Is it a Gift or a Curse

Please comment on my blog. I hope you like it. And of course spoilers for people who have not read the book. 

Most people who experience death don't live to tell about it. When sixteen-year-old Arcadia "Cady" Day wakes in a hospital after experiencing what can only be called a psychic episode, she finds her family in tatters. With her twin sister gone, her dad moved out, her mom's spiraling depression, and her sister's boyfriend, Cane, hardly able to look at her. The only bright spot in her life is Bryan Sullivan, the new guy in school when he is around, Cady can almost pretend she's a regular girl, living a normal life; when he's not, she's bombarded with wild, baffling mood swings. As her home life collapses and her emotional control slips away, Cady begins to suspect that her first psychic episode was just the beginning. 

This story is sad Cady's twin sister Avalon "Lony" dies tragically by being run over by a train one night and Cady physically feels the accident and goes faints. Right before the accident, Cady's parents were having problems and their Dad moved out. After the heartbreaking funeral it takes Cady a couple weeks before she is ready to go back to school. The new guy Bryan at school calls her and tells her he knows how she feels cause his older brother Jesse died last year he and Bryan both have hemophilia a disease that causes the blood not to clot right and ask if she be back at school soon. He talks her into going and he picks her up but her anxiety level is through the roof and when Cady goes to her locker which happens to be beside her sisters she sees the memorial of flowers and pictures other students left.  

Cady totally loses it and tears down the pictures and kicks the flowers and Bryan takes her home. Cady does not return to school until the next week. Cady's mom is taking her daughter's death really hard locking herself in her bedroom and taking medicine and drinking a lot. Aaron is taking the loss very badly but he hides to well that Cady does not find out how bad he is doing until later into the book. She goes to the pet shelter where she and a friend help out and she takes a few of the dogs out for a walk but while on it she feels like something is one with one named Lucy. Cady feels the dog's stomach and gets a buzzing vibration and she thinks it might have a tumor or something. So she runs back talks to the doctor and asks her to run some test on the dog, of course, the doctor thinks she crazy but agrees.  

She talks to her friend Bronwyn that night and Bryan calls and Cady tells him all about the dog and that she has to go to the therapist.  It is the day Cady has to go talk to the therapist her parents both show up to support their daughter. When they leave the office Cady's mom has her stop at the store to get more medicine and booze Cady knows she should tell her brother and dad about her mom's problem but doesn't yet. She goes to eat and the mall with her friend and buys a shirt for Bryan but in the story, it never says she ever gave it to him weird cause they never make it to Christmas. Then she goes to visit her dad and tells him about mom and he agrees to look into her problem. 

The Sunday before Cady will go back to school Bryan calls and ask her out they eat ice cream and she asks him about his hemophilia and if he scared about getting cut. He tells her about his life and being homeschooled for most of it and having to take medication and how he had to be careful whatever he did and he dropped off at home.  When she gets to school again she has problems with feeling other's emotions but she did not know what was happening at the time. At lunch, Bryan sat with Cady and her friends and they got along well. 

She walked home from school and her neighbor calls her name. This neighbor named Jinx (Jennifer) who is a telepath, which means she can read other peoples' thought. She tells Cady she knows what been happing to her, and she has a special gift of being an empath which means she can feel other people's feelings. Of she thinks this lady is crazy and runs out of the house but after a few weeks when it does not get any better she returns to the neighbor and listen to what she says about how Cady's and Lony's Auras connected and hers got stretched out so anyone who comes within it she can feel their emotions. Jinx starts to help Cady's mind block so she does not hear everyone's emotions. Cady at first is very confused and lost at how to deal with all these invading emotions but she gets the hang of filtering out all the feelings.  

Cady comes home from school and Bryan calls and they go out for pizza and she learned her empath range was about 10 feet. When he brought her home they have their first kiss which was in their minds amazing. But the next day at lunch she finds out he not taking her to homecoming she gets all mad about it and won't let him explain. He tracks her down later at her house and tells her the story of him talking to his friends back home and his ex-girlfriend Monica comes up with an idea to fly in and be his date for the dance and this was planned before he met Cady. Of course, Bryan has a plan for this which entails Cady's brother Aaron to be Monica's date so he can take Cady. 

Well Cady has nothing to wear for the dance so she takes one from her sister's closet the two couples eat dinner before heading to the dance and it is obvious that Monica still has feelings for Bryan and when they arrive at the dance the cheerleaders put together a video slide show of Lony which Candy can't watch so she steps out of the room outside and runs into Cady's old boyfriend Cane. That when he tells her the story about breaking up with Lony right before the accident and things get somber and intense and they end up kissing but Cady pulls away knowing she with Bryan. Well Cane all upset and drunk and drives away. 

She tells Bryan and he and Aaron and Monica leave to find Cane at The Mines of Spain where Avalon's accident happened. When they finally spot him up on a cliff Bryan climbs up there to save him but as they are walking down they both fall and get hurt. Cady rushes over to them and Cane's leg is broken and Bryan is bleeding and he not going to make it to the hospital because of his disease. But Cady tells him not to say his final goodbyes and puts her hands over his wound and heals him with her power. Everyone there is in awe, shock, and disbelief at what she has done but. once Bryan is okay Cady wants to help Cane so first they have to straighten his leg and she has to heal him too. Once she is finished she passes out. 

Cady wakes up in her bedroom and has a massive headache Monica gives her some aspirin and tells her Cane went home and she went back to sleep. Later Bryan came in and woke her up and her brother and Cane came in bringing food. She then went into explaining to them what happened last night and how she became the way she is. After she finished they still were skeptical but since they witnessed it first hand they had to believe her. Then Cane wanted to talk to her alone and make sure he knew she was with Bryan but asked her if she knew when they first met and she no and he said he has to tell her sometime when her boyfriend was not outside the door. 

Cane also said he is not sorry he kissed her just sorry he was drunk at the time then he left. She was confused about her feelings for Cane were they really hers or just his reflexing off of him. She remembers Bryan was still there and opened the door he had to take Monica to the airport. She could feel his jealous which he tried to hide he kissed her and left. Later their Dad came over to talk about their mom and tell them she was going to rehab to help her with her depression and substance abuse and their dad would be moving back in until their mom gets out. She got really mad at her mom and told her off for basically crawling in a whole and forgetting about them she said goodbye to her daughter and left. Aaron comes in and says "Where do we start? I grinned. I think it's time for you to meet the neighbor." 

So I hope the author of this book decides to write a sequel since the book left a few questions unanswered. Like Cady did not give Bryan the T-shirt she bought for him since they did not get to Christmas. The question Cane ask Cady about how they met remains and what happens to Cady's mother since she is going off to rehab to get help for her problems. I enjoyed this book and seeing how the tragedy of one sister dying brings along Cady's gift and how she falls in love with Bryan, but not liking her mixed feelings she is having about Cane now. All in all, it was a good book. 

Looks can be deceiving and the path to love challenging

This story is kinda a new twist on Beauty and the Beast I hope you all like the post and please leave a comment about my blog and of course, my reviews do contain spoilers. Sorry if this post is too long I could not find a way to condense the story down. 

The Cold King by Amber Jaeger

 Not every Beast is a prince charming at heart and not every Beauty is a maiden just waiting for love. Sometimes happily ever after isn’t so easy

Calia Thorn has lived in a small town protected by the Cold King’s mountain. Working day and night to care for her siblings, do her chores, and please her selfish mother that has left her with few dreams for her own future. But then even those measly hopes are taken from her when the Cold King comes down from his mountain to demand a new servant. Ungraceful, unladylike, undesired, and discarded by even her own family, Calia is chosen to be sent to the King. 

The King has lived for three hundred years under a curse forced on by his own father. With no hope of ever breaking it, he settles for keeping his heart frozen against any pain or hope. When his new servant arrives, she challenges him in ways no one ever has, and sparks fly. 

This story is sort of like Beauty and the Beast with a man a king who has been cursed and needs to find true love and write some wrongs to break the curse and of course, there is a part in the Castle his rose garden that no-one is to enter. The king has tried many things over the years to break this wretched curse but nothing has worked until he is in need of a new personal assistant. So Calia a lower girl from the village is chosen and she does not want to go even though after the death of her father he lived in the town is dreadful she is a slave to her mother during all the chores. She has no friends and no prospect of ever getting married the townsfolk basically ignore her and care nothing for her as a person. 

She is very scared to go be a servant to the Cold King because of the rumors she has heard about him. "That you are immortal and powerful and that without you, our village would have perished a long time ago." Also, he comes to find new servants when one of his dies, and if no one is chosen he takes the best one, and if they try to run away he kills them. Once she gets to the castle she is sent in front of the King and he asks her why she was sent to him and she told him even though she is useful they think she is ugly and no man would want to marry her. The King is very mysterious and seems very mean all his first-time servants get thrown into the dungeon after they arrive he says it helps with the so-called transition from their old life to their new life in the castle but Calia thinks it is cruel. The king did this so his new servant knew he was their master and that his commands were to be obeyed at all times. 

It took Calia a while before she was allowed to leave her cell and given a room in the castle after she hurts his hands trying to free herself from the cell. Calia was confused about her new room was this really where she was to sleep? She had never had such a fine bed to sleep in she was scared of her new position in live and terrified of the King.  She soon learned of what her duties would be to bring the King his meals, sew his shirts, and attend meetings etcetera. These two characters the King and his servant Calia spend all their time together and develop a very special and unique relationship. Calia is taught by the housekeeper Abeline how to serve the king his food and how good manners and she learns poise the king gives her a new wardrobe that better soots her body frame. She is trying very hard to figure out how to sew his intricate shirts. 

One day the King told Cali she was ready to accompany him in Court and help him with an issue regarding a man stealing one of the king's flowers she did very well at the test instead of having the man suffer 10 years in jail he had to part with a very precious pocket-watch. One day the whole staff was hustling around to receive a large shipment the last until the winter months ended. The King asked her to retrieve a very special box and he praised when she returns for not opening it and gave her the rest of the day off. She used it to help the rest of the staff carry the shipment into the castle. Calia soon got acquainted with the rest of the staff and became friends. 

The Cold King one day gave Calia a gift for her service he asked if she wanted a book but she said she did not know how to read so he said he would teach her how. It was a lot easier for her to learn this skill, unlike sewing. She was in awe of the king's sudden kindness and soon the winter ended. The King announced that they would be receiving guests and the man who was coming wanted to give his daughter away as the king's bride. He asked Calia to do something with her hair and not disappoint him in her first real challenge as his personal servant. Of course, she did not know how to fix her hair so she asked for help from Abelina who was more than happy to so she cut and fixed the girl's hair and she looked like a totally new person and once the king saw her he was pleased. 

She wanted to know why we always wore those horrible scary masked and this new one was very freighting to her. But I'm trying to picture this so-called mask and the image I get in my mind is not scary all I can think of are the pretty, cute, dainty masquerade type masks since it does not go over his mouth like the scary white full mask I have seen. He vowed to tell how the curse happened if she performed her duties perfectly. With the arrival of the guest, Calia learned of the king's name Valanka. It was clear the king wanted no part of these guests and certainly was not going to marry his daughter  The older daughter was afraid of her father and the younger was a floozy. So he soon sent them on their way and told them not to ever return.

She finally was able to replicate the sewing on the shirt and presented to the king and as a reward, he granted her the privilege of visiting her family. But the poor girl was afraid to see them and know what they think of her and of course, her visit could not have been any worse. His mother not happy to see her she thought the king threw her out but was just visiting. Calia's mother of course took credit for the change in her daughter and wanted to flaunt her around town. Calia got verbally assaulted by two brothers in town and no one was nice to her she missed her life at the castle and even missed the king. When she returned to the castle she says the king and said never again. He was confused and she explained she did not ever want to return to the village she even leaned against him as she spoke and he said as you wish never again.

 One night she noticed the king leaves his room precisely at 10pm and she wonders where he goes. She has been noticing him behaving oddly and thinks he is getting sick yet he denies it and says she reminds him of his sister who died and she talked about how her father died. They had a somber moment together hugging each other. Once again the king was pleased with her and wanted to give her a gift but he only knew what she didn't want so he asks what she did and she wanted to learn how to crochet but it proved to be harder than it looked. 

  An unexpected guest came to the castle to speak to the king it was the oldest daughter of King William who visited before. She came to warn that her father plans to declare war and take King Valanka diamonds and she wanted protection from them for her and her unborn baby. The king did not trust her and told Calia to take Sola and put her in the dungeon but she would not obey his orders how could he be so cruel and order a pregnant woman to be imprisoned. 

The king got very angry and took Calia and locked her in the dungeon for disobeying his orders she tried to plead with him but he would hear no of it. The problem with this was no one else in the castle knew she was down there and she had no blanket or water. When he finally comes back to check on her she unconscious, cold, and sick. He calls for the doctor and he says she very ill and needs to go to his clinic the king is very distraught at this news and is upset with himself for hurting her he really does care for her even though he tries to hide it well. The king does something he never did before tells his servant to let her know when she is released she can come back to the castle or not. 

When she returned he was shocked but since she had nowhere else to go she came back. Over the next few days, he took care of her seeing that she recovers. When she wanted to get back to work he was at first reluctant but they made a compromise he would come down and eat his meals so she did not have to carry them up the stairs. 

Over the next days the castle was happy the King was spending less time by himself and more with the rest of the household. But one-night Calia ask to speak to the king and she confessed that she did not deserve to be held captive anymore she should go out to the village and find a husband. But she did not want to go she told him she loved him but he brushed it off saying he was the only man she ever knew this closely and it was a childish infatuation. 

She arrives at the village afraid and has a run-in with her mother that does not go well. When she enters the store and the two brothers are there and attack her planning on raping her they tie her up but get interrupted by someone entering the shop. Calia was able to escape and runs back to the castle when she sees the carriage is gone. She gets to the palace but the front door is locked so she has to find another way in she wanders into the garden and sees the King bathing in the pool. He does not believe her story of being attacked and chased he thinks it is a rouse so she could spy on him and see the scars that are on his face and body He confess that he loved her but he won't believe the truth of her tale he thinks she just wanted to see the beast under the mask. But she says he is not a monster but he will not listen and tells her to leave and she runs away. 

The king once again has to make a statement for a new servant he did but noticed Calia standing by the tavern and he entered it he was saddened to see how badly beaten she looked and paid the barkeep off with 100 gold. He wanted her to come back with him saying she was free but she wasn't she was just his property once again but she saw the men who hurt her and went with the King. 

The King went into her room to try to apologize for not believing her but she would not talk with him unless he removed his mask he did his best to try to explain but failed and left the room. After a few days past she resumed her duties but did not find the king in his room and she remembered he ate now in the dining room when she got there she was shocked to see him not wearing his mask. He said he needed her help with some business and that entailed bringing in the Horatio brothers to face charges against many women of the village and they would be sentenced to death or go work in the mines for the rest of their lives and that is what happened. 

Then he did something even more surprising one by one he brought in his servants and gave them money and ask if they wished to stay on or leave. A few stayed and some went and the only person left was Calia. He gave her money and told her he wanted her to stay but she could not be a servant to the man she loved. He said he loves her and she bent down to kiss him, but pain showed on his face the curse was being lifted but, not just because of their love "You abandoned your vanity and freed your slaves all in one morning. Perhaps that had something to do with it." Now he could be a real man not trapped by the pain caused by the curse and he could love Calia as a wife and they lived Happily Ever After.    

This story shows how the path to true love is not straight but crooked filled with many obstacles ups and downs. But if you fight hard enough and have patience you can find your Happy Ending. Hope this post was not too long for you all. 

When Drug Addition grabs you by the throat and won't let go.

The book I am reviewing was heartbreaking and made me totally cry. I have never ever been unfortunate enough to have anything to do with this subject matter Thank God but I have heard stories of how painful it is. Like always my post does have spoilers. Please feel free to comment on the post. 

For The Love of Alex J. E. Hopkins

Alex is the typical drug addict who will trade anything and everything to fuel his need for drugs. He is so lost in life and has lost so much due to his drug habit that he doesn't even think he deserves better. Leah comes across as a strong character whose only flaw is that she loves Alex blindly and will do anything for him. The book does not sugar coat the struggle that happens in rehab, but it gives one hope that it is possible to return from the path of doom and start over.

"I have never taken an illegal drug in my life, yet drugs have taken away so much of my life. They have left me raw and alone. They’ve broken my heart, crushed my spirit, seized my light, and blinded me with darkness. Drugs have left me in pieces that no longer fit together. This is what it feels like to love an addict. This is what it feels like when an addict loves his drugs more than you."

From the moment she first laid eyes on him, Leah knew her heart would eternally belong to Alex. At three-years-old on her first day of school, she met her soul mate. For the past eighteen years, their love stays strong prevailing over every barrier determined to break them apart. But now a new, sinister foe threatens to destroy them the white powder, heroin. 

Alex is torn between the love that consumes his heart and the white powder that devours his mind. Unable to escape the call of the white powder, heroin leads Alex down a dark path to destruction while Leah fights to save her childhood love before they both drown in his disease of addiction.

This book is so heartbreaking painful to read especially if you had to deal with this in your own life. What poor Alex had to go through as a kid because his mother was a drug addict should never ever happen. His mother druggie friends shot heroin into his veins when he was three and on top of that, he was born premature and came out into the world addicted. He lived a hard life of fighting off the urges of this terrible drug that was forced into his body before he even knew what it was. Yet, he could not outrun it for a very long time even when he found his true love Leah he treated him so badly cause of his addiction and he dug he a hole that he could not get out by himself.

Leah was trying to support Alex and help him while graduating college and getting a job at an online newspaper wherein her weekly blog post would write about drug addiction to open up the eyes of young people and tell them the realities of what happens to the lives of people who are affected by it. She has to help Alex off the ledge so many times that it drains on her heart and soul but she cannot face the fact that her love alone will not save him. She can not fathom ever leaving him either she loves him dearly and promised to never leave him like everyone else in his life did.

He tried to go to rehab on his own but only stayed there two weeks until the drugs called and he got kicked out. His salvation came in the least unexpected way. Leah became pregnant even though she was on birth control she was shocked and surprised when she found out because she assumed she was sick for some other reason. She even accused Alex of giving her some kind of STD which he got very upset about and life the doctor's office. Now that Leah is fighting for two she wants to protect her baby. When her doctor called and told her they had video footage of Alex stealing needles she got irate and packed his bags and got angry at him when he came home from supposedly looking for a job. 

He tried to lie to her and say he was not using again but she knew better and then finally kicked him out saying she had to think about what was best for their child. It hurt her to have him leave but it was the best solution she could not let him bring her down anymore and she did not need the stress for her baby. She turned to her friend Claire and boss Marcus for solace and comfort as friends. She realized that her boss wanted more than friendship but she is so in love with Alex and concentrating on taking care of herself she had no time or need for any romantic endeavors. Leah even decided she needed counseling herself because she was codependent and addicted to Alex and needed to learn who she was on her own without him. 

She gets a phone call one night from the hospital and she is frantically worried about what she will find when she gets there. She is happy and grateful he was alive after he overdosed. Alex finally stopped lying to Leah and told the candid truth of the whole sorted story of why he left the rehab facility so early. He was kicked out by breaking the rules and taking drugs from another patient in exchange for sex and never really was clean. He was so hopeless and distraught telling her to forget about him that he is not worth saving and he only brings him down to hell with him. 

Later Leah finds out more about Mr. Grant Derverson's owner of the newspaper The Gazette where she works that he once struggled with drug addiction himself. One day at the paper after Leah wrote a heartfelt letter on her blog to Alex pouring out all her frustration and cursing the deadly powder of heroin but saying through all the pain and sorrow she still loved the man that the drug took away from her and she even e-mailed it to Alex not knowing where he was or how he was doing. Then out of the blue one day, Leah's mom shows up at her apartment she has no seen or spoke to her in years because of her relationship with Alex. 

Leah soon learns her mother not just a stone cold-hearted bitch who does not know how to love but just did not know how to show it because of how she was raised by a drunken mother and then left to be cared for by her grandparents. We all have scars that mold and shape our lives that have to be dealt with when we become adults. Then before Christmas Leah's boss, Marcus wanted to show her a letter wrote to her blog from Alex given to him by Grant Derverson. She was confused about how they got this letter and it turns out Grant helped Alex get into a rehab treatment program that would last 90 days and then he was to go to a sober-living program or as I heard them called a halfway house. 

So finally Alex was getting the help he needed to cast off the shackles that the drugs put him in and learn to live without the crutch of Leah and her love to survive on his own. So he can be a good and responsible husband and father. They got to talk on the phone and e-mail each other. Well, the new year came and it was Valentine's Day and Leah was a lunch with her mother when she started having labor pains and Leah knew it was time to get to the hospital. She told them she wanted to have a natural birth with no drugs cause it already took up so much of her life.

While Leah was waiting for her water to break she gets an unexpected visitor Alex shows up because her mother Francesca Rhodes talked to Grant who allowed Alex to leave rehab to be there to witness the birth of his daughter. Once the baby was born and Alex held her it was love at first sight and the world had another daddy's girl. Soon Leah was taking Sienna to see Alex in the sober living home he was doing really well getting his life back together but there was one thing he had to do first to be completely whole. He had to go see his mother in jail and finally put what she did to him so many years ago behind him and look to the future. This meeting was very stressful and a bit unnerving but he finally was about to say his peace and forgive his mom and say her painting and realized how much he missed it and had his closure. 

It was now May and Leah wished her and Alex could be living under the same roof but he still needed to work out his issues. Alex had planned a special afternoon for her at her old job at the diner. He decided to propose again and then finally got married she wrote one more blog post and dedicated to her daughter saying she basically saved their lives because they now had something to live and fight for. So the couple finally got the Happily Ever After and the family they wanted and the love they deserved.    

This book shows how hard life with drug addiction can be and how it affects more than just the person using and abusing the drug. So for everyone out there who is struggling or did struggle you can read this book and know that if you seek out to get the right kind of help you a beat and defeat it even when the road is a hard success is so sweet when you are finally released and free of it. If you want to know more about this nasty deadly illegal drug that takes people's lives away everyday go to http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/heroin.html

When The time to Stand up to your Parents and follow your dreams

This post will be about a romance story of a girl trying to stand up to her overbearing parents and do what she wants. Like with all my blog posts there will be spoilers for people who have not read the book. Please Please after you view the blog leave a comment.  

The Outer Edge of Heaven by Jaclyn M. Hawkes

Montana truly is heavenly in particular those handsome cowboys. She just wants to teach kindergarten and find someone she loves. When her “all-powerful” parents actually choose her future husband, a divorce lawyer named Christopher Elroy, Charlie chooses to head for Big Sky Country to work on an extensive ranch in the heart of The Montana Rockies. Filled with colorful characters of all kinds, and one tremendously gorgeous rancher, it makes for a summer never to be forgotten. This story with humor, romance, and tension that will leave you craving that she’d kept on writing. 

This book was a nice and good romance story about a girl who has to make her own choices and not bend to the will of her overbearing parents. Charlie wants to be a teacher but her parents want her to go to law school and marry this stuff shirt divorce attorney that she has zero feelings for. So she decides for the summer to go live with her friend forest at his Uncle Richard's ranch in Montana. Charlie is no stranger to hard work and is willing to do anything to fit in with the forest's(fo) family. She has a run-in with Luke Langston a charming Rancher who is one of Richard Langston's sons who owns the ranch. She is soon introduced to all of the Langston children which she will be helping take care of during her time in Montana. 

Problems arise when the oldest immature son Chase starts hitting on her but she soon puts him in his place. Then Charlie starts having feelings for Luke but finds out he's engaged to Lindie but later finds out it a farce they are not in love and she is pregnant with Chase's baby. On top of all the children drama going on a Ranch hand named Tyree wants Charlie and starts stalking her at her house on the property. 

Tyree starts visiting her house first by taking an earring and then leaving a note it scares Charlie so much she occasionally sleeps in the bunkhouse with Fo and Luke,  goes out, and buys herself a gun and a restraining order. Meanwhile, she has to go back to Connecticut to deal with her parents and try to explain she does not want to marry Elroy. When the family gets back from their trip it all comes to a head when Charlie is out jogging and gets caught by Tyree eventually he is subdued by being shot and escorted away by the police. After that Luke and Charlie finally admit to themselves and each other that they love one another. Luke did not want to be pushy and tell her what to do so he sat on the sidelines thinking she was just going to leave after the summer to go to Law school. In the end, he proposes to her and she says yes. Her parents show up and Charlie puts her foot down saying she an adult and can make her own decisions. 

She does not want to be a lawyer or marry a man she does not love. Her mother finally agrees and she sees how much in love Charlie is with Luke and leaves the ranch. So it ends happily ever after for them. There are some funny moments in this book with the three younger children Jamie, Evie, and Elsa. So if you like reading a sweet, nice romantic book this one is for you. It shows how a woman can stand up against her parents and go after her own dreams and how a stubborn rugged Rancher can put his pride aside and go after the girl he falls in love with. 

What Happens to the Human Spirit after Death

This is my 4th blog post about a book series that shows what happens after humans die. I hope you like it and please leave a comment.  

Afterlife box set

by Willow Rose

Book 1 - BEYOND

Meghan is 16 when she dies when she wakes up on a flying steamboat on her way to a school run by Angels in a castle. On the boat, she meets Mick who has been dead for a hundred years but still looks like a teenager. He helps her with the tough beginning of school in a new world filled with magic. One day some of Meghan's roommates find a mirror in the cellar of the school and they convince her to go through it with them knowing it is against the rules. Meghan ends up back on earth where she meets Jason, but he is in danger and Meghan knows something important that is a matter of life and death for Jason. Soon she is forced to choose between the two worlds. The one she belongs to now and the one she left.

Book 2 - SERENITY

It is Meghan's second year at The Academy. While trying to help and care for Jason on earth she is struggling to keep up in school, where this year will learn both to ride Pegasus and fly through harsh storms. Meanwhile Mick is becoming more than a friend to her and soon she finds herself facing the inescapable choice, but something evil is threatening the students at the Academy. Meghan is no longer safe within the walls of the castle. Some of the students get caught in the middle of a nightmare, that they can't wake up from and they might have a traitor in their school.

Book 3 - ENDURANCE

Meghan's training at the Academy is coming to an end. Everything is going great as she comes closer to graduation and is engaged in going to get married. The wedding is near when she hears some disturbing news that makes her rethink her future. In class, the students are learning to catch dreams and fly with the speed of light. Meghan soon learns her extraordinary talents and that she is much stronger than she thought. But alas that doesn't help her as she faces the truth about her own death, which will be revealed to her at the end of the year. 

I totally loved these books it gives a new spin on what we as humans think about the afterlife. Humans had to learn how to live as spirits and not think like a human anymore and not remembering your life until after you graduated from this school is a bit nerve-racking for some of the people. But knowing that spirit can fall in love and have kids goes against everything as a Christian, I have been told that just doesn't happen according to the bible. And the whole crying and being sad and nervous all the bad emotions still existing seems interesting but the bible says there will be no crying in heaven but the people at the school are technical not in heaven yet so it is possible that they still exist.

People are always going to fascinated with life after death since no one really knows what happens to our souls when we die until it happens. Some people have near-death experiences and describe what they felt like but there are no guarantees with accuracy about heaven. So we're left to come up with our own stories and explanations. Totally can't wait to read the last book. 

I know that once we die we will be in a better place filled with love and joy with no pain or sorrow and get to see God, Jesus the family members we once loved. Will we eat food or have to learn how not to think like a human. I don't know but, that why it is scary and wonderful at the same time the mystery of not knowing what is beyond life when we die. 

Thank you for taking me on this journey. Please everyone read this and make a comment about anything so we can start a decision about these things. 

Things are not always what they seem

This is my 3rd blog post I hope you like it and please please leave a comment about anything regarding the page. Of course, all posts may contain spoilers. Please if you can leave a comment about the page. 

"The PERCEPTION Series books (SF/mystery/romance) are Young Adult novels that take place in the not too distant future in a world changed by climate extremes, natural disasters, and impending wars, and where scientific breakthroughs cause class divisions--both financially and philosophically. It explores the clash between faith and science and how differences can separate us as enemies or ally us together. And in some cases, even in the midst of betrayal and personal crisis, there's room to fall in love." quote source There is a prequel to this story called Ambition that follows Noah right before he meets Zoe.

Perception by Lee Strauss

17-year-old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP--a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on water-front property alongside other equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing. Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside in L.A. He leads protests against the GAPs and hates the widening rift they've created between those who have and those who don't. He doesn't like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically. Zoe's carefree life takes a shocking turn. She's in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

I like this book because it deals with some fundamental social and scientific concerns that one day we as humans might have to deal with such as cloning and changing humans' DNA and specific genes to get the child you want. Who look perfect and live longer than normal people. So, society as a whole has to deal with this perceived problem of inequality since only the very rich will be able to afford the GAP procedure. The naturals like Noah and his father before him protest against them to show the world that scientists should not play God, by giving people unfair advantages, privileges, and having to GAP only utopian cities. This does not help the overall population who are barely surviving in a world littered with economical and environmental concerns. And to see how neglected and ignored religious beliefs are is a bit sad we all need to have faith in some higher power.  

People like Zoe's grandfather who help discover how to do this don't see it as an ethically wrong and he goes around the government with all his money to do things that are illegal such as fund a project to create human cyborgs, help clone Zoe when she died in a pool accident at the age of 2, and erase her memory of Noah. Zoe's life, in the beginning, seems perfect she has a bf and a great older brother and rich parents, but everything falls apart when her brother goes missing and she is determined to find out what happened to him. 

Zoe and Noah are forced to work together when Liam goes missing and despite Noah hating GAPs and Zoe knowing nothing outside the city gates of Sol. They even manage to fall in love with each other nut that is short-lived when William Vanderveen Zoe's grandfather catches them in his house where Noah barely escapes and Zoe gets her memories wiped. Noah does all he can to save and rescue her from her family and life in Sol because so much deception was going on in her life she was in the dark about her past and what kind of things her brother and grandfather were working and that it was illegal and then her boyfriend Jackson kept her in the dark and continued after what happened to Liam. 

So, in the end, Noah had to get Zoe away from that environment which was no small task since she had forgotten who he was but slowly her memory came back after she stops taking the pills that were helping block out her memories. I look forward to seeing Noah's and Zoe's journey continue in the sequel called Volition out sometime this year. 

Genie/Jinni dilemna

Hi, welcome to my second blog post. Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud is a fast-paced fantasy adventure and is the first of a planned trilogy. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave a comment and rate my post.

Max Xylander and the island of Zumuruud 

by Jon Thomason

 Max has an anger problem. She has a dangerous secret and can make things happen. She almost killed a kid at school. The question is, can she do anything other than blow things up and can she learn to control it? And is it really possible that an unknown teenage girl is a key to keeping all of the humankind safe? 

Philip has just got his ring back. He got it taken away. Now that he has his ring, he thinks he should be able to use his power to make his life better and the dilemma is that people want him to be accountable. But if you could do magic, wouldn’t you use it to escape work in any way possible? 

Aaron wants to be a soldier. He knows there are lots of people who would try to take over, and he’s determined to stop them. The problem is that there’s this new girl, and which side will she be on. She’s really gifted and cute, but she might destroy what he believes in. Whatever the case, he knows he needs to learn to be the best with the magic sword in the meantime. 

Brynn never gets out because her grandfather won’t permit it. Her only access to the outside world is fashion magazines, so she has an unusual idea of what she should wear. She’s dying to get out see the world and adopt animals. Are her ridiculous clothes actually the next fashion craze? What possible role could she play in the destiny of the world?

      I liked this book it was unique and different. I have only read a few books about Jinn and those were just about one granting wishes, not this elaborate community which they have in this book, where they have many different jobs and their magic comes from the ring each one wears. This book revolves around one of the main characters Max a girl who somehow got jinni powers from a bone marrow transplant and has to attend camp to train how to use them. She has to deal with so much opposition since she is this so-called chosen one and choose which side she will be on follow the rules of the council or help Philip the Heir defeat them. I'm still a bit confused after reading this book. At first, Philip seems to be a fairly nice guy just not good at following the rules but when he finds this Qudar and gets more power he becomes a bit evil and I totally did not like him anymore I'm glad he got the punishment he did. In the same sense, the First Council Sedak is abusing his power too by not even giving Max a chance to prove herself and just sends out his agent behind the scene to kill her. 

   So who was bad and who is good both sides had bad people in control and using their power for selfish reasons and not the good of the jinn. Max makes a few friends along the way Brynn and Aaron who help her fit and learn how to be a jinni. At the end of the book, Max learns that should not have trusted Philip he uses her to get what he wanted, and when she did not like his agenda she rejected joining him. I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book. If you like books about fantasy adventures and are fans of magic, swordplay, secret agents, and schemes set in the modern world then this book is for you. 

Rock Star Drama

Hello, all this is my first official blog entry, and hope you enjoy my reviews. I am going to chat about two books that focus on one girl who has to deal with Rock Stars and her sudden exposure in the media and tabloids. Also, feel free to rate my post and to leave a comment. 

Rock Star's Girl by J. F. Kristin

Synopsis: This story is about Emily Watts who has her own fashion website and freelances for some other companies. She is lives in Cal and is friends with Jesse Cinder a guitar player in a band from NYC ashes of Brooklyn. While at one of his shows she meets another rock star Cory Sampson lead singer of Blistering Twilight where she gets more than she bargains for in form of publicity. Will she end up with either of these stars or trailblaze her own path. 

      I was liking this book until I read the ending. Emily gets thrown into the deep end with the paparazzi one day she just a girl with a fashion web site and the next her love life it splashed all over the tabloids by one Wally Hood. She meets Cory and the media exposure angle toward her. Their romance is blazed hot and fast in no time at all they are seen kissing in public Emily is happy but Cory soon gets cold feet on committing to being her bf. Her relationship with Jesse gets strained with gossip that they kissed and she cheated on Cory, which is false since they are friends and nothing more. Both these guys use the newly gained focus on Emily to their advantage to get more publicity for them and their bands. I'm glad Emily in the end saw that both guys really did not care much about her they were basically just using her for more fame. Yes, Cory did have that show where he asked her for a second chance in front of his audience but was that just for show or was he sincere we will not know since Emily cut ties to him. Emily does something I don't agree with after she told Wally Hood her side of the story that she was just friends with Jesse and her and Cory were over. What else did she do? 
   
     She decided to work for the slime ball that sprayed all her dirty laundry for the whole world to see. I mean come on she really used the cliché If you can't beat them join them. Why would you put yourself through that or sink that low? I’m upset with the author of the book with the Epilogue teasing us by saying Emily has a new guy in her life but going into no detail at all so were let wondering and guessing whom it could be. Hopefully, not that dude Wally that would really put the last nail in the coffin for me. I gave it a one-star rating just cause I did not like the ending. I just feel it felt flat and Emily got away from guys wanting publicity and selling out to doing that herself. Okay, she made a connection with Wally and had some things in common and he tried to help fix the problems he created. So, if you like a book about how the paparazzi and tabloids can mess up someone's life this book is for you.

Rock Star's Daughter by Caitlyn Duffy

Synopsis: This is a heartwarming yet heart-wrenching story of a girl named Taylor who's mom dies and she has to move in with her Rock Star father who she doesn't even
 know and how she now has to deal with all the publicity that comes with it 
while trying to be a normal teenager dealing with friends, family, school, and
 trying to find love. 

     I liked this book Taylor's life is living with her entrainment star absent mom who does very little parenting while her daughter is a violinist and academic in the boarding school she attends. I was so sad when Taylor's mom died because of how it hurt her by being uprooted from her home and having to move across the country with her father and his new family she barely knows and has to go on the road with her father's band for the rest of the summer. That leads her to a unique journey. She falls in love with a groupie's son named Jake which she is so happy about to have her first boyfriend, but life problems get in the way she just wants to escape and leave the tour. Her life is turned upside down and she has trouble adjusting. In the end, she finds out that she really likes her step-mom and sister and understands her father's problems with alcohol and cheating than in the end goes to rehab for his problems. Taylor really grows up in this one summer she also learns a lot about herself and the past she did not know. Her so-called bf Jake just wanted her to sleep with her. Once she tells him no he gets angry and they end things on fairly bad terms. In the end, though Taylor ends up with the guy she wanted in the first place her best friend's brother Todd they meet each other he gives her a birthday gift and kisses her. The book ends a bit flat after Taylor attends her concert
 and sees her stepmom and sister came to see it.

I gave this book a 4-star rating because it totally captured how a young teenager deals with heartache and having her whole world turned upside and just one moment. Taylor's perseverance got her through the troubling transition and ended on a good note with her doing something she loves playing the violin. So if you like a book about a girl who has to move in with her Rock Star dad and deal with the media and just deal with life problems this book is for you.