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My Misadventures in Procrastination

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I have so much stuff to do and I’m running out of time – Yet here I am procrastinating by writing a blog post about it.p9x7by

Three will become four (well six if you include the fur-babies) on around the 22nd of December. The house will be bursting full, as will my head. But before I start maternity leave with Baby #2 I have a whole bunch of stuff I need to get set up/finished off to make life easier for everyone at work while I’m away. It’s a small family business so I actually care and it’s nice to try and make things as easy as possible for the others. I’ve still got two TAFE assignments to hand in before December and I’ve still got to clean out the junk room and turn it into a nursery. No one will be getting Christmas cards this year, that s*** will just not be happening.

I’ve been feeling very unreviewy lately 😦 which is probably obvious given the mini review posts I’ve been doing. I’ve only got two review ARC’s left and they just need reviews up before November. I’ll definitely have to keep myself off of NetGalley for the next six or so months if I want any chance of retaining my sanity post Baby #2. I still intend to read as much as possible, but at least if I’m reading books I’ve purchased I don’t have to write a review if I don’t feel up to it. I actually got quite a lot books read while I was off on maternity leave with Riley. When he was awake I’d read aloud whatever I was in the middle of, it always put him back to sleep – Thank you Rick Riordan whose whole Percy Jackson series we devoured at that time.

Once I get on top of my pre-baby to do list – hahahahahahaha, seriously you should see the f***ing list – my reading plan will be to catch up on any series I’ve started, then to tackle the ageing of my TBR. The oldest book on my Goodreads TBR was added back in 2013. I’m now only 3 years behind lol, actually I think that’s pretty good. My plan is to bounce between the eldest on my list and a new release so I can get through all my old amazon kindle purchases but still feel like I know whats going on in the book blogger world. But for now >>>>dmwny

Yes like writing this blog post :-P.

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Yes, yes it has :-P.

imagesMine as well! Can I get a hell yeah, HELL YEAH!

Until next time 🙂 enjoy your shelves :-).

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Review: The Beauty Volume 1 by Jeremy Haun & Jason A. Hurley

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27753928* New Release *

GRONK by Katie Cook

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15821388Synopsis mk3Gronk: A monster’s tale is an all-ages weekly comic that follows Gronk, a little green monster that has shunned monster life. she finds a home with Dale, a young nerd-lady who teaches Gronk the ways of her world.

Now the Internet’s favorite little green monster is a lovely, full color book! A book that will look great hanging from a magazine rack in your bathroom or as a nice glossy coaster for your favorite frosty beverage.

+Goodreads buttonMy Thoughts mk3

“Gronk is a young monster who has turned her back on the ways of monster-dom (mostly because she was just too darn adorable to be scary). She finds the human world fascinating and is curious about everything…”

Adorable characters, beautiful bright illustrations, a cute and funny story with some fandom references thrown in for good measure. I really enjoyed reading Gronk; it is a quick fun read that I can see myself reading again. I’ve even gone and subscribed to Katie’s website so I can keep up with Gronk’s activities as she tries to make a home with her human, cat and extremely over weight dog.

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I won my copy in a bundle (that I am making my way through) from Diamond Comics :-).2015-05-10 15.12.37

Author’s Links mk3

Katie cook is a comic book artist and illustrator. She’s worked on licenses ranging from star wars to marvel comics to lord of the rings to fraggle rock and more. cartooning is all she’s ever wanted to do with her life (besides her ambition to be a muppet or a robot as a child). Katie’s art as well as a lengthy history of her work can be found at www.katiecandraw.com Katie’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/katiecandraw

I saw these two pictures on Katie’s website and just had to share them: Harry Potter, Cute Cartoon Cats AND DR WHO!!! I love this woman!!! always Dr Meow

The Field Trip by R.A. Andrade

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The Field Trip by R.A. Andrade

Published: May 1st 2015 by Selladore Press, 272 Pages

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Synopsis mk3An adventure mixed with a touch of fantasy. Add a twist of love.

Although clumsy with women, botany professor Ross Barton possesses the quality of fearlessness when confronting danger. Relieved to be escaping routine school work and a bad relationship for a field research trip, a strange woman and danger are the last of his expectations.

Jay, an awkward young woman unwilling to disclose her past, begins a solitary hike into the forest with a pet concealed in a box. She claims the pet is a cat.

Rumors are spreading about odd lights in the night skies of New England.

A flight instructor reports that the government quarantined an area of Vermont woods.

All trails intersect on The Field Trip.

My Thoughts mk3

I’ve struggled writing this review, while there were some good qualities in this book; I just didn’t connect with it.

Ross: Professor of Botany Ross Barton is 35, terrified of woman and single. He is sweet, naive, gullible and later on in the story bizarrely develops into an action hero.

The story starts off alternating between following Ross and a group of unnamed men in white lab coats at an unnamed facility. Ross is easily likable and the mysterious white coats are interesting, driving the story forward.

We meet Jay via a run-in Ross has with her while getting supplies for his trip. It’s not long after Ross starts his trip that the two story lines meet up and we are just following Ross through.

Jay: I guessed Jay Jay and Oswald’s secret earlier on and at first I really liked Jay’s character, she was aloof, aggressive and mysteries. The emotional turn around she does just felt too fast and rushed. I would have liked to see Ross and Jay’s relationship build more before blooming.

Oswald: Funny, twisted, sarcastic, but far too intelligent to be believable as a pet on any planet.

I could never tell where the story was going and that unpredictability was at times frustrating, but also one of the books better qualities, as more often than not you can guess what’s going to happen in a story.

The ending was a little hard to swallow. I liked that Jay was back. I was over the moon that Oswald was back. But no one asked Marsha what she wanted – It felt like body snatching and didn’t sit well with me.

I feel bad giving it only Two (It was ok) Stars, but I can’t bring myself to give it Three (I Liked It) Stars. I would be willing to read more work by R.A. Andrade, as the story wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t for me.

Two Stars

Author’s Links mk3

Ron writes from a small community in Michigan, sometimes at three in the morning when ideas wake him from sleep. He was born and raised in New England, sometimes drawing on those childhood and teen experiences for his novels. Driven to write, his goal is simply to entertain by bringing you the unexpected.

Website – http://www.raandrade.com/

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10531683.R_A_Andrade

Stake-Out (Paranormal Detectives Book One) by Lily Luchesi

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young ghost hunter in a haunted forest

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Detective Danny Mancini is on a case, following a murder suspect. When he catches him, he finds out that the perp isn’t even human: he’s a 200 year old rogue vampire!

The department doesn’t believe him, and puts him on early retirement, despite his many years of service to the Chicago Police Department, which sends him into a downward spiral.

Two years later, Danny gets an invitation from the beautiful, young and very attractive Detective Angelica Cross to join a secret branch of the FBI to help her track down Vincent, the wayward vamp.

But renegade werewolves, meddling immortal witches and Danny’s strange visions of a life lived a century ago with Angelica make things more difficult than it should be.My Thoughts mk3From the beginning it is easy to care about Danny – A detective doing his job and doing it well, who witnesses’ something unbelievable. And of course no one believes him; he is pushed out of the CPD, labelled as crazy and unfit for work. Danny is barely surviving, living on bottle after bottle of booze when along comes Angelica Cross and the PID (The secret paranormal investigation department of the FBI). A Vamplet, Angelica is the daughter of a human male and a vampire female. Angelica is sexy, strong and determined to catch the bad guys. Though the whole book Danny struggles, he’s had so much thrown at him and never really recovers. I hope that in the next or third book his life can come together for him. At the very end of the epilogue, I felt like there was hope of that, as he’d realised his mistakes.

Even though it was easy to guess Angelica Cross’s big secret early on, I loved that Danny didn’t. There are all sorts’ twists and turns along the way, some expected, some not. The story was fast paced, action packed, entertaining and emotional. I was swept up in Danny and Angelica’s world.

In this the first book, we meet two villains, but only one of them dealt with, leaving what could be an epic show down between Angelica and the powerful and malicious witch Fiona Gullifoyle.

I am really looking forward to the next installment. Bring It On.

My favourite parts:

The flash backs to Danny’s previous life, I loved the whole epilogue (even read it twice).

The vampiric history lesson Angelica gives Danny – Fascinating.

All the little snippets of song lyrics that accompany each chapter break – It is a really lovely, quirky touch. The emotion in the song lyrics matched the chapters perfectly each time.

Aesomenessbio linkdLily Luchesi is a young author/poet born in Chicago, Illinois, now residing in Los Angeles, California. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things “dark”. At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle by the time she was twelve, and, as her family has always been what they now call “Gothic”, she doesn’t believe she shall ever change. She is also a hopeless romantic and avid music-lover, and will always associate vampires with love, blood and rock and roll. Her interest in poetry came around the same time as when she was given a book of Edgar Allan Poe’s complete work. She then realized that she had been writing her own poetry since she could hold a pen, and just had not known the correct terms. She finished her first manuscript at the age of fourteen, and now, at twenty-one, has two contributing credits in anthologies and the debut novel, Stake-Out.

Twitter – www.twitter.com/LilyLuchesi

Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/LilyLuchesi

Facebook Profile – www.facebook.com/lilyluchesibooks

Instagram – www.instagram.com/lilyluchesi

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7369101.Lily_Luchesi

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Prev post with Lily discussing the writing off Stake-Out http://wp.me/p431Gp-my

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Fast and Loose by Nicholas J. Johnson

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25374404Fast and Loose by Nicholas J. Johnson

Published: 1st July 2015

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis mk3Joel Fitch used to be a con artist.

That is, until his scam paid off but his life went belly up. Now, two years later, at the ripe old age of 22, Joel has a mattress full of cash and no idea what comes next. The movies never tell you what to do after you’ve walked into the sunset.

Besides, Joel’s past is catching up with him. One of the victims from his con artist days has hunted him down. Far from exacting revenge, though, he wants Joel’s help. Danny Hemming is a TV journalist on television’s trashiest current-affairs program and he’s looking for someone to give him the inside scoop on the latest scams. And he’s not taking no for an answer.

Once again, Joel finds himself in over his head as he enters the murky world of tabloid television. Blackmailed into helping Hemming uncover and expose the country’s biggest swindlers, Joel is making more enemies than ever.

Goodreads-Button-with-Shadow My Thoughts mk3

I liked this book and the fact that I enjoyed it even though it wasn’t filled with forbidden or unrequited love, fantastical creatures or other worlds, like the books I normally read, for me shows how good a story teller Mr Johnson is.

The main characters; Joel Fitch a 22 year old millionaire ex-con-man and Danny Hemming TV “Journalist” with his eyes on the top producers’ job – Neither character is really all that like-able, but they don’t need to be. This book is fast paced, easy to read and flows well. It is set in Sydney, so it’s just down the road from me (kinda). I found it interesting taking a peek into a criminal world that goes on every day under all our noses. Now I’m not stupid, I know this stuff goes on, but obviously not everyone does as the Con-men out there are still thriving.

I mainly read stories that let me escape the world we live in – this story is the world we live in!! Even though I wasn’t glued to the pages, it was well worth the read and I’m looking forward to reading more from Mr Johnston.Three Stars

Author’s Links mk3

Nicholas J. Johnson knows scams.

After decades of rubbing shoulders with fraudsters and liars, he now works as a performer, writer and consultant, educating the public about the tricks of the con artist’s trade.

His live shows have featured at corporate events, schools and private events simultaneously entertaining and educating audiences about con artists and scams.

As an expert on fraud and deception he has appeared on A Current Affair, The Project, Sunrise, Kid’s WB, Today, Radio National, Triple J and more. He has consulted with everyone from magician David Blaine to Circus Oz.

A critically acclaimed comedian, Nicholas has performed at Edinburgh Fringe, Adelaide Fringe and the Melbourne Comedy Festival where he was nominated for the Golden Gibbo award for best independent comedy.

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/NicholasJJohnson

Website – http://www.conman.com.au/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/countlustig

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/TrickyNick79

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/honestconman

Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking

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18132923Ice Kissed (Kanin Chronicles #2) by Amanda Hocking

Publish Date: May 5th 2015

A big thank you to Net Galley, Amanda Hocking and her publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read and review Ice Kissed.

Synopsis mk3

In the majestic halls of a crystal palace lies a secret that could destroy an entire kingdom…

Bryn Aven refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It’s a dream that brings her to a whole new realm…the glittering palace of the Skojare.

The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal enemy that’s been threatening the Kanin, and Bryn is there to help. Being half Skojare herself, it’s also a chance for her to learn more about her lost heritage. Her boss Ridley Dresden is overseeing the mission, but as their undeniable attraction heats up, their relationship is about to reach a whole new level—one neither of them is prepared for.

As they delve deeper into the Skojare world, they begin to unravel a long-hidden secret. The dark truth about her own beloved Kanin kingdom is about to come to light, and it’ll change her place in it forever…and threaten everyone she loves.

My Thoughts mk3I liked the synopsis of this book and requested to read and review it without realising it was the second book in a trilogy. OOPS!! But I read it anyway. I kinda wish I’d read the first book Frostfire first. I really enjoyed Ice Kissed anyway. I grew to love the characters, but I assume I would have already loved them if I’d read Frostfire first. And more than likely the big moment at the end would have meant more. I didn’t understand the depth of the ending of Ice Kissed until reading the synopsis of the first book while doing up this review post and I had an “Oh Snap!” moment.

A lot of the books I’ve been reading lately have been third person. It was so refreshing to step into a first person story via Bryn. I find first person to be so much more emotional and personal, I know it doesn’t work with every story – but it works wonders with this one.

The story starts with Bryn recapping a failed mission with Ridley and beating herself up over the failure. From the beginning scene of Bryn riding on horseback through the snow along high city walls, I was thinking “yeah I love medieval times, bring on some epic king Arthur settings and battles”. Then the words drove and SUV popped up and I was like “um, what, where the hell am I!”

Magic: After reading further on I was able to figure it all out: this is a story of trolls. I saw them in my head as human, oops. It is set in current times. The human world still exists, just as it is and the Trolls use a lot of our modern technology, hence the Range Rover they were driving in. I’m sure in the first book the whole world would have been built and I’d have already known this. We don’t see this Troll world thanks to magical Troll enchantments. Amanda Hocking really has beautifully blended our modern world with that of a Troll world secretly going on under our noses.

Romance: Bryn and Ridley have a forbidden romance thing going on. Ah it’s always sweeter when it’s forbidden. It’s always more exciting – well that’s my opinion.

At the 34% there is a sex scene which I wasn’t expecting, it’s not over the top or porno feeling. Stress less people. But it did make me realise I had no idea how old the characters were supposed to be. Also my brain went “Troll Sex, Um, well Trolls are humanoid, yes, yes, I’m imagining this correctly”. And really they are very human these trolls, they just live in secret from humans and have magical abilities. I’d been imagining Bryn as about 17-ish, but she may have been older, I really don’t know. She started working at twelve and after that I found it hard to figure out her time line.

Action: After the 34% mark the books takes off at light speed with Bryn leaving Ridley and her home with the Kanin to help the Skojare. At this point I delved into a fast flowing world of danger and mystery and Bryn fighting for what she feels is right. And I loved it. And I’m devastated that I have to wait until August to read the next book and see how things turn out.  And I’m not going to tell you anymore about it or I’ll give away all the  twisty turny awesomeness.

I really enjoyed being in Bryn’s head, I found her really engaging and her life captivated me. FIVE STARS.

AesomenessAuthor’s Links mk3Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3486415.Amanda_Hocking

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amanda_hocking

Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandahockingfans

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/aehocking/

Wattpad: www.wattpad.com/AmandaHocking

Website: www.worldofamandahocking.com

Nobility by Kayla Bain-Vrba

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23929877Nobility by Kayla Bain-Vrba

Published March 18th 2015 by Less Than Three Press LLC

I received a copy to read and review through Net Galley, so thank you to the Author and Publisher for allowing me this opportunity.

Synopsis mk3

Determined to escape an arranged marriage, and with very few options available, Danna brings a curse down on herself and settles into life in an enchanted tower. The very last thing she needs or wants is to be rescued, no matter how beautiful or compelling her unexpected rescuer is.

Nobelle is desperate to avoid the hangman’s noose, and as last ditch efforts go her life could be worse than rescuing a bratty princess. But an easy way to stay alive turns into a complicated tangle of lies as she and Danna grow closer and Nobelle has no easy way to admit that she’s no knight in shining armor…

My Thoughts mk3I so wanted to love this, but it all moved way too fast and I didn’t get a chance.

The story is a cute, quick, insta love story. Nobelle is the arse kicking outlaw and Danna is the pretty princess with more to her than meets the eye. There are little snippets of humor the whole way though keeping the story light, fresh and entertaining. There was definitely a really strong background for what could have been spun into a longer and more thrilling tale.

I really loved the sound of this story, its synopsis and the cover. I think if the author had had the extra pages to build the characters and the world more, I would have loved it. I wish it had been a longer story so that we could have watched the Women fall in love – I know it’s only a short story but it just felt too rushed for my taste.

Three Stars

Author’s Links mk3

Twitter – https://twitter.com/KaylaBainVrba 

Tumblr – http://kaylabainvrba.tumblr.com/ 

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5357735.Kayla_Bain_Vrba

Live Journal – http://kaylabainvrba.livejournal.com/