Return to Exile by Lynne Gentry

A year in exile has been hard on Cyprian Thascius. Before his exile he was a man of firm faith and belief  so firm he willingly offered his life for his faith, but since returning his faith is unsure. He left behind a wife Lisbeth, a woman who had fallen into his life from far in the future, but upon his return she was gone, returned to her own time.  Cyprian with the help of his late friends dear wife he tries to rally the believers in this trouble time. A few months later his wife comes home to save him and prevent an epidemic, bringing with her their daughter, Maggie. However in the time Lisbeth was gone and his exile lifted Cyprian has married another and she carries his child. Will fate allow these star crossed lovers to be together, or will all end in tragedy?

I liked and didn't like the characters.Cyprian because he terribly failed at the two wives thing. He blatantly ignored Lisbeth most of the time, when by all laws she was his true wife. Ruth was Cyprian's second wife and Lisbeth's closest friend, the fact he was barely home from exile and she married him right a way was a sucky move, but was also a major plot device. The other characters I mostly like some I wish I knew more about, but I'd probably learn quite a bit from reading the first book.

I really loved the time travel aspect of this story. How it is all tied to one point, one cave, one source of water. Also how time passes differently, what was a year and a half in third century Carthage, was almost 6 years in the 21st century. It allowed for Maggie to be born and to be old enough to have a personality, mind and fears of her own. It was slightly weird however when it came to Cyprian meeting his daughter, he could have been a little more shocked at the fact that she was 5 rather than slightly over a year as she would have been if born and raised in Carthage.

All in all I liked this book and the series shows some definite promise. This is the second novel in The Carthage Chronicles however you get enough back story as to not be confused.

I received this book compliments of NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review.

She's Gotta Be Mine by Jennifer Skully

When something crazy what do you do? Change your hair, attitude, wardrobe, maybe even your name? That's Roberta, now Bobbie's, response for her husband, Warren, leaves her for his high school sweetheart. She creates a whole new her and moves to Cottonmouth where her ex-husband and his lover live. This couldn't possibly go wrong now could it? Well things are actually a bit more complicated then she originally thought. Cookie, Warrens lover, hasn't asked her husband for a divorce yet, oh and there's a serial killer who lives across the street from her.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it switched perspectives, how you get an idea of the whole story not just one persons side. You get to she Bobbies, Nick (the serial killer), Warren, and a few others.

There is murder and intrigue, and a steamy romance. Something for everyone really.

The two characters I didn't like where Warren because he's a spineless twit, and Cookie because she's a manipulative bitch, but she's an antagonist so you're supposed to hate her. Warren on the other hand is just a pathetic little worm.

Unilateral by Chris Katsaropoulos

In a war each person feels insignificant. The people that walk around everyday afraid they'll have a bomb dropped on them. Or the people who drop the bombs, that are able to kill without thinking, without risk to themselves. What if one person would decide not to drop the bomb, to take the unilateral approach?

This was an extremely short, yet powerful book. Set in the middle east a place surrounded by unrest. In Amel's world there is the end of a cease fire, terror. But in Ra'anan's world his head is in the clouds, with his viper and his payload. The two never meet, but they share a connection.

Can one person's decision actually lead to change? I don't know, but it's worth it to try.

I received this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review.

Interview With Stacey R. Campbell

I can't tell you guys how excited I am to bring you this interview with Stacey. She has been an absolute dream to work with, and I couldn't have found a better author to do my first interview with. So without further ado her it is:

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and how you became an author?

I did not become a writer until I turned 40. That’s not to say I didn’t want to be a writer though. I have a learning disability called dyslexia and from a very early age, my teacher told me that I could never be a writer. This was crushing. I had stories playing out in my head that needed to get out, but I believed what I was told and was afraid to try. Finally, after having kids of my own I found that I could not look at them and tell them they could be whatever they wanted to be when they grew up if I did not do the same. So I sat down at the computer, turned on spell check and started to write.

Whisper is the second book in your Lakeview Novels, was Whisper your original title or did it change as the book progressed?

I am lucky to be signed with a smaller publishing house that allows me to be involved with the development of my books. Did you know that most authors don’t get the final say in what the title is? They don’t even get the last say in what their covers look like. I did luckily. In fact, before I even finished Hush, book one, the titles for all four books in the series Hush, Whisper, Scream, & Silence were approved.

Did you have trouble switching from the perspectives of your original protagonists from Hush to your new protagonists in Whisper? And did you have a favorite person to write from the perspective of? 

The Lakeview series, Hush Whisper Scream, & Silence are very easy for me to write, the first drafts of each taking just under 6 months to produce. The only reason they are easy though is because they are loosely based on my three daughters and the actual boarding school they attend, Shawnigan Lake School. Check out their website, you’ll laugh. In fact in each book I use our daughter’s names as the leads, with their permission of course.

Each character is the combination of about five people and I write in depth profiles on who I want each character to be before I even start writing an outline. I have the forms I use on my website under the  “on Writing” tab so people can get an idea of the process. www.staceyrcampbell.com.

That being said however, I guess theirs; Blakely, Leigh & Halle are the perspectives I like writing the best because I feel closer to them even though they are away at school. Blakely is now away at college, so who knows, I might have to write my next series on a University campus.

I know this is a pretty cliche question but did you have a favorite character? If so who and why?

That is a hard question for me to answer. Right now I am in the middle of outlining book four. My favorite character in the series is North, but he doesn’t play a big roll in Whisper. For Whisper it might have been Calum. I like his journey from jerk to good guy. I also really like Elsie. She’s the first ghost I’ve written and it was really fun to write her into scenes.

You have another book in the works for the Lakeview Novels can you tell me anything about it?

I am super excited about this next book, Scream. Unlike the other books this one starts out with a romance and then tells the story of a friendship. I also dive into the power of rumors and how awful hearsay is. It’s a lot of action, more so then the other two books. I’m hoping it will keep the reader up well into the night because they can’t put it down until they’ve finished the whole story. Scream is at the editors now but look for it in March 2015.



I cannot thank Stacey enough for this opportunity to do this interview with her. She was absolutely incredible throughout the entire process. I highly recommend checking her out.

Here's a link to my review of Whisper. You should read that then get both of the books that are out so far, and join me in impatiently waiting for Scream.

Here are some links to check out Stacey, so click them.
Check out her website: www.staceyrcampbell.com to keep updated on her new works.
She's on Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorstaceyrcampbell
She is also on Twitter: @staceyrcampbell

The Murder of Adam and Eve by William Dietrich

What would you do if you were thrown back in time to prehistoric Africa? That's what happens to Nick and Ellie but if that wasn't bad enough they've been told to save or condemn Adam and Eve, and with them all of humanity. No pressure right?

I really enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and gives you an idea of how people survived so long ago. It gives you an idea of how they hunted and how they lived. How they courted, and what we've evolved from so long ago.

 A part that I found very interesting was how they used articles from someone who is only referenced a few times, to give you sort of an idea that time flows linear-ish after you go through the warp hole. It doesn't give you a true timeline but you get an idea.

I really liked Nick as the protagonist. He grew accustomed to his new surroundings, not fearing change he might inadvertently bring, but also only causing change in order to achieve his goal of protecting Adam and Eve. Ellie makes a great counter point causing him to think over every decision that he makes.

The ending was extremely well done. It will lend itself well to a sequel if one's in the works, or it is a good stand alone ending. No cliffhanger, everything tied up, but the potential to continue on.

I recived this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for my review which I freely and honestly give.

Embryo by J.A. Schneider

When two extremely rare chromosomal abnormalities cause two infants and one mother to die, both with in hours, Jill Raney begins to get suspicions. However she's only a first year resident and no one believes the two could possibly be related. So she starts an investigation, shaking up the hospital and what she finds is worse then she'd feared.

This book was an intense read, probably more so because my cousin just had a baby girl, and this book tells in pretty explicit detail some of the worst case scenarios for a pregnancy. So if your pregnant or know someone that's pregnant and are prone to panic and worry DON'T READ THIS BOOK. Wait until the baby is born you'll stress less.

Along with an intense thriller the book also has a semi believable romance. Personally I think it's too quick and doesn't have a lot of time to develop. But that's just my opinion.

Even though this book is rich in medical jargon it is pretty well explained so everyone can understand it.

I really enjoyed this book overall, and might have to look into the rest of the series.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons by Akira Himiekawa

Based on the game made for the Gameboy Color you follow a young incarnation of Link as he does his best to rescue the Oracle of Seasons. Our young hero is not alone however he has his friends Ricky, Piyoko and the witch Mable by his side to help him defeat Onox, the general of darkness.

This was one of those books that I never really planned on reading, I just kind of picked up and decided why not. Of course it helps that my boyfriend is a Zelda fanatic and had it, but I'm definitely glad that I picked it up.

One of my favorite things about the manga is that instead of being the everyman Link has a personality. Something that most games shy away from unless they're a JRPG, for a good reason everyone can relate to an everyman character too much of a personality and you limit your audience.

My favorite character would have to be Piyoko, the adorable little chick. He's sweet and knowledgeable, and helps Link realize his potential.

I really enjoyed this book and I will have to kidnap the other books in the series from James.