Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Wednesday Spotlight (+Giveaway) | The Prophecy by Erin Rhew


Today, I'm joined by one half of the Rhewination: Erin Rhew. For those that don't know, Erin is a young adult fantasy author who is married to adult thriller author, Deek Rhew. Together, they are "the Rhews," and their street team is the Rhewination!


Last week, Deek went on blog tour to celebrate the release of his latest book, 122 Rules. And this week, Erin is on tour to promote her fantasy trilogy, The Fulfillment Series! PS. There's a giveaway--a $50 Amazon gift card!!

So, here's a little bit more about Erin, Deek, and The Fulfillment Series:


The Prophecy (Fulfillment Series Book 1)


Title: The Prophecy
Author: Erin Rhew
Publisher: BookFish Books
Cover Design: Anita at Race-Point
Available Now via Amazon.

Synopsis: 

Growing up on a small farm in the kingdom of Vanguard, seventeen-year-old Layla Givens lives a deceptively tranquil existence. But her carefully constructed life quickly falls apart when she's abducted by a religious zealot who proclaims her The Fulfillment of an ancient peace prophecy and whisks her away to marry her greatest enemy.

Wilhelm, Prince of the Ethereals, is reluctant to meet his new bride. He's grown up believing Vanguards are evil, an enemy to fight and fear...not love. Can he set aside his prejudices and work alongside Layla to bring lasting peace after centuries of war? 

Nash, a loner who has never fit in, carries a huge secret, one big enough to destroy both kingdoms. When he accidently meets Layla, he's no longer content to live in the shadows, but he must resist his growing attraction--for her safety and for the longevity of the two kingdoms. 

When Nash's secret is revealed, a firestorm sweeps through both realms, with Layla at the center. Now she must choose between duty and desire while the fate of two nations hangs in the balance.



The Outlanders (Fulfillment Series Book 2) 


Title: The Outlanders
Author: Erin Rhew
Publisher: BookFish Books
Cover Design: Anita at Race-Point
Available Now via Amazon.

The Fulfillment (Fulfillment Series Book 3)


Title: The Fulfillment
Author: Erin Rhew
Publisher: BookFish Books
Cover Design: Anita at Race-Point
Available Now via Amazon. 


About Erin Rhew
Erin Rhew


Erin Rhew is an editor, a running coach, and the author of The Fulfillment Series. Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word. She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the "Grammar Police."

A Southern girl by blood and birth, Erin now lives in a rainy pocket of the Pacific Northwest with the amazingly talented (and totally handsome) writer Deek Rhew and their “overly fluffy,” patient-as-a-saint writing assistant, a tabby cat named Trinity. She and Deek enjoy reading aloud to one another, running, lifting, boxing, eating chocolate, and writing side-by-side.

Connect with Erin Online!



For the latest and greatest, visit her web page:




About Deek Rhew
Deek Rhew
Deek lives in a rainy pocket in the Pacific Northwest with the stunning YA author bride, Erin Rhew, and their writing assistant, a fat tabby named Trinity. They enjoy lingering in the mornings, and often late into the night, caught up Erin’s fantastic fantasy worlds of noble princes and knights and entwined in Deek’s dark underworld of the FBI and drug lords.

He and Erin love to share books by reading aloud to one another. In addition, they enjoy spending time with friends, running, boxing, lifting weights, and exploring the little town--with antique shops and bakeries--they call home.


Connect with Deek Online!


For the latest and greatest, visit his web page:

Find Deek's Novels Online!



Birth of an American Gigolo


122 Rules (122 Rules Series, Book 1) 

Random Fun With Deek and Erin

Always laughing together

Celebrating their anniversary in style! ;) 

Enjoying every moment!

Their cat and literary assistant, Trinity--leader of Rhewination!

Sharing every secret and every facet of life with each other! 

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Want a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card?




*Content was sent by the author for this publication. This is a free ad.



Saturday, April 16, 2016

Book Review | DON'T YOU CRY by Mary Kubica


May 17, 2016; MIRA
In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she’s the person she thought she knew.

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside of Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under Pearl’s spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us in the end. ~Goodreads

I LOVE it. Mary Kubica is now officially a favorite. I enjoyed both The Good Girl and Pretty Baby last year. Their stories are not easily forgotten, I can still vividly recall them. And DON’T YOU CRY is another statement of her brilliance.

Like the other two previous books, this one is also narrated from different POVs. I believe that’s one of the book’s attractions. Different POVs get the book to cover more grounds, and although the plot tends to wind, it never gets boring. This style also gives the reader a broader view; diversity of thoughts and ruminations gives a better thrill. And, Ms. Kubica used this style very wisely.

The book is unbelievably well-written. The psychological thrill lies in the chase for some elusive answers. I love how Ms. Kubica dangles those answers right in front of the reader, but always out of reach, until the last stretch, and then, shock takes root and reacting is utterly difficult. Agreeably, everything was cleverly tied together in the end. I believe that a good psychological thriller should be exactly like that.

This review is frustratingly vague, I know, but I don’t want to spoil anything. A warning though, this book challenges the reader with questions from the very beginning of the story. So, you’ll be very tempted to take a peak. Hold on to that temptation, but never peak.

I highly recommend this book.


Book details:

Title:  Don't You Cry
Author:  Mary Kubica
Publication: May 17, 2016; MIRA
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating:  ★★★★★



*Thanks to MIRA and Netgalley for the galley in exchange for this honest review.


TFG-F2F62, February 25, 2017Milky Way, Makati City

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Wednesday Spotlight (+ Giveaway) | 122 Rules by Deek Rhew


Rhews on Tour - 122 Rules Book Blitz Extravaganza!

How's that for a catchy title? What a crazy adventure this has been FIVE years in the making, and it has finally arrive: 122 Rules has been born unto the world. The stories I could tell just so I could tell you this story...well, let's just say it's been an interesting, educational, and life-altering adventure.


This has been a grand journey, filled with hardships, fun, learning, and growth. But of all the things that have happened on the writing road, meeting the love of my life is the most unlikely and easily the luckiest, most blessed things to have ever happened to me.






Erin Rhew and I started out as critique partners, became friends, and now she's my bride. She's my best friend and partner in all things. Even if I don't sell a single copy of my writings, I'll always be a smashing success because I met Erin.


Book Blitz



On this half of the Rhewination tour, I am visiting blogs all over the globe, from Australia to the farthest corners in Canada. Next week, on the second half of the tour, Erin will be gracing the pages of 50+ bloggers!

In addition, we are giving away a $50 Amazon gift card! Prepare yourselves to win!

122 Rules



Today, we are announcing my adult thriller novel, 122 Rules



Synopsis

In his black and white world, Sam Bradford--former Marine turned government assassin--finally sees a speck of grey. He has always followed orders without question, but his latest assignment threatens to disrupt the precision of his universe and may either severe or redeem his last remaining sliver of humanity.

Using his mastery of the 122 Rules of Psychology, Sam hunts down everyone The Agency sends him to find and eliminates them. Just as he has his rifle scope focused on his latest victim, Monica Sable, a SoCal girl entangled with the mob, his long-dormant conscience reappears for a final performance...one last ditch effort to save the sinking ship of Sam’s soul. He’s killed innocents before, but tarries on pulling the trigger this time.

When Monica escapes his crosshairs and fumbles her way across the country in a pathetic attempt to elude capture, Sam gives chase. But he’s not the only one after her. Ruthless henchmen, hired by the mob, froth like bloodhounds and nip at Monica’s heels. Now Sam is faced with a choice: turn his back on the rules and jeopardize his way of life by helping her or join the pack and rip her to shreds.


What are readers saying?

122 Rules is a fast-paced thrill-ride, filled with rich characters living in an expertly woven world of mystery and suspense. Deek Rhew’s debut novel will take readers by storm, and keep them coming back for sequels.

​~Michelle K. Pickett, Bestselling and award-winning author of PODs and Unspeakable.


The perfect, fast-paced novel for fans of kick-butt heroines, creepy killers, and getting caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. An absolute must-read!


Visit Amazon and Goodreads!


While you're on Deek's site check out Birth of an American Gigolo.

Synopsis
An old party girl shoehorned into domestic divaship, infuriated by her husband's cheating and his holier-than-thou, tree-hugging, no-tits and no-hips girlfriend, inflicts her wrath by training a local boy in the fine art of seduction. She and her new boy toy turned love god start a gigolo business as a distraction for the neglected and mistreated housewives of Alabaster Cove.



Take a selfie with your ebook or paper copy of Birth and post it on social media with the tag #BirthSelfie. We'll post you on the Rhewination web site!









Deek Rhew


Deek Rhew
Deek lives in a rainy pocket in the Pacific Northwest with the stunning YA author bride, Erin Rhew, and their writing assistant, a fat tabby named Trinity. They enjoy lingering in the mornings, and often late into the night, caught up Erin’s fantastic fantasy worlds of noble princes and knights and entwined in Deek’s dark underworld of the FBI and drug lords.

He and Erin love to share books by reading aloud to one another. In addition, they enjoy spending time with friends, running, boxing, lifting weights, and exploring the little town--with antique shops and bakeries--they call home.


Connect with Deek!




For the latest and greatest, visit his web page:



Next week be on the lookout for Erin's:
The Fulfillment Series Blitz Extravaganza!



Erin Rhew's book that started it all, The Prophecy!



Erin Rhew's The Fulfillment
Erin Rhew's The Outlanders


Erin Rhew
Erin Rhew
Erin Rhew is an editor, a running coach, and the author of The Fulfillment Series. Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word. She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the "Grammar Police."

A Southern girl by blood and birth, Erin now lives in a rainy pocket of the Pacific Northwest with the amazingly talented (and totally handsome) writer Deek Rhew and their “overly fluffy,” patient-as-a-saint writing assistant, a tabby cat named Trinity. She and Deek enjoy reading aloud to one another, running, lifting, boxing, eating chocolate, and writing side-by-side.





For the latest and greatest, visit her web page:


Are you ready to win?!!! Enter the Rhewination, Rhews on Tour Giveaway!






Artwork

Authors, do you think the artwork for The Prophecy, The Outlanders, The Fulfillment, Birth of an American Gigolo, and 122 Rules is as stunning as we do? Visit Race-Point.com to find out how you can get the amazing Anita to work on your book as well!


*Content was sent by the author for this publication. This is a free ad.


Sunday, March 20, 2016

Say It With A Book #9 | UNWIND by Neal Shusterman


With Guest Blogger | Dr. Rehana V. Pallingayan, M.D.

There are stories which can scare the shits out of little kids when the lights are turned off but only effective for a few years because they realize these are not real when they reach their teens. There are lesser stories that can scare a teenager but its effects are more brutal, the scars won't go away even when they crossed their 20th year of life, even if they are in their deathbeds at age 80. Unwind is one such story that could scare these teens, not just because of the act itself but because it roots in their inner fear of being unwanted. As an adult reading this, I have but one fear that fiction may become real. The line is thin, so thin that a Heartland war may just be in its way.

My job makes me witness the effects of transplantation. We have good success rates when it comes to Corneal transplants and Kidney transplants. We also had successful liver and intestine transplants. We had dealt with heart transplants and lung transplants in the past. You see the effects of a second chance to these people- they try to live their lives fuller; that little kid could now dream for his future; a parent's wish could come true; and a wife is ensured of not being a widow. There is this satisfaction when one says the phrase- "A life well spent". But the other side of the story is as real as these stories of hope. The queue on the triage of who gets a kidney first is long and every day the end just gets farther. We do have a national organ donation program focused not only in the aim of delivering organs to these transplant patients but also in caring for the donors, making sure they are not victims of organ trafficking and that they are well aware that even if they still have a kidney, their lives have changed, same way that one can learn to ride a unicycle after learning to use a bicycle. A bicycle will always be stable.

What I loved about this book is the strength of its character development, these teens presenting their own stories merging into one central plot- the right to exist, to experience firsthand on how it is to live. You are drawn in their sadness, frustrate about what is lacking and cheer them further to reach greatness. The books also let you go back to the basic morals you carry within or without the topic of one's religious doctrines. Even minor characters have served their purpose, may it be the dead ones or a portion of their brain. As a young adult book, I hope the teenager gets the point of how stupid and at the same time beautiful it is to be an adult. I hope they understand how one's choices could shape the world, that it is easy to commit mistakes and harder to swallow its repercussions. But hopefully the message the kid gets is this- it is always the better option to choose life. 

Transplantation is not a bad thing. Organ trafficking however is a different structure. The concept of unwinding is the most ridiculous type of organ trafficking that I hope will never come to existence. It is not the question of a soul, a religious belief or a scientific know-how but of one's integrity as a human. We are allowed to save lives but never to be above anything to be allowed to take another's life.


Book details:
Title:  Unwind
Author:  Neal Shusterman
Publication:  June 2nd 2009; Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 
Genre:  YA, Sci-fi
Rating:  ★★★★★



About Ranee:

  Ranee is TFG's in-house surgeon, probably one of the wittiest and sweetest doctors you'll get to meet She is very keen on volunteering in numerous medical missions nationwide.  When I asked Ranee's permission to feature one of her reviews here, I told her I was desperate. I was, really. I have it in mind to introduce her here for a long time now, and I am really glad that she finally agreed this time. 

Friends, “the Doctor is IN.”


TPW:  What is your favorite genre?
Ranee:  No particular favorite, I do not know if I do have a favorite genre but most likely it would be lit-fic. 

TPW:  How would you define yourself as a reader?
Ranee:  Definitely a moody one, oh wait a sniffer! Yes, definitely a sniffer, I smell books before I read or buy them.  
But really, it is my book collection that dictates. After finishing one book, I stare at my book case and just like in a trance, I seem to hear one book trying to catch my attention telling me to read it, so I do read it. Well it does help that I am a book hoarder so I have a vast collection of (unread) books waiting for my attention.

TPW:  Thank you very much, Ranee, for sharing this review. This won't be the last, I hope!