Blog Tour & Review: The Last Witch by Debbie Dee

The Last Witch
Incenaga #1
by Debbie Dee

YA PNR

Publication date - September 12, 2012
available in paperback and epub

 *Ebook obtained directly from the author for review*

Synopsis Via Goodreads:

For generations the Incenaga Witches have been forced to use their power to fulfill the wishes of others until they are drained of their magic and left to die. Desperate to protect his infant daughter - the last surviving witch - Emmeline’s father escapes with her to the forests where he vows to keep her hidden from the world and from the truth. Sixteen years later, Emmeline is discovered and finds herself in the grip of a traitor who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means abusing her power until she dies. She is taken to a distant country and told she must marry the Crown Prince or her own country will be overtaken, its people slaughtered. But what sort of prince would marry a witch? And why would she be the difference between war and peace? As she fights to regain her freedom, she is faced with a choice between a prince who offers a lifetime of security and a common gamekeeper who has no idea of her power, but offers his heart. But who do you trust when your power can be used against you?

Find The Last Witch on Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon

About the Author

Debbie Dee recently moved to southern Idaho with her husband and three children where she is learning how to be a country girl in her favorite pair of blue heels. She adores fairy tales and happy endings, but secretly crushes on the bad guy now and then. As a dedicated musician who practices way too much, she never expected writing would sweep her off her feet until she jotted down a scene from a daydream, which turned into two scenes, which turned into a messy house and her first novel. Since then she hasn’t been able to let a day go by without writing. Her website is www.debbiedee.com.

Connect With Debbie Dee:
Author's Website     Author's Facebook    Author's Twitter   Goodreads    Amazon

My Review:

**Small Spoiler Alert**

Can I just say... WOW.... I fell in love with this story. From the front cover (which is absolutely stunning!!) to the very last page! From the start, the story caught my attention. I loved that is set in more medieval times - a king, prince, swords, knights, and a "palace" that sounds like a castle which has secret passages. Plus witches. I was honestly in literary heaven with this read.

The characters are so well written and the female lead, Emmeline, is an amazing character. She doesn't get on your nerves like a lot of female leads in books today - although, I have to admit, I realized who "Erick" really was about 200 pages before she did - but instead of that being annoying, it was like I knew the dirty little secret that she was clueless about. :)

I'll be honest, I was very skeptical of the fantasy aspect of this book. I've read several other books involving "witches" and they're generally the same=spells, books, incantations, candles... it's true I enjoy a good "witch" book but I never really thought about anything different... This BLEW me away! I never thought about witchcraft characters in the sense that they can manipulate power without the use of spells and the general craftiness you think of when you think of a witch. Emmeline's power was magnificent! Completely unexpected! It was far from what I expected... the fact that she gains power from fire is brilliant. The world that Debbie Dee created is quite intriguing.

Emmeline is such a wholesome character. She's naive but not annoyingly so. For someone who grew up in a solitary environment with only her father as her companion, she handles being thrown into a whirlwind full of people as well as a treacherous predicament well - much better than I would have had I been in her shoes. She's brave, despite everything that is thrown her way. She's selfless, willing to sacrifice herself for the good of her people (whom she's never even interacted with), her father's life and Erick's safety. Watching Emmeline unfold and constantly being on edge, determined to make the right decision, you fall in love with her as the female lead. For me, this is a difficult thing for the writer to accomplish - normally I lean away from the female leads and more towards the males because so many female characters annoy me in one way or another. Emmeline did not. I enjoyed reading from her POV throughout the entire read.

From their very first meeting, Erick, the "gamekeeper," aka Crown Prince, is someone who automatically finds a place in your heart. The little things that he does for Emmeline make you love him and trust him as a character. Of course Emmeline doesn't know that the precious gestures like the harp and horse are from Erick. She's lead to believe that they're from her Crown Prince whom she's never had the pleasure of meeting (*snicker - we knew something she didn't know*). It's heartwarming to know that Erick wants her to love him as HIM and not as the Crown Prince. You can almost SEE in the pages the determination and honor seeping from Erick.

The writing style that Debbie Dee brings to this novel was so precise that my eyes simply flowed across the pages without any effort. For someone like me who reads at least 3 books a week, this is quite an accomplishment. I've seen writing of every style and Debbie Dee's is one of the most comfortable yet poised style I've come across.

This story is full of nail biting, heart pounding, nerve-wracking action and dilemmas for Emmeline & Erick to face. This book really has it all - good guys, bad guys, fights, death, adventure, mystery, sweet romance (perfectly YA) and the fantasy aspect of witches. I didn't want it to end and I look forward to the story continuing! I can't wait to see what's next & what the "bad guys" come up with next!

Can I just make note that I WANT her eyes!! I mean... really... how awesome would it be to have eyes that turned silver at night...

My Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Cover Rating: 5 Stars
Main Characters: 5 Stars
Plot: 5 Stars
Climax: 5 Stars (I was on edge so many times in this book! I don't have any nails left!)
Ending: 5 Stars
Okay - so 5 stars all around... that's RARELY seen for me...
For a YA novel, I honestly LOVED this book and couldn't get enough of the characters.






Praise for The Last Witch...

"The characters kept popping into my head during the day, and I couldn't wait for my nighttime reading. This book will result in late nights and lack of sleep!" - Brenda on Amazon.com

"I was totally sucked into this story and can't wait for more to come out." - Michelle on Amazon.com

"The book is a good read, especially for young adults. The characters are wholesome, but intriguing." -Kimmie from She Really Said It

"A great love story with exciting adventures and unexpected twists and turns." - Marsha on Amazon.com
 
 "I rushed home from work to finish reading The last Witch and was actually sad when I turned the last page. But it was the kind of book where you sigh and say, 'Ah. That was a good book.'" - Rae on Amazon.com

"I love fantasy books and this is one fantasy/fairy tale that anyone would love to read." - Amy on Goodreads.com

Review: Transforming Love by Debra Smith

"Transforming Love:
A Koning Clan Novel"

by Debra Smith

 

Published August 25, 2012 by Debra Smith
Kindle Edition from Amazon - ­­­­65 Pages
Nook Edition from Barnes & Noble not available at this time

Digital Copy Received Directly From Author
For Review & Discussion

 

Connect with the author
Debra Smith:

Website
Twitter
Facebook

 
Excerpt from Goodreads:
Jenny never expected her thirst for freedom to lead to her capture. Family secrets prevent her from running from the only man tempting enough to make her submit to her body's desires.

Gryph is dark, sexy, and determined to win Jenny in the Slag, a contest revered by his kind. As the leader of his Clan he's used to getting his way, until her. Can he give Jenny her freedom while winning her heart?
 

My Review:
For a short story, I really enjoyed Transforming Love. The characters are very likable and the story is easy to read. The plot is a good one and it would've made a great, more descriptive, full length novel in my eyes.

It's a really fast read so there are a few set backs that every reader has to keep in mind. Since it's such a short story, the author doesn't have time to really build a connection between the readers and the characters; however, I felt like Debra Smith did a good job for 65 pages.  I loved Gryph even though I didn't have a strong connection with him that could've been more possible with a longer novel. Jenny is a great female character. I have a hard time generally with female leads because most of them end up annoying me. Jenny didn't at all. Maybe that's in part to the story being short but the way that Debra portrays Jenny, I'm pretty sure she would've been a strong lead in my eyes even if this was a long novel. With paranormal romances, this one involving shifters, background means alot. With the story being so short, you get thrown information quickly so there isn't any "easing" you into it. It's a "BAM, BAM, BAM!" sort of novel. One hit after another.

The "bad guy" in the book isn't built upon but you still know he's a bad guy. Kane automatically gives you the creeps even though his introduction to the story is a short one.

This book is an adult paranormal read so there are sex scenes not appropriate for younger readers. These scenes were lightly hot and greatly written. With an attractive male & female character, this put the cherry on top so to speak.

The last few chapters surprised me. I enjoyed the way the story ended and it would've been quite emotional had this been a really long novel. There are time lapses between events that you have to catch quickly. For instance, Jenny has to wait on Gryph to "come back to her" for four months. This four month gap appears in a matter of 1 page.

Overall, I would recommend this book to readers looking for a quick shifter romance. It's an enjoyable, short, easy-to-read romance.

 

My Overall Rating: 4 Stars
Cover Rating:  3.5 Stars (for a cover created by the author, it's pretty good) 
Main Characters: 4.5 Stars
Plot:  4 Stars
Climax: 3 Stars (since it's such a short book, there's little explanation to what's going on during the climax but had this been a fully written scene, I'm sure it would've been nail biting)
Ending:  4 Stars

 

 

Review: "Hyde, An Urban Fantasy" by Lauren Stewart

"Hyde, An Urban Fantasy"
by Lauren Stewart
Published July 8, 2012 by Off the Hook Publishing
Kindle Edition from Amazon - 418 Pages
Nook Edition from Barnes & Noble Coming Soon
Smashwords Edition

Digital Copy Received Directly From Author
For Review & Discussion

Connect with the author
Lauren Stewart:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Excerpt from Goodreads:

To survive, they must embrace what they most despise . . . in themselves and each other.

Mitch Turner is everything women want most in a man—charismatic, successful, drop-dead gorgeous. Except he’s not a man—he’s a monster.

The only way Mitch can protect others from his monstrous side is to stop them from getting too close…that and a 7x7 foot cage. Isolated by his genetic curse, he spends his life hurting people emotionally, driving them away before Hyde can harm them physically. But, after a night of the best sex Mitch has ever had, he realizes that might be impossible. Except the woman he was with claims she doesn’t remember any of it.

Eden Colfax is everything men want most, men other than Mitch, that is. She’s kind, honest to a fault and sickeningly sweet. To rid herself of the monsters that haunted her broken childhood, Eden doesn’t lie, doesn’t curse, and definitely never wakes up naked in strangers’ beds…until the day she does.

Then the flashbacks start—places she’s never been, people she’s never met, blood she’s never spilled. She discovers she’s split into two parts—the woman she thought she knew and another who is capable of anything. And the only person with any answers is the one man she never wants to see again.

What neither of them know is that someone is watching them both, manipulating them, determined to see just how evil the two of them really are. And when the truth begins to seep through the cracks, leaving them nowhere to turn but each other, they will be forced into a partnership neither had expected.

Because in life, who you trust is as important as who you are. And when you can’t even trust yourself, sometimes the only person you can rely on is the last person on Earth you should be falling for.

*** This novel is intended for adults only, as it includes lots of cursing, descriptive sex, biting sarcasm, and themes similar to those in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, from which this story was inspired.




My Review:

This book was a breath of fresh air. I absolutely love paranormal romances: vampires, weres, demons, etc... I've never read something like this before though. It's hard to come across good reads that are creative and original - the likes of something I've not read before, but Lauren does it! This spin on the "Jekyll and Hyde" concept makes for such a fresh, suspenseful romance. This book could've been written wrong... but Lauren Stewart did it right.

Lauren created really strong characters. They have their own personalities and they are both strong willed when they need to be. Mitch Turner - he is the good looking guy who thinks he's a horrible monster because of his "Hyde" side but he's really the good guy. You get attached to Mitch throughout the story because he's the big, bad tough, sarcastic character who just wants to push everyone away for their own safety... who of course has a soft side that shows for brief moments at a time. Those brief moments suck you in completely. He acts like such a jerk because he thinks it helps control his, what I'll call, "Hyde outbreaks." Then you have Eden Colfax - she's the girl with the onset of problems that she needs help with and the only person who can actually help her is Mitch.  She thinks her life is working out okay until her "Hyde outbreaks" start occurring and she ends up on Mitch's doorstep a few times with only a few memory flashes that trickle in after the fact. Of course they banter back and forth... it's the hate relationship that you, the reader, just want them to get over because deep down, you, the reader, know that they should get over themselves and just be together. Then of course we have to have the "bad" guy in the story. Those characters are just beginning to become known but for this first book, you have Jolie... she's the character we all love to hate and despise because, even though it's not exposed in the beginning, you automatically get the feeling she's up to no good. Then there's Carter - who you think is a great guy but start seeing something going on behind the scenes... you don't know if he's still a good guy or if he needs to start falling in the bad guy category...

Overall, "Hyde" has paranormal characters with suspense, mystery, romance, great sex scenes that make you want to re-read before moving on to the next chapters (not to mention, make you extremely envious of Eden), confrontations, danger, death, twists, turns... There's a little of it all in "Hyde." It really makes you explore what you really think are the dark and light sides of people... those you might think are dark (or those characters who consider themselves dark), turn out to be light and vice versa... There's moments of pain and moments of passion that will leave you breathless and wanting the pages to be turned faster than your eyes can keep up with...

Needless to say, I can't wait for the next book! I hope there's more insight into their "Hyde" personalities & some scenes from their perspectives maybe? I wonder what the two "Hyde" personalities would be like together, in the same room... Hmmmmm



My Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Cover Rating: 5 Stars
(I think this is such a great artistic representation of Eden)

Beautiful Addiction...For all book readers

I'm officially addicted to Goodreads! If you're a reader & haven't gotten on Goodreads yet, you're seriously missing out. This site is a MUST for people who love to read in their past-time. Plus there's an app so you can take the new addiction on the go with you!! (gotta love technology when it feeds our addictions). Go Here NOWWWWW For me, it can be quite dangerous in the best of ways. You get to mark books "to-read" - my list is quite extensive! It makes me soooo happy to know as soon as I finish one book, I know I have some books in mind to read next.

Ooookay... I have to get on this soapbox for a moment... I have such a love/hate relationship with book series. It's so exciting to start a new series because you know the story continues... BUT what stinks is when you start a new series, read book 1, find yourself completely entranced in the story... then have to WAIT A YEAR OR MORE before you can continue to story! I don't know about you, but I have the worst memory ever...If it wasn't for Goodreads, I'd completely forget about continuing the story when the next book in the series finally comes out... thank goodness for Goodreads "to-read" tool... Not to mention my horrible memory causes to me to have to re-read the previous books in the series so I can remember what the heck is going on... Do you know how time consuming this can be when you have a toddler running around!?!?! EEEKKKK... In my own personal world, book series would come out within a few months of each other... meaning NOT 12 months apart!!

*Breathe* Inhale....exhale....

I'm calm now... regarding book Series... I'm currently waiting on the following books to come out...

"Incendiary" (Premonition Series book 4) - Amy Bartol
"Walking Disaster" (Beautiful Disaster book 2) - Jamie McGuire
"Out of Breath" (Breathing book 3) - Rebecca Donovan
"Ever my Merlin" (Merlin book 3) - Priya Ardis
"Clockwork Princess" (The Infernal Devices book 3) - Cassandra Clare
"Rogue Rider" (Lords of Deliverance book 4) - Larissa Ione
"Unbelievable" (Port Fare book 2) - Sherry Gammon
"Angel of Mercy" (Cambion book 3) - Shannon Dermott
"Independence" (Significance book 4) - Shelly Crane
"Checkmate" (Neighbor from Hell book 3) - R. L. Mathewson
"Honor & Betray" (Honor book 4) - Teresa Mummert
"Opal" (Lux book 3) - Jennifer Armentrout
"Reflected in You" (Crossfire book 2) - Sylvia Day

Now you see why that fabulous "to-read" comes in handy... there's NO WAY I could've remembered to be on the lookout for all of those books above... and then if I ever just stumbled across them after they finally came out I would be so disappointed in myself for not being on the lookout for them...

Soooo reading with a toddler in the house... I love my son... I think that's why I read so much... I really hope when he's older, he becomes a reader too... Of course, we probably won't have the same tastes in books exactly BUT I would love to be able to talk books over dinner at night. I know I need to "start early" but right now, he could care less about sitting still and actually being read a book... he loves to look at the pictures and as soon as he finishes looking at one picture on the page, he automatically turns it before I finish reading what's actually written on the page... Needless to say, he's impatient and not interested in the actual story. HA... But I hope we get there soon enough ^_^ Any helpful tips of the trade would be appreciated from mom to mom or pre-k teacher to mom...

So... Go, Flourish, and READ! <and checkout Goodreads>

Until next time!