Grounded

Wingless: misery's company by Holly Hood

Eve Cardwell, is willful and fiercely independent, she has to be, she lost her everything; her brother Marcus. He was her sense of security and her ability to believe that life is worth living. You know, that one person in the world that gets you, forgives you, and loves you unconditionally.

Along comes Evan, saving her from herself and from everything she is trying to run away from. 

The good:

I actually liked the "death as mob" theme. Great idea. I think overall this book was full of a great deal of really good ideas. Ms. Hood is an out of the box writer with a real talent of keeping her creativity relatable; as in there is something in Eve that we all understand. There is something about Evan's struggle that we can all relate too, yet he invites Eve and us into his dangerous and new world.

Evan is really hot.

Fav line:

"...My life lesson was simple. Believe with your heart, fear is real, and no one ever is going to make it out by the skin of their teeth. Death may be scary, but there was one thing that death gave us, and that was blindness to not see it coming until it was too late. And now I believed in everything that I was told I was wrong to believe..."

The bad:

Eve was really depressing and whiny. She comes from a rich family with parents who love her and two perfectly good siblings who want the best for her; I generally hate people like Eve who have to make up drama because they don't really have any. Yes, she lost her brother, but who hasn't lost someone? And, that is one bad thing that happened to her compared to people who persevere through hardship with far less support and resources than what she has to work with.

I believe that Ms. Hood meant to make the character "unlikeable," so I continued to read and met Evan who seemed awesome, I kept wondering why was he dating this dark and annoying whiny 'blah' of a girl.

Then the arguing started, Eve and Evan spent quite a bit of time YELLING! at each other, flip-flopping from happy to violent way too often; to much drama for me. I was rolling my eyes and thinking, "Just leave each other alone." 

Overall:

This was an okay read. I wasn't blown away, but I will continue to read Ms. Hood's work because I think she is a really talented author with a bright future. Meet Holly Hood

I'm jus sayin:

I should tell you that I am one of those "Men are like buses, next one comes in fifteen minutes."  I'm just not a epic love story kind of gal, sorry "Twilight" and "Titanic," but I have better things to do, like paint my fingernails and watch them dry or go to the golf pro shop with C-mac.  

Check this book out at Amazon and goodreads

Fast Friday 5 with...........

Cheryl is an author, a blogger and an adult educator. She writes fiction under the penname of a private hero, her mother, Olivia Gaines Aaron. Cheryl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Master's in Organizational Management. Her non-fiction works are focused on helping writers perfect their craft. Cheryl co-authored Musings: A Book of Poetry by Aaron Flanders; and authored My Next Best Seller: A Novel Writer's Journal and My Writing Journal.

Under the penname Olivia Gaines, Cheryl has authored the short story series The Bounty (2009), Vengeance (2012) and The Bounty Hunter (2013). The Slice of Life Series is new in the Olivia Gaines portfolio which includes, Two Nights In Vegas, The Perfect Man, The Basement of Mr. McGee and Letter to My Mother.

BD:Who did you use as your muse for  Saxton? Odessa?

OG: There is no muse for my main characters.  Each character is uniquely written, but I have met women like Odessa.  We travel a great deal and have seen and met accomplished women of color who often travel alone.  These women, sans girlfriends, choose to go alone because their friends never have any money, can’t get a sitter, or “If my man can’t go with me, he said I can’t go.”  ( I have experienced that one first hand!)

Odessa is actually traveling with a tour group and she chooses to step out on her own to buy some pottery for her back porch.  She dreams of a man who resembles Saxton the night before, which makes her gravitate to him when she sees him at the cantina.

Saxton, Saxton, Saxton.  This character was named by my husband. Saxton is written as the typical anti-hero who is damaged and seeking redemption.  He is a good guy, in a bad situation that feels as if he is fading into the seedy world he was contracted to infiltrate. If he saves the girl, he just may save himself.

BD:  How much research and what kind did you for the characters and cartels? Brothels?

OG: A great deal of research was done on the cartels.  The Nuevo Generacíon is real. Renteria is real. There were 20,000 people who went missing last year in Mexico and human trafficking is also very real. There is a market for every appetite, and there is always a buyer. This story deals with a very real problem in a humorous way. 

As a woman of color, or any woman, when traveling, stateside or otherwise, you have to be very aware of your surroundings. The US is one of the few countries where a woman of color has a voice and is not property or a commodity.

BD:    Where did you learn about firearms?

OG: I am a former soldier, which is why Odessa was not written as one.  Big Sarge is based on a Sergeant Major I had in ROTC in college. He taught and groomed me as a young Army officer to stand my ground among men and not show fear.  Being taught and trained by those types of men really changes your perspective on who is a strong man and which men are playing tough.

Odessa is written as she is because her father is a strong man; those guys, although unscrupulous, are not really bad. They are men with guns, whom, when confronted with women with hand held weapons, dropped theirs and took off. Her father, who is not a foil, will play a much larger role in the upcoming series, which is why he was introduced in the first installment.

BD"  Are you planning to make this a series? How many books? body count? sex?

OG: As a writer, there is always a critic.  My first installment in the Slice of Life Series, was nothing but sex.  The second installment, the sex was pulled back and replaced with a really good story. However, my readers were

obsessed with Marc and Nadine, and I wanted to introduce two new characters for them to connect with, enter Saxton and Odessa.  This was a bonus read for my online community of bibliophiles. I omitted the sex and wrote a truly good story, but then the readers were mad that there was no sex. There will be some in the next book, but the story is about the story, not about sex.

I am uncertain of how many books will be in the Blakemore Files series. I have an idea, but it is too soon to state.

I am wary about body count.  Taking a life is never easy and there are ramifications which follow, so I have a surprise for readers in the next installment of “Shopping with Mrs. Blakemore,” as they head into Panama.

There were several symbols in the story, and two of my favorites are the priest and the children with the basket of rings.

BD:  Who was your favorite character? Renteria

OG: The Priest symbolizes that even though these men are doing illegal activities, they still take the time out to worship.  The Priest is their connection to the good inside of us all.  I left the window open for reader to imagine the Priest was at the villa to hear Renteria’s confession, but when alerted by Mateo, he was asked to stay to perform the ceremony.  In the same section, you have the children with the basket of rings. Renteria has held on to these trinkets from people whom they have abducted. If there is a basket of rings, then there is a basket of watches, purses, credit cards and so forth. Each ring, represents a lost life.

Renteria is my favorite character because he is the one who will grow the most and the one character who will and can change. You will see him again. He is written as someone who has inherited the family business and is stuck with having to employ his screwed up cousin and a man he does not trust. In the business, he has tried to create a sense of family by building a cantina, and having women on site for the men, but his family is dysfunctional, and he knows it.  He sees Odessa as an opportunity to grow his business, which is why he makes her the job offer, even after she leaves.

He wants to be a legitimate business man.

To read more from this author click here to visit her Amazon page! Or, here to visit her on Goodreads

Looking for good reads? Here are a few of my favorite writers and why I love them.

Sara Reinke:  http://www.sarareinke.com/

Brethren series 

Why I love her: Her character Lena is an action heroine. A no nonsense cop with a romantic heart who finds a good man and doesn't fight him. 

Favorite character:If I were in a fight I'd want Lena at my back cause this is one bad mama mama! 

Theodora Taylor: http://theodorataylor.com

50 loving states  

Why I love her: Hot romantic leads, beyond average female leads, and stories that jump up and out of the page and into my mind.

Favorite character: Their are two, Fenris and Nathan. Both can be described in two words; Yes please! 

Pepper Pace: http://pepperpacebooks.blogspot.com/

Everything she writes. Check out her goodreads page. Crash, Juicy, and Stranded.

Why I love her: for me she is up their with AnneRice and Stephen King, but a little better because she made this non-girl girl (I don't care for flowers or chocolates or sonnets. I loathe the Bronte sisters and went to a football game to celebrate my one yearaversary) she introduced me to homeless characters, heroes with disabilities and made sex symbols out of physical deformities. Yes she gets points for being a fellow Ohioan, but more points for teaching me to enjoy reading 'real' people.  

Favorite Book: I like all of the books of her urban vampire series, but Wheels of steel is the absolute best. I've never met anyone with M.S. and was probably one of the bigots that stared and glared when


 someone drooling or head lolling passed me by in their wheel chair. Maybe I felt pity and thanked God it wasn't me. But, now I have a glimpse inside a person who's body won't act right, but their brain is functioning perfectly. I don't hold pity, but say "hi" to a person making their way the best way they can just like me.

Dicey Grenor: http://diceygrenorbooks.com

 The narcoleptic vampire series 

Why I love her: Fearless. Unapologetic. Awesome! Seriously, who else would write a narcoleptic vampire with a Viking for a maker/husband/master? She dumps the controlling Adonis for a super hot boyfriend with multiple personalities disorder. Oh. And, this heroine tricks, fights, and loves her way to becoming a mistress of her own fate. 

Favorite character: There are so many that I love, but I'm going to with Zeek; she is just so unique in a bookshelf full of the same tired characters. She is strong, brave, and sexy without even trying. Check out my review of Zeek's loving Thorn.

George R.R. Martin: http://www.georgerrmartin.com/

Everything he writes is good. View a list of his works. Or, check out some Non S4F&I books here!

Why I love him: I can't. Just can't explain to you how awesome a writer he is. The skin trade is one of the best werewolf books ever written. No, I didn't just declare that. It was declared back when I was still reading about the Berenstain bears! 

I'm jus sayin; I get all fangirl and get mad and happy with excitement when I discuss S4F&I. To keep myself from pulling an all nighter singing his praises I will simply say, "Who the h-e-double hockey sticks is Jon's mother. I need to know!" 

Favorite character: Tyrion Lannister. Witty, wobbly, and fiercely intelligent Tyrion is a point of view character playing the game in all the right and wrong ways. Often surprising the other players and the reader with just how fundamental reading and a handi-capable attitude really is.



Kim Harrison: The Hollows  (my review of book 10)

Kim Harrison, dark urban fantasy author of the New York Times bestselling The Outlaw Demon Wails, was born and raised in the upper Midwest. After gaining her bachelors in the sciences, she moved to South Carolina, where she has remained since. When not at her desk, she is most likely to be found chasing down good chocolate, exquisite sushi, or the ultimate dog chew--for her dogs. (blurb curtsey of goodreads)

Why I love her: She writes in colors, senses, and music to describe her star characters experiences. Rachel Morgan is a bad witch, pack member and huntswomen. 

My favorite character: Trent Kalamack (Previous book boyfriend. Read why). Love. Hate. Want to date. He is a baddy, once keeping Rachel in mink form ( she turned herself into the rodent so she could break into his facilities and prove that he was making an illegal drug) in a cage in his office. He went so far as to put her in underground rat fights. So wrong. But, she gets him back when she makes him her familiar, which is literally making him her slave. His moral code has nothing to do with laws; his goal  is any means necessary. Oh. And so you know, Trent is no Nino Brown manufacturing crack, he’s making brimstone, a drug administered by Doctors to ease pain and increase healing. Trent offers terminally ill children a chance to live without pain or suffering.

Honorable mentions:

Mya: A guardians desire- read my review.

Why I love her: This was the first book that I read featuring a true alpha female. When I say true I mean, my heroine remained tough as nails in submitting and after. Freya makes strong sexy, muscles in all. Just ask her mates Rayne & Fenris. 

Favorite character: Rayne. Sweet pretty rain made me want my own pretty girly-boy to call my own; strong enough to win a fight against bigger stronger wolves, yet submissive enough to let me pull him into an alcove to have my way with him.

Jaime Reed: visit her site here!
The cambion chronicles 



Why I love her: Her herione's common sense attitude are similar to my own. We both like to read drama cause we refuse to live it. Of course I don't have a succubus living inside me or two mates, so it's a little easier for me. 


Angela Brown: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6476148.Angela_Brown
N.E.O.  Atone & Neverlove


Why I love her: This is a woman with imagination and world building skills that reach the atmosphere they are so big. I have read all of her NEO series and can't wait to read more 

Favorite character: I get lady bonkers for bad guys and this author gives me fits! "Q" you meanie, I heart you