A Vision of Fire Lights Up the Page - A Review

A Vision on Fire, by Gillian Anderson, Jeff Rovin

Renowned child psychologist Caitlin O'Hara is a single mom trying to juggle her job, her son, and a lackluster dating life. Her world is suddenly upturned when Maanik, the daughter of India's ambassador to the United Nations starts speaking in tongues and having violent visions. Maanik's parents are sure that her fits have something to do with the recent assassination attempt on her father--a shooting that has escalated nuclear tensions between India and Pakistan to dangerous levels--but when children start having similar outbursts around the world, Caitlin begins to think that there's a stranger force at work.

In Haiti, a student claws at her throat, drowning on dry land. In Iran, a boy suddenly and inexplicably bursts into flame. On the Pakistan border, a young man feels a burning in his chest and, against his will, opens fire on Indian troops. With Asia on the cusp of nuclear war, Caitlin must race across the globe and uncover the supernatural links between these seemingly unrelated cases in order to save her patient--and perhaps the world.

Review
 
This is the first novel for television and movie actress Gillian Anderson. I admit I gave A Vision of Fire a shot because I am a huge fan of the actress's work. Yes, I'm a total X-Files nerd!

Jeff Rovin has co-authored with other science fiction alumni like William Shatner and Adam West, as well as writing several Tom Clancy novels.

This science-fiction thriller collaboration is well paced and full of surprises. The main character, Caitlin O'Hara is a strong, independent, single Mom, with a successful career as a renowned child psychologist. She is a giver at heart, in her introductory scene O'Hara is negotiating with the World Health Organization for a modular house that would accommodate twenty souls sweltering or freezing in decaying tents for months.

Establishing early on that O'Hara is aware of political bureaucracy and the inner circles of the United Nations, O'Hara is called by a translator friend to assist in a medical mystery surrounding the teen daughter of Ambassador Ganak Pawar. The Indian Ambassador is in the middle of tense negotiations between India and Pakistan and Pawar is proposing Kashmir be made into a protectorate state, the distraction of his daughter's illness is putting the negotiations at risk.

O'Hara immediately jumps in and the journey begins.

Told mainly from O'Hara's point of view the book is layered and focused, seamlessly tying together each thread, willingly pulling you into the mix. A good mix of science, psychology, adventure and even some romance keep the plot moving forward with no lulls. Very interesting from the very beginning, I found myself enthralled and unable to put the book down. Lots of subtle little clues, hints along the path helping us, as the readers, to jog along. I'll admit to also very easily seeing Gillian Anderson as Caitlin O'Hara, and the visual assisted in the tale this book offers.

Without giving anything away, as the plot rolls along we see where the path leads and you begin to wonder if the authors are going to go there. Guess what? They do, and the presentation is grounded, believable and full of imagination.

Overall, very well written, enjoyable and definitely a worthy read. Gillian Anderson and Jeff Rovin make a great team. This is book one in a three book series. It can stand alone with no problems, but I will admit to be very excited to read the next!

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Love Owned - A Sexy, Sweet and Heart Warming Romance Full of Character!

Love Owned: A Heart Of Seeton Novel (Volume 1) by L.J. Kentowski

It’s her property…

Riley Kastner is desperate to prove she can make it as an independent business owner, if for no other reason than to avoid working for her condescending parents. Unfortunately, her fledging planning business isn’t exactly soaring. In fact, it hasn’t even lifted for takeoff. So, when she finds out she’s the beneficiary of a bar in small town, USA, she takes a chance and lets fate lead the way.

It’s his life…

Dax Beckett wanted nothing to do with his dad’s bar, but he sure as hell didn’t expect him to give it to a complete stranger, especially a big city girl who knows nothing about running one. So, what’s a guy to do to save the family business? Charm her out of her sexy undergarments, of course.

But who’s in charge, when it’s owned by love?

Making Beckett’s a success is the common goal, but are they willing to sacrifice their hearts to achieve it?

Review

Love Owned: A Heart Of Seeton Novel is a sexy, sweet, heartwarming romance with all the creamy goodness between. L.J. Kentowski has been known for her thrilling Fate Trilogy full of magic, and warring of good versus evil with loads of sexy suspense and thrilling rides. Love Owned is the first in a new romantic-comedy series for Kentowski. I think the genre shift is a nice change for her, and honestly a huge success as I was not only unable to put it down, I cried like a 17 year old girl at the end. 

I as a romantic suspense lover, wanted a little more external conflict, but Love Owed does fine without it. Not too mushy as the comedy relieves everyone taking themselves too seriously. 

I am a sucker for the big town girl meets small town world, and Dax, the hero in the story is a saucy, arrogant alpha male with a brooding heart. Portrayed beautifully in Kentowski’s prose I have to admit I had the hunky image of Luke Danes in my head the whole time (Gilmore Girls reference).

Riley , our heroine is striving for what we all look for, her place in the world and while I kinda wanted to smack her a few times I also found myself relating, laughing aloud, and swooning for Dax just as she does.

The story is simple and has good pacing, no lagging or eye rolling parts where you read through a little faster to get to the good stuff. It is all good stuff, in my opinion. The lovemaking is hot, spicy, funny and makes you smile.  While the small town of Seeton is a character in the book , it is a minor character simply enjoying the show like the rest of us(definitely a good thing).

Characters are well thought out and focused, each having their own inner debates and drivers through the novel. The emotional layers are played out not only in the action but in the dialog which I love. Very natural and full of human antics. 

Great read, I am not emotionally drained afterward, just feeling that good romance glow. Loved it, and looking forward to more romantic comedy from L.J. Kentowski!

 Buy your copy of Love Owned by L.J. Kentowski NOW!


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Veiled Deception Character Blog - Rebecca Gailen’s Journal

Amy Romine writing as Rebecca Gailen, Veiled Deception, Trust Me Book 2

Sweet Dreams

Betrayal Verb (used with object):

To deliver or expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty: Benedict Arnold betrayed his country. To be unfaithful in guarding, maintaining, or fulfilling: to betray a trust. To disappoint the hopes or expectations of; be disloyal to: to betray one's friends. To reveal or disclose in violation of confidence: to betray a secret. To reveal unconsciously (something one would preferably conceal): Her nervousness betrays her insecurity. To show or exhibit; reveal; disclose: an unfeeling remark that betrays his lack of concern. To deceive, misguide, or corrupt: a young lawyer betrayed by political ambitions into irreparable folly.

 To seduce and desert

I couldn’t be true, could it? You would never purposely injure me would you? How can someone calculate the torture and demise of someone they love? How do the mind, heart, and soul not prevent such blatant destruction? Self preservation is universal, but how do you defend against something you have only know as love? How do you strike back with a forceful blow when the pain is so crippling the heavens can hear your soul weeping for relief? 

His eyes are cold, lifeless. Abandoned by any remorse, affectation or regard for human frailty, he instead uses these as weapons. Sharpened blade’s with which he means to destroy, damage, and scar. You sent him here. You put my life within his wavy erotic objectification. 

You got what you wanted, didn’t you? Or did you? If you wanted me to know how much hatred skews your understanding of what love is supposed to be, you have succeeded. If you wanted to inflict a blow so imaginably painful that it will leave me scarred and aching for the rest of life. You have succeeded in that as well. 

But if you meant to destroy me, obliterate my sense of self, of security, trust and love you have failed.

I have pity for you now. I am sorry, not for what you think I may or may not have done, or that you have the illusion that I am the monster staring back at you. The mask has been removed. The mirror is clean and there is nowhere to hide when the sunlight of truth fills the room. 

You are the betrayer

You are the monster

You are your own worst nightmare. I will not be there to wake you up when the claws of obsession, unrest, anger and self loathing take hold and tear you apart. You destroyed that solace from pain, and now there is only empty cold in the dark.

Sweet dreams.

Trust Me Book 2 - Veiled Deception Blurb :

 
She had become his prey. His plaything. The one he desired the most, but someone wanted her more.

Her resilience fading, Rebecca fights to remain strong against the man trying to destroy her mind and her life. Without the solace of Eric's arms, Rebecca's will to recover from the relentless blows wanes as she begins to break. 

Eric, forced to face his own choices, races to end the nightmare before the woman he loves is completely torn apart. 

Just when they think the worst is over, the game and the stakes change.

Buy it Now at Amazon! 

eXtasy Books

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NBC Gives Us Midnight, Texas

  Did you love Bon Temps? Welcome to Midnight, Texas - a safe haven for those who are different, but with the presence of outsiders, the residents band together and form a strong and unlikely family.




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Coming Soon to Netflix - Marvel Defenders

Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist team up to fight crime in New York City.

I am so there! 





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M Lemont Unleashes Brilliance with Write Like You’re Already Famous!

Do you remember the Golden Ticket from Willy Wonka? The ticket to your wildest dreams and utmost fantasies? Well Write Like You’reAlready Famous (WLYAF) is like that. WLYAF is full of Golden Nuggets, each one a plethora of information when read, studied, pondered and then actualized will help you create your own golden ticket. When M LeMont states says you’re already famous he is giving you the keys to the kingdom, encouraging every reader to defy the ‘rules’, smash the box and break out of our own self-imposed shells. 

WLYAF is witty, thought provoking and entertaining. Author M Lemont shares a wealth of information in varies forms. Some of them direct, some subliminal, all with the intention of motivating you to be the best you can be and break out from millions vying for their fifteen-minutes of fame.

Write Like You’re Already Famous  starts as an interview, a taste of the finer things, a little dazzle and mystery with co-author Jennifer Lopez.  You get to eavesdrop on a conversation between two professionals and Jennifer does a great job of asking the questions I would have if in her shoes. Next you dive into the theory and the reality of being an author in today’s digital universe. It is a tough act and M Lemont shares his strife and victories. 

Then we get to the conversation with you (or me) the direct ‘here’s what you need to do and why’ nitty-gritty of the book.  This includes the Golden Nuggets as well as an introduction to other amazing thought provoking ideas and people out there doing exactly what you are! WLYAF has a bit of repetition, but for me repetition works, it reminds me of how everything is connected and nothing can be put in a silo. You can’t complete only one or two pieces of the puzzle and expect success, you have to follow through to the end. 

Reverberation and spinning of the same ideas in new ways  is actually one of the genius tactics in WLYAF. LeMont challenges the readers to the end, making sure they are paying attention and not skimming the nuggets. If you don’t read the book cover to cover you’ll miss some of the best information he has to offer.

M Lemont taught us about Twitter, the ins and outs and the steps to becoming a master of the Twitter-verse. Write Like You’re Already Famous teaches us about ourselves and give us the tools need to push out of the norm and accomplish our goals.

Get YOUR copy of the book now here. 
and then Come Find Me!

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I'm Dreaming of a Pink Christmas

In high school we were given the assignment to write a story about our family during the holidays. I was a kid and didn’t really appreciate my family at the time. I talked about my family as any teenager would, pointing out the oddities and ridiculousness of tradition. Now that I'm older, I realize the quirks I once saw as character flaws, are actually the threads that will, and do, hold a family together.  

When I look back over the years, some of the best times with my family have been during the holidays. As I have become an adult those times become even more cherished, little pieces of time, nuggets of gold that we carry around in our hearts. 

I have to be honest and state that I struggled with the topic of this post. We all have our favorite Christmas memories. We all also have those memories that are not so merry. Those are the ones we remember more than the good ones. We think of them as scars on our perfect greeting cards. The truth is, those scars make the meaning of Christmas that much more poignant. Those are the events that show us the true meaning of Christmas. 

When I was younger I couldn’t wait to start my life. It was never about what was happening at that moment, it was more about what was ahead of me, the bright, limitless future. As soon as I graduated from high school I moved out on my own. In that time I became fairly estranged from my family and Christmas was just another holiday.  The holidays came and went, and I was alone for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I lived in a one bedroom apartment by myself, and friends were co-workers.  I worked all the time. It was better than sitting in a silent apartment, so of course I worked the holidays. 

In February of the next year I found myself in a predicament and went to my mother’s house to ask for help. No one was home, but I went inside anyway. She and I hadn’t spoken in months, and my visit was unannounced. As I walked through my childhood home it felt different, foreign and like I didn’t belong there. Nothing about the house had changed, and I ventured into the kitchen where I found an overflowing gift basket with my name on it. The dust around the gift told me it had been sitting there for a while, just waiting to be claimed. It was then I realized I had changed. When I left my family, I was of the mindset that I was a girl without a family. As I stood there, it dawned on me that I was wrong. My family was without a daughter. I left the basket unclaimed, and left the house without leaving a note. 

It was time for me to be the daughter who deserved the seat at the family table. It had been saved and left empty, waiting for my return. Seven months passed before I rallied the courage to call my mother and that, to be honest, was out of pure fear of a mother’s wrath. If I didn’t call her that day, I would regret it for the rest of my life. You see, it was August 13^th 1994, the day my eldest son was born. I was ready to come home and be part of my family again. 

On Christmas I think about the times I lived without my family, and it makes me cherish every moment even more. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and this is true with holidays as well. You don’t realize what you have until it is gone. So the moral of the story is simple. Enjoy the holidays, cherish your family, savor the time you have. There is no holiday without family, and I use the word family loosely. Family -- meaning those who are loved and important in our lives. Happy Holidays to you all! I will see you in 2017!