Monday 30 September 2013

Edward Scissor Hands * Guest review *

Rating: 5/5 Stars

For a start all I can say is WOW! How is it possible to create such an amazing film? I don’t even know the answer! Tim Burton, yet again has made another one of my favourite films. Just another work of art to add to my DVD collection.

Every single part of the film, from the music to the acting is flawless. It starts out with a small typical town where nothing exciting ever really happens, when an Avon lady then finds Edward and takes him home. There are different reactions from the town’s residents that vary from excited to scared. The emotions in the story are so strong that I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. There is romance in contrast with cliffhangers that kept me on the edge of my seat. The music compliments the film like Mozart playing the piano. Danny Elfman and Tim Burton are such an amazing pair, and Johnny Depp’s acting is outstanding.

If you are looking for a great film, I can assure you this is one that you will enjoy. It is easy to watch and personally I never get tired of it. Tim Burtons Edward Scissorhands is without doubt worth every one of those 5 stars. What a masterpiece!

By Cheyenne Linsdell 
Age 13

Sunday 29 September 2013

Aassassins Rose by KaSonndra Leigh: Release Day Blitz


Aassassins Rose
An Immortal Games Novella
A New Adult Paranormal Fantasy by KaSonndra Leigh
Release Date: September 29, 2013


Synopsis:

My mother once told me life is a lot like a card game.

She said you can either accept the hand you have been dealt, or you can create a new play, make your own rules, and win the game one card at a time. 

I loved my mother with all my heart. She’s gone now. He took both my parents away from me. I’m talking about the Angel of Chaos, the one who plans to destroy both the human world and mine. 

I can’t let that happen. He and the ones who serve him have already taken so much from me. I do believe it’s time for a little payback. I will have the final say. With my lover by my side, I can conquer anything. 

I will turn the game around...and win.

For I am the assassin; and revenge will be my rose.

**This story contains sexual situations and mature language. It is intended for an audience at 17+ years of age.**


Add to goodreads: HERE



About the Author:

Author of the Bestselling Lost Immortals Saga and the International Bestseller the Prelude. I’m also a mother, blogger, reader, gardener, home renovator, and a slayer of undead Egyptian mummies in Tomb Raider. I believe in karma, coffee, and seriously wish that the producers of Xena would bring my favorite show ever back.


I was born in the race-car city of Charlotte, NC, and now live in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, NC. Most of my characters are based on people that I’ve met throughout my travels and adventures. People tend to stop and start conversations with me as if I’ve known them my entire life. Does this freak me out? Not really. My mom says that one day I’ll get kidnapped by one of them. I told her that if it weren’t for these lovely people then I wouldn’t be able to create the stories that I do.

Some other common tidbits…hmm. I’ve watched the movie Under the Tuscan Sun almost 200 times. Seriously, the way I see it is if I keep watching it enough, then suddenly the house that Diane Lane lives in will magically appear in my backyard. I know. I have a huge imagination!

Links to Fun Stuff: 

Join thousands of Immortal Games Fans on the Facebook Fanpage HERE
Newsletter Signup:  The Seraphine News




Friday 27 September 2013

2 Guns


Release date: 16th August 2013

Top Billing: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg


A DEA agent and a naval intelligence officer find themselves on the run after a botched attempt to infiltrate a drug cartel. While fleeing, they learn the secret of their shaky alliance: Neither knew that the other was an undercover agent.

This was the first ‘grown film’ I have watched in a while and I remembered why. It was obviously a man’s film, nothing that I didn’t already know but what I did expect was some kind of build up in the tension, maybe even feel a little something towards the characters, but no that was never going to happen.

We all know the CIA are as corrupt as the criminals they are protecting us from, well at the very least in the films, can’t say I have any personal contact with the real thing. The way the CIA went around shooting people at random with no thoughts to the consequences was laughable, though was that the point, totally over the top government agents that are above the law. It was done very tongue in cheek, well I hope it was.

There was no chemistry between the lead characters or even with the female interest. If you want something that doesn’t engage your brain in any way whatsoever, and just like people shooting at some other people, this is for you.
 

Saved by the Spell (Book Two of the Anna Wolfe Series) Author: Casey Keen: Cover Reveal


Title: Saved by the Spell (Book Two of the Anna Wolfe Series)
Author: Casey Keen
Genre: Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Romance
Expected Release Date: October 11, 2013
Reveal Host: Lady Ambers Tours



Blurb:
Two worlds in danger.

A Grand Witch behind bars.

A stunning Werewolf and a devilishly handsome Warlock’s pursuit for her affections.

You think you have it bad? Grand Witch Anna Wolfe awakens to find herself imprisoned by Micah, the Prince of Darkness. Micah’s on a quest for world domination—and it’s not just the Netherworld that’s in danger. The human world is threatened as well. Now, it’s up to Anna to escape from Micah's clutches so she can locate The Scholars and an ancient book before both falls into the wrong hands.

With a fiercely loyal Werewolf and immensely powerful Warlock by her side, what can go wrong? 

A lot apparently. 

If fighting off the Prince of Darkness wasn’t enough, Anna’s emotions are a whirlwind, as she battles between what fate demands and what she actually wants.



Author Bio:

I was born in Philadelphia, PA and grew up in the suburban outskirts of this amazing city. I love anything paranormal and/or supernatural - seriously I live in Philadelphia! For those of you who don’t know, this city is an awesomely haunted place! This healthy paranormal addiction has provided me the motivation to write my first book, “I’ll Be Damned.” I graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and I'm currently working on the Anna Wolfe Series

Links:






Wednesday 25 September 2013

STIFF UPPER LIP

I don't normally do this, the whole feelings thing, but it has recently been the anniversary of when I lost my mum. The other day I was trying to hold it all together on my way into work and did what came naturally, I wrote down what was in my head.
I suppose it's what writers do, let everyone see what's in the soul, so against my usual instincts I am simply going to post what helped me get into work.

  It's dry, warm even, as I sit with tunes chiming in my ears and stare out the window of the bus, trying not to think. Everyone is lost in their own little worlds and a part of me wants to know what could be running through their heads. I know some days I'm listing what I need from the shops, what I have to sort out with my boys, but then there are other days, days like today and it doesn't matter what I try the sadness creeps through my body, threatens to escape at a moments notice.
  A small, heavy but perfectly formed stone has been resting on my chest since the moment I opened my eyes this morning and the knot in my stomach gets tighter with every passing second. With my eyes unfocused, I try and push back the tears even with them demanding my attention. It's not something I can allow, what are all these people going to think? I can't fall to pieces surrounded by strangers, I can't even do that surrounded by friends and family. How could I cope with all the furtive looks in my direction, how pathetic can I get, crying on the bus as people head for work?
  Four years, that's how long it's been since I last saw my mum, smiling on her way to her holidays, unfortunately I never saw that smile again and it still drives a knife in my heart that I never had a chance to say goodbye. We weren't the closest mother and daughter team, no weekend shopping trips, no real heart to heart's but there was love, unspoken at times, but we both knew it was there and I knew I could always rely on her whenever I needed a shoulder. She had a wonderful smile, which she threw around with ease and was a true artist when it came to the guilt trip, something I may have learnt to use with my own kids.
  You never do really appreciate your parents when they are there for you, or is that just me, but I still talk to her, still see her shaking her head at some of the decisions I make and I'm thankful for the time she got with me and the boys.

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Seizing Fate (Predetermined Series: Book Two) Author: Heather Van Fleet: Cover Reveal


Reveal Host: Lady Amber's Tours


Title: Seizing Fate (Predetermined Series: Book Two)

Author: Heather Van Fleet
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Release Day: October 8, 2013
Publisher: Sunshine Press

Blurb:
And you thought Emmy’s life was a hot mess before…
Jack’s gone off to Arizona with his brother, but for how long? Emmy doesn’t have a clue. In his place, though, is Zachary. The whiny, miserable, alpha wolf–boy who is more than ready to take on the duty of her mate/boyfriend — if she’d let him, that is. But the last thing Emmy wants is to deal with a boy who believes that the world should fall solely at his feet whenever he demands it.
But hey, at least her step–douche is gone, and her life is back to an almost normal sense, right?
Wrong again, Emmy’s life will never again be normal…
With her Uncle Prick in town and her best friend acting as secretive as ever, Emmy finds new challenges to overcome — challenges that no seventeen–year–old girl should ever have to deal with. For one thing, what is up with her dream–liaison status anyway? What does it mean, really? And why does her little brother have to go through it too? And then there’s her mom. The lady is acting a tad bit odd, to put it nicely. After all these years, she finally wants to step up and be a parental figure? Heck no! Emmy’s definitely not copacetic with that idea.
But with the bad, there’s got to be some good out there for her somewhere, right?
Add in the wolves, witches, drama, and lots of kisses and you get Emmy the Extraordinaire, the girl with strawberry–colored hair, and a chip on her shoulder. She’s finally on her way to finding out what her life and her future both have in store for her, even if the road to getting there is nowhere near as easy as she hoped it would be. But Emmy is tough, and more than ready to take on life with her bare hands.
It’s just too bad she’s madly, desperately, insanely in love with a boy who insists on making her life both a miserable hell and utter perfection at the same time.



About the author:

Heather Van Fleet currently reside in northern Illinois, with her three little ladies, and fabulous hubby, and high school sweetheart, Chris. She’s a stay at home mom by day, and an avid and completely obsessive writer and reader by night.
She’s always had a soft spot in her heart for books, and has been creating her own little stories since the age of seven. But she never really had the confidence or the time to actually sit down and really do something about it until her youngest daughter Isabella was born just two years ago. Bella, as well as her older sisters Kelsey and Emma, are and always will be her greatest inspirations.


Links:
Website   Goodreads   Facebook


Excerpt:
Pressure, fire, wetness, tongues — single words were all I could think as our mouths battled. God, I’d never been kissed like this before. Ever, and if we stopped, I’d die a happy woman from his lips touching mine alone. He tugged his hand into the back of my hair, pulling my chin upwards, yanking me towards him. I clawed at his shirt, ready to rip it from his massive body. I pulled at his jacket first, lowering it over his shoulders until it fell to the floor. The buttons jingled against the tile, scattering over our feet. Damn, if he didn’t care about his signature black coat falling apart, then I had to wonder what else I could get away with.







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Monday 23 September 2013

Gryphon Series by Stacey Rourke: Reissue with new illustrations





ABOUT STACEY:

Author of the Laugh-out Loud Gryphon Series and the nonfiction book I'm Not Crazy I'm on Lupron; a Journey Through Infertility. Learn more about Stacey's books at www.staceyrourke.com or diaryofasemi-crazyauthor.blogspot.com. If you are a blogger or reviewer interested in reviewing any of Mrs. Rourke's work please drop an email to rourkewrites@gmail.com. Thank you for visiting this page!








ABOUT ASCENSION:

From best selling and award winning author Stacey Rourke comes the heart-pounding continuation of the acclaimed Gryphon Series.
The turning point of the Gryphon saga is at hand …
Battle looms. Three unstoppable forces prepare to clash in a colossal explosion that could wipe Gainesboro off the map. Fate and sacred calling have landed nineteen year old Celeste Garrett in the middle with nowhere to run.
Her trust wavers as she uncovers dark secrets of the Council, powerful enough to test her loyalty and turn her against those she swore to protect. Playing to the longing of her heart, a malevolent enemy uses her weakness against her to form an alliance.
With the trumpets of war about to sound, which side will the Conduit choose, and who will be left standing?  


Illustrator Crystal Ord will be bringing some of your favorite Gryphon Series characters to life! 
Crystal Smalls Ord is a freelance illustrator and writer who resides in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Her art and stories have appeared in the macabre children's lit magazine, Underneath the Juniper Tree. Last year she illustrated her first children's book, Ethan's Story; My Life with Autism which can be found on Amazon.com. Her art has also appeared in hitRECord.com's musical short, Madamoiselle Noir.
In her free time Crystal plays with her kids, cleans house, teaches music in Sunday School, and lingers in the geekery corner of Pinterest.
Contact her at:
                                                    



                       
The demonic and fantasy elements of the Conduit’s journey will jump off the page thanks to Robert Immings;

In 2000 Robert Immings graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta with a BFA in graphic design. Since then he’s done work in package design, web development and designed training applications and software interfaces. These days he’s a mild mannered operations technician with an electronic trading firm in Alpharetta Georgia. Earlier this.year he had a chance to enter Sony's "Treasures of Middle Earth" design contest which was a promotion for the hobbit movie. He came in as a runner up. More recently he had the opportunity to do some sketches and collaborate on the cover for Emily Fogel's wonderful fantasy novel Dragon Wars and created the cover for her soon to be released book "Chasing Flames". Right now he’s excited to be working on a collection of illustrations for Stacey Rourke's Gryphon Series. 





Friday 13 September 2013

Idolum - Tracee Ford

Type: Crime

Released: August 2013 


Dr. Lauren Harris, a brilliant and nationally respected forensic psychologist, is called upon by the FBI to help track down and stop the Phantom, a hedonistic serial killer who is burying his victims alive. She is teamed up with Nicholas Bennette, an FBI agent who finds it difficult to appreciate what the doctor really does. There is so much more to Lauren who has a special secret, one that she has told to nobody until her relationship with Nicholas grows.

The story concentrates on the growing relationship between the two main characters and of course on finding the serial killer. It reads really well, the pace is good with a growing tension as more bodies turn up and time begins to run out. The wording right off the screen of any good cop show, maybe one in particular, but I think I noticed the quirks from Bones because I am a little bit obsessed by the programme. The scene written from the point of view of the person buried alive made me shiver and the extra incentive the killer gave Nicholas worked so well, you could almost see the clock ticking down.

There are no surprises here and I had worked out the killer well before the end but this book is well worth a read if you are a crime fan.
 

City of Bones


Release date: 21st August

Top Billing: Lilly Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan


When her mother disappears, Clary Fray learns that she descends from a line of warriors, known as Shadowhunters, who protect our world from demons. Needing answers, she joins forces with others like her and heads into a dangerous alternate New York with vampires and werewolves.

This was a little hard for me to review. For months I had been sat with my fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed. COB is one of my favourite YA books and all I hoped for was that they had learned their lessons after the Twilight debacle. I knew they could do it, look at Hunger Games, but still I went into the theatre with some trepidation.

A big plus was that on the whole they could act, it helps but producers don’t always think that’s necessary. The scenes looked great, the pace fast though I couldn’t help thinking about the book. Yes I know I shouldn’t, so shoot me. Clary and Jace worked well enough, not quite what I had in my head but nevertheless it didn’t detract from the story. A niggle I did have was the casting for Alec and Isobel, they were nothing like the original characters and I couldn’t help shaking my head at their lack of presence on the screen.

Rather than working out what was going on, you know expecting the audience to have a brain, they threw everything at you in the first 5 minutes, answering any questions you might have about Clary and the shadowhunters. For those who haven’t read the book I would still assume they could figure out what was happening without the run down and the ending, all I can say is why? It is similar to the book but I have no idea why they changed that little piece of information.

That said I have watched it again, trying my best to ignore the book and found when I did do that, I actually enjoyed it. They captured the essence of the book and the growing relationship between the two main characters. It is well worth a watch.