie books written by some "new to me" authors. I'm trying some here 

 I do have to say that I feel quite honored by the generosity of the authors who have selected me to be one of a handful of bloggers out there to review their hard work. My thanks go out to all of you for trusting me with your babies. 

Try an Indie Author

I've got a new book to read from a new to me author. Where most readers are a little leery of this sort of thing, I personally quite enjoy it. I've discovered. Some truly fantastic books by some amazing Indie Authors all by just taking a leap of faith. 
I don't only "pimp" authors and their books, I also discuss them. My goal is to leave you feeling that you want to read the books that talk about here on m blog. Hopefully you'll buy them and read them and come back and tell me how you felt about the book. Better yet, leave a review of book for the author on the platform in which you purchased it and possibly even on Goodreads. 

Reviews are like cookies to authors, trust me when I say that I have it on good authority that they like cookies!

Building my reading repertoire

As a reader/reviewer and now a book blogger I think it's my duty to some exent to expand my reading repertoire. To be able to include a varied selection of genres in my reading and reviewing. Not all of them are things that I'd normally read. I'm curious to see what others find so fascinating about some genres. So 2016 will be the year I dive into new territory. I've started now with reading out of my normal sphere. 
And I have read more than 50 books, this year, but my Goodreads account has me at 45. I better get on to writing up more reviews!

Review- A Choice for Claire by AJ Harmon

Have you ever read a book that you know in your heart of hearts that it's got such a powerful message not to mention that it's simply an amazing book, that you just know is going to make a difference in a persons life? Author AJ Harmon has written such a book! 

"A Choice for Claire"

I didn't know it at the time when I read and wrote my review for  "A Choice for Claire" that THIS book was going to have a HUGE impact on a close friend of mine. I gave it to her on the weekend when she was at my house not too long ago. It was the turning point in her abusive relationship. That was the weekend that my friend started the steps to getting her life back! 
Thank You AJ Harmon, your book is going to help countless women gain the courage to leave the abusers!
A Choice for Claire this is my review

Buy link for A Choice for Claire

Author Kristen James

                                  When love is worth fighting for! 

  www.writerkristenjames.com

There are a handful of authors of whom I'm more than willing to read every book they write, Kristen James is one of those authors. I want to encourage you to sign up for her newsletters, seriously you'll want to do that! She does giveaways and from time to to time she'll choose a few of her fans to do reviews for her. I truly enjoy her books, they're the kind that leave you thinking about your relationships with your friends, family and especially your spouse. Try one of her books, you won't be disappointed! 

Review for Mosquito Chase by Jaycee Ford

I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

5 stars
Story told in both points of view
I want to state that I finished this book at 4 am today and I have a serious book hangover thanks to Jaycee Ford! I'm glad that Angela Butler got her HEA and that it was with Caleb Harris makes it that much sweeter! Jaycee writes each character with such depth that you feel as if you're right there in the story. You feel their sadness, they're joy and their confusion as they try to make sense of their feelings for one another and the situation at hand. 

I've read all of the other stories in the Love Bug series and I've enjoyed every one of them. 

This story starts out hard and fast, you're immediately thrown into the story. Your heart aches at all of the sadness in Angela's past and for what she is currently going through. Caleb is a complex creature, he tries to wash away his heartache and pain of betrayal of his ex and his best friend through engaging in meaningless sex. But when Angela Butler comes knocking on his front door in need of his help, he can't turn her way. They start out not liking one another, gradually they comes to terms and it's when Angie has a break down that Caleb realizes that his heart is in danger from this helpless creature. 
Angela is my hero in so many ways. She comes back from such pain and heartache and faces/confronts her fears and she does it more than once! She has guts and she tells it like it is. Rumors about her past are cleared up and the real truth come to be known. She's not the person that others have made her out to be. 
Read this story and you'll see why this one is my favorite book in the Love Bug series. I don't want to go into details as I ant you to discover th story line yourself. Just be prepared for heart pumping drama and action and one heck of a Book Hangover!

Review for The Irresistible Collection

The Irresistible Collection- 5 erotic short stories by AJ Harmon
5 stars
Best collection of erotic short stories you'll ever read! I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I fell in love and I laughed some more as I could relate to some of the antics. AJ Harmon writes with such flare that tugs at your heartstrings! 
I've reviewed all of these stories individually.

I received this collection as an ARC from the author in return for an honest review
California Girl in MA look for me on Facebook 
www.CaliforniaGirlinMA.blogspot.com

Review for Band of Bachelors-Lucas

Review Band of Bachelors- Lucas

This book touched me deeply. I could see myself understanding the issues that that soon to be ex-wife was feeling. It also gave me better insight into the feelings that our men and women returning from combat. 
Buy it. Read it. Review it. Share it with your friends! 

Honesty is the Best Policy

Honesty is the best policy!

Recently I had a set back due to an unexpected (and sadly, an on going) emergency situation. If ever you find yourself in a situation such as I have, where you've been given an ARC (advanced reader copy) of a book and you find for whatever reason that you are unable to make the deadline-it's always best to be completely honest with your author and her book promotion people. I did that and even though I am a little behind, I am getting it done. 
I'm trying to read a complete book every couple of days, taking notes while I read and then compiling those notes into my reviews. Again, always keep your authors up to date with what's going on with you and your life. They're human, just like the rest of us. 

Writing Reviews

We have all found ourselves in the precarious position of struggling to write as eloquently as our favorite authors do. The words can be right there in front of you, swirling around in your noggin, and yet you can't get them to come off as smoothly as you'd like. Just so you know...You are not alone! 

I have no intention to echo what others have written, I do try to make sure that my reviews don't not sound cliché or repetitive. I want this to be "My interpretation" of what I've read. I don't give a 5 star review lightly, the book has got to touch me emotionally in order to get that.  Sometimes I will use a favorite quote or two from the book in my review. 
You might notice that I have quite a few 5 star reviews, but what you don't see is that I am rather selective in the books that I choose to read. 
It bothers me greatly when I see a review that does nothing but quote verbatim the cover of the book or the blurb that is posted on Amazon. My ultimate non-favorite reviews are ;
"buy this book, it's great" 
"Worst waste of my money and my time"
"OMG"
Instead of these unimaginative one liners, why not tell us prospective readers why you think it's a great book or why you think it's not. 

I've got this little set of self imposed rules, they're more of a guideline really as to how to write a review, maybe they'll help you to write your own;
 *I don't like to leave a review less than a 3, why? Because I don't think that it's fair to the author. No author intends to publish a bad book, they've invested hundreds if not thousands of hours into the research and writing of their books. Be respectful of that process. I encourage you to do the same! I've been known to write the author and let them know how I felt about their book before I ever do something that I think is mean. I like to give authors a second chance, sure I might not have liked one of their books, I like to think that I'm open minded enough to try a second one. I did that a few months ago and found myself delighted in the authors second book. It came to me that I might not have been the right "target audience" for the first book, and I stated that in my review

*Always be positive. Constructive criticism on the authors writing can be helpful, but be positive about it. Do they need an editor? Mention it briefly that they might need help in that area but don't harp on it. Maybe it's formatting, again be helpful in your suggestions not rude or condescending. 

*Don't personally attack the writer, there's no reason to do such a thing-EVER! If you think that the characters in a particular book are poorly fleshed out, immature, whiny or shallow, say that. When giving a review where you write that you think the author is immature and can't write-that's a personal attack.

*Spoilers- do you really need to include one in giving your review? Not everyone wants to know who the bad guy was, what the big secret was, who dies or what the argument was about that drove our main character apart.  But if for some reason you feel the need to include those things be kind enough to give a spoiler warning. The words SPOILER ALERT should be clearly written in bold. At the top of your review you should include the words "Review Containers Spoilers" and then before you write the actual spoiler write **SPOILER ALERT**. The author and other readers will appreciate that kind of respect being given. 

* To every writer/author, their book is their baby, treat their baby with care and respect. And just because a book isn't to your personal liking, it doesn't necessarily mean that others won't find it enjoyable. Be honest in what you write but also don't be rude and condescending. 

Now with that said, it's time to write some reviews.

I ❤️ My Kindle

This month I'm celebrating my five year anniversary of owning a Kindle. Honestly, I don't know why I was so hesitant in getting one, but in full disclosure it's brought me so many thousands of hours of pure reading joy! E-Readers in general have opened up readers to hundreds if not thousands of potential new authors and their books. Just the price alone of e-books has many readers sold on going paper free. I was Introduced to the world of Indie Authors and I've never been more pleased with a group writers and their works in all my life!  Because of them, I started reading a few "new to me" genres purely because of books suggested to me by Amazon. And now with book apps like Kobo, iBooks and a few more- well the opportunities to read new to you authors is endless! I highly recommend you try something new to you. Be adventurous in your reading! 

Are you an e-book hoarder?

Have you been loading up on more "free" books than you'll ever read? Well I say "get picky"! Life is too short to waste your time weeding through the hundreds or quite possibly thousands of books on your e-reader only to realize that you don't like the genre. Kindle, Nook and all of those wonderful reading apps can lead us astray in our quest for quality reading material. 

I realized a while ago that I had doing the very thing myself, every time that I saw the word "free" associated with a book, I downloaded it not caring what genre and ear marked it to my "read later" file. I had quite literally amassed more books than I'll ever read, and worse I just downloaded them because they were "free". I became an e-book hoarder. I've since cleaned up my act and only download books that I honestly and truly will read and review. No more getting something just because it's "free". But say that one of my favorite authors has made one of his/her books available for "free for a limited time", well that's quite different! 

I started this blog because I know what I like and I have a good sense of what others might like. I'm not going to get rich or famous, nor do I have aspirations to do so. Follow along and you'll find all sorts of fun stuff. I do plan to do book related giveaways, to participate in blog hops, cover reveals, book launches and talk about what's happening in the world of books. 

Welcome to my book blog!

You've seen my reviews of the books I've read on Amazon and Good Reads. I've been told countless times by friends and authors to start my own book blog, so here I am. I like to think that I've got a good feel for picking out a winner when it comes to books. I've not let my friends down yet when they ask me to recommend a good book for them. 
I like good strong lead characters and the more depth to them the better.  From time to time I am give ARC's (advance reader copies) in exchange for an honest review. I do my best not to give away spoilers that would ruin the story for other readers. I'm on a few street teams and I pimp awesome books that I think are great reads! So follow along as I read, tell you my thoughts on the books I've read and from time to time talk about what's going on in the wonderful world of books!