Tuesday 31 December 2013

Private Down Under: (Private 6) - James Patterson



P.I. Craig Gisto, head of the latest branch of Private, is enjoying the glamorous launch party with his new team when their celebrations are interrupted by the bloodied arrival of a boy with his eyes gouged out.

The boy is the kidnapped son of one of Australia's richest men - but investigating his death isn't their only pressing case. The rock star Micky Stevens is convinced someone's trying to kill him, and believes Private are the only ones who can help.

As if that wasn't enough, someone is murdering the wealthy wives of the Eastern Suburbs, in the most brutal way imaginable. And if they don't catch the killer soon, the next victim could be someone close to Private.


This started as a weird concoction of a book lol. There are 3 murders in the book. I loved the main characters and the way that they helped all the investigations. There is even a twist to some characters being related in the book which was a bit of a turn point. Not keen on the way the book kept going back and forth between murders and the past for Craig Gisto.

Not a bad book for a series. Looking forward to reading more in the series.

Saturday 28 December 2013

Private Berlin: (Private 5) - James Patterson




A history lesson they'll never forget . and neither will you.
Mattie Engel is one of the rising stars at Private Berlin, and believes she's seen the worst of people in her previous life with the Berlin police force. That is until Chris, her colleague - and until recently, her fiancé - is found dead, brutally murdered in an old slaughterhouse outside the city.
The slaughterhouse is filled with bodies. But just as Private begin their investigations, the building explodes, wiping out all evidence of the crimes, and nearly killing Mattie and her team.
Mattie soon realises that a masked killer is picking off Chris's childhood friends, one by one, and destroying the trail. But who wants the past buried so badly? What is the truth about that slaughterhouse? And will Mattie become the killer's next victim?

James Patterson still has the touch with these books. He had me gripped at parts with the slaughterhouse and wondering who it was. I even thought it was one of the police officers lol. But as the story got further on, it made me think who and what was so tragic in these lives.

I found Chris to be a great person, but not much was known til they delved into the tragic lives of his and some other children he grew up with in Berlin. It's all to do with what happened on either side of the fence as they say (before the wall came down).

Monday 9 December 2013

A Country Kitchen Christmas: Sometimes Love Comes One Recipe at a Time - Leanne Tyler



Penelope Anders can't cook, yet she writes the very successful Country Kitchen Cooking blog for the Southern Cooking Channel. Everything is going fine until she's informed that the new CEO ran a contest giving one lucky winner the opportunity to spend Christmas with her at the Anders farm in Crater's Corners, Tennessee. But there is one big problem. Penelope doesn't own the Anders farm anymore. Derek Smythe does. And she still hadn't forgiven him for buying the place.

Derek Smythe needs a new roof and a new septic system at the farm so he can sell the place and move on with his life. When the producer for the Southern Cooking Channel shows up wanting Penelope Anders to return to the farm to fulfill a contest he believes his prayer has been answered and agrees for the price of the repairs. The producer calls his bluff and agrees. But is he ready for Penelope Anders to walk back into his life only to walk out again?


I finished this in the early hours of this morning. It was a nice Christmas love story. Penelope who can't cook, but can write a Food blog (from her childhood memories) has to go back to Anders Farm for 1 week. The CEO did a competition for 1 lucky winner to have Christmas with Penelope at the Anders Farm without telling her or the Food Network Producer. Penelope goes back to her childhood home, but is not keen on who she sold the farm to. He teaches her how to cook and they she starts to think differently about him. 


I loved the love story and the background of why she sold the farm in the 1st place. There is a twist in the story too.

Wednesday 4 December 2013

The New Year's Masquerade (Masquerade Series) - Elise Marion



Orlando Sanchez is a player. “No strings attached” is the motto of his life, and even when his best friend and wingman gets married, he doesn’t intend for that to change. Women are trouble and the only one he cares to spend time with is Sasha, who’s quickly become his friend and confidant. But a rash decision and a night of mindless passion makes their relationship complicated, causing Orlando to face his fears of commitment head on and to consider all he’s been missing out on in life. 

Sasha is in love with Orlando and has been since they met. She knows she’s not his type. The bad boy would surely break her heart, yet she can’t help but want more than friendship. After Orlando calls their night together a mistake, Sasha is determined to show him that it wasn’t. At a New Year’s Masquerade party, Sasha throws her insecurities and inhibitions aside in one last attempt to show Orlando that they belong together. When the clock strikes midnight, Orlando will face a decision. Will his kiss ring in the New Year with the promise of a new future? Or will Orlando run, using his bachelor lifestyle and player ways as a shield against everything he thought he never wanted?



I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Well, I can truly say that even though this is book 2 in the Masquerade series, it can be read alone. 


Well 2 friends who take it to the next level. A lovely story of what love and friendship can do between 2 friends. How determination will usually win in the end. I loved Orlando's way he tries to go about his everyday life and the way Sasha keeps going after him. A lovely love story between 2 friends.

My Savior Forever - Vicki Green



‘With all my heart, 
With every inch of my Soul, 
With every breath I take, 
I promise to love you forever’

Cassie can’t remember being loved, being wanted. At a young age she was placed in Foster care that moved her around from one place to the other. Finally being freed at 18, she was left with no money and nowhere to go until she finds a small town in Kansas where she can start over.

Little did she know her life was going to be uprooted again when she is kidnapped and brutally raped.

Jesse is considered HOT in most women’s eyes, but has little time for Romance. While searching for his Mother’s killers, he witnesses a young girl being kidnapped. He now faces decisions that he must make quickly.

Will Jesse rescue Cassie? Will Cassie ever find the happiness she longs for?

*Due to a graphic rape scene, strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.



I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. Well I can honestly say I have never read a book like this. Last time I stayed up til 1.30am was quite a while ago (and no it wasn't because of a book, it was a programme I was watching lol).

Vicki Green pulled out all the stops in this book. I will admit the 1st 2 chapters wasn't nice, I managed to get past that and once I got into the story, I LOVED every bit. Jesse and Cassie were amazing characters and the way they came together all because of what had happened to them both. The love story in it made me laugh at times. They both cared for each other, but took nothing for granted. I liked Jesse's sister Allie and his step dad was sometimes obnoxious, but understanding in the end.

I highly recommend Vicki Green's book as long as you can get past the 1st 2 chapters (you can skip to Chapter 3 instead).

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Witchy, Witchy - Penelope King



Introducing book #1 in the enchanting SPELLBOUND trilogy...

When Calista McCoy moves from the slums of the Louisiana Bayou to an illustrious beach community in California, she knows her life is going to take a drastic turn. But once she arrives at the beautiful mansion by the sea, dark secrets are revealed...secrets that become even more complicated when she meets the gorgeous neighbor boy, Nicholas, and she feels an unexplainable--and undeniable--attraction. He's everything she's ever dreamed of. Literally.

Her new life seems almost too good to be true. But as everyone knows, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

...And in Calista's case, it could be deadly.

Witchy, Witchy is a full length paranormal romance novel. Book #2 in the Spellbound trilogy, Kiss the Crystal Sun, will be available spring 2012.


I was given a copy of this lovely book by the author in return for my review.

Well, I loved the characters, loved the way the story came along with Calista McCoy, grandmother and father. Who is the mysterious Nicholas and why is Calista so attracted to him.


All will be revealed in this magical and entrancing Paranormal book.

Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens - Joseph V. Ciarrochi



If you could only get past feelings of embarrassment, fear, self-criticism, and self-doubt, how would your life be different? You might take more chances and make more mistakes, but you’d also be able to live more freely and confidently than ever before.

Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens is a workbook that provides you with essential skills for coping with the difficult and sometimes overwhelming emotions that stress you out and cause you pain. The emotions aren’t going anywhere, but you can find out how to deal with them. Once you do, you will become a mindful warrior—a strong person who handles tough emotions with grace and dignity—and gain many more friends and accomplishments along the way.

Based in proven-effective acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), this book will arm you with powerful skills to help you use the power of mindfulness in everyday situations, stop finding faults in yourself and start solving your problems, how to be kinder to yourself so you feel confident and have a greater sense of self-worth, and how to identify the values that will help you create the life of your dreams.

I wanted to understand my teenagers, but I don't think I will lol. I didn't find this book helpful for me. But it was an interesting read and some things were helpful.

White Magic Woman by Ju Ephraime




Newly married, Todd Montgomery was happy with his life. He had a job he loved and a wife he adored, life couldn’t be better. Or so he thought, until he became the obsession of a White Magic Woman. His work as a research scientist took him all over the world, but now stationed on the tiny island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean, he had become the night-time plaything of one of the most powerful sorceress on the island.

Simonia was passionately in love with her husband, Todd, and lived for the moments they could spend together, whenever he got a break from his demanding job. But, when on one of his trips home, he could not perform his husbandly duties; Simonia was beside herself. She thought he was cheating on her. Not knowing how to handle such deception, Simonia became very despondent and cold to her husband.

But when Todd came home suddenly and told her he was the object of a sorceress’ obsession and it had gotten so bad, he had to leave his job and return home to seek help. She believed him, especially since the witch had followed him all the way to New South Wales. Todd was helpless to fight the witch, so it was left to Simonia to save her man, and her marriage. Together these two lovers set out on an adventure of a life time, to capture and destroy a powerful witch who was hell bent on destroying their marriage. Will they succeed against the power of evil?...

I was asked to review this for the author in exchange for a copy of this book.

I started reading this last night and I was wondering where all the sexual talk was leading. I am still unclear where it was going, but I tried to understand the concept of the story.

I am sorry if this doesn't help, but I feel I can't connect to the characters in this book as I have no idea who the woman is in the story.

Monday 2 December 2013

Rouge - Isabella Modra



Hunter Harrison is no superhero. She doesn't wear a cape, or a lycra suit, or prance around dark alleyways looking for punk-ass kids to torment. But Hunter has a power; the power to control fire. And it is one nasty flame brewing in her soul.

In the midst of her senior year, uncovering the truth about her parent's death and how she came to inherit such abilities, and falling in love with a nerdy activist from her school, Hunter finds herself in a battle with a supernatural flame that reacts to her every emotion. Anger, fear, even passion arouse the flame within and Hunter fights to keep her identity secret whilst also protecting those she loves. 

But being a hero is easier said than done, especially when tragedy strikes and Hunter is forced to make a choice; let the fire take control and seek revenge for her loss, or walk away. But mercy is a bitch, especially when there’s a fire boiling inside her hotter than the darkest pits of hell.



I was asked to review this book.


Well, what can I say. The characters were weird at the beginning until Hunter (main character) came along. Loved the start of the story to show you how Hunter is how she is. Hated Joshua as the way he was being. But the storyline is immense and LOVED Eli and Jack. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves YA and a good story.

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Done Deal - Rene D. Schultz


Cissy is just your typical hard working, single mother, who leads a very simple life, until one day, when a cancer diagnosis leave her spinning in circles. Not one to sit around and do nothing, and with experience in the medical field, she decides to research new medication and clinical studies on the Internet. All of a sudden, she hits a block wall. The pharmaceuticals are holding back and shelving drugs that have the potential to save lives. Why aren’t there clinical studies on these drugs? Why aren’t they being produced and dispensed? Why is this happening? 
Cissy goes on a quest, to find these answers and what she discovers is shocking. With an anger that leaves her cynical, and with time running out, she sets out to ‘right a wrong.’ She forfeits her integrity and leaves a legacy that will crush the greedy pharmaceuticals and the corrupt insurance companies! 
With the new age of technology, hackers become a reality, and new Robin Hoods emerge. 


I was honoured to read this book for this author. I found it quite compelling in the topic she chose to tackle. I cried at the story. LOVED the characters. I even felt the pain they were all going through. 10/10 for me all the way.

Saturday 9 November 2013

Opal Fire (A Reluctant Witch Mystery: Stacy Justice Book One) - Barbra Annino



Opal Fire is a paranormal mystery with a splash of romance and a helping of humor. 

Stacy Justice did not expect to be set on fire that night, but being raised by witches prepares one for life's little surprises. In fact, she isn't the least bit shocked when her cousin is accused of arson, or when her divorced grandparents sign up for a marriage retreat, or even when her own boyfriend hauls her off to jail. But when a decades-old secret is discovered within the walls of her cousin's bar, even Stacy is rattled. Now, someone wants her dead and she finds herself dodging angry motorists, exploding chickens and a very creepy man who lurks around every corner. As she begins to dig up the past, Stacy learns that even those closest to her have something to hide--and she's about to discover a destiny she never imagined.


I picked up this book as I loved the cover. It's a cozy kind of mystery with some magic thrown in.

This is part of a series of cozy mysteries starring Stacy Justice, a witch who is a journalist and a lovely Great Dane called Thor who is her guardian angel. It starts off with her cousin (Cinnamon) bar being burnt down. Stacy investigates herself and gets into all sorts of trouble. Her boyfriend is the Chief of Police, she has a grandmother and 2 weird aunts who are witches (who help her). She finds a body and goes around investigating who the body is and what happens. Along the way people die cos of her investigation. 


I found this funny in parts for the way Stacy and Cinnamon were. I loved Thor as he chases or sticks up for Stacy. Can't wait to read book 2.

Wednesday 6 November 2013

The Succubus Gift (The Telepathic Clans #1) - B.R. Kingsolver


Book 1 of the Telepathic Clans Saga. 

The history of the Clans, called the Sidhe by the Irish, stretches back to antiquity. The Goddess blesses Her people with 25 Telepathic Gifts. In addition to Telepathy, the Gifts include command over Air and Fire, Telekinesis and Teleportation. In over 2,500 years, She has never bestowed more than 15 Gifts on a single person.

Brenna Morgan was orphaned at eight when her parents were killed in a plane crash. Through one foster home after another, she carried the ornate, carved wooden box her mother had left with her, keeping it always a secret. Then one night she stumbles over a man who claims her as family.

Brenna’s life isn’t the same after she discovers her unusual and mysterious heritage. In addition to being a telepath, Brenna learns she has the Succubus Gift. 

That’s just the beginning of her problems. Someone is stalking her. Then there’s the tall, dangerous woman who shadows her and hints a Goddess has linked them. And what is she going to do with a handsome, charismatic, womanizing man she knows she should avoid? 

Some days a girl just wants to pull the covers over her head and stay in bed -- with a willing young man of course.

Urban Fantasy with a dash of romance. The Succubus Gift is a completely different take on the succubus myth. Beautiful women and hot men in a world with a hidden telepathic subculture.

I was offered to review this for the author.

When I started reading this, it set me back to when I read [author:Richelle Mead|137902]'s Succubus series. I loved the characters. The strength of Brenna and the fun but serious Rebecca. I have cried and laughed at some of the antics of the characters. It's been really nice getting to know Brenna. I loved the grandfather Seamus, Aunt Callie. Collin is gorgeous and so into Brenna and the way Brenna was introduced to her Gifts was sometimes complicated, but made me turn each page. I even took on the trips when Brenna was going all over the place. 


My only question I have 'Is Brenna and Rebecca long lost sisters?' So I can't wait til I can get the next installment as I have to know where they are going next.

Monday 4 November 2013

Escaping Reality (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen #1) - Lisa Renee Jones



Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.


At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard down, the ghost’s of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run. 

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

I was asked to read this for Netgalley.

My initial thoughts was what is Lara/Amy about? What is she running away from? Who is Liam Stone?

Well I am like WOW at the book. I loved Lara/Amy character, the way she tries to re-invent herself. Liam Stone came into her life via a aeroplance and is trying to run her life and find out who Amy Bensen is. 


Amy has done a runner when she has overheard Liam talking about Texas. Now what will happen in the next installment of Amy Bensen and Liam Stone's relationship? Can Liam find Amy?

Saturday 2 November 2013

The Guardian's Apprentice (Beyond the Veil #1) - J. Michael Radcliffe


Keegan Whitestone doesn’t believe in magic. A disillusioned young man drifting through life without purpose, he almost welcomes the unexpected delivery of his father’s signet ring and a mysterious note. Estranged from his father before the man’s death, Keegan knows nothing of his family heritage, or of the world awaiting him on the other side of the magical barrier known as the Veil. Summoned by the grandfather he never knew existed, Keegan must travel beyond the Veil to become the older man’s apprentice. With his grandfather, known as the Guardian, they must safeguard the barrier tethering together the worlds of science and magic. Someone – or something – is at work trying to break that barrier and bring the long separated worlds together, to subjugate the human race on both sides. Before he can become his grandfather’s apprentice, Keegan must gain the approval of the High Council, a group of witches and wizards more interested in advancing their own agendas than in protecting their world. If he wins their approval, he must survive training under the tutelage of his grandfather’s assistant – a wizard convicted of treason some five-hundred years before and sentenced to spend all but one hour every day as a black cat. Learning to control the power within proves harder than he thought, but when he tries to return home he learns the shocking truth – his grandfather’s enemies want Keegan dead whether he’s an apprentice or not. If he doesn’t find the inner strength to control his power, both worlds could perish as the ancient portal is unsealed and the Shadow is unleashed upon mankind.

What an immense and brillant story. I loved all the magic and spell binding storyline to how a normal human is really a wizard.

Scale of a Dragon (Beyond the Veil) - J. Michael Radcliffe



Callen is a beautiful young woman who tries to see the best in everyone. Cursed with a cruel, overbearing father, she struggles to find balance in her life. When an injured dragon crashes near her home, she must disobey her father to follow her heart. Scale of a Dragon is a short story of 5,600 words set in the world of The Guardian's Apprentice.

What a quick and easy read. A nice installment to the series.

A Dish Best Served Cold - Cornelius Harker



"I've done something ... terrible."

In the pre-dawn hours Michael's phone call to his best friend instigates a chain of events that propels them into uncharted avenues of despair.

Detailing the consequences of delving too deeply into the unknown, 'A Dish Best Served Cold' is a supernatural novella that explores the darker side of human nature and the beyond.

WOW, what a story. I never saw the twists and turns coming in this book. Cornelius Harker is a great author who made a short story turn into something I never wanted to finish reading BUT never wanted to read at bedtime lol.

The Truce - E. Milan



When strangers Aaron and Amber die in the same car accident they wake in Purgatory. Haunted by their pasts they choose the unthinkable. Between Purgatory and Heaven lies Hell. Together they choose to walk through the gate and enter Hell hoping to reach Heaven and all they have lost on the other side. Once in Hell they will spark the culmination of a revolution that has been raging for 2,500 years.


What can I say? The story of a man and a woman with their own demons. They suddenly land in between Heaven and Hell, it's called Purgatory. What would you do if your loved ones were in Heaven and you put them there? All you feel is guilty for your actions. 

One woman and one man's fight through hell to help each other to get to heaven to see their loved ones and to make one place a better place as well.

Inspector Zhang Gets His Wish (Inspector Zhang) - Stephen Leather


Inspector Zhang loves mysteries, but as a Detective Inspector with the Singapore Police Force he knows that mysteries are few and far between. There are relatively few crimes in the city state and those that are committed are usually solved quickly. But that all changes when Inspector Zhang is called to a top Singapore hotel where a guest has been found murdered in a locked room.

What a quick read. This was my 1st Stephen Leather book and I have others of his on my TBR (tree books) and it won't be my last.

Stephen writes a good mystery short novel and can't wait to read his other in the Inspector Zhang series.

Broken City (Book #1) - D.D. Chant


Deeta Richards has never seen the outside world. Before she was born a banking crisis brought civilization to an end and now no one leaves the safety of the compounds unless they need to, but Deeta still dreams of seeing more than the building she was born in. 
Tom is in the guard, this group are the only people that the tribal elders allow to leave the compound and Tom knows only too well that Deeta could never survive the harshness that exists outside. Then tragedy strikes and Deeta and her sister Jan find themselves captured by a hostile tribe. Why does Tom know so much about these people? And why do they know so much about him? As this mystery draws to a climax, they discover that their friend Tom is not quite what he seems...

I thought this book wasn't gonna be that good as I'm not usually into dystopia kind of books. But after getting into the storyline, I noticed it resembled Malorie Blackmanand Scott Westerfeld style. So I settled down and couldn't stop reading once I started getting into the book.

D.D. Chant is a wonderful author who at times made my mind think I was watching teh story unfold in reality.

My Husband's on Facebook! March Edition - Richard Parise


My Husband's On Facebook! is a satirical account of a husband and wife's first venture into the world of social networking. Its sole purpose is to relieve a little daily stress while putting a smile on your face.

This is the March edition of a monthly serial. It is meant to be read in one sitting, while at home, riding the bus or on the subway.

What a hilarious book. A wife and husband's out takes on Facebook. A quick read and hope the author does more each month on this subject, but using different people and different types of scenarios as well.

Shattered - Karl Jones


A VILLAGE IN TERROR, A KILLER ON THE LOOSE, AN AUTHOR LOOKING FOR HIS NEXT BESTSELLER. IS THERE A CONNECTION?
After the grisly discovery of a mutilated body, the small community of Greenville is held in the terrifying grip of a serial killer.
Author Jason Denton immediately falls under suspicion, and while Sergeant Underwood is determined to prove his guilt, no matter what how he has to do it, the relatives of those being killed aren't so keen to wait for justice.
Caught in the middle is Donna Harp, a young constable partnered with the sergeant. She isn't convinced the author is guilty, and is determined to catch the killer, whoever he may be, but is she being swayed by Denton's charm?

Well, what can I say about this book. It had me gripped from beginning to the end. Had me doubting what I thought I knew and boy I was correct of who did it, but my mind made me think was it that person or not.

A MUST READ for all Thriller fans.

Uncle Mildred and Other Stories - Ian Ayris


Meet Uncle Mildred, Jonathan Sideboard, Len Munch, George Wafflemaker, and various other unnamed ne'er-do-wells and heroes in fifteen gritty crime/noir short stories, characterised by a twist and a quirk and a wayward bent.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Cancer Research UK and The Breast Cancer Charities of America.

What a funny 15 short stories. It had me giggling at the antics of these poor unfortunate people and what they got up to. A good read and can't wait to read his 1st novel out soon.

Office Politics (Harper & Lyttle #1) - Sharon Gerlach


Malaria is nothing a good dose of quinine can’t handle.

At least that’s what software training specialist Frannie Freeman thinks when her vile office manager Malia — aka Malaria — unexpectedly marries their boss Sam, with whom Frannie has been in love for years. Certain it’s only a matter of time before Sam comes to his senses, she hides her heartbreak behind sarcastic humor and copious amounts of tequila.

Exceptional at everything except romantic relationships, Frannie is still waiting two years later. When Sam suddenly confides that he believes he was roofied the night of his surprise Las Vegas wedding, it seems too good to be true. And it isn’t long before she realizes that’s exactly what it is.

A quick little divorce seems the ticket, but Malia’s father has other things in mind. Garland Harper is determined to stop his daughter’s downward spiral, and he isn’t afraid to use whatever means comes to hand — such as Sam’s “saving people” complex. And if that doesn’t work — as the CEO of the company for which they work, Harper has sufficient means to make good on his threat that if Sam reneges on his agreement to stay with Malia until she’s dry, the only bars Frannie will see for many years won’t be offering tequila.

Now, faced with letting Sam go forever or fighting for her heart’s desire, Frannie prepares for battle with a woman’s three best weapons — a loyal heart, a willingness to fight dirty, and the strongest margarita money can buy.

What a hilarious kind of book. A good pick me up and reading about Office Politics and things in a light-hearted way.

Tollesbury Time Forever (Frugality #1) - Stuart Ayris


Tollesbury Time
Nothing is real
And there's nothing
To get hung about

sing the children...

In September 2008 I accompanied the police as they entered a house in Tollesbury. I was a psychiatric nurse at the time. The owner of the house was one of my patients. He had not been seen for two weeks - neither had his wife or his son.

What I saw that evening will stay with me forever. On the walls of the lounge, in tiny, neat black writing, were thousands and thousands of words. The torch beams picked them out as if they were groups of well-ordered flies. The words continued up the stairway, onto the landing walls and into the main bedroom. I had been in the house before and had seen some of the writing upstairs. Still I was mesmerised.

What you are about to read are the words that I saw on those walls...

Tollesbury Time
Nothing is real
And there's nothing
To get hung about..

What an amazing and thought provoking book. Stuart Ayris is a great author and writes with attention to detail of what it's like to deal with people with Mental Illness and life.

Six Cats in My Kitchen - Lyn Horner



This very personal story focuses on six special cats and the part they played in the author’s family. Although the book touches upon serious subjects such as the loss of loved ones, living with a disability, and the impact of life changes, it’s lightened by dashes of humor. Only 9 chapters long, this little book includes lots of photos.

Reviewer Todd Tonseca says, “Through her prose, Horner’s love of life, cats, and wonderfully engaging humor comes through in this high energy memoir. Reading Horner’s story is like chatting with a best friend over coffee on a Sunday afternoon – few things in life are better.”

As the author says, this isn't a "cute kitty" book. It's a marvellous book about a woman and her original 6 cats. What their temprements are like, what antics they get up to and she also shares some bits about her family life as well. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Megan's Way - Melissa Foster



What would you give up for the people you love? 
When Megan Taylor, a single mother and artist, receives the shocking news that her cancer has returned, she'll be faced with the most difficult decision she's ever had to make. She'll endure an emotional journey, questioning her own moral and ethical values, and the decisions she'd made long ago. The love she has for her daughter, Olivia, and her closest friends, will be stretched and frayed. 
Meanwhile, fourteen-year-old Olivia's world is falling apart right before her eyes, and there's nothing she can do about it. She finds herself acting in ways she cannot even begin to understand. When her internal struggles turn to dangerous behavior, her life will hang in the balance. 
Megan's closest friends are caught in a tangled web of deceit. Each must figure out how, and if, they can expose their secrets, or forever be haunted by their pasts.

The author is a member of Goodreads. I was 1 of the people asked to review this book as part of a discussion. I found this book very intriguing and wonderful. Gives you the insight to what best friends do and sometimes its about those dark secrets that you wonder if they should or shouldn't come out.

I would recommend this book to anyone.

Entwined with You (Crossfire #3) - Sylvia Day


The worldwide phenomenon continues as Eva and Gideon face the demons of their pasts, and accept the consequences of their obsessive desires… 

From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognized something in him that I needed. Something I couldn’t resist. I saw the dangerous and damaged soul inside–so much like my own. I was drawn to it. I needed him as surely as I needed my heart to beat.

No one knows how much he risked for me. How much I’d been threatened, or just how dark and desperate the shadow of our pasts would become.

Entwined by our secrets, we tried to defy the odds. We made our own rules and surrendered completely to the exquisite power of possession…

This has been left open for another 2-3 books.

What can you say about Gideon Cross. PWOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR is my exact words at this moment. What 1 man will do to keep his partner protected from ANYTHING AND ANYONE.

If you haven't read book 3 yet, THEN READ READ READ.

Reflected in You (Crossfire #2) - Sylvia Day


Gideon Cross. As beautiful and flawless on the outside as he was damaged and tormented on the inside. He was a bright, scorching flame that singed me with the darkest of pleasures. I couldn't stay away. I didn't want to. He was my addiction... my every desire... mine.

My past was as violent as his, and I was just as broken. We’d never work. It was too hard, too painful... except when it was perfect. Those moments when the driving hunger and desperate love were the most exquisite insanity. 

We were bound by our need. And our passion would take us beyond our limits to the sweetest, sharpest edge of obsession...

Again Sylvia Day has written a wonderful insight in a relationship and what can possibly go wrong or right. Had me in tears, laughter and most of all gripped from page 1 til the end.

Now I want to know what happens with Gideon and Eva, but oh I have to WAIT til 31st December when the final installment comes out lol.

Bared to You (Crossfire #1) - Sylvia Day


Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness… 

He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily…

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires.The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...

I loved Gideon and Eva. The way that they fight and then come together to sort out their differences using sex as a go between. Raunchy stuff. But can't wait til October to read why Gideon is like he is and what the heck is Christopher Jr up to.

Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades #1) - E.L. James


When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time. 

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms. 

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

Wow, what a book with emotions. It had me crying at the end, laughing in all places and certainly knowing what Mr Grey and Ms Steele know now. I never thought I would like a book like this as it's been a while since I've read anything this exciting or racy in a while lol. But I am now reading book 2 and like everyone else, JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH!