Deep Kiss of Winter and Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole BOOK SPOTLIGHT #XOXperts 

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Reecaspieces

   
OVERVIEW

Under the cover of wintry dark shadows, passion’s magic ignites a fire too hot to touch — and too wicked to die…. 

DEEP KISS OF WINTER 

Two never-before-published paranormal stories to delight the senses and tantalize the imagination! 

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR 

KRESLEY COLE 

delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time…and a Valkyrie aching to be touched. 

Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden — the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can’t be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them? 

NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR 

GENA SHOWALTER 

puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted…and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive. 

Aleaha Love can be anyone — literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identity switch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself….

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OVERVIEW 

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole enraptures again with this seductive tale of a fierce werewolf prince who will stop at nothing to protect the lovely archer he covets from afar. A DANGEROUS BEAUTY… Lucia the Huntress: as mysterious as she is exquisite, she harbors secrets that threaten to destroy her — and those she loves. AN UNCONTROLLABLE NEED… Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae: the brutal Highland warrior who burns to finally claim this maddeningly sensual creature as his own. THAT LEAD TO A PLEASURE SO WICKED…. From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia’s greatest weakness — her wanton desire for him.

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What I am working on…SNEAK PEAK 

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Reecaspieces

I have been working all summer on a musical album for my daughter. It is still not finished. Between work, vacation, and life in general, I have not finished it yet. Plus, the medium I am using, is not my normal mini album medium. I am using an album that I purchased at CKC.  It was one of the best technique classes I have ever taken. It was taught by Susas Frase at Clear Scraps.

Here are the first 2 pages….and yes…fingernail polish remover removes all the ink if you screw up…and gives you a clean slate!! 

   
 
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!

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Begin Again by Brittney Mulliner – BOOK SPOTLIGHT and AUTHOR INTERVIEW 

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Reecaspieces

  
OVERVIEW

Escaping her past, Aubrey Tate moves to Southern California for a fresh start with her older brother, Brandon. Starting over at a new school seems easy with her cousin, Mckayla, and her two best friends at her side, but handling the new guys is another matter. Aubrey ends up in the middle of three rivals that each wants her to themselves. Mike claims her first and declares himself her friend and protector. Luke is the school heartthrob that stops Aubrey in her tracks, speechless. Gage is the mysterious, dark outsider that Aubrey can be herself around. 

How will she navigate her new life while she’s still haunted by her past?

Q and A

What was the last thing that made you cry?

I reread Slammed by Colleen Hoover and bawled like a baby. Even though I knew what was going to happen and was prepared I couldn’t help it. No eighteen year old should have to go through so much in such a short time.

What books they should make into movies?

Part of me wants to keep my favorite books sacred and far away from the movie studios that ruin good books, but I would love to see Marie Lu’s Legend Series come to life. I’ve heard the writes have been purchased but no noise about it actually happening.

What are your time wasters while writing?

I try really hard to stay off the internet while I’m writing but somehow Facebook always makes an appearance. If I’m really good about staying offline I usually waste some time on Spotify perfecting my writing playlist. 

What book do you wish you could read again for the first time?

I would live to be able to read the Harry Potter series from start to finish now that they’re all out

What is your favorite form of exercise?

I love kickboxing! It’s great for taking out aggression and stress. I feel like a ninja every time I leave.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  

Brittney has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. Her parents’ form of punishment growing up was taking away her books and making her go outside to play. She loves the beach, exercising, sleeping in, and cookies. Yes, she does know those contradict each other. She’s an obsessive dog lover. She will cry at pretty much any video or picture of a puppy. Although, sadly she doesn’t currently have an outlet for her affection. Something that she plans on remedying soon. She was born and raised in Southern California, with a brief hiatus in Arizona. She recently graduated from BYU.

Website: http://brittneymulliner.com/

twitter: Britt_Mulliner

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brittney-Mulliner/843484579016627

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Brittney-Mulliner/e/B00P46A2PS/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Brittney%20Mulliner%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall

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Medium Dead by Paula Paul 

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Reecaspieces

  
Overview 

Sure to delight readers of Jacqueline Winspear, Emma Jameson, and Laura Childs, Medium Dead features Queen Victoria herself—and she’s rumored to have slain a local psychic in Newton-upon-Sea. Now the task of clearing her name and catching the real killer falls to Dr. Alexandra Gladstone.

Under Victoria’s reign, women are barred from calling themselves physicians, but that hasn’t stopped Alexandra Gladstone. As the first female doctor in Newton-upon-Sea, she spends her days tending sick villagers in the practice she inherited from her father, with her loyal and sometimes overprotective dog, Zack, by her side.  

After the corpse of village spiritualist Alvina Elwold is discovered aboveground at a church boneyard, wild rumors circulate through the charming seaside village, including one implicating a certain regal guest lodging nearby. Tales of the dead Alvina hobnobbing with spirits and hexing her enemies are even more outlandish—but as a woman of science and reason, Alexandra has no doubt that a murderer made of flesh and blood is on the loose.

Finding out the truth means sorting through a deluge of ghostly visitors, royal sightings, and shifty suspects. At least her attentive and handsome friend Nicholas Forsyth, Lord Dunsford, has come to her aid. Alexandra will need all the help she can get, because she’s stumbled upon dangerous secrets—while provoking a deadly adversary who wants to keep them buried.

Praise for Medium Dead

“An entertaining cozy mystery written with vivid historical detail . . . If you like reading historical mysteries with just a hint of romance, then Medium Dead should be right up your street.”—Fictionophile

“There are more than a few scenes where Alexandra’s dog, Zack, steals the show.”—Reading Reality

“I would recommend this to fans of the Maisie Dobbs series. There’s a strong female character in a historical setting. She’s determined, logical, intelligent and faces an unusual situation.”—The Reader’s Hollow

Praise for Paula Paul’s Alexandra Gladstone mysteries

“The Dr. Alexandra Gladstone series by Paula Paul presents an intriguing mixture of mystery, romance, and history. I especially love the way real personalities from the past keep popping up to intermingle with Paul’s fictional characters.”—Lois Duncan, award-winning and bestselling author of Killing Mr. Griffin and I Know What You Did Last Summer

“A lively mixture of ruling class murder, Victorian morals, and love.”—Bestselling author Tony Hillerman

Review

The body of the village medium is found in a church graveyard. Rumors start to circulate with plenty of accusations, including one about Queen Victoria.  Alexandra needs all the help she can get to solve this one quickly. Luckily, the very handsome Nicholas Forsyth is ther to lend a hand. 

I loved the setting and the time period of this novel and the presence of Queen Victoria was an added plus. I also enjoyed Alexandra. I loved that she was a trained physician in a time period where women were not accepted as such. The author briefly touched on her trials in this capacity and this added to the tale.

This is a fast paced read, however, I felt it was a little stiff and contrived in places. The conversations were a little canned with little surprises. The mystery was entertaining and kept the flow of the book moving. 

If you need a good, fast beach mystery. Pick this one up. 

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review. 

  
 
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The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows 

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Reecaspieces

  
Overview

From the co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society comes a wise, witty, and exuberant novel, perfect for fans of Lee Smith, that illuminates the power of loyalty and forgiveness, memory and truth, and the courage it takes to do what’s right.   

Annie Barrows once again evokes the charm and eccentricity of a small town filled with extraordinary characters. Her new novel, The Truth According to Us, brings to life an inquisitive young girl, her beloved aunt, and the alluring visitor who changes the course of their destiny forever.

 In the summer of 1938, Layla Beck’s father, a United States senator, cuts off her allowance and demands that she find employment on the Federal Writers’ Project, a New Deal jobs program. Within days, Layla finds herself far from her accustomed social whirl, assigned to cover the history of the remote mill town of Macedonia, West Virginia, and destined, in her opinion, to go completely mad with boredom. But once she secures a room in the home of the unconventional Romeyn family, she is drawn into their complex world and soon discovers that the truth of the town is entangled in the thorny past of the Romeyn dynasty.

At the Romeyn house, twelve-year-old Willa is desperate to learn everything in her quest to acquire her favorite virtues of ferocity and devotion—a search that leads her into a thicket of mysteries, including the questionable business that occupies her charismatic father and the reason her adored aunt Jottie remains unmarried. Layla’s arrival strikes a match to the family veneer, bringing to light buried secrets that will tell a new tale about the Romeyns. As Willa peels back the layers of her family’s past, and Layla delves deeper into town legend, everyone involved is transformed—and their personal histories completely rewritten

Advance praise for The Truth According to Us

“In The Truth According to Us, Annie Barrows leaves no doubt that she is a storyteller of rare caliber, with wisdom and insight to spare. As she subtly unpacks the emotional intricacies of the Romeyn family and their small West Virginia town in the wake of the Great Depression, we’re struck by the slipperiness of history—how the stories we tell each other and ourselves often demand to be interrogated; how the things we’re driven know about our families, our towns, our closest intimates, will always change us, sometimes over and over. Barrows is at her best here. Every page rings like a bell.”—Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife

“The Truth According to Us is an irresistible novel, a sly charmer of a story about a small town in Depression-era West Virginia whose history is rewritten by a debutante on the run. Family histories, too, are unraveled, but mended by the fierce, strong women who dominate this delightful page-turner, a tribute to the power of love and forgiveness to heal even the most heartbreaking betrayals.”—Melanie Benjamin, author of The Aviator’s Wife

Praise for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“A jewel . . . poignant and keenly observed . . . a small masterpiece about love, war, and the immeasurable sustenance to be found in good books and good friends.”—People

“Affirms the power of books to nourish people enduring hard times.”—The Washington Post

“Smart and delightful . . . Treat yourself to this book, please—I can’t recommend it highly enough.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and The Signature of All Things

REVIEW

This is a well researched novel in a very interesting time period. During prohibition and the depression, Layla must find her way. With the introduction to the Romeyn family, this debutante is exposed to a myriad of characters and experiences that change her life. 

This is not just a story about a woman in search of a new life. This is story about family and bitter betrayal.

 It is extremely witty in places and is very smartly written. Once I vested myself in the characters, it was very difficult to put down. It was a little slow in a few places, but it was a very good read. 

I received this novel from Netgalley for an honest review. 

  
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$10 Junk Find Redo! 

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Reecaspieces

 Before

  
 After!

 

  I used some left over chalk board paint from a different project and added the Cricut Vinyl! 

Love it!!

Thanks for stopping by! 

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The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor by Amy M. Reade

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Reecaspieces

 
Overview

 “Do you know what stories Sarah could tell you about the things that happened in these little cabins? They’d curl that pretty red hair of yours.” 
Outside of Charleston, South Carolina, beyond hanging curtains of Spanish moss, at the end of a shaded tunnel of overarching oaks, stands the antebellum mansion of Peppernell Manor in all its faded grandeur. At the request of her friend Evie Peppernell, recently divorced Carleigh Warner and her young daughter Lucy have come to the plantation house to refurbish the interior. But the tall white columns and black shutters hide a dark history of slavery, violence, and greed. The ghost of a former slave is said to haunt the home, and Carleigh is told she disapproves of her restoration efforts. And beneath the polite hospitality of the Peppernell family lie simmering resentments and poisonous secrets that culminate in murder—and place Carleigh and her child in grave danger…

Review

Carleigh is offered a job to refurbish Peppernell Manor.  This job takes an unexpected turn or two. With a ghost and a jealous husband, Carleigh must fight for her life. 

The story is ok. I expected more of a ghost story and less of a jealous husband.  The characters, however, are one dimensional and overly dramatic. There are several places they state the obvious…I even rolled my eyes on a few. 

The setting is wonderful and the house on the cover is not at all what I pictured in my head as I was reading. I pictured a more traditional southern plantation home. 

This book fell a little short for me.  I wanted so much more.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review. 

 

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Smut by Matt Micheli 

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Reecaspieces

  

Smut

By Matt Micheli

Genre: Psychological (Transgressive with strong sexual encounters and hints of horror)

Brief Description:

On the outside, Sam has it all: money, good-looks, youth. His life is fueled by an endless supply of drugs, alcohol, sex–anything and everything to keep his mind off of what he struggles to keep hidden away: a troubled past as well as recurring disturbing psychotic visions. Strange things begin to happen to Sam causing his diagnosed anxiety to grow into paranoia. To make things worse, brutally mutilated bodies are being discovered around the city and no one seems to care.Experiencing what it is to come full-fledge into adulthood–love, lust, loss, rejection, denial–Sam realizes money and good looks aren’t everything and sometimes what you’re running from is closer than you think.

Review 

What a dark, wicked read.

 Sam basically has it all, with his good looks and his money, nothing is stopping him, until… Then the bodies start showing up.

This book just keeps delivering. I was so caught in Sam’s world, it was hard to stop! This is a wild ride indeed! 

Author Bio:

  
Matt Micheli is a writer out of Austin, TX, Wild Card Winner of the 2012 Halloween Book Festival. He has several fiction and non-fiction pieces featured in various literary magazines and is a multi-contributor to ManArchy Magazine, Revolt Daily, and Paragraph Line. He is a loving husband and father by night and takes on one of many corporate-America faces by day. You will find him either behind his computer writing words or at the nearest bar, either way with a stiff cocktail close by..

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattmicheliworld?fref=nf

Twitter: https://twitter.com/micheliworld

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004GN70IC

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4112558.Matt_Micheli

Website: http://www.mattmicheli.com

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Christmas in June 

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Reecaspieces

I have a accumulated lot of Washi tape.  Almost all of it was a free prize or came in a kit. I have not been a huge fan of the tape so…I have a good bit of it. I came across a Christmas tree out of Washi tape on Pinterest and thought it would look good on a card. 

It is not half bad!! 

 
Thanks for stopping by!!!  

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The Canterbury Sisters by Kim Wright #XOXperts 

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Reecaspieces

  

Overview

In the vein of Jojo Moyes and Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, a warm and touching novel about a woman who embarks on a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral after losing her mother, sharing life lessons—in the best Chaucer tradition—with eight other women along the way.

Che Milan’s life is falling apart. Not only has her longtime lover abruptly dumped her, but her eccentric, demanding mother has recently died. When an urn of ashes arrives, along with a note reminding Che of a half-forgotten promise to take her mother to Canterbury, Che finds herself reluctantly undertaking a pilgrimage.

Within days she joins a group of women who are walking the sixty miles from London to the shrine of Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, reputed to be the site of miracles. In the best Chaucer tradition, the women swap stories as they walk, each vying to see who can best describe true love. Che, who is a perfectionist and workaholic, loses her cell phone at the first stop and is forced to slow down and really notice the world around her, perhaps for the first time in years.

Through her adventures along the trail, Che finds herself opening up to new possibilities in life and discovers that the miracles of Canterbury can take surprising forms.

Review

Che has had some bad experiences lately. Her mother died and her boyfriend dumped her. At her mother’s last request, she walks the Caterbury trail to spread her mother’s ashes. Che heads to London and on to Canterbury for an experience she will never forget. 

This book really has a lot to say. This is a smart and sometimes quirky read. The characters are many,  but each with different stories to take the reader through a wonderful journey of life lessons. 

I was very impressed with the research the author did to tell this story. I felt like I was walking the Canterbury trail  along with the characters.  Needless to say…that has now been added to my bucket list. 

 This is a book, when you sit down to read it, you look up and you have read 30 pages. Moves very well and is so entertaining it is hard to put it down. 

 

I received this novel from Simon and Schuster XOXperts (LOVE LOVE LOVE BEING AN XOXpert!!!)

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