Sweetly Reviewed: Freebie from Iris Blobel

Sweetly Reviewed: Freebie from Iris Blobel:

Today, we have a special treat for all the sweet readers out there. Iris Blobel and Astraea Press are making Journey To Her Dreams FREE .....


So go and check it out :-) Just follow the link above!

Sample Sunday - Hollie arrives in Dublin (Journey to Her Dreams)

This little teaser is when Hollie arrives in Dublin after a long flight. I hope you enjoy the little paragraph.

"Journey to Her Dreams"  is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online stores.

Hollie stared at the sliding door, but didn't dare to move any closer. So this is Dublin! She had been glued to the window since the plane started descending. It didn't appear all that different from Tasmania – there were fields upon fields of green paddocks, divided by hedges and rocks – sometimes in even squares and sometimes, it seemed, just randomly. She even spotted a few double-decker buses from way above. Hollie was overwhelmed by the thought that she was about to set foot on Irish soil.

"Hollie! What are you waiting for?" Davo was already outside, but his movement set off the sensor and the door opened in front of her.
She shrugged. "I don't know."
Davo came back in, took her hand, and led her outside. "I'll be there all the way. We'll find whatever worries you. I promise!"
Gratefully, she intertwined her fingers with his and slowly followed him outside – onto the streets of Dublin.

Brea Essex - Foreshadow

Foreshadow by Brea Essex

Publisher: Astraea Press

ISBN: 978-1470101732

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imagine discovering that your boyfriend was out to kill you—and that the annoying boy from school was your guardian angel. Rae Davenport has already lost her mother. The only thing keeping her sane is her new boyfriend, Andrei—that is, until she finds out that he wants to kill her. Andrei is a devil, and he wants to use Rae as a sacrifice to get back into Heaven. The only one who can save her is Logan, her guardian angel. He’s only annoyed her in the past, but now he will be her savior.

My thoughts


Excuse me! You can't just stop there, Brea Essex!

This was a beautiful story - from the very beginning to the very end, so much so that I was disappointed when I was finished reading, because I wanted more.

Raena has just lost her mum and now lives with her late mother's best friend Geneva and husband Shane. She meets Andrei and is smitten by his charm straight away, yet things turn a bit sour. And that's where Logan comes in - the guy from school who's is more like a pain in the butt, but turns out to be the guy she can rely on.

So where do I start? First of all, YA is not my genre really, but once again, I was proven wrong by having been hesitant. It's a great story. The characters are well developed, the reader can relate to each of them and their feelings. The scenes are nicely set that as a reader I had no trouble following. And the subject "angels" is subtle and believable for those readers like me, who are still at odds with "paranormal".

Bottom line, a wonderful read. I truly enjoyed it!

Seriously Reviewed Showcase: Iris Blobel

Seriously Reviewed Showcase: Iris Blobel: I assume when people hear of Australia their minds wander off to beautiful beaches, sunshine, surfing and maybe even the Great Barrier Reef!...

Click the above link to read more! Thank you :-)

Sample Sunday - Journey to Her Dreams

Here a little teaser for "Journey to Her Dreams" which is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online stores.

If you'd like another sample, please check Amazon or contact me.

He held her hands with his and caressed her fingers. “Why don’t you let me help you?”

“I don’t think you can. It is something I have to do on my own. I’m truly sorry.”

Their eyes were locked when Jeremy took her hands into his. His voice was soft and just barely loud enough for her to hear. “Hollie, I was honest when I said I like spending time with you. I obviously can’t help you, so if you can tell me there’s a chance for us, I will wait.”

Hollie entwined her fingers with Jeremy’s. “I can’t believe you’d do that.” Her eyes met his. “You hardly know me.”

“I know, but I’ve now spent two beautiful afternoons with you. One has to start somewhere.”

“Jeremy, I don’t want to bring this up all the time, but I still don’t understand why you were so rude in the car. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Jeremy let go of her hands, leaned back and rubbed his hands over his face. “Not my best day, eh? I’m sorry. Well, I know sorry probably doesn’t do it. I...it was...maybe just a matter of being

overworked, lonely, old habits, a drink or two...”

“The old habits sort of worry me a bit.” And with a sigh she added, “The drinks as well.”

“Okay, I have a feeling I’m making this worse rather than better. Old habits as in the girls before didn’t mind jumping into bed the first night. Good job, good money – the girls were happy to–”

Waving her hands she said, “Say no more. I have a feeling the

bringing you back with your feet on solid ground  will actually happen sooner rather than later.”

My Interview with VoiceFM

Frank from VoiceFM interviewed me last year about my new book

"Journey to Her Dreams".

 We had a lot of fun and I think that comes across in the interview. ENJOY

Susan Elizabeth Phillips - What I did for love

Publisher: William Morrow & Company

ISBN:  9780061351501
My rating: 2/5

"How did this happen?" Georgie York, once the costar of America's favorite television sitcom, has been publicly abandoned by her famous husband, her film career has tanked, her father is driving her crazy, and her public image as a spunky heroine is taking a serious beating.
What should a down-on-her-luck actress do? "Not" go to Vegas . . . "not" run into her detestable former costar, dreamboat-from-hell Bramwell Shepard . . . and "not" get caught up in an ugly incident that leads to a calamitous elopement. Before she knows it, Georgie has a fake marriage, a fake husband, and maybe (or not) a fake sex life.
It's a paparazzi free-for-all, and Georgie's nonsupporting cast doesn't help. There's Bram's punk-nightmare housekeeper, Georgie's own pushy parent, a suck-up agent, an icy studio head with a private agenda, and her ex-husband's new wife, who can't get enough of doing good deeds and saving the world--the bitch. As for Georgie's leading man, Bram's giving the performance of his life, but he's never cared about anyone except himself, and it's not exactly clear why.
Two enemies find themselves working without a script in a town where the spotlight shines bright . . . and where the strongest emotions can wear startling disguises.



My thoughts

I'm not really sure what to write or whether to actually rate this book. SEP is one of my favourite author, I love her books, but I was really disappointed with this one. It took me weeks (instead of the usually couple of days) to get through this story - it was bland and the character without oomph.

Basically the story is about two Hollywood actors, getting married in Vegas, regretting it the next day. Old, I thought so too. So instead of facing "the media" they pretend it to be real and honest ... and along the way fall in love.

Georgie, the main character was boring, and simple, though developing character and self-esteem throughout the book, I couldn't warm up to her at all. I liked Bram. He had the certain oompf, even in his nastiness. The usual side-story was neglected and it felt it was added only as a filler.

So all in all - if you haven't read a SEP book yet, please do not start with this one. Susan Elizabeth Phillips has a wonderful way of using wit and humour in her story  ... it's kinda missing in this one!

Lynette Sofras - The Apple Tree

Publisher: Inspired Romance Novels

ISBN: 978 - 0 - 9847645 - 3 - 2

My rating: 3/5


Escaping from your past is never easy, as young hospital doctor Juliet discovers when she tries to start afresh, leaving both her marriage and her career behind. Love blossoms rapidly when she meets the mysterious and forthright ‘gardener’, Nicholas, who seems to herald the new beginning she craves.

The past quickly dissolves into insignificance as their all-consuming romance propels them forward but Juliet has to learn the price of happiness in the cruelest way possible. Will she be able face the painful roots of her past in order for her future to grow strong and healthy? (amazon.com)


My thoughts

This is a beautiful story - don't get me wrong! But compared to other books I've read I just couldn't give it more than three stars.

The main character is Julie, Dr Julie Somerville, who's just come back from Saudi where she's lived with her husband. But she couldn't settle and returned to the UK. Julie literally bumps into Robert, a friend from years back, and through him meets Nicholas. They both spend a wonderful summer together.

I honestly couldn't warm up to Julie. The constant whining and self-doubt made me put the book aside quite often, unfortunately too often so that I had lost the "train-of-thought" here and there. I liked Nicholas and even more so for his views. It gave his character a certain 'oompf'.

All and all a really nice read, and I really should mention that the story was the 2011 Inspired Romance Novels' Writing Contest GRAND PRIZE WINNER  - so please don't let my opinion deter you from giving it a try!