Thursday, June 28, 2012

Review - The Sting of The Scorpio by Monique Domovitch

The Sting of The Scorpio (The Scorpio Series, #2)The Sting of The Scorpio by Monique Domovitch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
ebook, 328 pages
Published (first published August 16th 2011)
Source: Author for Review

Synopsis:
'In Scorpio Rising, Monique Domovitch presented a compelling tale filled with colorful characters and the manipulation of power, ambition, and greed. Now she gives us its spellbinding sequel, The Sting of the Scorpio, where Alexander Ivanov returns to New York with his new bride, Brigitte.

The real estate industry is ripe with opportunity. Blessed with irresistible charm, ambition, and the single-minded obsession to succeed, Alex plots and manipulates his way to almost mystical success. Everything he touches turns to gold, but it’s never enough. When a hostile takeover bid leaves him struggling to save his beloved company, he suspects those closest to him of plotting his downfall.

Brigitte, the beautiful redhead who abandoned her country and her career to become his wife, feels alone. In return, Alex has betrayed her time and again, each indiscretion cutting deeper into her soul.

Brigitte’s son, David yearns to be an artist, but Alex’s plans leave no room for such frivolous goals. He grooms a reluctant David to become the heir apparent until a devastating tragedy attracts the attention of another young man.

The Sting of the Scorpio is a rich tale of a man at the mercy of his own greed and a woman bound by her need for love.'

My Thoughts:
Well, where do I start with this book. While reading this book I literally felt like I was taken into a world similar to the old Dynasty series that used to be on television where everyone wants to be better than everyone else and will step on whoever they can and team up with whoever they can to get what they want.

The Sting of The Scorpio centres around Alex and Brigitte who are now man and wife and starting out their new life together in New York. It's starts out with Alex struggling to get work so Brigitte starts painting and selling her artwork again to help out their situation. But, being the power hungry man he is this does not suit Alex and he forces Brigitte to give up her work when he starts to become successful so that he can have the satisfaction of being the main money earner. The story then continues along with Alex building a bigger and bigger empire and the trials and tribulations that follow as a result of his insatiable ambition.

Alex Ivanov is a character that I just could not get any sort of appreciation for at all. He's a strong and relentless character who doesn't let anyone get in his way or stop him from achieving his dreams, no matter the consequences. To me he's an arrogant man who needed to take a step back and see what he actually had in life now and then instead of always just wanting more and more. Alex becomes notorious for all of the affairs he has with other women all while he has a wife at home who adores him and wants to do nothing else but please him. I could not find any qualities in Alex that I could warm to at all and I'm pretty sure that this is how the author wants everyone to feel.

Brigitte, his wife is the complete opposite of Alex. While she was such an independent and strong individual in the first novel, in this one she becomes a shell of her former self and gives up practically everything just to try and keep Alex happy. I have to admit that this disappointed me a little bit as I expected more from Brigitte after what she went through in Scorpio Rising. How you could be so unaware of the actions and intentions of your husband as Brigitte apparently was in this book totally bewilders me. If my husband was showing even half of the signs or acting in any way, shape or form like Alex was then needless to say we would not have lasted five minutes.

I definitely found this book so much more engaging than the first and even though I was totally disgusted by most of the events that occurred I have to say that is a good thing because it's not often that I read a book that really sticks in my mind as much as this one has for days after I've finished reading it. This book is so raw and thought provoking that you just can't help but be intrigued as to what it really would be like to be in such a position of power and in a world where social standing and money means everything.

One thing that I thought was a bit overwhelming is how fast time seems to go in this book. You literally skim through about 30 years in the space of a couple of hundred pages and thinking back over it still makes my head spin a little.

If you're into books that are based around money, power, sex and relentless ambition then you will definitely enjoy this book.

See my review for the first book in the series, Scorpio Rising and my interview with author Monique Domovitch here.

Links:
Amazon
The Book Depository

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

WWW Wednesday (27th June 2012)


WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

To join in all you need to do is answer the following three questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

This week I have been trying to cram in as much reading as possible because in a few weeks I will be starting my last CPA module and my recreational reading time will be severley cut short for the 12 weeks while that is running until the end of October. I want to make sure I at least have all the review titles I've been given so far read and reviewed before the end of July so I don't get caught out and find myself unable to meet any obligations.
Here is what I have been up to this week:

• What am I currently reading?  So, I am still reading A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1). I'm also currently reading The Dragonslayer's Sword (Dragonslayer, #1) which has been quite good so far as well as Shadowland which I've also been liking so far.

I'm also still listening to The Fury (The Vampire Diaries, #3) in my car. I haven't been to work this week yet due to being virtually bedridden with the worst flu I think I have ever had my entire life but I'm hoping to possibly have this finished by the end of this week when I do get back to work.


• What did I recently finish reading? So, this week I finished reading There's no such thing as Werewolves (Demons Rising, #1) There's No Such Thing As Werewolves, Impeccable Petunia Part 1: Claws, Paws, Feathers and Jaws Impeccable Petunia and The Sting of The Scorpio (The Scorpio Series, #2) (review still to come).


• What do I think I'll read next?  Next I'll most likely go on the the second in the Dragonslayer series which is The Iron Maiden. I am part of the blog tour for the third book in this series in August which I'm quite excited about.


What have you been up to this week?

Michelle

Monday, June 25, 2012

Review - Impeccable Petunia by Katie Christine

Impeccable Petunia Part 1: Claws, Paws, Feathers and JawsImpeccable Petunia Part 1: Claws, Paws, Feathers and Jaws by Katie Christine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kindle Edition
Published May 12th 2012 by Katie Christine
Source: Author for Review

Synopsis:

'Follow Petunia, the backyard hen, through a hazardous world as she discovers hidden talents, a mischievous cat named Macy and encounters all things feathered and furious.'

My Thoughts:
This was such a cute little story which centres around the world of a small hen named Petunia. I couldn't resist reading this book as I love all things animal related and this was no exception.

Little Petunia is a bit different from the other hens she lives with and likes to keep to herself while finding joy tending to her small flower garden.

One day the owner of the house notices Petunia and a friendship soon develops between them. Unfortunately for Petunia, this means being taken into the house with the owner almost on a daily basis which is a big no-no as far as the rest of the chicken community are concerned. They don't like change and think that this new development will only mean bad things for the rest of the chickens if the habit continues. Petunia also develops a friendship of a sort with Macy the cat who lives at the house and this causes even more concern for the other chickens.

The story unfolds with the chicken community constantly gossiping about Petunia's relationship with the owner of the house and scheming to put an end to it while Petunia tries to defend her actions and put them at ease.

Petunia is such a loveable character who shows us that it doesn't matter if you are a little different from everybody else and that it's possible to be friends with others where life normally dictates that you shouldn't.

The book also contains gorgeous illustrations at the beginning of every chapter and I can't wait until my toddler gets a little bit older and I can read this story to him.

I'll definitely be reading the next instalment in this series, A Tale of Two Tails, when it comes out to see what other adventure await little Petunia.

Links:
Website: Impeccable Petunia
Amazon

Sunday, June 24, 2012

In My Mailbox (24th June 2012)




In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to show what books you have accumulated during the week.

This week I got the following books:

For Review:
PledgedImpeccable Petunia Part 1: Claws, Paws, Feathers and JawsThe Dragonslayer's Sword (Dragonslayer, #1)The Iron MaidenThe Stone of Darkness (Dragonslayer, #3)

Purchased:
Fifty Shades Darker (Fifty Shades, #2)

I really need to get myself into gear in the next few days as far as reading is concerned. I've been extremely sick with a bad flu and have completely lost my voice so haven't had the energy to sit up let alone read much lately. Hopefully when this dreadful bug finally leaves my body I can get back into my normal routines again.

What great books did you get this week?

Michelle

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Review - There's No Such Thing As Werewolves by S.C. Mitchell

There's no such thing as Werewolves (Demons Rising, #1)There's no such thing as Werewolves by S.C. Mitchell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Kindle Edition
Published 2012

Synopsis:
'Just because Jack turns into a hairy, wolf-like creature every full moon, doesn’t mean he’s a werewolf. Anna knows there’s no such thing as werewolves.

Anna Brown is a sorceress, and one of the leading experts on demons for the Arcanists. She knows how to help Jack shed the curse that plagues him, if he’ll let her, but the local demons are after Anna. She has a power they want to control. Does she have enough magic to save Jack and to keep the local Demon Lord at bay?

Jack Hughes trusts Anna to free him from his curse, but he doesn’t realize the danger she’s in until it’s too late. When Anna is captured by demonic creatures Jack realizes that the only way to free her is to embrace the beast he so wanted to be rid of. Can he save her under the bright, full moon or will demons from a dark dimension destroy them?

There’s no such thing as Werewolves is the opening salvo in the Demons Rising saga. It’s a love story between two special people who live in a very dangerous world.'
My Thoughts:
I managed to read this in one afternoon while my bub was asleep on me. I found it to be a really interesting and fast paced story that was definitely a page turner.

It’s not your normal werewolf novel so if that’s what you’re after if you go to read this you will be disappointed. Instead, there is a twist on what werewolves actually are which I thought was very clever and I enjoyed how the story evolved around this twist.

Things between the main characters, Anna and Jack, move extremely fast at the beginning of the story after they first meet and realise that they were good friends at school many years ago. Anna is an Arcanist which is a type of sorceress and Jack is a plumber with a huge secret which means he has to lock himself away once a month when there’s a full moon.

There’s No Such Thing As Werewolves is action packed from the moment you begin reading and it’s definitely an easy book to finish in a spare couple of hours. It’s a book that you won’t want to put down because you always want to know what’s going to happen next. There was one situation at the start that moved so fast that I actually thought I might have skipped some pages on my kindle somehow but then I realised that I hadn’t and it was just the way the story moves.

This is the first instalment in the Demons Rising saga. The second book in the series, The Forsaken Templar, was released last month and I can’t wait to see how this story continues.

Links:
Amazon

Friday, June 22, 2012

Feature and Follow (22nd June 2012)


Feature & Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  It is a great way to make new friends and gain followers.

Here is this weeks question:

Q: If you could "unread" a book, which one would it be? Is it because you want to start over and experience it again for the first time? Or because it was THAT bad?

If there was one book that I could 'unread' it would have to be Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. I just couldn't get into this book and did not enjoy it at all which disappointed me in a way because I know that most people who read it absolutely raved about it.

I think the main reason for me not enjoying this book was the subject matter more than anything else. I guess it's just not a genre that I normally read and even though I was in a stage where I was trying to 'read outside of the box' and get some different experiences under my belt I have to say that I ended up regretting my time spent on reading this book.

I'd love to know what others would like to 'unread'?

Michelle

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

WWW Wednesday (20th June 2012)


WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

To join in all you need to do is answer the following three questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Well, this week has been a bit of a slow reading week for me as I've had so many other personal committments that unfortunately reading has taken a bit of a back seat.

Anyway, here is what I have been up to this week:

• What am I currently reading?  So, I am still patiently plodding through A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1). This book is awesome but I just can't concentrate on one book that is so long on it's own without a break now and then.
I'm also still listening to The Fury (The Vampire Diaries, #3) in the car on my drive to and from work. Surprisingly I think this is probably the best story so far.



• What did I recently finish reading? This week I managed to finish Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1) which I reviewed here. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am glad that I decided to read it even though I heard so many bad things about it.
I also finished reading There's no such thing as Werewolves (Demons Rising, #1) in one afternoon while bub was asleep on me. The review for this is still to come.


• What do I think I'll read next?  Ok, now I finally have Fifty Shades of Grey out of the way I will be definitely be starting Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) next. Unfortunately my lovely husband is trying to put a dent in my plans because he bought me Fifty Shades Darker the other day as a surprise when he got home from work but I will be strong and put off reading that until I have some of my older books done instead.



What have you been up to this week?

Michelle

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

My Five Favourite Authors

I was perusing the list of books I have read over the years and realised that I'd never actually sat down and thought about who my all-time favourite authors would be.

So, after much deliberation I give you my Top Five Favourite Authors of all time:

1) Stephen King - Ok, he was practically the first author that I got addicted to and I have read almost every book he has written. I have to admit that I do prefer his older work to his more current material but I still get a bit giddy when a new Stephen King book gets released and usually can't wait to get my hands on it. He's probably one of the most consistently captivating authors I have ever read.

2) Terry Goodkind - I got a little obsessed with his Sword of Truth series for a little while and could hardly wait until a new one was released. It is still one of the best fantasy series I have ever read. It just had so many captivating characters and Goodkind's writing style was one that portrayed such a wonderful and complex world without being overly confusing.

3) James Lee Burke - His southern writing style and raw characters never fail to draw me in. I love how fast paced his novels always are and the descriptive language he uses so well always makes me feel like I am part of the scenery.

4) Michael Connelly - I got on a bit of a run of the Harry Bosch stories at one stage and when I finished I felt like I had lost an old friend. I've enjoyed pratically every Michael Connelly book I have read and am always hanging until the very end to know how the story will finish.

5) Dean Koontz - Probably for similar reasons to my obsession with Stephen King, I have always had a soft spot for Dean Koontz and own a ridiculous amount of his books. Also, similar to what I said about Stephen King, I do prefer the older Dean Koontz work to some of his more current material but I will always be drawn to any new book of his that gets released.

I'd love to know who everyone else would think of as their Top Five Authors of all time?

Michelle

Monday, June 18, 2012

Blog Tour - Against All Odds by Aliaa El Nashar - Guest Post




As part of the Blog Tour for the title Against All Odds hosted by The Experience Blog Tours I have author Aliaa El Nashar giving a Guest Post today and answering the following question:

'How do you manage being a writer with other life commitments? Do you write at any time of day/night and get in a writing 'zone' and forget about everything else going on around you, or do you treat it like a normal 9-5 job and only write at set times a day?'

Aliaa's Response:
Whether or not I write at any time of the day I think depends on your definition of writing. If by writing you mean the traditional sense, as in getting it all out on paper or the computer, then that’s complicated. Otherwise I think I’m technically writing, or well creating, over and over again. The characters start occupying my thoughts and creating the perfect scenarios for their stories becomes a job in itself. Thus, I am always distracted, whether I am on the bus, in a family gathering, or even in class. I’d stop concentrating on say, text-analysis class or Italian syntax class and start thinking of Edmund’s story, what Will’s life would be like, or who would Tylor end up with. Then, there would be stories and characters I’d make up on the spot, so the cycle never ends.

I don’t think I have an exact time in which I’d prefer writing, or the perfect spot. It depends on how inspired I am. If I just feel like writing – yes the jotting it down on paper or computer kind – I’d go on like crazy until I am done with a chapter or more. Of course, that more often than not happens in class. On the other hand, to actually accomplish something, I appoint myself a nagger, who is basically a dedicated friend of mine who would be willing to nag me incessantly for long periods of time for me to accomplish something, in that case the guilt does wonders, apparently it’s the greatest motivation for me to get working.

People who can actually work in schedules fascinate me. I wish I could do that! As I am always quick to mention this, I have the attention span of a goldfish, or you know Dora? The blue fish in Finding Nemo? That’s me! I can barely remember what I was saying at times, and cannot concentrate on just one thing at a time, yet I am sadly a born multi-tasker. To study I’d have my books next to me, my iPod on the one side and my laptop on the other. Even on my laptop, I’d be watching something and playing spider solitaire at the same time. Or when I chat with friends I can actually reach a point where I’d be talking to four people at the same time, in four different languages (yes, that has happened) and I wouldn’t mix up or anything, but ask me what I was just saying, or to focus on one thing, that’s when my memory skills go bye-bye!


About the Book:


Format: Paperback, 280 pages
Published April 2011 by Shabab Books Publishing-house (first published January 1st 2011)

Synopsis:

The Story revolves around:

-A boy called Damien who seems to have it all. He's rich, good-looking and athletic. He's also arrogant, obnoxious and a major player. Damien is one of 5 children who seem to not get along, until one day Damien meets Alexis and his life is turned inside out.


-A girl called Alexis who has trust issues due to her parents. Her best friends mean the world to her, and she refuses to date anyone that doesn't fit completely in her 'Perfect Guy' list.

They're thrown together a lot and start to face inner demons they've hidden away for so long. "

About The Author:

A 21 year old girl studying languages at university. Grew up in Kuwait and is currently residing in Cairo, Egypt. Loves to read, write and draw.


Sunday, June 17, 2012

In My Mailbox (17th June 2012)




In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to show what books you have accumulated during the week.

This week I got the following books:

Book of Shadows This was an Amazon freebie this week and it sounded quite interesting so I couldn't resist getting it.



Eragon (Inheritance, #1)I received this from another member of The Book Swap. This has been the first book I have requested from this site and I was really pleased with how the whole processed worked.

Well, that's it for this week. I'm trying to tame down the amount of books I get every week so I can start to make a dent in my TBR pile.

What great books did you get this week?

Michelle

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Review - Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1)Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Paperback, 528 pages
Published April 3rd 2012 by Vintage (first published May 25th 2011)
Source: Own copy

Synopsis:
'When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—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 family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

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


My Thoughts:
So, I have to admit that I went into reading this book with a VERY open mind. This was mainly due to knowing what the subject matter was and hearing so much hype about this book along with an equal mix of good and bad reviews. Some people passionately hated this book and others thoroughly enjoyed it. Well, I actually am one of those that enjoyed it.

Aside from the BDSM theme and the extreme amounts of sex in this book, it actually had quite a good underlying storyline that I found interesting and was what ultimately kept me reading through to the end.

The first main character, Christian Grey, has had a hard start to life and this has in turn made him into a very controlling and egotistical human being. He's never let a person into his life and has always been the one to set the rules.

I found Christian's character just captivating and fascinating. You can't help but be affected by him and his strong personality and confidence. That is until you realise that it's all a bit of a front and underneath is actually a needy boy who is scared of being rejected and alone.

The other main character, Anastasia Steele, is a very innocent and nervous person who gets completely overwhelmed when she meets Christian. He is totally out of her league but she finds herself drawn to him in a way she has never felt with another man before.

I found that I got a bit annoyed with Ana's character a lot throughout the book, but I think it was just the repetitive writing and the way some conversations were structured that were the main reasons for this. She seemed to repeat the same phrases an awful lot and talks about an 'inner goddess' on pratically every second page.

Overall, this book certainly revolves around sex and has an awful lot of it in there. I realised that by about halfway through I was actually getting extremely bored with the sex scenes and just wanted more of the base story instead.

This is certainly not a book to read if you get offended easily and are a bit squeamish about certain 'taboo' subjects. On the other hand, if you have an open mind and don't get offended all too easily I think it's definitely an entertaining read and I am now looking forward to reading the next two books in the series.

Links:
Amazon
The Book Depository

Friday, June 15, 2012

Book Swapping in Australia - Does It Exist?

Ok, I have just spent two days cleaning out my three bookshelves and now have almost 100 books I need to find a new home for (the list is here on Goodreads if anyone is interested). Most of them are in very good condition and have pretty much just sat on a bookshelf for years and therefore have a small amount of yellowing of the pages and/or some minor marks and bent corners/spines.

I decided to start researching if there were any decent book exchange services in my area and discovered that there isn't! Most of the establishments will only exchange books you have originally purchased from them or if they are rare or hot selling titles.

Next I decided to see if the local charity shop wanted the books and gasp, shock, horror, they didn't! Apparently they don't have enough room to take such a volume of books.

So, next I took my plight to the online world and discovered two book swapping websites that are Australian, but just don't seem to be frequented much, Book Swap Australia and The Book Swap.

Both of these sites run on a points-per-book basis where you generally have to upload 3 books to start with to gain one point and then you can accumulate further points based on how many books you upload (and their value) after that.

Once you have some points to start with, you browse all the books listed and if you find one that you would like you just choose to 'swap' that book for one of your points and the owner of that book is notified to post the book out to you. Likewise, if someone wants one of your books you receive notification of their details so that you can forward the book to them. For every book you request, you use up a point and for every one of your books that is requested, you gain a point.

I have already personally had a couple of swapping experiences on The Book Swap which went through quite smoothly. Unfortunately, it took me over four months of having some books on there for anyone to be interested in one of my books, and considering how long it takes to add each individual book I'm not sure if I want to continue using this site (especially when I have almost 100 books to list!). I haven't had any experiences with the Book Swap Australia site as yet.

My question you is this: Are there any other sites in Australia that offer a similar service that is actually frequented and worth joining? I've noticed that the book swapping phenomenon is huge in some other countries like America and wish we had the same type of interest here as it's a great way to obtain new books that people are wanting to get rid of anyway and connect with like-minded readers.

Otherwise, my next step will most likely be just dropping them in one of those charity bins but I wanted to try and avoid this because they are hardly ever emptied, people steal from them and it would break me heart to see books get damaged in the rain or by vandals.

What should I do?

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

WWW Wednesdays (13th June 2012)


WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

To join in all you need to do is answer the following three questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So, this week has been a bit of a mixed bag for me. I started off with intentions to read one thing but ended up doing something completely different.

So, here is what I have been up to this week:

• What am I currently reading?  So, I am still trying to get through A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1). I am thoroughly enjoying this book but it's just so looooong that I can't just read it on it's own without a break now and then.

I am also currently trying to get through Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1) as the peer pressure finally got to me and I couldn't hold out seeing what this was like anymore.


• What did I recently finish reading? This week was a bit slow on the reading front as I only managed to find the time to finish reading Shifting Gears (The Rider Series) Shifting Gears by Shawn Kirsten Maravel (who I was also lucky enough to interview!) 


• What do I think I'll read next?  After I get Fifty Shades of Grey out of the way I will be going back to my original plan which was to read Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) next.

What have you been up to this week?

Michelle

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Review and Author Interview - Shifting Gears by Shawn Kirsten Maravel

Shifting Gears (The Rider Series)Shifting Gears by Shawn Kirsten Maravel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
274 pages
Published by Createspace
Release Date: 1st July 2012
Source: Author for review

Synopsis:
'Wesley Pierce, a Virginia State Trooper, is in search of the perfect log cabin to settle down in. After losing his brother and doing his best to care for the family he left behind he decides, a year after Nathan’s death, that he’s finally ready to move forward.

Olivia Michaels, a realtor in search of her own dream home and a way out of her parents’ attic, takes on a client who can help get her that much closer to affording her freedom. Little does she know that it isn’t the perfect home that she finds but through Wesley Pierce she manages to find herself. And maybe, if she’s capable of taking the leap, she might even manage to find love.'

My Thoughts:This book is another of what I would call a 'real' romance. By this I mean that there is no 'love at first sight' or other unrealistic relationship declarations that can occur in the majority of romance novels out there.

The story revolves around two main characters, Wesley and Olivia. Throughout the story they are portrayed as two very realistic and determined individuals who meet and subsequently develop feelings for each other at what I would call a natural and consistent pace.

Wesley is a very likeable state trooper who lost his brother a year ago and now has to live with his grief over that incident plus help his sister-in-law and her young daughter deal with theirs.

Olivia is an ex law student turned realtor who has just come out of a lengthy relationship and is now in the process of finding her own feet and building her new career.

Wesley decides to start looking for his dream home and when Olivia becomes his realtor they end up realising that there may be more between them than just house hunting.

Similar to The Wanderer, the first book in the series, I really enjoyed Shifting Gears and feel that it is an engaging and feel-good story that has great character development and an ending that leaves you content and happy.


Author Interview:

I was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to interview Shawn Kirsten Maravel in conjuction with reading her books The Wanderer and Shifting Gears. Please find this interview below:

What was your inspiration behind ‘The Rider’ series?
Originally I wrote The Wanderer and it was going to be a standalone novel. I tried writing a few books in between The Wanderer and Shifting Gears and nothing seemed to stick. Then one day after putting my pen down for a while I realized that I wasn’t done telling the story of men on motorcycles and their journeys; both physical and emotional. I ended up writing Shifting Gears in a little over two months and I knew that I’d made the right decision to keep with this type of story for a while longer.

Would you like to share one piece of advice you would give to other aspiring authors?
Don’t give up and don’t let negative feedback discourage you. Writing is a process. With every novel you grow and improve and it’s important to use the feedback you get to become a better author, not to be discouraged from continuing to pursue writing as a career or pastime.

If you weren't a writer, what else do you think you would you be doing instead?
That’s hard to say. With my husband in the Army and us moving around a lot, writing is the ideal career for me right now and I happen to love it. If I wasn’t doing this I am certain it would greatly affect my life, not only in feeling as if I have a purpose, but being able to stay strong when he’s away. But if I were to change passions it would probably be geared towards interior design or something along those lines. With us moving around so much and having to make a home out of apartments and not so great town homes it’s in the decorating and personalizing of our current home that helps make us feel truly settled even if only temporarily. I like the idea of helping other people find that feeling as well.

Do you have one particular special ‘writing place’ or are you fortunate enough to be able to write anywhere?
I write at my dining room table for the most part. It’s not really about where I can write but where I’m allowed to, haha. My husband worries a lot about things like putting my laptop on my lap, so apart from the dining room table I’d have to do that so it kind of limits me. Not that I mind of course, I like working in a part of the house that is kind of in the middle of everything.

Are there any authors that have inspired you along the way?
I’m inspired by authors like Nicholas Sparks and Jodi Picoult. They both write stories that fit more-or-less into their own categories. Nicholas Sparks writes novels that, yes all seem like near or distant cousins to one another, but have heart. He writes very often to deal with the struggles in his own life. I am very much the same way. Jodi Picoult writes a varying degree of touching and heartfelt novels that I believe really connect with an audience.

Do you have a favourite scene in the book ‘Shifting Gears’ (without giving the story away too much)?
I have a few. I really like how they first “meet” one another and then the next two meetings after the first. I also enjoy a certain scene where Wesley is trying to convince Olivia to do something and in order to do so he must go to a bit of an extreme. In general I enjoy how I wrote these characters to play opposite one another to be honest. In The Rider series love isn’t instant, it’s something that grows and is discovered, I like how I portrayed that in this novel. And I hope my readers do as well.

Do you have any pets?
Yes, I have a three-year-old Rottweiler named Nahla and a little black cat around the same age named Sookie; my two little girls.

What’s your favourite way to spend your spare time?
I’m very easily pleased. I like to go on walks and play board games. I like to travel and explore as well. We lived in Germany before moving to Upstate New York and we did a lot of exploring there. A lot of walking as well.

What’s one thing that most people wouldn’t know about you?
People I know and went to school with know most things about me because I’m a pretty open person but some interesting facts that readers might not know is that my husband and I have only dating one another and started dating when I was fifteen and he was seventeen. I also have a twin sister which is usually a pretty fun fact. And I’m a lefty, haha.

What’s one of the most surprising things you’ve learnt about yourself since writing?
I started writing seriously when my husband deployed to Iraq for a year. I wrote my first novel Volition and most of its sequel Severance during that time. I was living in Germany for the entire year away from my family and friends and writing helped me cope with the daily struggles. I learned first and foremost how strong I really am as a person.
I also learned that I have perseverance. Once you put your work out there for others to read and judge you’re exposing a nerve that links directly to your heart. Some people rate your work as if it has no connection to you or as if it isn’t painful in a nearly physical way to receive a bad review. Because of how important Volition and Severance were for my sanity and emotional wellbeing it was hurtful to read bad reviews in the beginning. But at the same time you can either understand that it’s not personal or you can let it slowly break you down. I enjoy writing and growing through my work. So I chose a long time ago not to take it personally and to use it as a tool instead of letting it hinder me as a writer.

Do you have any new works in the pipeline which you care to share any details about?
I am working on the third novel in The Rider series. I’ve put it aside for a little while so that I can focus on a few things going on right now, including the release of Shifting Gears but I do hope to have it out within the year. I really like the characters so far and I think that it will be a nice addition to the series as a whole.


I'd like to give a big thank you to Shawn for allowing me to review her novels and conduct an interview.

Shifting Gears is the second instalment in The Rider Series, a series which focuses on men who ride motorcycles. You can find my review on the first instalment, The Wanderer, here.

Links:
Blog: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fshawn-kirsten-maravel.blogspot.com%2F&h=yAQHbvfwD
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shawn-Kirsten-Maravel/191311257546970
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books&ie=UTF8&field-author=Shawn%20Kirsten%20Maravel
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/shawn-maravel

Monday, June 11, 2012

In My Mailbox (11th June 2012)




In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to show what books you have accumulated during the week.

I am late in posting IMM this week due to having a packed long weekend so far. Anyway, here is what I acquired during the week:

Bought:
Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1) Yes, I'll admit it, I finally folded to all the hype and purchased this book last week. I'm going into reading it with an open mind because I've seen and heard so many different opinions so am curious to see what I think of it.
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and KnowYep, as anyone who is a regular reader will know I am a sucker for all things animal related. I saw this on the shelf in the bookshop and just couldn't resist as it sounds like a fun, light read.

For Review:
The $60,000 Dog: My Life With AnimalsSurprise, surprise!! Another animal related one, haha! This is my first ever request from Edelweiss which I was very excited about. I could go crazy on that website!

So, that's me for this week.

I'd love to know what everyone else got this past week.

Michelle

Friday, June 8, 2012

Review and Author Interview - Scorpio Rising by Monique Domovitch

Scorpio Rising (The Scorpio Series, #1)Scorpio Rising by Monique Domovitch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published September 15th 2011 by Lansen Publishing

Synopsis:
'Set in New York and Paris amid the glamorous and competitive worlds of art and real estate, Scorpio Rising takes the reader from the late 1940s to the 1960s through the tumultuous lives of its heroes.

There is Alex Ivanov, the son of a Russian immigrant and part-time prostitute. He yearns to escape his sordid life and achieve fame and fortune. His dreams of becoming a world-class builder are met with countless obstacles, yet he perseveres in the hope of someday receiving the recognition he craves.

Half a world away, Brigitte Dartois is an abused teenager who runs into the arms of a benefactor with an agenda all his own. When she finds out that her boss has an ulterior motive, she flees again, determined to earn her living through her art. This career brings her fame, but also the unwanted attention of her early abuser.'

My Thoughts:
Well, I have to admit that I haven’t experienced so many different emotions while reading a book before than I did when reading this one.

While reading Scorpio Rising I felt sorrow, disgust, frustration, bewilderment, annoyance, sympathy and empathy all at different stages during the book. When I finally finished reading the book I couldn’t decide how I actually felt after coming to the end.

The main characters, Alex and Brigitte, are both very driven characters in their own way and are both a big product of their harsh individual upbringings.

Alex is driven in a very hard, no nonsense way where his life revolves around work and study just so that he can constantly better himself and one day achieve his dream of becoming a rich man. This means there is no room for any social life or getting to know others on a friendly level in his life and woman are practically throw-away items to him.

Brigitte on the other hand, is also very driven but is a bit more personable as a character than Alex. She seems to be quite naive in some respects and doesn’t seem to realise the ulterior motives behind what others do for her until it’s too late.

The story takes us on the journey of these two individuals from childhood to adulthood as they deal with their own life hurdles on different sides of the world.

A certain event eventually takes place where Alex and Brigitte meet and after a time realise that their lives are not complete without the other one. This book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger which makes you want to get straight into reading the second instalment, The Sting of the Scorpio, just to see what eventually happens.

Overall, Scorpio Rising moves at a pretty constant pace that keeps the reader engaged and wanting to know what is going to happen next. The only issue I had was when Alex and Brigitte finally meet towards the end as this part of the story seemed a bit hurried to me and I don’t feel that they fully developed together enough as a couple. Other than that I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys books that can be a bit eye-opening at times as this one will definitely leave you thinking after reading certain parts.

On a more personal note, I have to admit that certain parts in this book made me a bit sad at times. Brigitte's son ends up being diagnosed with a certain condition that one of our dogs struggled with and we ended up having to make the decision to put him to sleep in January of this year because of it. It probably sounds stupid to some of you that I got sad associating a character's condition in a book with a dog we once had but it was a very emotional and trying time of our life spent attempting to treat him before we eventually had no choice but to do what was best for him in the end. Anyway, this story is totally irrelevant to the book but I just felt compelled to share.

Author Interview:
Today I have some questions that have been answered by Monique to share with you all in addition to the Guest Post from yesterday:

Moniquedomovitch
Q:  The beginning of the novel starts off abruptly and with a lot of very physical, sensual, and even taboo themes. What made you decide to start Scorpio Rising this way? How do you think your readership reacted initially?

Alexander Ivanov is an irresistible charmer, and I wanted to illustrate this from the start. It was also important that I create a reason for his mistrust of women. Abused children often become victims of sexual predators because of their immense need for love. And often, these children grow up and gravitate toward others very much like them. This is why I also chose to make Brigitte an early victim. Throughout the book, I tried to show the duality these early experiences gave them, their strength manifested in their work, and their weakness manifested in their insecurities and unhealthy life choices.   

Q:  Paris is an effective backdrop for Brigitte and the final scenes of the novel. Why did France, and specifically Paris, stand out to you as the setting you wanted to use rather than Canada or a closer city?

I chose cities that most resembled my main characters—New York for its fast pace, its huge ambition and opportunities and for what we often think of when we think New York, skyscrapers and multi-million dollar real estate deals. This was the perfect representation of Alex. Paris, on the other hand, makes me think of everything that is beautiful, beginning with romance and art, representative of Brigitte.

Q:  Though the story starts with Alex, Brigitte’s chapters grow longer and more detailed. Was this something you planned or did Brigitte grown on you as a character? How did you decide to use the competition in Paris as a method of linking the two characters? Did you ever consider keeping them from meeting?

These two characters were destined to meet. And as exciting as the first novel is, the sequel is where the action really starts. Everything revolves around Alex and Brigitte’s relationship. But to answer your question, yes, Brigitte grew on me. She is such a wonderful character, so strong yet so flawed. And being a bit of an artist myself, I found myself enjoying her struggles and her successes.

Q:  What novels and authors inspired you to write Scorpio Rising? Are any themes from these novels alluded to in your story?

I don’t know that any specific authors or specific books inspired me…except maybe the Centaine series by Wilbur Smith. I just love books with really strong characters that are as lovable as they are sometimes despicable. I wanted to create a cast that wouldn’t leave readers indifferent.

Q:  Which character was your least favorite to write? What about that character made him or her so difficult to convey? Do you feel you successfully developed him or her?

The most difficult character to develop was Lucien. I wanted readers to see him for what he was, but still disguise his real motives from Brigitte.

Q:  Sex is a great example of power and how some characters, such as Anne and Alex, use it to try and exert their will over others. While you wrote Scorpio Rising, did you expect sex and power to play such strong roles? How do you think the novel would be different without the aspect of sex?

I was very careful to write sex scenes that were not graphic. I wanted the reader to know that sex was taking place, but without going into details. When I write, I always keep in mind that my parents and my children will be reading this. Chuckle. Sex, however, is an important tool to use when illustrating manipulative behavior. 

Q:  While Lucien and Anne will be in the second book, Sting of the Scorpio, can your readership expect to see any other characters that have a negative impact on the protagonists’ lives?

We can say goodbye to Lucien, but Anne Turner does return and although her presence in the second book is relegated to short but regular sections, her role is pivotal. You’ll be seeing enough of her to make her your favorite evil character again. 

Q:  Brigitte doesn’t seek to have power or control over anything but her own life. What was the goal in creating such an opposition of control between her and Alex?

Brigitte’s entire reason for being is to earn the love of her husband. She truly believes that if she is good enough or tries hard enough, she can get Alex to change. How many of us believed that when we were younger. Those flaws are so easy to see in a character from a book. Too bad we don’t always recognize them in ourselves until life has given us a few harsh lessons.

Q:  Who was your inspiration for Gigi? Does he represent any specific theme or have any relation to another work? Will other Gigi-like characters appear in the sequel?

I just wanted to have fun, and also to poke a bit of fun at Alex, for being so macho. Many readers have told me that they had to put the book down, laughing to tears at the Gigi scene. And that’s exactly what I hoped it would do—give us all a good laugh.

Q:  Gender and sexual orientation play very specific roles in Scorpio Rising. For example, Fortune often mentions that he is gay and was never interested in Brigitte as a lover. He often is expressed as resenting his previous protégé, Cigogne, for cheating him out of his money. How do Fortune’s sexuality and his desire for money work hand-in-hand?

Two of the strongest driving forces in human nature are love and money, and love is often defined as sexuality, and money is often expressed as power. I’ve also noticed that the more powerful men often seem to have the greatest libido. I read somewhere that testosterone is largely responsible for a man’s ambition—which might explain why the rich and famous are often such carousers—so I linked the hunger for money and for sex in my most ambitious characters.

Q:  With Sting of the Scorpio already released, what are you currently working on?

I have a finished a novel—still unpublished—currently being considered for a Hollywood movie. This is incredibly exciting for me. I keep reminding myself, however, that the chances of it getting produced are slim to none, but just being considered is a huge compliment. I’m also nearing the finishing line of my first murder-mystery for Penguin, after which I’ll probably take a few months to finish a few other projects I’ve had to put aside. I have so many stories floating around in my head that I’ll never be without material, or without a break for that matter. J


Please don't forget that Monique is having an exciting 99cent promotion for her books, Scorpio Rising and The Sting of the Scorpio all this week and is also doing a mega giveaway on her blog. Go check it out to win gift certificates to Amazon and free books! http://moniquedomovitch.com/

Purchase Links:

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Armchair BEA 2012 - Beyond Your Blog

Today we are asked the following question:
Has blogging opened up opportunities for you beyond getting free, advance copies of new books? Has it helped you get offers to write or review elsewhere (maybe even for pay)? Have you gotten invites to special events or places you might not have been to otherwise?
Well, my response to this question is a short and sweet one: I wish!!!
I'd love to get offers to write elsewhere or get special invites to events such as author signings or other bookish things.
Unfortunately, there just isn't the demand for that sort of thing where I live as far as I can tell. My local library is fairly basic and I've seen about one author visit in the whole 4 years I've lived near it. I must admit I don't frequent it a often as I probably should due to the fact that I am a bit obsessive compulsive where I feel the need to buy any book I want rather than borrow it, but I constantly peruse the noticeboard just in case there is something of interest, but alas, there never is.
Another issue is that there aren't many independent bookstores near where I live. There is a small Dymocks and a QBD and that's about it! There used to be a Borders but we all know what happened to them......
Also, my location is not really in the midst of anywhere significant. I live on the Central Coast of NSW and am around 1 and a 1/2 hours drive from Sydney where the majority of events most likely happen all the time. Unfortunately, with working part time and having a young toddler, getting the time to try and organise a visit to anything in Sydney just isn't a possibility most of the time, especially since hubby commutes to work there and doesn't get home until quite late.
In saying these things though, I am happy with what I do for the moment and with the fact that I am privileged enough to get free books to review and personal contact with authors. One day I'd love to meet up with other bloggers if it ever becomes a possibility and I'd also love to go to an author event or signing if one ever comes my way.
Has blogging opened up any interesting doors for you? I'd love to know how.

Author Spotlight - Monique Domovitch - Guest Post and Book Blurbs

Today I have Monique Domovitch as a guest blogger on my site. She is having an exciting 99cent promotion for her books, Scorpio Rising and The Sting of the Scorpio and is also doing a mega giveaway on her blog. Go check it out to win gift certificates to Amazon and free books! http://moniquedomovitch.com/

Moniquedomovitch
Deciding to become a writer was a natural extension of falling in love.

People often ask me what attracted me to the life of a writer, and I have to say it was a natural extension of falling in love…with books, which I have been for as long as I can remember.
I remember my mother taking me to the public library when I was as young as four years old. That was when she introduced me to Madeline, the little schoolgirl. As teenager, I discovered Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames, and then Harlequin books. And then I really fell in love for the first time. I was in England where my friends introduced me to a book by Wilbur Smith. 
I think I hadn't read ten pages of his book--can't remember the title anymore--when I knew this was it. I could spend the rest of my life in bed with this writer's books.

Over the next few years, Wilbur Smith’s books made me discover Africa, where I met animals I'd never heard of, and villains the likes of which I hope to never meet. I was swept into his stories of love and passion and greed; stories from which I never wanted to walk away. I devoured book after book of his, until, of course, the inevitable happened. I caught up with every last one of his books and was facing a long void until his next book hit the stands. And I, fickle reader that I am, had an affair with a few other authors, and then it happened again. I read Dominic Dunne. And wham. I was in love again.

With Dominic Dunne’s books, I spent time with the truly rich and the truly manipulative. How can anyone forget books like The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, or An Inconvenient Woman, or A Season in Purgatory? Once I discovered them, I was hooked. Forgive me Dominic, for I betrayed you too when I discovered my next big love, Nelson De Mille.

De Mille is a master of sharp, snappy talk, and he makes all those words come out of the mouth of a sexy good cop with a bad attitude--John Corey. Now here's the funny part. I don't really know what John Corey looks like, except that he has scars on his chest from some bullet wounds. I also know that John Corey is almost as fickle when it comes to love as I am when it comes to favorite authors. He seems to fall in love with a different woman in almost every one of his adventures. That is, until he met and married Kate. But who knows, so far she's only been around for a couple of novels. For all I know she'll be dropped off, maybe even killed in the next book, and then sexy John will be available again and I can go on dreaming.

Now here's something you might not know about me. I'm married, and—get this—my husband doesn't mind my little dalliances with all these authors...as long as I don't meet them in person that is. And why am I blabbing about all these loves of mine? Because, every time I start a new project, I hope with all my heart, that I infuse my novel with enough passion and ambition and greed that when you, dear reader, read my work, you will fall—perhaps just a little bit—in love with my characters. And I promise to love you right  back, even knowing that I will never be able to write fast enough to keep your from someday leaving me for some other writer.

C’est la vie! 
Monique

A Little Bit About Monique
Monique Domovitch lives with her physician husband and their three dogs. They divide their time between their homes in Canada and La Jolla. Find her at http://moniquedomovitch.com/


About the books

Summary of Scorpio Rising (The Scorpio Series, #1)

Scorpio Rising (The Scorpio Series, #1) Set in New York and Paris amid the glamorous and competitive worlds of art and real estate, Scorpio Rising takes the reader from the late 1940s to the 1960s through the tumultuous lives of its heroes. 
There is Alex Ivanov, the son of a Russian immigrant and part-time prostitute. He yearns to escape his sordid life and achieve fame and fortune. His dreams of becoming a world-class builder are met with countless obstacles, yet he perseveres in the hope of someday receiving the recognition he craves. 
Half a world away, Brigitte Dartois is an abused teenager who runs into the arms of a benefactor with an agenda all his own. When she finds out that her boss has an ulterior motive, she flees again, determined to earn her living through her art. This career brings her fame, but also the unwanted attention of her early abuser. 
Monique Domovitch’s debut novel, Scorpio Rising, is a compelling tale filled with finely etched characters and a superb understanding of the power of ambition. Scorpio Rising promises to resonate with all who once had a dream.



Summary of The Sting of the Scorpio (The Scorpio Series, #2)

The Sting of The Scorpio (The Scorpio Series, #2) In Scorpio Rising, Monique Domovitch presented a compelling tale filled with colorful characters and the manipulation of power, ambition, and greed. Now she gives us its spellbinding sequel, The Sting of the Scorpio, where Alexander Ivanov returns to New York with his new bride, Brigitte. 
The real estate industry is ripe with opportunity. Blessed with irresistible charm, ambition, and the single-minded obsession to succeed, Alex plots and manipulates his way to almost mystical success. Everything he touches turns to gold, but it’s never enough. When a hostile takeover bid leaves him struggling to save his beloved company, he suspects those closest to him of plotting his downfall. 
Brigitte, the beautiful redhead who abandoned her country and her career to become his wife, feels alone. In return, Alex has betrayed her time and again, each indiscretion cutting deeper into her soul. 
Brigitte’s son, David yearns to be an artist, but Alex’s plans leave no room for such frivolous goals. He grooms a reluctant David to become the heir apparent until a devastating tragedy attracts the attention of another young man. 
The Sting of the Scorpio is a rich tale of a man at the mercy of his own greed and a woman bound by her need for love.

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