Who Is Mistral Dawn?

Mistral Dawn is a thirty-something gal who has lived on both coasts of the US but somehow never in the middle. She currently resides in the Southeast US with her kitty cats (please spay or neuter! :-)) where she works as a hospital drudge and attends graduate school. Taken By The Huntsman is her first effort at writing fiction and if it is well received she has ideas for several more novels and short-stories in this series. Please feel free to visit her on FaceBook or drop her a line at mistralkdawn@gmail.com

Thursday, March 31, 2016

#IABBAddict: #Introducing #Dissident By Cecilia London!



Hey Everyone!! :-)

Cecilia London's Dissident is being featured by IABBAddict today.  Check it out! :-)

Blurb:
**DISSIDENT is now FREE for a limited time** 

“I will always be with you…”

Rising Democratic star Caroline Gerard hasn’t had an easy year. After losing her husband, she is raising two small children alone while trying to navigate the tricky and sometimes shallow halls on Capitol Hill. A string of nasty speeches has her scrambling to apologize to any number of candidates, including newly elected Republican Jack McIntyre. Falling in love again is the last thing on her mind.

Jack McIntyre might have a reputation as a playboy, but he has his sights set solely on his new colleague. Can he break through Caroline’s grief and capture her heart?

Told mostly in flashback and set against a chilling fascist backdrop, Dissident is a rollercoaster ride of political intrigue, passionate contemporary romance, and undying love.

For readers 18+. Ends on a cliffhanger.



Wednesday, March 30, 2016

A #Bargain! A Bargain! ;-)



Hey Everyone!! :-)

It's Wednesday again, Happy Hump Day!  Which means it's time for another glimpse at Petri's life.  :-)  I hope to have more information about when you can expect Rainbow Dreams to be released by this time next week.  But until then, here's another little peek:

Excerpt from Rainbow Dreams:
The Paka growled and bared his teeth. "Very well, Arcanum, I will bargain with you."

"I'm not an Arcanum!"

"I'm not yet certain what you are, but I will bargain with you, nonetheless."

"What do you mean?"

"You may ask a question, and I will answer honestly, for every question of mine that you answer."

Petri considered his offer. They were getting nowhere, and she needed his help to get off world, so it seemed like the best compromise. Nodding, she said, "You first."

"Agreed. But I warn you, I will know if you lie."



Well, I guess Petri is about to find out more about her handsome rescuer.  Do you think she'll give away more than she gets? ;-)  I hope you all are having a fantabulous week so far, and please stop by again tomorrow for the newest in Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

The #Romance #Reviews' #Summer2016 #Readers' #Choice #Awards



Hey Everyone!! :-)

As you may remember, Captivated By The Winter King and Intrigue In The Summer Court have both been entered in The Romance Reviews' Summer 2016 Readers' Choice Awards!  Captivated By The Winter King has reached the necessary number of nominations to advance to the next round, but Intrigue In The Summer Court still needs 5 more nominations.  I would really appreciate your help with this!! ;-)  It's totally free and will only take a minute.  All you have to do is click on this link:


And click on the button at the top of the page that says "Nominate."  That's it!  Thank you all so much for your support, and I hope to see you all again tomorrow for the next edition of Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)


Monday, March 28, 2016

#April2016 #Fantasy #Worlds #eMag #Free!



Hey Everyone!!! :-)

Fantasy Worlds eMag has released their April 2016 issue!!  This is a free eMag with lots of goodies in it.  There are stories, articles, reviews, excerpts, previews, and awesome fantasy art!!  If you follow this blog, you might recognize at least some of the content, but there's also lots more new stuff to keep you entertained. ;-)  If you'd like to check it out, you can find the April 2016 issue here:



While you're at it, why don't you check out their web page too?  That way you can see all the other exciting things they have going on. ;-)


Thank you all for stopping by today, and don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings!!




Sunday, March 27, 2016

Have We All #Lost Our #Damn #Minds?



Hey Everyone!! :-)

I generally try to keep this blog positive.  But, today, I'm going to talk about something that I think is pretty important, even though it's not entirely a happy subject.  It's certainly not non-controversial, anyway.  Hopefully, you'll all forgive me, but today I'm going to talk about...duh dun dun!!!.. Politics.

Any of you who live in the United States are, at this point, painfully aware of the presidential election that will happen in November of this year and the preliminaries that are going on now.  I know that even some you who don't live in the US are aware of the three-ring circus we have going on here right now because I've had some friends who don't live here ask me what the flying fuck is going on!

Good question!  For those of you who don't know, we (the US) have one of the most outrageous and ridiculous political campaigns in our history happening right now.  A short explanation of American politics for those who don't live here:  In the US there are two main political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans.

There are other parties, and there are no laws preventing even more parties from forming, and it's entirely possible for a candidate to run as an Independent, unaffiliated with any party.  But for practical purposes, if a candidate doesn't run as a Democratic candidate or a Republican candidate they don't really have much chance of winning any election at the national level.  And, of course, the election for the office of President of the United States is a national election.  Other party and non-party candidates can run in national elections, and some have run in the past, but they don't have a realistic chance of winning.  The best they can hope for, generally speaking, is to split the vote for one of the major parties, which hands the election to the opposition party.

So, who are the parties?  Well, basically, the Democrats are, in recent history, the progressive, liberal party.  Though, in my lifetime they've been more center right than left leaning, for the most part.  I know that a lot of people think that President Obama has been a breath of fresh air, especially after the Bush years, but he's really a pro-corporate moderate right-winger.  The Republicans are the conservative party and, in recent years, they really have lost their minds and gone way the hell out in right field to the point that they've completely lost touch with the majority of Americans.

Now are these my opinions?  Of course they are, and the rest of this post will also be my opinion.  We're talking politics, after all. ;-)  Also, I'm not a political guru of any kind, these are just my own observations based on 30+ years of watching politics in the US.

So, those are the parties, who are the candidates?  Well, there were more of them earlier in the race, but now there are mainly four, two in each party.  The way presidential elections in the US work is that first each party runs a series of elections to choose their candidate and then the two candidates, one from each party, run against each other to be elected as President.  Right now, we're at the point where the parties are trying to choose their candidates, and this is where it gets interesting.

On the Republican side, the main candidates at this point are Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.  Now anyone who knows anything about American politics will be well aware of who Trump is, and also know that he's the main reason the rest of the world is questioning the sanity of the American people.  Cruz, unfortunately, might be even worse.  It's hard to tell because Trump changes his story so often it's impossible to know what his real thoughts or intentions are, but Cruz is an ultra-conservative, evangelical Christian who views women and racial minorities as second-class citizens undeserving of basic human rights and the LGBT+ community as non-human.

However, as far as the Republican candidates go, Donald Trump is almost guaranteed to win at this point, unless the Republican party does something rather dirty and underhanded at their convention.  But that goes further into the nitty gritty of American politics than I'm going to get into here.  If you want to know more about that, email me and I'll send you links to some political commentators who I think do a fairly good job of speculating on the possibilities.

But Donald Trump has, so far, gotten more of the popular vote than any other one Republican candidate...as the rest of the world has looked on in horror.  He now has a real chance of becoming the next President of the United States, which any rational person knows is a terrifying proposition.  So how the hell did he go from a sick joke to a serious candidate?

Well, that's kind of both a simple and a complicated question. The short answer is he represents the bigots in the US who want change for themselves, but still want everyone else to be kept down.  The longer answer is that there is a huge, huge, huge wage disparity in the US (largely due to the fact that we haven't, in my lifetime, had a truly progressive president who wasn't bought and paid for by the corporate lobby) with the vast majority of people kept just on the edge of survival. The only comfort many of these people have is that, while they may be bad off, at least they aren't X, Y, or Z. Which has led to a perpetuation of widespread and profound racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and homophobia.

To justify their prejudice, people like to hide behind religion. But that's really just an excuse, in my opinion, as religion has been a convenient shield for all kinds of atrocities throughout history. But humans are never so deceived as when we deceive ourselves, so many of these people sincerely believe that their religion teaches that other people are inferior to them. Which works out nicely for them because that's what they wanted to believe to begin with.

But that doesn't mean those people don't want their lives to improve. For decades, they've been supporting the Republican party, which goes against their own interests, because the Republican party promotes the racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and homophobia they cling to.  The Republicans pay lip-service to Christianity (in spite of the fact that the US was founded as a secular nation with a separation between religion and government explicitly written into our Constitution) while they work against every ideal promoted by the Biblical Jesus.  But they talk a good game and play to people's fears and prejudices.   How else could a party that works so hard to ensure the vast majority of the population remains in poverty continue to thrive in a society where leaders have to be elected every few years? It's the bone they throw the masses.

Add to this that education is almost impossible to get in the US unless you have money, and a "sour grapes" effect has taken hold in the form of an anti-intellectual attitude among many people. So a number of Americans are not only ignorant, they're proud of their ignorance. Starting to sound familiar?  All this gives us a large pool of mostly uneducated bigots who still want their lives to improve, but don't want anyone else's lives to improve. And now we have two candidates running to be President of the United States who are bucking the status quo, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders is one of the two main Democratic candidates, with Hilliary Clinton being the other one.  Clinton is another pro-corporate, center right candidate, who wants to keep things more or less how they are.  She's certainly a better choice than either of the Republican candidates, but not by much.  At the moment, she's espousing lots of progressive ideals in order to have a chance of competing with Sanders, but her political record gives the lie to her current claims.

Now, Sanders promises real change, insofar as the POTUS is capable of effecting change on his own, and he has a decades-long history in politics that supports his claims.  He's a true progressive liberal, a democratic socialist, and he's been consistent on every major political issue throughout his entire political career.  Sanders' main challenge is that he's not what the powers-that-be want.  He has refused corporate money and so represents the interests of the electorate, not corporate interests.  And he wants real, meaningful change.  Can you tell who I'm supporting? ;-)

 BUT Sanders wants to improve everyone's lives and give equal rights to racial minorities, women, and the LGBT+ community.  Well, that would mean that the people who have been comforting themselves with the thought that at least they aren't X, Y, or Z all these years won't be able to do that anymore. And that's something they're just not willing to let go of, never mind that, if they weren't in such desperate straights themselves, they wouldn't need that emotional salve anymore.

Then you have Trump, who supports the status quo as far as racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and homophobia, but promises to help out his fellow WASP men. His appeal to blame all woes on immigrants have resonated particularly well among a certain segment of the population. Never mind that he contradicts himself constantly, makes absurd promises with no meaningful plans on how to achieve them, would be working against his own interests as a member of the 1% if he did follow through on his promises (which makes it unlikely that he has any intention of doing so), and is wholly and unutterably unqualified for the position. He's different, he's loud, and he's saying the things they want to hear, complete with racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and homophobia.

Add to this the fact that the media in the US is almost entirely owned by corporations, who don't necessarily want Trump but really don't want Sanders. So while the media makes sure Trump stays in the headlines constantly, Sanders is buried. This is evidenced by the facts that the preliminary elections aren't even half over yet, that Sanders has done quite well in some states so far (even some that the polls said he wouldn't do well in), and that the states that have yet to vote have populations who are far more likely to support Sanders than the states that have already voted, and yet the mainstream media is calling for Sanders to withdraw from the race.  Unfortunately, news outlets in the US aren't held to any standards that would require them to present their stories in a way that is consistent with actual facts.  Nor are they required to cover the news that matters instead of sensational trivia.

Also, absurdly, corporations are granted equal rights with actual human beings under US law and so are able to buy elections.  And they're doing their damnedest to buy this one.  So we have a perfect storm for Idiocracy to move from the comedy column to a documentary.

So, have Americans lost our damn minds?  Well, yes and no.  Some of us have, but I really see this election as a testament to the fact that the vast majority of people in the US are deeply, deeply frustrated with politics as usual.  People are angry and a desire for change in America is almost universal; it's just what the change should be and how it should be enacted that's up for debate.  Unfortunately, while Trump may be a fantastic con-man, Sanders is the only real hope for improving the lives of regular Americans.

But the corporate lobby and establishment politicians will continue doing their damnedest to convince us all to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.  How?  By doing what works.  Panem et circenses, my friends.  Let's send them all a message and show them that we're smarter than that.  #FeelTheBern!





Saturday, March 26, 2016

#Spring Into #Reading $180 #Cash #Grand #Prize #Giveaway!! :-)


Hey Everyone!! :-)

Guess what!! I have another exciting giveaway to tell you about!! :-)  It's free to enter, there are over 100 prizes, and the grand prize is $180 cash payable through PayPal!! :-)  Now isn't that worth taking a few minutes to check out? ;-)   Here are all the details:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  And don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)



Friday, March 25, 2016

What's In A #Name?



Hey Everyone!!

Kate is back today with some of her thoughts about labels and how we're more than what people call us.

Kate:
I was standing in the room when he entered, all his bags of legos and videos bouncing against his lower legs. He was a teenager this year and it showed. He was all legs and arms going in various directions as he hovered about, bouncing on his toes talking to me. His face lit up when he saw me and he waved enthusiastically as he called out

“Hey Dave! Guess what?!”

I grinned and walked over, helping him put all his stuff in the right places and catching his shoes as he kicked them off and they went flying through the air. Nothing the child ever did happened at ground level it seemed and soon he was off, hopping up and down, skipping, twirling around as he talked.

“So my mom and my brother and I watched a movie last night, Sandy! We watched Toy Story 2, Aimee! My mom said I did very good!” He flung open his arms in a gesture of pleased surprise and truthfully, considering that he'd recently given his mother a concussion by hitting her with a broom, I was pleased for him. Pleased that they'd had a good night for once. Pleased to see him smile and pleased he remembered it at all. He stopped skipping in circles “Hey, what's your name again?”

I smiled and responded with my name. His eyes lit up and sparkled with the knowledge although a split second later, it was gone as he sat down to play a game on the floor and asked me to play with him, calling me “Dave” again. I sat down and we played Uno, or mostly played Uno since partway through we seemed to switch to “Go Fish” and then switch back to Uno again in an oddly smooth transition. I got up to walk over to the counter to get him some popcorn when he asked and he yelled after me “Hey Dave, I want the yellow popcorn please!” at my departing back. I turned and nodded to indicate I heard him and he resumed laying on his mat flailing his arms about as though doing snow angels.

The teacher walked in and the child leaped to his feet to rush over and greet the teacher, immediately explaining that he and Dave were playing a game of Uno and that Dave was getting the popcorn. The teacher looked a bit confused and scanned the room looking for a substitute but then his eyes met mine as I walked over with the popcorn. “I do believe I am Dave today. We tried on Aimee and Sandy for size but it apparently just wasn't the same.” The teacher nodded and shrugged, reaching out to try and stop the child from climbing onto a nearby desk to look at the holes in the ceiling.

Originally, people had tried to make him remember their names and some of them still did. Over and over they repeated themselves and over and over he forgot. Over and over they told him what to call them and over and over he had to stop himself in the middle of sentences and ask “What's your name again?” The brain injury suffered when he was three meant that things simply didn't process the way they did for others. His long-term memory was relatively unaffected and things that were not people could make it into the long-term memory but names....although he knew them all...never seemed to completely associate themselves with as specific person. About two weeks into working with him I'd dropped all pretense of names and just waited for him to decide what I was called when he came in. Whatever he settled on that day was who I was and that was fine.

The funny thing was that the child absolutely knew when one of us was absent and he knew exactly who we were. He recognized us when he saw us, he talked about us at home. He liked me a great deal and we did well together and that was all that mattered to me. A name is a name is a name. It's a label and sometimes, who we truly are and what think is truly important cannot fit into a convenient label. Instead it must be lived, experienced and nurtured. You are not a label. You are a you. Embrace that and the labels you currently use to define yourself will suddenly seem wholly inadequate and flat.


Thursday, March 24, 2016

#IABBAddict: #Seizing #Control By Kylie Hillman!



Hey Everyone!! :-)

Today's #IABBAddit's post is to introduce you all to Kylie Hillman's Seizing Control.

Description:
When a monster owns your past, can you control your destiny?

Only daughter of the volatile President of the Black Shamrocks MC and long-suffering sister to four overprotective brothers, Madelaine O'Brien has survived circumstances that would have broken a lesser woman.

Mik 'Mad Dog' Kennedy is her salvation, her reward for continuing to fight, and the matching piece of her soul.

With her life happy and on track, will the reappearance of the monster from her past be the event that finally breaks her? Or will he be the catalyst she needs to put it all behind her, once and for all?

They say when life gives you lemons; make lemonade. What happens when life keeps sending you demons who refuse to stay buried? Do you lie down and accept defeat or rise to the seemingly unwinnable challenge, and start SEIZING CONTROL?


Ooooh!  Sound good?  Well, you can find it here:


And it's free with Kindle Unlimited!!

Thank you all for stopping by today, and don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings! ;-)


Wednesday, March 23, 2016

#How The #Other #Half #Lives...



Hey Everyone!! :-)

It's Wednesday again, so I thought I'd share with you a peek at how the other half lives. ;-)


Excerpt from Rainbow Dreams:
She moved deeper into the apartment, following where she guessed he had gone. The door led into a well-appointed living room. There were few furnishings, but what was there was well made. Petri could tell just by looking at them that they were expensive. The carpet was soft, with thick pile that cushioned and embraced her stiletto-clad feet.

"Don't wear your shoes on the rug!" snapped Rodney from the room beyond.

Petri quickly returned to the entryway and removed her shoes. Barefoot, she walked through the living room, noting that it contained a fireplace, of all things! And there was a fire burning! On a world like Upworld? She looked closer, trying to figure out what he was burning, but she couldn't tell.

In Under City, fire was a danger to be avoided at all costs. Fire suppression tech was expensive, which made it uncommon in the underworld. Fires could easily consume whole neighborhoods before they burned themselves out. Petri had heard of fireplaces, some of the clients she had entertained had mentioned and described them. But she was afraid to get close to this one. What if the fire escaped?

The mantle over the fireplace was made of a solid piece of stone. The kind of stone was a mystery to Petri, but she was amazed that anyone would go to the trouble of finding stone of any kind to use just for decoration. And that was far from the only way money had been squandered in this apartment.

Now that her shoes were off, Petri realized the carpet was cupping and massaging her feet as she walked across it. A subtle perfume floated up to her nose as well, which was released with each step she took. Various types of tech dotted the room and knick-knacks that were clearly of off-world origin decorated the walls. The whole place just screamed extravagance and waste to her. Once again, she forced herself to bury her feelings.


Tuesday, March 22, 2016

#NewRelease #Announcement: #Dark #Lycan By Barbara Chioffi!!


Synopsis:
Tara Bentley has experienced much in her life. Losing her father while still in high school, she finds herself faced with a stepfather a year later. When she finally accepts him, rapid developments threaten to unravel her existence.
Attending a dinner with her parents, Tara meets a young man who proves to be a danger.. She awakens in the woods, remembers being with him, but the rest eludes her. Found by a handsome shapeshifter, she is returned to her family..
Jared, her rescuer, begins to court her, and soon, they are in a loving relationship. Revelations come to light, involving her true heritage. These bring joy but also danger to her, as well as to Jared and his family.
Faced with the knowledge that her attacker is still at large, Tara must either decide to embrace her true nature to protect those she loves, or risk losing them.

My Review:
In spite of Tara's early loss, she's a rather sheltered, innocent young woman.  Partly as a result of her inexperience, she makes the decision to trust a man she shouldn't trust and that decision ends badly for her.  Her rescuer, Jared, has to try to help her overcome the trauma of her abduction and accept some secrets about herself that her family has been keeping.
This is not the first of Ms. Chioffi's stories I've read.  As much as I love each story, I'm always amazed that the next one surpasses the last and Dark Lycan is no exception!  Five stars, and I can't wait to read the next installment in her Mystic Hearts series. :-)


Want to read it for yourself?  You can find it here:



Monday, March 21, 2016

#Book #Previews At #SneakPeek!



Hey Everyone!! :-)

There's a new site called Sneak Peek and Taken By The Huntsman is featured on it!! :-)  If you'd like a look at my book and others, you can find all these wonderful previews here:


There are books of all genres, so something for everyone, and the site is free to use.  If you're an author and would like your work featured for free, drop Paul White a line and he'll send you the details on how to make that happen.

Thank you all for dropping by today, and don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings!! :-)




Sunday, March 20, 2016

#MarchMadness #AmazonGiveaway!!



Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've created an Amazon Giveaway for Captivated By The Winter King.  What does this mean?  It means that I've giving away free copies of Captivated By The Winter King to three lucky winners!!  All you have to do to enter is click on the link below and follow the instructions.  There's no purchase necessary and it's open to all US residents 18 years of age and older.  So if you haven't already gotten your copy of Captivated By The Winter King, here's the perfect opportunity for you to get your copy free!!  The link to play is:



Thank you all for stopping by, and best of luck in the contest! :-)


Saturday, March 19, 2016

Our #Stories



Hey Everyone!

My friend, Kate, is back with us today with some thoughts about tolerance and acceptance.  I think her essay is awesome, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Kate:
My brother now rarely drinks so he instead he runs. He runs miles upon miles, half-marathons turned into Marathons which turned into 31-mile trail runs. Trail runs turn into ultra-thons and on and on it goes. Because he no longer reaches for a beer or a vodka bottle he has found something else to reach for and while occasionally my family worries when he comes back and his toenails are falling off, he's limping and he can barely move we all just quietly look at each other and say “You know what? We've seen where he was. If this is what he needs to do instead we'll take it.”

My little sister decided when she was eighteen she wanted to join the military. Something my older brother would have failed miserably at. My little sister is five foot two, one hundred and thirty pounds of compacted muscle and the sweetest smile you've ever seen. She's feisty, she's opinionated, she's strong and she's intelligent. My older brother, in contrast, is six foot two, nearly two hundred pounds of lean muscle and large bones, very intelligent, thoughtful and articulate as well as highly educated because he's deeply philosophical and reads. Relentlessly.

My sister has performed admirably in the military. She's hauled the same gear at the same pace as men twice her weight and many inches taller. She has guarded the same gates carrying the same weapons as everyone else and she has made the same decisions as anyone regarding the team of individuals under her care. My older brother has never managed a team of individuals because his leadership skills consist primarily of leading himself in this astonishing array of bizarre directions only he and those he does business with understand. He is generally successful at that as well. My older brother has three little boys that he fought for two years with the most incredible determination to be able to see and care for after his ex-wife decided she was going to use them against him in a custody battle. He won full custody and after two appeals at the Supreme Court level retains that custody

If I told you these stories using gender neutral pronouns and then asked you to guess which of the two were involved in which story I nearly guarantee that most people would get most if not all of it wrong. And see, the problem is that most people would think they could guess at all and even make the attempt rather than looking at those two as individuals and going “You know, I have no idea because each of them is capable of being the hero of their own story.”

That is what those stories are actually about and what most stories about people who do things differently or defy expectations are aiming at. It's not that women are better than men or that men are all horrible people. It is simply that given a clear shot, most of us are fully capable of being the heroes of our own story and the fact that the story includes chapters other stories don't is irrelevant. It is OUR story, OUR book that we sit and write every day of our lives as we get up and begin the day once again.

It does not need to be a story of a “little girl” or a “little boy”, it needs to be the story of a person. Complete with strange side trails, odd hikes that lead to cliff faces we either decide to climb or walk away from, decisions we wish wouldn't have made and those we are proud we did. These books do not need to be written by societal expectations, heavily gender-laden thought processes and ideals. They do not need to include racism, misogyny, or any sort of phobia related to who people love or how they present themselves. The books just need to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Provided that the pages do not involve harm to others, those pages do not need to be edited, rephrased or rewritten to appease others.

In this year, perhaps the best thing anyone can do is decide that they do not need to demean others, judge others, hate others, control others or force others into boxes to write a story. They just need to go out and be the hero of their own story and give others the space to do the same.


Friday, March 18, 2016

#March2016 #IndieBooksBeSeen #Indie #Author #Books #BookReviews!


Hey Everyone!! :-)

It's the 18th again, so I'm back with more of my #IndieBooksBeSeen indie author book reviews!!! I hope you enjoy them and maybe even find something to add to your own bookshelf! :-)


Railroad by Neil Douglas Newton:

This story actually starts out as two, seemingly unrelated, stories, but as it progresses, the two tales are woven together so skillfully you almost forget that they were once separate. First, there are hints about some abductions of women and children that are taking place, but you can't quite figure out what's going on. But there's enough given that you're immediately hooked from the first page. Then there's the story of Mike Dobbs, a man who is wrestling with PTSD and the big question of what he wants out of life. And all of this is set against the dramatic backdrop of the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
Overall, I have to say I love this book!! Mr. Newton tackles hard issues like child sex abuse, dealing with and healing from trauma, and the consequences of apathy and ignorance. He does an excellent job of highlighting the inadequacies of the justice system when it comes to protecting children from abusive parents. And the suspense he builds without even seeming to try will keep you on the edge of your seat! But even though I would classify this book as a suspenseful thriller, I would also say the writing qualifies as literary in nature. Mr. Newton really explores the human condition and what it feels like when people form unexpected bonds with others. All-in-all, five stars, and I truly hope Mr. Newton writes more stories for others to enjoy! :-)



Through Life & Death by Jennifer Felton:

This was a very quick read.  Since I'm not familiar with the rest of the series, it was a little hard for me to figure out what was going on at first.  But once I got into the story, it was cute.  Sebastian, as one might expect from a Prince of Hell, can be a bit of a jerk at times, but he's not all bad, as is evidenced by his actions at the end of the story.  Overall, I enjoyed this, but I think those who have read the other books in the series would get more out of it. :-)



Haunted Hearts by Kim Cox:

Lana's great aunt, Lucy, was murdered twenty years ago and know one knows who did it...not even the victim!  Unlike most murder victims, Lucy has stuck around and now she's asking Lana to solve her murder.  But that will mean combing through the past and unearthing secrets that some will go to any lengths to keep buried.
With ghosts, nosy neighbors, and a bit of a comedy of errors flavor, this story is a cute combination between a cozy mystery and a paranormal adventure.  I picked this book up on impulse because it was free, and I wasn't at all disappointed.  It's a quick read and moves fast enough to be a page-turner.  I enjoyed it and even though it's not a genre I normally enjoy, I will probably read more in the series.



Bonded by CM Johnson:

Okay, once again, this is not a book.  This is a complex, involved series that requires patience to let it all unfold. The second book takes up just where the first one left off, with Kerrisha's terrible vision.  Through a complicated series of events, Kerrisha and her intended, Kerreth, work together with their friends and siblings to try to protect each other and their Clan while simultaneously planning a royal wedding!  And the poor kids haven't even come into their full power yet!
I really enjoyed this story, but the long narratives do require that the reader pay close attention or risk missing something important.  I also still feel that this is a story that is intended for adults. It has violence, explicit sex, and adult situations that would not be suitable for younger readers. If you are easily offended or unable to tolerate darker stories, this is not the right book for you. But for those who enjoy an intricate tale of adventure and mayhem, this is a great series!



The Secret King: Lethao by Dawn Chapman:


The Aonise's sun is dying, and they must evacuate or die. But their evaluation is complicated by the Zefron, another race that seems determined to see every last Aonise dead. Their king, Kedro, is their only hope, but even his power might not be enough in the face of such enormous obstacles!
I enjoyed this book, but it was slow to grow on me. It's odd for me to have to say that the beginning was slow because it starts out in the middle of a planet-wide evacuation due to a dying sun. It was a beginning that was predictive of the whole book, with a lot of non-stop action. But it took a while for me to be able to learn enough about the characters to care about all the troubles they were overcoming. It also has a cliff-hanger ending, which is one of my biggest pet-peeves when it comes to books However, once I got to know everyone, I found it to be an enjoyable addition to the sci-fi genre and I can almost forgive the ending. :-)






Thursday, March 17, 2016

#IABBAddict: Spinne the #Spider's Big #City #Adventure by MaeMae Spencer

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Check out more information on #IABBAddicts here
Join us every Thursday for IABB #Confessions


ABOUT THE BOOK


Spinne the Spider's Big City AdventureAuthor: MaeMae Spencer

Title: Spinne the Spider's Big City Adventure

Pages: 42

Genre: children's book

Date published: October 2, 2015


Synopsis:
Born with only six legs, Spinne is a unique spider. Through hard work she's living life the same as any other spider, without letting her disability disable her. With the love and support of her family, she knows she can accomplish great things. 

Lately she has been dreaming of an adventure all her own. One day when she's older, her mom says, she will have plenty of adventures. Knowing this doesn't keep her from dreaming. 

After accidentally falling asleep on a car, Spinne finds herself zooming from the country to the big city. Looks like that big adventure is going to happen sooner than she realized. Is she ready? Find out in Spinne the Spider's Big City Adventure!


EXCERPT
Stars twinkled overhead, creating a blanket of light in the sky. Spinne sat on the ledge outside the window of the house, looking up.
"Mom, there has to be more to life than this," she said, waving one of her six legs.
"There is, dear. There is a whole wide world out there. But not all of it is nice, or safe, or kind," she answered as she spun a cocoon around their dinner.
Spinne had been born with only six legs, and it made some tasks like creating an effective web more difficult. Having less legs than every other spider she knew was the way it had always been, so she made it work. "You've said it yourself, we should judge by who someone is on the inside, not what they look like on the outside. I'm good inside. How can we be sure I won't be just fine out there?" This was a conversation they'd had more than once. Spinne wanted to see the good in everyone, and she didn't understand why her mother was so sure about those she hadn't met.
Spinne's mom finished her task and slid down from the web to sit beside her. She looked up at the sky, at the same stars Spinne was studying. "When you were little — a few days old — a group of young ants wandered by. They noticed right away that you were different. One of them made a rude remark about your missing legs and that ant's mother, who was walking along behind, looked over and saw you. She didn't correct her son's mistake, which tells me she didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said."
With wide eyes, Spinne looked up at her mom. "What did you do?"
"I was shocked at his words and even more shocked at his mother's reaction. I was furious enough to give her a piece of my mind but, by the time I recovered, they were gone. What I did instead was cry, and then I promised myself — and you — that I would protect you from that sort of behavior as long as I live. I haven't seen those ants since that day, or I would certainly let them know how inappropriate their responses to you were."
The moonlight shone down, reflecting off the tear as it slipped down her mom's face. The memory must have been very painful for her, if bringing it to mind made her cry again.
Spinne had never seen her mother cry before and felt awful about it. She wanted to make everything better, and searched her brain for something to say.
"Not everyone is like that, though. There are lots of good ones out there… right?"
She wiped the tear away. "Sure, there are plenty that are good."
Not convinced by her tone of voice, Spinne opened her mouth to ask why she didn't sound sure, then closed it again. Maybe she should leave well enough alone.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

#Charity In The #Underworld


Hey Everyone! :-)

Happy Wednesday!! :-)  I thought I'd share with you another glimpse at Petri's world.  It seems there are those who are even worse off than her...

Excerpt from Rainbow Dreams:
Sighing, she kicked herself again. That had been foolhardy for a number of reasons. First, if any of the other underworlders on the platform saw and suspected she might have more, they would follow her onto the train and try to mug her. Since they had already marked her as a fellow underworlder, they would know she didn't carry any of the fancy personal protection devices an Upworld citizen might bring with them to protect themselves.

Second, she had need of that food herself! It wasn't as if she had a secure food or income source set up. In an hour or two, she'd probably be wishing pretty hard for those wafers. And third, the chances of that little girl getting to eat the damn things before someone stronger took them away from her was slim to none.

Still, she hadn't been able to stop herself. Seeing a child, so much like she had been, who was desperate enough to brave facing the ghouls just for the small chance of getting some rich citizen's pocket change had struck a chord in her heart. Grimacing, she told herself that a dolly had no business even having a heart, never mind being led by it. But in spite of those truths, she couldn't bring herself to regret her impulsive charity.


Tuesday, March 15, 2016

#Luck O' The #Authors #SaintPatricksDay $120 #Cash #Giveaway!! :-)


Hey Everyone!! :-)

Guess what!! I have another exciting giveaway to tell you about!! :-)  It's free to enter, there are over 80 prizes, and the grand prize is $120 cash payable through PayPal!! :-)  Now isn't that worth taking a few minutes to check out? ;-)   Here are all the details:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  And don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)



Monday, March 14, 2016

The #Romance #Review's #Readers' #Choice #Awards - #Summer2016!



Hey Everyone!!! :-)

I need your help again.  Captivated By The Winter King and Intrigue In The Summer Court have both qualified for the nomination round of The Romance Review's Readers' Choice Awards - Summer 2016!!  But they both need 50 nominations each in order to qualify to move to the next round.

So what does that mean?  It means I need people to click on each of the links below and then click on the button at the top of the pages to nominate each of them.  It's free and will only take a few seconds, and I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't mind helping me with this. :-)

To vote for Captivated By the Winter King click here:

http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=20175


To vote for Intrigue In The Summer Court click here:

http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=18551



Thank you all so much!!! And I hope to see you again in the next round! :-)


Sunday, March 13, 2016

#Introducing Margaret Harlowe & Her #Steamy #Hands On The #Wheel!



March 2016
Just released!

HANDS ON THE WHEEL:
A SINFULLY EROTIC TRUCKER ROMANCE

By Margaret Harlowe

Sara Cooke is tired of watching truckers come and go from the grill where she waitresses in tiny Chugwater, Wyoming. She’s also bored with being broke. The open road, at the wheel of an 18-wheeler, is where she sees herself.
When Hank Werner walks through the door of the Flying Bison Grill, she notices his confident cowboy trucker style.
Of all the times for Sara’s unpredictable ex-husband to show up!
Soon she’s desperate to get out of town.
Hank is willing to help her -- for a price.
Adults only, please.
Warning: This erotic romance novella is a little bit sweet and a lot dirty. If you can’t handle dirty words, hot sex, and some kink, this may not be the book for you.

Available on Amazon in paperback ($13.95) and on Kindle ($2.99).

Five-star Reviews:


Sweet romance in a well told story. Loved the heroine. Fantastic read!


This story is very well done and well told. I truly enjoyed it. Great ending too. The pacing is fantastic. Tension builds and happily ever after is threatened. Basically this is just a very good love story. If you want to feel good, you will after you read it. I was invested in the heroine right away. The hero is... just what you want a hero to be. There for the heroine. A great alpha male, he's also a considerate lover with a little kink. My favorite comment was, "I like what I like." ohhhhh nice!

Once I started reading, I couldn't stop.

Sweet love story with plenty of heat!


I read a lot of erotica and erotic romance, and what I loved about this story is how completely real and completely unique the two leads - Hank and Sara - were. I loved that they were both complex and troubled characters with baggage. Always fun to read a good erotic romance that gives you plenty of both! Great little love story, and plenty of hot kink between Hank and Sara.


Direct amazon purchase link:

Margaret Harlowe’s author page:
https://www.amazon.com/author/margaretharlowe


on twitter: @authormharlowe




Saturday, March 12, 2016

#Cover #Wars! ;-)





















Hey Everyone!! :-)

Want to help me answer a question? :-)  As you may know by now, I have a free book out.  I've collected together all those blog posts about pet care and animal rescue and created my Animal Rescuer's Guide To Staying (Relatively) Sane.  I'll list the links where you can find this free book below, but my question is about the cover.

At the moment, I'm using the cover on the left.  I created the cover myself using pictures that I took myself of some of the kitties who have wandered through my life over the years.  Now, I have no talent when it comes to graphic design, and my skills as a photographer are debatable at best, but I thought it would give this "manual" a personal touch to use pictures that are connected with the animal rescue that I do.  However, a friend of mine, who has far more artistic talent than I do, put together the cover on the right for me.  And I'm not sure which one to use.

Obviously, the cover on the right is much, much more polished and professional looking than the cover I made.  But the one thing it lacks is the connection to my rescue efforts that the cover on the left has.  So, since I can't decide, I'd like your opinions. :-)  Which cover do you think I should use?

Cover Number One:



Or Cover Number Two:


Please leave a comment below with the cover number that you'd choose.  I really appreciate your help with this! :-)

Where can you get a copy of the Animal Rescuer's Guide To Staying (Relatively) Sane?  Why, from any of these retailers! ;-)








Friday, March 11, 2016

#Luck O' The #Authors #SaintPatricksDay $120 #Cash #Giveaway!! :-)


Hey Everyone!! :-)

Guess what!! I have another exciting giveaway to tell you about!! :-)  It's free to enter, there are over 80 prizes, and the grand prize is $120 cash payable through PayPal!! :-)  Now isn't that worth taking a few minutes to check out? ;-)   Here are all the details:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  And don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)



Thursday, March 10, 2016

#IABBAddict: Poison by Lan Chan

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Check out more information on #IABBAddicts here
Join us every Thursday for IABB #Confessions


ABOUT THE BOOK


26143713
Author: Lan Chan

Title: Poison

Series: Wind Dancer, #1

Pages: 193

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Date published: August 31, 2015

Synopsis:
Since the night her mother was murdered, sixteen-year-old Rory Gray has known one truth: There are no good Seeders. 

In post-apocalyptic Australia, the scientists known as Seeders have built a Citadel surrounded by food-producing regions and populated with refugees from the wars and famine. To maintain their control, the Seeders poisoned the land and outlawed the saving of seeds.

It’s been six years since Rory graced the Seeders’ circus stage as the Wind Dancer and still the scars on her body haven’t healed. Even worse are the scars on her heart, left by a Seeder boy who promised to protect her.

Now the Seeders are withholding supplies from Rory’s region for perceived disobedience. Utilising the Wanderer knowledge she received from her mother, Rory must journey to the Citadel through uninhabitable terrain to plead for mercy.

However, the Citadel isn’t as Rory remembered. The chief plant geneticist is dying and rumours fly that the store of viable seed is dwindling. The Seeders are desperate to find a seed bank they believe Rory can locate, and they will stop at nothing to get it. 

To defy the Seeders means death. But Rory has been close to death before--this time she’s learned the value of poison.

Recommended for fans of The Hunger Games, strong protagonists, circuses and nature!


EXCERPT
I run until it feels like my lungs will burst and every drag of air is excruciating. Then I stumble around in the dark for hours until I finally give up and start to climb again. I go up as far as I can, as high as the branches will support me, and wait for the coming dawn.
I’m awoken by the hollowness in my stomach. My eyes are grainy and the light is too bright, but I force them open. I’m way above the first canopy, and this high up, the forest is covered in a layer of mist so dense it could be snow. But no layer of weather would be magical enough to obscure the other sight. High above the treetops, pushing upwards so the tips of the skyscrapers disappear into the clouds, is the Citadel. I hadn’t even noticed it was so close. On this level, the Iron Gates and the six-metre wall surrounding the Citadel are obscured by trees. Besides Warden Tower and the distant gleam from the dome over the Forgotten Garden, the skyline has changed dramatically from what I once knew. Skyscrapers have risen and fallen, and there’s a sense that the entire city is slowly expanding over the mountain it rests on.
It feels wrong to be trying to get back into the Citadel after so long. I barely escaped the first time, and only because I suspect Papa made some kind of untoward deal with the Seeders in exchange for my freedom. Yet seeing it so close, knowing it’s not just a figment of my imagination, fills me with a sense of urgency.
I’m not ready. I don’t have enough information about what I’m getting myself into. So I do the only thing that comes naturally when I’m unsure. I start to climb and don’t stop until the branch I cling to is little more than sapwood. I seat myself with my belly against the tiny leader branch and hug the tree as it sways precariously against the prevailing wind. In this moment, I actually feel like I’m a part of the eternal dance between the earth and the sky. The branch tips horizontally, and I close my eyes and pretend I’m on a ride at the fair that accompanies the circus around the regions.
I smile and then catch myself as a sickening thought occurs to me. Do I really love soaring over the earth, or is it something the Seeders have planted in me by conditioning? If it’s the latter, does it say something about me that I’ve embraced being up so high?


Wednesday, March 9, 2016

#Wednesday #WIP!



Hey Everyone!!

It's Wednesday again, so time for some more of Petri's antics.

Excerpt from Rainbow Dreams:
The foursome escaped the Janus wasp hive with much less difficulty than Petri would have predicted. There was only token resistance from the remaining JWs, and Petri wondered where the rest of them were. Hives of less than fifty cult members were unusual. It was only when Sadaka whispered in her ear that Daji had fought off more of the wasps before she and Chessie had arrived that it began to make sense.

Janus wasps weren't known for being reasonable or allowing reality to impinge on their pursuit of their goals, so the fact that the Paka had been able to run them off still disturbed her. Normally, if the wasps thought they were under attack, they killed all the victims they had in custody. If they had thought it was a hive-burning, they should have converged on her and Chessie and taken them to the altar room.

But watching the big Paka fight, she had to admit the JWs had good reason to be scared. When she added in the fact that Daji had already taken the fight to their altar room, she thought it was little wonder that the JWs had chosen discretion as the better part of valor. The cult members had probably decided they weren't ready for their high priest to be the next sacrifice; especially, since it had been clear that sacrificing their remaining victims wouldn't be possible.

The Paka was like a machine, tearing through anyone who stood in his way with a cold ferocity. In some ways, he was much like a guard, except, unlike the mechanicals, he obviously had the capacity to temper his response based on the situation. Petri had never met anyone quite like the alien before, but she looked forward to learning more…assuming she didn't end up having to kill him.



Wow, sounds like she's having mixed feelings.  I wonder what that's all about. ;-)  Thanks for stopping by today, and don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings!