November 2, 2015

Book Tour + Giveaway: Merry Mary by Ashley Farley

Merry Mary

Merry Mary by Ashley Farley


Release date: October 15, 2015 

Buy Links: Amazon Barnes and Noble iBooks Kobo

Goodreads Synopsis:
A young woman longing for a child stumbles upon a Christmas miracle.
Investigative journalist Scottie Darden is photographing the homeless for her Lost Souls series when she makes a discovery that could change her life forever. Under a makeshift tent in subzero temperatures in a downtown city park, she finds a woman's dead body with her infant child. Without her cell phone to call for help, Scottie makes the split-second decision to take the baby home. Her initial instinct is to provide the baby with food and shelter until her family can be located. But as her fondness for the baby grows, she finds herself facing a life on the run or worse—prison time for abduction.
Curl up with Merry Mary this holiday season. A heartwarming story of the powerful connection between a caring soul and an innocent child in need. 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love the title and the cover of this holiday novella. The story consists of a biological clock and a catch-22 situation.

After rescuing a baby from the cold, Scottie Darden considers what would happen if she chose to leave the baby in foster care or worse; with the babies alcoholic grandparents. On the other hand could she be arrested for kidnapping?

Under the assumption she was doing the right thing Scottie Darden takes the baby home with her. She always wanted a child of her own but to hear things like "the mother would've wanted it that way" are only words to convince her to keep the child but Scottie's husband wanted nothing to do with it. I mean what she did wasn't terrible although lying to her family and friends was. She needed to come clean for her sake and the baby's and the cops didn't need to know.

In over her head now, all she could think of is to take the baby and run. With the help of her supportive family and brother Will, she allows herself to return Merry Mary to where she belongs.

Merry Mary is the sort of child anyone would want and Scottie Darden was an angel.


About the Author:



Ashley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions. After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings. HER SISTER'S SHOES—June 24, 2015—is a women's novel that proves the healing power of family.


Excerpt from Merry Mary

“Shh, don’t cry,” she said, rubbing the baby’s tummy.
What would become of the baby? Scottie didn’t think the Commonwealth had the authority to place the baby up for adoption without permission of next of kin, which meant the baby would be placed in a foster home until the police could track down the father. If the father even wanted the child. If the father even knew he was the father. The baby began to wail, presumably with hunger. “Don’t worry, little one.” She picked the baby up and held her tight. “We’ll get it all sorted out. In the meantime, I have plenty of formula and diapers to keep you comfortable.”
By the time Scottie got the baby inside, and mixed up a bottle from the supplies in her baby cabinet in the kitchen, the little girl was screaming, flailing her arms and legs in hunger. Scottie plopped down on the leather sofa in the adjoining family room, propped her snow boots up on the coffee table, and brought the bottle’s nipple to the baby’s mouth. The infant took the nipple between her lips, then thrust it back out with her tongue. Scottie turned the bottle upside down on her arm, letting a few drops of formula leak from the hole in the nipple, before returning the nipple to the baby’s lips. When she tasted the formula, the baby began to suck greedily. “Careful now, baby girl. Don’t drink too fast or you’ll upset your tummy.” The baby stared up at Scottie with bright eyes. “We need to give you a name, don’t we?”
Scottie had been in the process of picking out names for her baby when her daughter was stillborn at thirty-one weeks. She’d been torn between Kate and Liza, after her grandmothers Katherine and Elizabeth. She ended up calling the baby Angel, which seemed appropriate for an innocent child who never drew her first breath. Scottie’s eyes traveled the room, coming to rest on the nativity scene on the mantle above the fireplace. “Why don’t we call you Mary after the Virgin Mary?” She caught sight of the needlepoint pillow Brad had brought down from the attic—a green background with Merry Christmas in curlicue script in red across the front. “Or Merry, which seems appropriate for a spunky little girl like you.”
The baby stopped sucking and smiled up at her. “I agree,” Scottie said. “I like them both as well. Merry Mary it is, then.

Chapter 1

The first rays of pink sunshine ushered in another day of suffering for the people who called Monroe Park in downtown Richmond home. An early winter storm had dumped six inches of snow on the city. With no clouds to blanket in warmth, temperatures had dipped into the teens for the third night in a row. Scottie Darden parked her 4Runner alongside the dirty snowbanks on Main Street. She pulled her stocking cap down over her blonde mane and tucked her camera inside her down coat. Grabbing the two Bojangles’ bags and carton of coffee from the backseat, she trudged through the snow to a cluster of men and women huddled around a burning trash can. Eyeing the bags of food, the group of five homeless people navigated toward Scottie. She handed out sausage biscuits and paper cups of coffee. Scottie had stumbled upon the Five by accident a year ago while investigating a series of muggings in the area. Their despondent faces had such a profound impact on Scottie that she’d returned the next day with warm blankets and buckets of fried chicken from Lee’s. Their gratitude had moved her even more, and over the next twelve months, she’d stopped by on a regular basis, always delivering nourishment and supplies. She’d seen others come and go, but this core group of five banded together like a family. “I brought extras today.” Scottie held up the second bag. Mabel gestured toward a row of makeshift tents fifty feet in front of them. Her name wasn’t really Mabel. At least not as far as Scottie knew. With gray hair pulled back from her café au lait face, the old woman reminded Scottie of the housekeeper who once worked for her grandmother. Scottie had never exchanged names with any of the Five. She’d grown to know them by their physical appearances instead. Buck was a strapping black man of about thirty, the one Scottie feared the most because of the temper she sensed smoldering just beneath the surface Then there was Pops, the oldest male, with leathery skin the color of dark chocolate. While he never showed his teeth, Scottie often detected the hint of a smile tugging along his lips. She’d named the woman with the plain face and dull green eyes Miss Cecil after her third grade teacher. She referred to the man in the wheelchair, with both legs amputated at the knee, as Dan, after Lieutenant Dan in the movie Forrest Gump. Scottie offered each of the Five another biscuit before moving to the makeshift tents. She passed out biscuits to women and men who were buried under blankets and sleeping bags. She heard the faint sound of crying outside the fourth tent. She tapped lightly on the cardboard door. When no one responded and the crying grew louder, she pulled back the cardboard and peeked inside. “Hello in there,” she called in a soft voice. “Can I interest you in some breakfast?” The crying intensified to a squall. Beneath a threadbare blanket, Scottie made out the unmoving form of an adult-size body and the flailing limbs of a smaller figure next to it. “Hello.” Scottie dropped to her knees and crawled inside. “Can I hold your baby for you while you eat a biscuit?” When the adult body remained still, Scottie peeled back the blankets to reveal a baby—three or four months old if she had to guess—with blonde peach fuzz on top of her head and a beet-red face. A girl, judging from the dirty pink fleece sleeper she was wearing. She pulled the covers back the rest of the way and gasped at the sight of the woman’s gray skin and purple lips. Scottie assumed the woman was the baby’s mother. She backed slowly out of the tent. “Someone, please help!” she cried. “I think this woman in here is dead.” The Five fled the scene, along with every other homeless man and woman in sight. Scottie patted her pockets for her phone, then remembered she’d left it connected to the charger on her bedside table. She surveyed the area for help—a policeman, a student, a businessman on his way to work—but the park was deserted. Scottie crawled back inside and picked up the baby, rocking her back and forth until she settled down a bit. She scooted over closer to the baby’s mother and checked her wrist and neck for a pulse, but there was none. The woman had been dead long enough for her skin to grow cold. Her eyes were closed, but her rosy lips were turned up into a smile, as though she’d seen an angel. Poor woman was probably no more than twenty years old. Scottie pulled the blanket over the woman’s face and said a silent prayer. Getting to a phone to call for help was the only thing on her mind when she zipped the baby inside her coat and made a dash for her car.

Tour Giveaway:
Ashley is giving away $50 gift card (INT) choice of Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Paypal.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link to Merry Mary Tour: http://wp.me/p3vHcl-if 

October 14, 2015

Waiting for Sweet Ruin (Immortals After Dark #16)

Sweet Ruin (Immortals After Dark #16) by Kresley Cole 


The next installment in the IAD series will be published Dec 1, 2015! 

Mesmerized by a beautiful supernatural creature unlike any he’s ever met, an immortal assassin is caught between desire and duty in this sizzling new novel from Kresley Cole’s #1 New York Times bestselling Immortals After Dark series

A FOUNDLING RAISED IN A WORLD OF HUMANS
Growing up, orphaned Josephine didn’t know who or what she was—just that she was “bad,” an outcast with strange powers. Her baby brother Thaddeus was as perfect as she was flawed; protecting him became her entire life. The day he was taken away began Jo’s transition from angry girl . . . to would-be superhero . . . to enchanting, ruthless villain.

A LETHALLY SENSUAL ENFORCER ON A MISSION
A threat to the Møriør has brought archer Rune the Baneblood to the mortal realm to slay the oldest living Valkyrie. Whether by bow or in bed, he never fails to eliminate his target. Yet before he can strike, he encounters a vampiric creature whose beauty conceals a black heart. With one bite, she pierces him with aching pleasure, taking his forbidden blood—and jeopardizing the secrets of his brethren.

A BOUNDLESS PASSION THAT WILL LEAD TO SWEET RUIN . . .
Could this exquisite female be a spy sent by the very Valkyrie he hunts? Rune knows he must not trust Josephine, yet he’s unable to turn her away. Despite his millennia of sexual conquests, he can’t ignore the unfamiliar longing she arouses deep within him. When Jo betrays the identity of the one man she will die to protect, she and Rune become locked in a treacherous battle of wills that pits ultimate loyalty against unbridled lust.

October 7, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday: Oblivion

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Oblivion (A Lux Novel) by Jennifer L. Armentrout Release date: December 1, 2015

Experience the epic love story of OBSIDIAN as told by its hero, Daemon Black…

I knew the moment Katy Swartz moved in next door, there was going to be trouble. Lots of it. And trouble's the last thing I need, since I'm not exactly from around here. My people arrived on Earth from Lux, a planet thirteen billion light years away. Plus, if there's one thing I know, it's that humans can't be trusted. We scare them. We can do things they only dream about, and honestly, we make them look weak as hell. 'Cuz they are. But Kat is getting to me in ways no one else has, and I can't stop myself from wanting her--or wanting to use my powers to protect her. She makes me weak, and I'm the strongest of our kind, tasked with protecting us all. So this one simple girl…she can mean the end for us. Because the Luxen have an even bigger enemy--the Arum, and I need to stay on my game. Falling for Katy--a human--won't just place her in danger. It could get us all killed, and that's one thing I'll never let happen...

October 5, 2015

Scary book of the month - Library of Souls

What is the underworld ferryman's name who guides dead souls on the river Styx? Is it Charon? Library of Souls has it's own tour guide and his name is Sharon.

~ Chapter 2 ~ 

Sharon the boat guide, unlike Charon who never talks, warns them of the never ending dangers of Devil's Acre but the three peculiars act as though they aren't afraid and nothing can hurt them which disturbs me a lot because I fear for their lives even if they don't . UGH!

Jacob senses the presence of a hollowgast.... who attaches himself underneath their boat and oddly listens to Jacob telling it to defend against a couple of feeders in Fever Ditch.

OMG this is getting too much already! I hate Devil's Acre! I would never want to go there! What is wrong with them three?!!

~"Holy Chapter Three! It's 62 pages long! not too bad....a lot happened I can't even begin grrr. With every chapter my blood pressure rises. damn those pictures!" "

~I really liked chapter 4. It wasn't filled with scary but it did shed some light on a few lost subjects i.e: What loops were made for to begin with and how wights and hollows came to be. We are introduced to Mr. Bentham."

October 3, 2015

Scary Book of The Month: Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

I'm currently reading Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs as my scary book of the month, and for every chapter I read, I will be publishing a new post with a few words of my own.  #spreadtheterror

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs 

Time is running out for the Peculiar Children. With a dangerous madman on the loose and their beloved Miss Peregrine still in danger, Jacob Portman and Emma Bloom are forced to stage the most daring of rescue missions. They’ll travel through a war-torn landscape, meet new allies, and face greater dangers than ever. . . . Will Jacob come into his own as the hero his fellow Peculiars know him to be? This action-packed adventure features more than 50 all-new Peculiar photographs. 

My Thoughts on Chapter One

What I felt about Hollow City and the children battling the Wights and monsters after coming so far over land and seas, was enough for me not to want to read anymore. At the end of Hollow City, it felt like they were all doomed until Jacob realized he had power over the Hollowgasts.
This is where we begin again in Library of Souls. In an apocalyptic future following a great battle, Jacob, Emma, and the dog Addison, are still being pursued by these monsters and now they have to find the other peculiars who might've been captured or dead. They are on the scent trail which leads them to a place the children might've been taken to; Devil's Acre. In fact, to get to it they have to cross over by boat, and the ship's captain is a 7-foot tall giant who is as tall as he is menacing.

Spooktacular Giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway I am giving one lucky entrant a chance to win a scary book for Halloween. You need to fill out the rafflecopter to be entered to win a scary book. It will be like Christmas in October! I will draw a lucky winner on Oct. 31st.

In your comment please tell us : Have you read a scary book lately? What was so scary about it?

Sorry folks I had to go to Edmonton for a few days and I just got back today. The winner is Lynn and have contacted her . I'm just waiting for her reply. If I don't hear from her I will draw again. Anyway my Mother died today :(


September 30, 2015

Mother May I: (# 4 Knlght Games)

Mother May I (Knight Games Book 4)

Mother May I by Genevieve Jack


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

Love will launch the mother of all battles. Grateful Knight is one stressed out witch. Not only has she failed to restore her caretaker, Rick, from an evil witch’s mind-control spell, but the loss he endured extends well beyond his memory. To make matters worse, compensating for his absence could cost her the job she loves and the strength she needs. When a new supernatural threat leaves Grateful for dead, a vampire ally saves her life but at a price. Her assailant's calling card makes it clear she’s marked for death, possibly by her goddess mother. With the help of her half-sister Polina, can Grateful gain the power she needs to win Rick back and beat the goddess at her own game?

My thoughts about it:

Mother May I was a fast read and full of action. It was a good story and climax but the ending fell a little short. I am looking forward to reading more from this author in her new book about Logan. Logan is such a great character and Polina made her debut in this book who I loved as well.

The business of restoring Rick Ordenes memories was a very hard and arduous task that almost cost Grateful her life.

Her choosing whether to be with her friends and family over being Goddess is still a bit melodramatic to me. I think that word best describes Grateful all in all. The choices she made were never good.

I am a little disappointed about the caretakers' role as well and what happened to him. He had the potential of being a constant rock and someone Grateful could trust and rely on, but when he lost his memory he changed from being superhuman to a passive shell of a man. I loved him more in the first installment.

View all my reviews

September 28, 2015

A Christmas Novella: Dec The Holls

Dec the Holls

Dec the Holls by Jasinda Wilder


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

A week before Christmas, and all through office not a soul is stirring, not even a mouse. Holly is working overtime, cold and lonely and broke. Across the hall, Declan is lonely too, and thinking this christmas is going to be a joke. Then one blustery night Holly’s car won’t start and Declan is there to help with a little love in his heart. Open this gift from bestselling author Jasinda Wilder to find out if a single mother of two can let herself fall in love with her sexy-as-hell workaholic boss.

Another sex fantasy. I mean you know she wants him, but she thinks he's too good for her. It's Christmas Eve, and Holly is working overtime again just to pay the bills. Declan is her boss who never paid much attention to Holly before until the day she forgot her purse in her office. He thinks why hadn't he noticed how beautiful she was before? Meanwhile, she is stranded outside in the cold, crying her eyes out because her car wouldn't start. She left her phone in her purse too. Coincidentally Declan sees a lone car in the parking lot from her office window and takes advantage of the situation and decides to go and help her cause you know he doesn't want to spend Christmas alone.  *rolls eyes*, To be honest, it's been a long time since I've read one of these. It has no chapters, and it was a treat.
View all my reviews

January 24, 2015

The Queen of The Hill

Queen of The Hill by Genevieve Jack

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a series that hasn't gotten enough attention. It's a great story, but the ending to Queen of The Hill is not what I expected.

Grateful and Rick were about to get married and now that Rick has had his memories stolen by the wicked witch Tabetha, (yes, that's how it spelled) Grateful has to rebuild their relationship and win his love over again. How maddening is that!?

The fight between Tabetha and Grateful at the mansion was epic, and I look forward to the next book in the series because I want to know if they live HEA.

I like the set because all the bad guys get killed off while the good guys are winning. That's not to say they haven't had their share of dangerous circumstances. Grateful familiar is a snarky raven called Poe and Logan is her best friend who Grateful brought back to life. There is an assortment of other characters like vampires, werewolves, faeries, ogres, leprechauns and witches. Genevieve Jack is an excellent author.


About the Author

Genevieve Jack is a former registered nurse and author of weird, witty and wicked-hot paranormal romance for adults. Genevieve grew up in a suburb of Chicago and attended a high school rumored to be haunted. She loves old cemeteries and enjoys a good ghost tour. Genevieve specializes in original, cross-genre stories with surprising twists. She lives in central Illinois with her husband, two children, and a brittany named Riptide, who holds down her feet while she writes.
Her Website: http://www.genevievejack.com/

January 12, 2015

So, what's YOUR favorite quote this week?

The Booktastic quote I chose is from my current read Dark Skye by Kresley Cole.

If there is one thing I've come to recognize about the Immortals After Dark books, is that they always begin with two creatures of the Lore violently hating each other almost to the death. If it weren't for one claiming the other as his/her mate i.e "Mine", they would absolutely tear each other to pieces! Yes. In Dark Skye I am finally coming to understand why it's so; making the romance hard earned and fun. It used to be that I hated all the contention but Kresley Cole is a writing genius. The fighting and bad behavior between two Loreans like Melanthe and Thronos is because of the Accession! The gods and goddesses are having a heydey! Meanwhile, Nix the ever-knowing is playing matchmaker lol. Normally Vrekeners and Sorcerei do not belong together. I didn't get it until I read Dark Skye! Did anyone else get that about why the romance always started off volatile? In the first book, The Warlord Wants Forever, I understood it, I think, but as the series went on it became a troubling and monotonous theme. I didn't care what the reason was*shrugs.

Dark Skye (Immortals After Dark #14)Excerpted from

THE LIVING BOOK OF LORE. . .

The Accession
"And a time shall come to pass when all immortal beings in the Lore, from the Valkyrie, vampire, Lykae, and demon factions to the witches, shifters, fey, and sirens...must fight and destoy each other."
  • A kind of mystical checks and balances system for an ever growing population of immortals.
  • Two major alliances: The Pravus Rule and the Vertas League.
  • Occurs every five hundred years. Or right now...

January 3, 2015

No Book Buying Challenge 2015

Hosted @Chapter Break and Second Run Reviews

"I have a lot of kindle books that I need to read. Surely that will keep me busy for at least a year"

My reading goal for 2015 is set to 24 books. In comparison to the lot of you, that is an incomparably LAX number. This year I wanted to only read one book a month, but instead I doubled that to 24. However, that number may change depending on how I do with my kindle reading.

For this challenge, library books are not allowed , but seeings how library books are budget friendly, I will also be participating in the 2015 snagged @ the library challenge

In the last few years , my experience with reading was more of a personal challenge than it was an enjoyment but I rather prefer reading slower and sometimes if I have to, read it over again. In other words I want to take my time. It was about how many books I could read in a year. I have changed and therefore my New Years resolution will be to ONLY READ BOOKS THAT I LIKE, not to be swayed by Goodreads reviews.

Everytime I am persuaded to read a book that is against my better judgment , I end up being terribly disappointed and I wonder are they reading the same book?

HERE ARE THE GUIDELINES


  • Abstain from spending money on books for one calendar year (or follow a monthly   book budget). 
  • Gift cards OK, audible account OK, but no buying extra credits 
  • Encourage other challenge participants via comments, social media and emails. 
  • Participate in the monthly posts. 
  • Library books do not count for this challenge. This challenge is mainly for books you already own. 
  • Netgalley books can count for this because you have the book, so read it!



This challenge begins Jan 1, 2015 and ends Dec 31, 2015.
Books Read For This Challenge