<![CDATA[Author Jesse Kimmel-Freeman - Blog]]>Sun, 19 May 2013 12:51:23 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[Review- My Mother's Secret]]>Sat, 18 May 2013 23:00:44 GMThttp://www.jessekimmelfreeman.com/1/post/2013/05/review-my-mothers-secret.htmlPicture
  • Paperback: 208 pages
  • Publisher: iUniverse (March 25, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1475962576
  • ISBN-13: 978-1475962574
  • Source: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4.5/5

The Blurb:
Franciszka and her daughter are unlikely heroines. They are simple people who don't stand out… that is, until there is a crisis. In 1939, the Nazis come to Poland and start to persecute the Jews. These are unreasonable times when providing shelter to a Jew has become a death sentence. Despite this, both Franciszka and her daughter hide Jewish families and a German soldier in their small home. For all of them to survive, she will have to outsmart the German commander and her neighbors.
The Review:

Having grown up listening to stories of the Holocaust and the things that people had to do to escape the brutality of the Nazis, when I was approached to review this book I knew I had to. There's something that is amazingly powerful and beautiful about the stories that come out of this moment in history.

I must say that this book follows suits of all the other stories I've heard or read. It is written in a way that seems to flow through the mind as you read the words. It is beautifully crafted.

I love how you get more than one perspective- allowing you to see the different stories and ways things are looked at differently. This is a great book to get older children and YAs introduced into the nit and grit that was part of the Holocaust. But that doesn't mean that is should be limited to youths. I'm 28 and I enjoyed it.

This is a powerful, amazing story that everyone that has any interest in the Holocaust should read. It's beautiful!
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About the Author:

J.L. Witterick always wanted to write a book that would make a difference. She found inspiration to do so based on a true story of courage that occurred during the Holocaust. A child of poor immigrants, she learned empathy, compassion and kindness first hand and wrote it into this story. Now an accomplished investment professional, she has decided to donate proceeds of the book sold at Indigo/Chapters to the Love of Reading Foundation, which buys books for children who cannot afford them. She remembers buying used books from the Salvation Army for 5 and 10 cents when she was a child. J.L. Witterick lives in Canada.

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<![CDATA[Review- Dragon Daily News]]>Sat, 18 May 2013 22:47:54 GMThttp://www.jessekimmelfreeman.com/1/post/2013/05/review-dragon-daily-news.htmlPicture
  • Paperback: 158 pages
  • Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (March 10, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1481998080
  • ISBN-13: 978-1481998086
  • Source: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4.5/5

The Blurb:
“… he heard a strange rumbling noise coming from the kitchen. Then a loud crash. He got there just in time to see a small glacier go right through the kitchen wall, into the living room, and out the front door.” (from “The Glacier That Almost Ate Main Street”) A glacier that starts in a refrigerator is just one of the weird things that can happen in these twenty-one stories by Highlights for Children author Gene Twaronite. What if you showed up for school one day, but the school wasn’t there? What if words suddenly leapt off the page in the book you’re reading and floated away? What if the jet you’re on is afraid to fly? What if your parents gave you a real live rhino for your birthday? What if a little snake stretched and stretched to become the longest snake in the world? What if dragons really exist somewhere? What if …? Discover the answers to these and other questions. But be careful. Imagination can be a dangerous thing … especially if someone closes the book on you while you’re inside. While some of these stories were first published in magazines including Highlights for Children and Read (Weekly Reader), many are brand new. So what are you waiting for? Jump right in—have fun with your head!
The Review:
I have a 5 year old and a 20 month old. When I read this book to them, they loved it. I also totally did too. Gene has a way with words that makes you laugh when necessary and enjoy the ride as you go.

This is my first encounter with Gene's writing and I must say that I find it refreshing. He makes you remember what it was like to use your imagination and be a kid. I enjoyed reading the stories as much as my kids seemed to like hearing them.

His introduction gives you a feel for the book and the person writing these great stories. The imagination and creativity that these stories include are amazing.

I highly recommend this for parents and even those adults (like myself) that enjoy being reminded that it's okay to be silly. This is a great collection of short stories!
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<![CDATA[Review- Tell-All]]>Sat, 18 May 2013 22:34:32 GMThttp://www.jessekimmelfreeman.com/1/post/2013/05/review-tell-all.htmlPicture
  • Paperback: 274 pages
  • Publisher: Montlake Romance; Unabridged edition (December 18, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1477813179
  • ISBN-13: 978-1477813171
  • Source: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 5/5

The Blurb:

In Tell-All, New York City writer Kat Callahan is just finishing an explosive unauthorized biography of Hollywood's 'It' couple, Alex and Victoria Janssen, when they mysteriously disappear along with their 7-year old son, Jeremy.  Now Kat's publisher is hot on her heels to finish the book to cash in on the free publicity. Little does Kat know the charming cowboy who's just strolled into her life is actually Alex Janssen's brother, Luke, dead-set on stopping the book.  He knows it will reveal a fiercely guarded secret that could destroy the lives of all four Janssens.  Now he'll stop at nothing to ensure that doesn't happen.
The Review:

For those of you that haven't read anything by Nell, then you need to. She has two books out at the moment, this one and The Gingerbread House. Both are freaking awesome!

This book is a great lighthearted romance. This isn't a jump your bones kind of romance, but something sweet that makes you feel nice and warm and fuzzy- like the first occurrences of being in love.

Nell does a great job at writing her characters. These are not stock people, you get the feeling that she had them whispering into her ear and she knows them better than she knows herself probably. Her character arcs are amazing.

The story is well thought out and you can see where Nell took the time to figure out all the small details and do the research necessary to make the book great!

Besides recommending this book, I also recommend her other one- The Gingerbread House. I fell in love with it when I read it and it was introduction to her writing style. I highly recommend her as a writer. She knows how to spin a tale that won't disappoint and will leave you wanting more!
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About the Author:

I was born in Philadelphia but grew up primarily in Seattle. I obtained my degree in Literature from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I now live in Denver with my husband Ben and our beautiful baby boy, Cole. In my spare time I work on the endless renovations of our 1922 bungalow.

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<![CDATA[Review- The Grimm Chronicles Vol. 2]]>Sat, 18 May 2013 22:20:55 GMThttp://www.jessekimmelfreeman.com/1/post/2013/05/review-the-grimm-chronicles-vol-2.htmlPicture
  • Paperback: 544 pages
  • Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; First edition (February 13, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1481897810
  • ISBN-13: 978-1481897815
  • Source: I received this in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 5/5

The Blurb:
For 200 years, the hero's magic pen has been passed on from generation to generation. The newest hero is Alice Goodenough, an 18-year-old junior from Washington High School. While her friends spent their summer working and having fun, Alice found herself doing battle with creatures most human beings don't even realize exist. A giant snake. A blood-sucking prince. A terrifying half-man, half-hedgehog. Dastardly dwarfs intent on mind-controlling everyone
who uses a cell phone.

Now, senior year has begun. With it comes a new challenge at school, where bullies have grown bolder and classes more challenging. As if that's not enough, Alice must face off against a collection of Corrupted who all share a terrible secret, one that might awaken a creature capable of doing untold damage. To uncover the secret, Alice will have to face off against a man-eating lizard, a bloodthirsty sea captain, and a mysterious wizard who can see into the future ...
The Review:

Let me start by saying that I am in love with these books, the cover of this one I'm not a fan of. It just didn't connect me to the story. :/ But thinking about the story- that I loved!

As usual, we get the best kind of heroine- a brave one that isn't weak and doesn't back down from things, even if she's scared. What a great freaking role model! We need more female characters like Alice.

Ken and Isabella have done an amazing job at creating this amazing story. The work that they've invested into combining a unique story with old classic stories and fairytales is  amazing. The detail and development is just as good as the first book.

I absolutely LOVE their character arcs. They really know how to develop the story as they go. It isn't just a standard retelling of old stories, no, these guys have thrown amazing character with great personalities and complex ideas. The entire concept surrounding Alice and the Corrupted is great and it doesn't get old!

I cannot wait to see what will happen in future stories. I know that there is a set amount for this series, but I hope that Ken and Isabella will keep writing together and come up with something just as amazing when it ends! KEEP THEM COMING! I LOVE THEM and recommend them to EVERYONE! That's right, that means you, so go get a copy now!
About the Authors:
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Ken Brosky (Taken from Amazon Authors)

I received my MFA in fiction writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. I've had over a dozen short stories published.

In addition to regularly contributing literary fiction to various journals and magazines, my current project is a Young Adult series called The Grimm Chronicles. Maybe you've heard of it? No? Really? Well ...


My co-author Isabella Fontaine and I devised 3 "rules" for this Young Adult series. They're important to us.

1. There are no love triangles. We've set this as an explicit rule. Our main character might find love, but she won't be hounded by topless boys and she certainly will never spend her time deciding who to spend the rest of her life with.

2. Our hero, Alice, must use her brain to overcome her obstacles. That doesn't mean she can't kick some butt (she definitely can!), but she does have to rely on her knowledge to win the day.

3. Alice will never commit an act of violence against another human being without there being consequences. Sure, she can do battle with evil monsters ... but violence against human beings has real consequences. Too often our heroes of today cause physical pain to people around them in order to achieve victory. Alice is different. Alice respects nonviolence to solve real-world problems, and only uses violence to rid the world of the evil Corrupted.


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<![CDATA[Double Review- Tempestuous & Exposure (Books 1 & 2 in A Twisted Lit Novel Series)]]>Sat, 18 May 2013 21:57:24 GMThttp://www.jessekimmelfreeman.com/1/post/2013/05/double-review-tempestuous-exposure-books-1-2-in-a-twisted-lit-novel-series.htmlPicture
  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Merit Press (December 18, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1440552649
  • ISBN-13: 978-1440552649
  • Source: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4.5/5

The Blurb:
After a mistake with big financial consequences topples her throne, former it girl" Miranda Prospero is bitter: she finds herself stranded in a crazed new world, holding court among geeks and misfits at a mall Hot Dog Kabob stand. Then, she gets her chance for revenge. When the storm of the decade snows in the mall workers and last-minute shopaholics for a long winter's night, Miranda sets out to get back at the catty clique who was behind her exile. But there's a complication. She somehow gets handcuffed to sullen loner Caleb. With him (literally) bound to her side, Miranda learns more in one night about her own heart, and human nature, than she ever did as prep royalty. With this twisted take on Shakespeare's The Tempest, authors Kim Askew and Amy Helmes prove again that, from Juliet's grief to Cordelia's rage, no one knew about teen angst better than the Bard. His wisdom holds up nearly half a millennium later.
The Review:
This is a great retelling of one of Shakespeare's greats. If you enjoy Shakespeare and modern takes on them, then you'll certainly like this book. It's a quick read too.

I love how Kim and Amy create this great little world for Miranda. The character development is great and you really get to know her. I also loved how they developed the relationship between Miranda and Caleb. When I read a book it is really about the characters and the arcs that they go through. I feel that Kim and Amy did a great job developing the different characters in the story.

I was personally a fan of Shakespeare growing up- I know, I'm weird. But I think that these modern retellings help to give the current generations that may not have a taste for Dear William a chance to get to know his works and the concepts behind them. With the A Twisted Lit Novel Series, I think these two authors are really helping with that.

This is a great book for those that are testing the waters of Shakespeare, of those that enjoy a good retelling, and YA lovers.
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  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Merit Press (January 18, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1440552614
  • ISBN-13: 978-1440552618
  • Source: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4/5

The Blurb:
Double, double, toil, and trouble! The quest for high-school royalty can turn deadly when teen ambition outstrips reason. Skye Kingston is a shy shutterbug who prefers observing life from behind her camera lens. She doesn't know she's stunning, and comes off the sidelines only when she's forced to by the terrifying events of one treacherous school year in Alaska. A boy named Duncan is dead, and his death may or may not be an accident. Skye's three new best friends are eerily able to foretell the future, and cheerleader Beth might be more than a social climber--she quite probably is a sociopath. Then there's Skye's growing attraction to the school hottie, Craig, The Boy Who Would Be Prom King. But their time is crossed by fate. There's already been one death, and who can say if it's only the first? As Skye falls for Craig, she also slowly realizes that he is caught in the crosshairs of a deadly plot. Can she save Craig and herself from a murderous fate? Exposure is not only a modern take on the classic Macbeth, it's proof that nothing has changed since Shakespeare riffed on the subject nearly half a millennium ago: the quest for power can lead to bloodstained hands.
The Review:
The second book in the A Twisted Lit Novel Series doesn't fall too far behind the first one. Amy and Kim really know how to take a beautiful work of art and redo it- keeping the mastery.

Unlike the first one that dealt with Shakespeare's Tempest, this time we get to experience Macbeth in a new light (I'm a fan of that story in particular). Once again they have managed to take something that is very specific in language, timing, and morals and modernize it.

They breathe life into their characters and story.  And they make them believable. I mean, they could totally happen in real life. This time around we get to know Skye and Craig. This book is full of intrigue and mystery. It's a great read for those that love a good character arc. Kim and Amy do a great job at creating their characters.

If you love a good retelling of a great story like Macbeth, then you'll want to check this out. Seeing that these girls took on such a hard play in the first place, it definitely needs to be read. Check it out. You won't be disappointed.
About the Authors
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Kim has been in love with Shakespeare's plays since middle school (and she's even dated several Hamlet-types). Her mom is thrilled that Kim is finally putting her BA in Renaissance Lit to good use.

A contributor to the anthology The May Queen, Kim's writing has appeared in literary journals and other publications, including the SoMa Literary Review, Kitchen Sink, and Elle Magazine. She is currently working on her Master's thesis on Henry James at Mount St. Mary's College, Los Angeles. With her friend and Twisted Lit series co-author Amy, she writes the popular blog about book-to-film adaptations, Romancing the Tome.

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Amy Helmes co-authored "Exposure" and "Tempestuous," the first two in a series of Shakespeare-inspired YA novels known as "Twisted Lit." She's also written a compendium of tongue-in-cheek dating guides including the pseudo-scientific tome "Boys of a Feather: A Field Guide to North American Males." Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Amy graduated from Xavier University before migrating to Los Angeles. In 2004, she competed against record-setting champion Ken Jennings on the trivia quiz show "Jeopardy." (No surprise, she lost.) She obsesses over classic literature (and film adaptions thereof) at her blog, "Romancing the Tome," and dishes on love triangles and evil twins as news editor for the nationally published Soaps In Depth magazine.

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<![CDATA[Not  Quite Mine Blog Tour]]>Wed, 15 May 2013 15:21:40 GMThttp://www.jessekimmelfreeman.com/1/post/2013/05/not-quite-mine-blog-tour.htmlWelcome to my stop on the Not Quite Mine Blog tour!
About the Author:
New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in Washington State, but after graduating high school, she moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned novels Wife by Wednesday, Married by Monday, and Not Quite Dating. Bybee lives with her husband and two teenage sons in Southern  California.
The Blurb:
Gorgeous hotel heiress Katelyn “Katie” Morrison seems to have it all. But when she crosses paths with Dean Prescott—the only man she’s ever loved—at her brother’s wedding, Katie realizes there’s a gaping hole in her life. After the ceremony she gets an even bigger surprise: a baby girl left on her doorstep. Determined to keep the newborn until she learns who her mother is, Katie has her hands full and doesn’t need Dean snooping around…especially when his presence stirs feelings she thought were long gone..

Dean Prescott knows Katie is lying to him about the baby. He shouldn’t care what the woman who broke his heart is up to…and he most certainly shouldn’t still be aching for her. Yet Dean can’t ignore the need to protect Katie—or the desire to be near her every chance he gets. But when he and Katie solve the mystery surrounding the baby, their second chance for happiness could be shattered forever.
The Review:
Much like the first book Catherine has setup a perfect coupling with her characters. I absolutely love her style with her characters and the arcs that they go through. This story is just as good as the first in the series, it doesn't fall victim to the curse of the sequel at all.

I LOVE Katie and Dean, and it's great how they were briefly introduced in the first book and now you get to see some of their story. Catherine so knows her characters, you can just feel them speaking into her ear and her writing down their story as they tell it to her.

The story is one of love and the conquering the different aspects of falling for a man while Katie has desperately fallen in love with baby Savannah. Catherine doesn't write a how to keep a baby found on your doorstep, instead she focuses on the story and her characters.

Catherine has done the magic again with this one and I hope she write a ton more books in this series! I cannot wait!
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Bestsellers…how to keep ‘em on top

Guest Post

Catherine Bybee


Thank you so much for having me on your blog today. I’ve been taking requests for blog tour topics from my Facebook friends.


This question came from Kim, and it’s about keeping my books in the top 20.


I know that there are plenty of writers following me online, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer a few blogs about craft or marketing.


Keeping a book on top of a bestseller list is entirely different than getting it there in the first place.


Keeping a book high on the bestseller lists is really dependent on readers, word of mouth, and the delivery of a good story. Nearly any book can shoot to the top of a bestseller list. But if the book doesn’t deliver what the writer intended, and readers don’t respond to it, it will fall off. Having a backlist of books in the same genre is a huge factor in keeping a book on the charts. If readers love your work, they will look for more…it all feeds on itself.


Having any title in the top 100 on Amazon is a huge accomplishment. Getting it into the top 20 or even the top 10 means hundreds and sometimes thousands of people are downloading your book a day. And if even a fraction of those people are reading your work they will talk about it and the reviews will start to help feed what readers need to decide to spend money on it.


I can guarantee one thing in this crazy world we call publishing. If you’re not writing the next book, the chances of you falling off the lists increases daily. So keep writing, and keep publishing books.


Hope that helps.


Happy writing!


Catherine


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<![CDATA[Judas Kiss Blog Tour]]>Fri, 10 May 2013 17:24:46 GMThttp://www.jessekimmelfreeman.com/1/post/2013/05/judas-kiss-blog-tour.html Welcome to my stop on the Judas Kiss blog tour! Make sure you enter the giveaway! :)
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About the Author:
Angella Graff was born and raised in the desert city of Tucson, Arizona. She married and became a mother very young, and after getting started with her family, began her University studies where she found her passion for creative writing, history and theology. She now resides in Tucson with her husband Joshua, three children, Christian, Isabella and Adia, and their three cats, Archive (Ivy), Lasciel and Fix. She prefers to spend her days writing, gardening, and reading non-fiction theology theory books. Angella is also an avid, if not fanatic fan of Doctor Who and BBC Sherlock, which tend to dominate her dry, sarcastic humor, a lot of which is apparent in her writing.

Currently Angella is working on an Urban Fantasy series called The Judas Curse, involving extensive research into Mythos, Christianity and history. The first book of The Judas Curse, The Awakening, was released November 2012.

For info, visit Angella’s website and Amazon.

Follow Angella on Facebook.

To learn more about the author and her work visit our author showcase and read Virtual Tours, Inc. In a Nutshell interview
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The Blurb:
Judas’ Kiss haunts him 2 millenia into his unending existence. Torn between petty gods and their hunger for power, a faithless police officer slips further into machinations that have already cost the life of someone he loved. Mark’s story finally begins to unfold in the newest volume of Angella Graff’s well received series: The Judas Curse. Just as Detective Ben Stanford is ready to put the past at rest, he’s pulled down once again into the chaos of gods, theology, and mystery. Told that his sister is alive and the two immortals, Mark and Judas, have been kidnapped by the treacherous goddess, Nike, Ben must find a way to rescue the pair before she can harness their powers.

While Mark waits alone, forced to write out the story of how their powers came to be, and Judas lay tortured by the angry Goddess, a reluctant Ben must enlist the help of an unwilling being from the ancient Norse Pantheon.

Time is ticking, and the hard-headed detective must use everything he learned in the past to prevent another disaster, which could potentially wipe-out the human race.


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<![CDATA[Review- Everville]]>Wed, 08 May 2013 02:40:05 GMThttp://www.jessekimmelfreeman.com/1/post/2013/05/review-everville.htmlPicture
  • Paperback: 230 pages
  • Publisher: Roy Huff (April 1, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0988936402
  • ISBN-13: 978-0988936409
  • Source: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4.5/5

The Blurb:
Owen Sage is the emblematic college freshman at Easton Falls University. With all the worries about his first year in college, he was not prepared for what would happen next. His way of life was flipped upside down when he mysteriously crossed into another dimension, into the beautiful land of Everville. His excitement was abruptly halted when he discovered that there was a darkness forged against both the natural world, which he knew well, and the new land which he discovered, Everville. He must devise a plan to save both worlds while joining forces with the race of Fron and The Keepers, whom both harbor hidden secrets he must learn in order to gain power over the evil that dwells in The Other In Between. With a race against time to save both worlds, his short time at Easton Falls did not quite prepare him for the evil, dark forces he must fight in order to conquer The Other In Between.
The Review:
This is an epic kind of story. I know it has been said before, but Roy has a Tolkien-y feel to the story- only I actually finished it, unlike Tolkien. LOL.

I really enjoyed this book. It mixes lots of elements that I've enjoyed, and it has a little gritty aspect to it. Something that not all books get. Roy is a great storyteller and you can tell that he has taken the time to develop his characters and story.

It is a great book for the YA genre, although like so many of the genre (Yes, YA, not New Adult, whatever that is, people please stop making up new genres!) it has a crossover aspect that makes it enjoyable for those outside of the original target range.

It does leave you wanting more though. Owen Sage is  completely thrown into a new world of unexpected adventure. It blends concepts, worlds, spaces, and times. I love it!

This is a good book for those that enjoy fantasy, epic stories, and books that fall in the realm of Tolkien without his verbose insanity.
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About the Author:

Roy Huff is the author of Amazon Kindle's bestselling #2 epic fantasy and #3 young adult teen fantasy novel, Everville: The First Pillar. This is the first installment in the remarkable Everville series which combines elements of epic fantasy and young adult fiction in a form that nearly anyone will enjoy reading, young or old. He is a man of many interests including but not limited to science, traveling, movies, the outdoors, and of course writing teen and young adult fantasy fiction. He holds five degrees in four separate disciplines including liberal arts, history, secondary science education, and geoscience. Roy Huff's background includes work in art, history, education, business, real-estate, economics, geoscience, and satellite meteorology. He was born on the East Coast but has spent more than half his life in Hawaii, where he currently resides and writes his epic fantasy sagas.

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<![CDATA[Review- Andrea at the Center]]>Wed, 08 May 2013 02:23:27 GMThttp://www.jessekimmelfreeman.com/1/post/2013/05/review-andrea-at-the-center.htmlPicture
  • ebook, 212 pages
  • Published February 8th 2013 by Pink Flamingo Publications (first published 1994)
  • ISBN13 9781937831950 edition
  • language English
  • original title Andrea at the Center
  • Source: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4/5
  • Flames: 5/5

The Blurb:
"You're going to here at the Center for a few months. It's going to be the most enlightening experience of your life. When it's over, you'll be returned to where you taken from—a different woman."

Young and beautiful Andrea is, without warning, whisked away to a secret location, where a mysterious group devotes itself to the pursuit of sexual enlightenment through the use of many sensual techniques. Gradually, she's introduced to the ways of the Center by the people that gladly occupy it. Her sense of self and her understanding of sexuality are profoundly challenged, leading her to a new understanding of herself and the deepest sexual satisfaction
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The Review:
It's crazy to think that a place like this could really exist. This is an erotic novel- be warned if you're thinking you might escape the world of sex, oh heck no. If you think that, then you probably didn't read the blurb anyways.

It also has elements from all the sexy books out there. If you like GBLT books, or multi-partner, or hetero, it has something for everyone.

But let's not just think about this book as an erotic novel because it isn't just that. Andrea is also on a journey of self-discovery, and like many books out there, she seems to blossom under the concept of sexuality as a window into her own self. This was done in some classics like The Awakening by Kate Chopin, so don't just dismiss it because it has a lot of sex in it.

It's insane to think that someone could be kidnapped and just thrown into this kind of environment. It is the kind of book that wants you to open your world up, not just stick your head in the sand and ignore what is around you.

J.P. crafts her characters awesomely and her arcs are great. This is a good book. Erotic or not, you might enjoy it. So give it a shot.
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<![CDATA[Review- The Sea Horse Trade]]>Wed, 08 May 2013 02:01:52 GMThttp://www.jessekimmelfreeman.com/1/post/2013/05/review-the-sea-horse-trade.htmlPicture
  • Paperback: 226 pages
  • Publisher: Wildside Press (April 16, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1434441962
  • ISBN-13: 978-1434441966
  • Source: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4.5/5




The Blurb:

Literary star Sasscer Hill's legion of fans who have been chomping at the bit for another Nikki Latrelle Racing Mystery need wait no longer! Hill's latest spellbinding suspense story, The Sea Horse Trade, takes readers to South Florida for a wild ride on the dark side, mixing horse racing, a mysterious drug kingpin, prostitution, and a mother's brave search for the daughter she was forced to give up at birth. When Nikki works the January meet at Gulfstream Park near Miami, something about racehorse owner Currito Maldonista worries her. Bad enough she's expected to handle Maldonista's evil-minded colt, Diablo, but Nikki begins to suspect Maldonista may be a Colombian drug lord. Worse yet, could he be abducting underage girls and forcing them into the sex trade? Nikki's world and Maldonista's collide when Nikki's oldest friend, Carla Ruben, comes to Florida to find Jade, the teenage daughter she gave up for adoption years ago. Jade's adoptive parents are dead, and the exotically beautiful girl is missing. Could Maldonista be involved? Nikki and Carla put their lives on the line to find out! A thrilling new racing mystery from the author of Full Mortality and Racing from Death!
The Review:

Wow! She's done it again. I've only read pieces of her other works, but when I did I loved her amazing craft with words. This book doesn't disappoint- even if I read it in manuscript format which is big and clunky.

This is a  fast paced book. I mean, you're totally thrown into the world of Nikki and the insane things she seems to get herself sucked into. And I swear, I would never work with a horse called Diablo. I mean it is like saying that the beast is a devil.

The entire time you're reading it, it's like you're a horse in a race for your life and the only way to slow the world down is get to the end- but then you're just left wanting more from the writer.

Hill really knows what's she's talking about. She's obviously taken the time to research and invest in her characters. I really love her character arcs and I really love how it's done in first person. I'm a big fan of that. I write the same way.

I recommend this for those that love a good mystery, suspense, thriller, book of awesomeness.
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About the Author:

Author Sasscer Hill has been involved in horse racing as an amateur jockey and breeder for most of her life. Now that she has turned to writing, it is only natural that her first two mystery novels are about horse racing.
Hill has a rich history as an amateur steeplechase jockey, horse farm owner, and has ridden in fox hunts for 22 years. For some 30 years Hill owned and operated a horse breeding farm in Maryland where she raised thoroughbred horses. Among the best horses she bred and raised was For Love and Honor which won $418,000 in New York racing at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct.

Hill's love for horses is deeply inbred over a long lineage tracing to Samuel Ogle, colonial governor of Maryland in the mid-1770s. Samuel Ogle is credited with bringing horse racing to North America, staging the first English-style race at Annapolis, Maryland in 1745. Ogle imported Queen Mab, part of the first pair of English-bred Thoroughbreds imported to the colonies. Queen Mab was a gift from Lord Baltimore presented when Ogle travelled to England in 1745.

Her love of horses, experience in steeplechase racing, knowledge of horses and writing style has prompted many book lovers and critics to compare Hill with the famous British horse racing mystery writer, Dick Francis.

As promotions director for an academic publishing house, Sasscer Hill produced textbook catalogs for direct-mail to more than 250,000 academicians, libraries and other users. Her first novel, Full Mortality, was nominated for both the Agatha and Macavity Best First Mystery Awards.

Born in Washington, D.C., Hill earned a BA in English Literature from Franklin and Marshall College and now lives with her husband in Aiken, SC.

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