The Watch That Ends The Night by Allan Wolf BOOK REVIEW!!!

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Title: The Watch That Ends The Night

Author: Allan Wolf

Published: Candlewick Press


This is an anthology telling the stories of 21 people an iceberg, a ship rat, and a Wireless man aboard Carpathia.... Now you may be asking yourself why would that be interesting? Well because the people and the ship rat are all passengers aboard the RMS Titanic, the iceberg well....it is just waiting for a disaster. The last and finally person that most forget about is the Undertaker who's job it is to clean up the sea.

Olaus Abelseth (The Immigrant) Olaus is on his way to America in the hopes of starting a good life for his love back home so she may come over and live with him like they always planned.

Thomas Andrews (The Shipbuilder) Thomas has finally built the perfect ship for speed as well as elegance.

John Jacob Astor (The Millionaire) John is on his way to America with his pregnant wife who is young enough to be his daughter. The two have created quite a scandal.

Joseph Boxhall (The Navigator) Joseph is the man you want to help navigate the high seas.

George Brereton ( The Gambler) George looks at every place he goes as a chance to make money and Titanic is no different. With a secret identity in hand George hopes to make a fortune on this voyage.

Harold Bride (The Spark) New technology is always amazing and it still shocks Harold how quickly messages can pass from ship to ship with the use of Morse Code.

Margaret Brown (The Socialite) The unsinkable Molly Brown is now know around the world but at the time she was just an intimidating woman who was newer to the life of the rich.

Eugene Daly (The Bagpiper) Eugene has the pleasure of being the life of the 3rd class party by bring music.

Frederick Fleet (The Lookout) Most don't notice Frederick above them all but his is a most important job. He spends most of this nights looming above the passengers always on the lookout for dangers.

Frankie Goldsmith (The Dragon Hunter) Frankie is traveling to America with his family and it constantly on the search for dragons! Surely there have to be real dragons in the sea.....

Thomas Hart (The Stoker) Titanic is a well made powerful machine and it's the the Stokers or "black gang" below who keep it running smoothly. Thomas Hart is one of those said stokers.

Louis Hoffman (The Tailor) Louis is using his friends name to travel on board the Titanic with his two small sons. Louis's life has starting to take a turn for the worse and it only gets harder when out on the open sea.

John "Jock" Hume (The Second Violin) John plays lovely music for the first class passengers. Even though John makes his violin sing the most beautiful songs most people in first class never listen.

Bruce Ismay (The Businessman) Bruce is a businessman and he knows that making Titanic reach American soil on time is a must....But what if we got there faster now that would get Titanic the media attention she deserves.

Charles Joughin (The Baker) Being a baker aboard Titanic is an important job and everything must be done like clock work. Breads and pastries served on time and after the last meal breads must be cooked and ready for the next day, Charles is the brains of this operation.

Lolo (The Tailor's Son) Lolo is very young and doesn't really know the severity of the things that happen around him.

Harold Lowe (The Junior Officer) Follow the Captains orders, that is Harold Lowe's job and it becomes harder as constant reports of ice on the sea being to flood in.

Isaac Maynard (The Entree Cook) The many Many courses of food being prepared to 1st 2nd and 3rd class falls of the shoulders of Isaac Maynard...oh and what a circus it all is.

Jamila Nicola - Yarred (The Refugee) Jamila has the job of getting her and her brother to America in once piece. Jamila's father trusted her to do just that and even gave her all the money he had saved for their new life. With all that responsibility Jamila wasn't expecting to fall in love while making the journey.

E.J. Smith (The Captain) E.J. has been a captain for many years but accepted when we was asked to captain the Titanic on her first trip cross to America. E.J. planned on retiring but it shall be put on hold until after this one last job, see Titanic safely to New York.

Oscar Woody (The Post) What most don't know is that Titanic was also a mail ship. It carried hundreds of bags of mail across the sea and who was there to sort that mail but Oscar Woody.


John Snow (The Undertaker) The job of taking care of the dead never gets easier, you just get used to it. Even though John is an experienced undertaker having to take care of so much death at once is enough to unnerve anyone.


Rating:

Thoughts: I got this book as a gift because I love the Titanic and I already own a few books around it. I didn't really like this book as much as I thought I would which is kind of sad. There were a lot of parts that I felt could have been left out like the ship rats point of view which consisted of mostly scurrying around and hiding. There was also constant talk of impending doom which yes everyone already knows that Titanic sank but the passengers at the time unless they could predict the future had no knowledge that the boat was doomed. If you like Titanic I would give this book a try I know that most like this book I just didn't think it was for me.

Quote From The Book: "Decorum dictates you must die; Commons sense requires you live. 
                                           And if you speak for God, you lie, so judge me not lest you forgive."


Real Pictures:  

 Molly Brown

 E.J. Smith

 Harold Lowe

 Bruce Ismay 

 John Hume

 John Jacob Astor

 Thomas Andrews

Bound To Be Up All Night With Throw Back Thursday's Bound By Night!

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A WOMAN OUT FOR BLOOD

Nicole Martin was only eight years old when the vampire slaves rose up in rebellion and killed her family. Now she devotes her life to finding a vaccine against vampirism, hoping to wipe out her memories—along with every bloodsucker on the planet. But there’s one thing she cannot destroy: her searing, undeniable attraction for the one man she should hate and fear the most . . .


A VAMPIRE OUT FOR REVENGE

A member of the renegade vampire MoonBound Clan, Riker is haunted by demons of his own. When he recognizes Nicole and remembers how her family enslaved his loved ones, his heart burns for vengeance. But when he kidnaps Nicole and holds her in a secret lair, his mortal enemy becomes his soul obsession, his greatest temptation, and, perhaps, his only salvation—a hot-blooded lover who could heal him with her touch . . . or bury him forever.

“Bound by Night was a fantastic start to this very promising new series…
a very tasty treat from a must be read author. Happy reading everybody…you’re bound to love it.”
—Night Owl Reviews for Bound by Night

“The exceptionally entertaining Ione kicks off a sexy new vampire series…
Ione does what she does best: deliver paranormal romance with a sexy and dangerous bite!”
—RT Book Reviews ****HOT Review for Bound by Night

PREORDER CHAINED BY NIGHT AND SAVOR YOUR TASTY TREAT ON 9/30!

                            Book II of The MoonBound Clan Vampires series

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THE FUTURE OF HIS TRIBE

Leader of the vampire clan MoonBound, Hunter will do what he must to save his people from extinction—or worse, a torturous eternity as vampire slaves and subjects of human experimentation. To keep his enemies at bay, he has agreed to mate a rival clan leader’s daughter in return for peace between the clans and an ally in the looming war with the humans.


THE LOVER OF HIS SOUL

But survival comes at a price. First, Hunter must break an ancient curse by successfully negotiating three deadly tests. Then he must resist the searing passions of the gorgeous vampire warrior he despises but is bound to mate. Will Hunter stay true to his word? Or will he risk everything for the woman he really loves: the vampire seductress’s identical twin sister?

“Ione’s second MoonBound Vampires paranormal deftly uses a mixture of complex rivalries, primal violence, and sex to portray a society in which frequent vampire enslavement provokes a civil-rights dispute…Ione’s characters are relatable and sympathetic both because of and despite their id-drenched setting, and Ione’s flavor of vampirism produces a fascinating mixture of authoritarianism, atavism, and compassionate humanity that works on multiple levels.”
—Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW August 25th

“Ione has created a fascinating vampire world steeped in Native American traditions and lore and developed a path to happiness for Hunter and Aylin that is fraught with potent and poignant internal and external conflicts. The action-packed plot and creative worldbuilding keep us enthralled; the romance and sexual tension keep us emotionally invested.”
—Kirkus Reviews August 28th online, Sept. 15th print 

“Major talent Ione is back with the second installment in her gritty new MoonBound Clan Vampire series, where vampires live under the threat of enslavement and torture by humans. Ione’s vampire world is made up of sometimes warring clans who fight against each other as well as humans. Uniting the clans may be the vampires’ best hope for survival in the upcoming war with humans. With so much at stake, these excellent character relationships are fraught with intense and conflicting emotions. Hang on tight, as this is one exciting and dangerous world!”
—Romantic Times ****1/2 HOT

Crimson Kiss by Trisha Baker BOOK REVIEW + AUTHOR Q&A!

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Title: Crimson Kiss

Author: Trisha Baker

Published: Pinnacle Horror

Who knew that one night could change your life forever....

One night at a party in 1944 changed Maggie O'Neil's life forever when she met a handsome tall mysterious stranger named Simon Baldevar. Maggie's life is made, she is engaged to be married and is going to start college in the Fall to become a psychologist. She wasn't expecting to start falling for Simon but she can slowly feel herself becoming quite comfortable around him.....almost to comfortable. Simon has a way of persuading others to do as he wishes even if he doesn't know the person.....he wastes no time in using his persuasion on Maggie when he takes her home. Maggie feels Simon's warmth going through her body and she can feel herself wanting him, when they both arrive at her home she begins to fumble with her keys at the door becoming nervous around Simon until he looks her in the eyes sending that warm feeling through her body again. He persuades her to let him in which she does without hesitation. The next thing Maggie knows they are making love in her bed, Maggie is confused by the fact that she wants Simon even though they just met...it's not like her to have sex with a random stranger. Maggie feels herself falling deeper and deeper into the haze that her body is in until she feels a sharp pain on her inner thigh, just a moment of pain before she passes out. 

The next morning Maggie wakes up very sick and unable to hold anything down, she also can't bear the sight of the sun. Her weakness and sickness lessen later that day when she fill her craving for blood by sucking on a raw steak. The blood was just a random craving that Maggie couldn't control but strangely it made her feel much better and she was able to walk and do things as if she was never sick. Maggie's father comes over later that day for steak dinner and while she and her roommate Birdie were doing the dishes from dinner when they hear a knock at the door. Simon Baldevar shows up again striking up all the images in Maggie from the night before that she has tried to forget. Simon quickly becomes friends with Maggie's father as well as her roomie which is strange since her father doesn't get along with most people. Simon eventually persuades Maggie's father and her roomie to go out for a movie which they do as if under a spell leaving Maggie alone with Simon once again.  

Maggie tries to control herself around Simon this time trying to have just a normal conversation with him until he bestows upon her a very old very expensive looking pendant with the word "Amor" on the back, "it means Love" Simon tells her. Maggie tries to turn down the gift but is persuaded to keep it instead. The next thing Maggie knows they are kissing and she can feel the haze in her body rise up again almost like a date rape drug. Simon gets her in bed again as they begin to make love again but Simon teases her a bit before stopping, He wants her to promise that she will never forget that he never intends to hurt her and that she must pledge herself to him body and soul before he will continue. Maggie is caught up in the moment agreeing with him just so she can have him again. The haze becomes to much for Maggie as she passes out yet again, she wakes to the awful smell of smelling salts that a doctor has placed under her nose. Her roommate and father returned to find her passed out and called the doctor. Maggie is once again very sick and the doctor notices that her body is shutting down from lack of iron among other things and he tells her father and roommate that she will need tests done as soon as she is strong enough to make it to the hospital. The doctor gave her some medication to hold her over until she could make it to the hospital the next day then tells them to let her rest. Maggie's father leaves for his home and Birdie leaves to go to work that night leaving Maggie by herself at home. Maggie doesn't understand how she can go from being a healthy young person to being so sick she can barely stand. A small itch on her inner thigh draws Maggie's attention to two small marks with dry blood around them.....they almost look like.....but that can't be right can it.....vampire bites? Simon returns later that night leaving Maggie with the option of  transformation or death, Simon will only transform Maggie if she promises to stay with him forever...body and soul...When she made that deal that someone who seemed so gentle could be such a monster.

Possessed body and soul by love in an endless cycle of pleasure and pain......

Rating:

Thoughts: I love this series so much! I have read Crimson kiss three times and I would love a fourth book in the series to continue on with the story. I will give out a WARNING this book is for adults due to graphic sexual scenes as well as graphic violence. I love this book so much because I love vampire stories but after you read so many you get tired of the same old vampire story. This book gives you something different, the vampires in this book have a lot more abilities than the vampires you are used to I have never seen vampires in books that are depicted as they are in this book. That is a main reason why I love this series so much but it also helps that I enjoy the characters even the bad ones. This book is for those who are looking for a paranormal vampire story that isn't like anything you have ever read. If you feel up to read one of the best vampire stories I have ever read then get your hands on this book! 

Author Q&A 

 Q: How does it feel to have your first book reprinted after 13 years since it's original
       publication, and did you make any changes to the reprint from the original?

A: I made a few minor changes to Crimson Kiss and Crimson Night, but my basic feeling was if it
     ain’t broke don’t fix it.

Q: What inspired you to write the crimson series, did any real life people or events in your life
     play a part in your writing or characters? 

A: One of my favorite questions! Fifteen years ago, I was a Special Education teacher in New York City. We were required to take Enrichment Classes—i.e. Bore You To Death Classes. If
 I looked like I was daydreaming, I got snarled at. On the other hand, writing made it appear you
 were diligently taking notes.
 I’d just seen a movie called Vampire Journals and a scene in the bedroom where the girl
 realized the only way she’d leave the room was immortal or dead intrigued me. I wrote my own
 alternative scene, which kept growing and growing. That was the start of the series!
  At first, I thought there would only be one book and Simon (originally called Gavin) would die
  at the end. By the end of the book, there was no way such an unapologetic villain could die and
 he was quite insistent on getting to tell his side of the tale in Crimson Night.

Q: So taking a look at your bio it looks like you are a bit of a traveler or a "gypsy" what has
     been your favorite place to visit/live and did any locations inspire you in your writing?

A: It’s extremely cliched for a vampire writer to say this, but I loved Transylvania—particularly  Sighisoara, a mountain citadel in Transylvania. Sighisoara inspired a scene in Crimson Revenant
  where my newly introduced Harper Lupeni has a most unfortunate encounter with a vampire.
  All the places she describes—The Painted Staircase, cemetery with chickens strutting around
   where things I saw in Romania.

Q: Who is your favorite author/ favorite book?

A: Richard Adams, Watership Down.

Q: Having personally looked for copies of your books while they were are out of print, are you
     surprised about the cult following you have that kept your books so highly valued?

A: Quite surprised and grateful! What really surprised me was the outrageous prices people were          demanding for the books, particularly Crimson Night. Usually you only get hundreds of dollars
  for a book if the author’s dead—I’m very much alive. One thing that really makes me happy
  about republishing is knowing the books are available for reasonable prices again.

Q: How do you feel about the new covers and the options of ebooks hard cover and trade
     paperback being available for your re-releases?

A: I’ve been admiring the hardcover—a format I never expected for the Crimson series—since they
     arrived in the mail. I think they’re gorgeous and I love the new covers!

Q: Originally you had decided not to re-release the 3rd book in the series Crimson Shadows
      what had your torn on the republication and what made you decide to change your mind?

A: The Crimson fans changed my mind. My feeling was the Crimson Shadows is the weakest
  book in the series, and I wasn’t inclined to let my problem child see the light of the day. Then
  fans kept emailing me, saying they’d really looked forward to having all the original novels in
   hardcover. I thought, who am I to deny them, after being so patient and loyal all these years?

Q: Can you give us any clues about the two new Crimson books you are writing/ working on?

A: Crimson Revenant is complete and should be available before the end of summer. It contains the diary of Isabelle Baldevar—Simon’s mortal wife. One thing I enjoyed in Crimson Revenant was  seeing Jimmy Delacroix become a stronger character. I also quite like Harper Lupeni—my new,
 Gypsy character.
  As far as Crimson Resurrection goes, one thing I will say is that it completely turns Crimson
   Shadows on its head!

                                                           

  Find Trisha Baker                  Goodreads ** Trisha Baker's Website 

Songs That Reminded me of the Story: 

A Triple Knot by Emma Campion BOOK REVIEW!

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Title: A Triple Knot

Author: Emma Campion

Published: Broadway books

This book sets you up with Edward II's family. The story follows mostly Joan The Fair Maid of Kent and starts when Joan is a preteen then it follows her as she grows...
Joan's father Edmund was just executed as a traitor but since Joan's family was still related to the royals they were asked to live in the castle along side Philippa's family.
War is beginning to start so Edward starts to prepare for it by pulling together his allies. Meanwhile Joan and Edward (Ned, the prince of wales) begin to get close as they have become good friends. Ned begin's to become quite smitten with Joan and tells her that he plans to marry her one day. Joan of course blows off his words as him being young. Isabella the Dowager Queen doesn't approve of the match because of all the drama caused by her father. She convinces Philippa to marry Joan off so she can be away from Ned. The decision to use Joan's marriage as a way of helping Edward fun his war becomes apparent and Joan quickly become betrothed to Arnaud Amanieu the son of Barnard Ezi IV.
to present herself to Barnard as well as separate herself from Ned Joan was put on a boat for Flanders to stay at the Artevelde estate. While on her way she befriended Thomas Holland the 1st earl of kent, he was just a knight at the time of the boat ride. The two quickly became friends which helped settle her nerves on Joan's nerves on her trip.
At the Artevelde house Joan gets pampered to look like a princess complete with new owns. The gowns are very revealing which causes trouble when Ezi comes to see her. Ezi becomes to handsy to Joan which gets out of hand to the point of her almost being raped by him. Thomas saw Joan being attacked and came to her rescue which cause their friendship to grow. From the moment of the boat ride to the attack Joan can't seem to get Thomas out of her mind, as the two begin to see more an more of each other Joan can't shake the love that she begins to feel for Thomas. She would give anything to marry Thomas Holland but she is betrothed and royalty doesn't marry knights.....or do they.

Lies, betrayal, secrets, forbidden love, and history!

Rating:

Thoughts: It took me quite some time to read this book because it was a bit slower paced than what I am used to but I found myself falling in the love with the main character Joan as well as her family and loves. Though this book is historical fiction the people and most of the events are actually true. By the middle of the book I couldn't put it down and I could feel my heart racing by the end of the book. My only problem is I wish there was more of the story as well as more story told form Thomas's point of view. I just think it would have been nice to get a better look at the battle field at the time of the crusades.

Song that reminds me of the book:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger MINI REVIEW!

Title: The Catcher in the Rye

Author: J.D. Salinger

Published: Little Brown and Company


This is a short book about a teenage rebel named Holden Caulfield who is getting expelled from yet another school. The story spans in just a few days and follows Holden as she talks with with a wide choice of characters. After getting expelled from school some drama ensues which made hold leave school earlier than he was supposed to after his expulsion. He ends up getting a crappy hotel room before going out on the town to drink, smoke, and he even ordered a hooker. As the story goes on you learn more and more about Holden and what makes him tick.

Rating:

Thoughts: I enjoyed this story even though nothing really exciting happened the whole time. I however found the main character Holden very funny and found myself laughing at the trouble he seemed to get himself into. The whole book was full of teenage angst and I felt like I understood Holden.


Quotes:  " The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one."

" If you want to, and if you look for it and wait for it-to the kind of information that will be very, very dear to your heart. Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior."

Song That Reminds Me of the Book

Mini Reviews for The If You Were Me series by Carole P. Roman and The Captain No Beard series by Carole P. Roman!

Below are my ratings for the books in the If You Were Me and Lived In.... series. All of these books in this series teach kids about different locations across the world! Not only teaches them a bit of the culture of the area but also teaches them some of the language as well. I loved this series a lot and even found myself learning a little bit from reading these.

1. If You Were Me and Lived In....Norway by Carole P. Roman

   

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2. If You Were Me and Lived In...India by Carole P. Roman

  

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3. If You Were Me and Lived In... Turkey by Carole P. Roman

  

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4. If You Were Me and Lived In...Russia by Carole P. Roman

    

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5. If You Were Me and Lived In...South Korea by Carole P. Roman

   

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6. If You Were Me and Lived In...Portugal by Carole P. Roman

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7. If You Were Me and Lived In...Kenya by Carole P. Roman

   

Rating:

8. If You Were Me and Lived In... Australia by Carole P. Roman

  
Rating:

9. If You Were Me and Lived In...Mexico by Carole P. Roman

   

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The Captain No Beard series was also very cute. This series is different from the last series in the fact that it teaches values to children such as sharing. I did however enjoy the characters in this series and were able to get a better connection with them than in the If You Were Me series which has different characters every book. Below are all books in the Captain No Beard series. 

1. The Crew Goes Coconuts! by Carole P. Roman

  

 About: Being kind to others and treating them the way you would like to be treated. 

   

 Rating:

2. Stuck In the Doldrums by Carole P. Roman

   

About: Sharing and Helping each other in times of need. 

  

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3. Captain No Beard An Imaginary Tale of a Pirates Life by Carole P. Roman

   

  About: The beginning of the Captain No Beard series. You get to meet all the characters and get to know them. 

    

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4. Strangers On The High Seas by Carole P. Roman

  

  About: You get to mean new Cabin Girl Cayla who isn't liked very well when she first shows up but becomes a big help. 

   

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Now that is 13 books in all and since I read them I figured I would share the love of the stories by donating the whole stack to Autism and Dyslexia school down the road in the hopes that they would enjoy them as much as I did. The ladies at the front desk were very happy to take the books off my hands and seemed very excited about all the new books they had to add to their little library in the school. 

If you have one of these schools near you then feel free to donate any children's books to them that you don't want. They would be happy to take them and any other donations I am sure. 

I would just like the thank Red Feather Publishing for sending me these books. You have cheered up many children!