Susan Peterson Wisnewski - BlindSight

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

6. BlindSight by Susan Peterson Wisnewski (2012)
The Complete Adams Thriller Trilogy
Length: 238 pages
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Started: 16 March 2016
Finished: 30 March 2016
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Susan Peterson Wisnewski for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 16 June 2015
Why do I have it? I like paranormal mysteries and Susan Peterson Wisnewski is a new author for me.

Tisha Adams had once been living the dream: living with her best friend in a ritzy apartment in a New York City highrise; working as an assistant for a world-famous fashion designer. However, the dream was apparently just too good to last. After she is spectacularly fired from her dream job - and with threats of being blacklisted in the fashion industry still echoing in her ears - Tisha's former best friend finds her in a compromising situation and promptly kicks Tisha out of their shared apartment. Having lost both her dream job and her apartment in one day, Tisha has since crashed back to reality.

Two months later, Tisha's current living situation is definitely a far cry from her beautiful Manhattan apartment. She is living in a musty garage apartment in her father's house; reconnecting with her younger brother Bill, and attempting to remain cordial with her father's new wife. And while her current job working as a receptionist for her uncle in Queens may not be all that different from her previous position as a fashion designer's 'gopher'; Tisha has absolutely no idea of how drastically her life will change when she witnesses something that she shouldn't. As a result, she and her family rapidly become subjects of a police investigation.

Tisha is horrified when she witnesses a grisly murder during her daily train commute. However, when the body mysteriously disappears before the police arrive, she is utterly baffled as to what may have happened. Yet Tisha has also been keeping a secret to herself; a special ability that she has always hated and feared. The dead speak to her; and if she touches a person, their past, present and future are revealed to her.

As a child, Tisha had always done her level best to just ignore her strange ability and try to live a normal life. Lately however, Tisha's pretended ignorance of her skills has become increasingly difficult to maintain. After the murder victim's spirit appears to her several days after his death, Tisha teams up with the rookie homicide detective who is investigating the case. Detective Murphy - or Murph, as he prefers to be known - may not be aware of Tisha's unusual talents, but he is also a remarkably secretive man with mysterious abilities of his own.

Yet as the body count rises - and those closest to Tisha are continually threatened by the nightmarish situation in which she finds herself - Tisha's only choice is to contact someone from her painful childhood for assistance. She must finally reach out to her estranged grandmother Fiona to learn more about her intuitive talents. Fiona herself is a psychic healer, and Tisha is just beginning to realize that she needs all the help she can get.

In a desperate race against the clock to rescue those in danger and solve the murders, she knows that she will need all her abilities. Even the gift Tisha has been afraid to use. Is it possible that witnessing a murder is just the catalyst she needs to learn more about her unusual gift? The dead are waiting to speak, but only if she's willing to listen...

I must say that I really enjoyed reading this story; the premise was certainly intriguing and I found myself connecting and sympathizing with a majority of the characters. The plot of this story was definitely well-developed, and I was curious to discover where it would all eventually lead. I would give this book an A! Actually, BlindSight by Susan Peterson Wisnewski is the debut trilogy from this author - and according to the note at the back of the book - the sequel, InSight will focus more on Tisha's recently-awakened paranormal abilities and how she deals with them in her tumultuous life.

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Introducing Darkly, Deeply, Beautifully by Megan Tayte!

Friday, March 25, 2016

So, I was delighted to learn that Megan Tayte recently released Darkly, Deeply, Beautifully - the fifth book in her young adult fantasy series - The Ceruleans Series. I actually had the pleasure of reading the first book in the series - Death Wish by Megan Tayte back in June of 2015, and here is my review. This is a series that I definitely look forward to reading more of in the future, and I would advise you to grab your own copy as soon as possible!


Meet Megan Tayte

Once upon a time a little girl told her grandmother that when she grew up she wanted to be a writer. Or a lollipop lady. Or a fairy princess fireman. ‘Write, Megan,’ her grandmother advised. So that’s what she did.

Thirty-odd years later, Megan is a professional writer and published author by day, and an indie novelist by night. Her fiction - young adult romance with soul - recently earned her the Self Publishing Review's Independent Woman Author of the Year award.

Megan grew up in the Royal County, a hop, skip and a (very long) jump from Windsor Castle, but these days she makes her home in the village of Standish, Greater Manchester. She lives with her husband, a proud Scot who occasionally kicks back in a kilt; her son, a budding artist with the soul of a palaeontologist; and her baby daughter, a pan-and-spoon drummer who sings in her sleep. When she’s not writing, you’ll find Megan walking someplace green, reading by the fire, or creating carnage in the kitchen as she pursues her impossible dream: of baking something edible.

Darkly, Deeply, Beautifully by Megan Tayte (2016)
Length: 280 pages
Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Darkly, Deeply, Beautifully Blurb:

DARKNESS HAS FALLEN, AND SHE ALONE WILL SEE THE LIGHT.

The Ceruleans: mere mortals infused with power over life and death. Five books; one question: If the might of the heavens were in your hands, would you be sinner or saint?

With her mother’s life hanging in the balance, Scarlett is devastated – and done with being in the dark. She wants answers, all of them.

But when was her pursuit of the truth ever straightforward?

Pulling a single thread impels a great unravelling. And each revelation will force Scarlett to rethink what she thought she knew about the Ceruleans, the Fallen, her family – herself.

All that came before was a mere prelude to this, the last journey. From London to Twycombe to Hollythwaite to Cerulea, Scarlett will be stalked by the ghosts of what has been, what may have been and what may come to pass. Until she reaches the place where it all began, and it all must end.

But in the final reckoning, none will survive unscathed. And some will not survive at all.

In this explosive conclusion to The Ceruleans series, all must be defined by their actions: sinner, saint…or something more beautiful entirely?

May you read well and often

Introducing Sworn to Vengeance by Terah Edun!

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Meet Terah Edun

Terah Edun is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of epic and urban fantasy. Her favorite writers include Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, Robin Hobb and Maria Snyder.

Connect and Socialize with Terah!


Sworn to Vengeance by Terah Edun (2016)
Length: 269 pages
Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Sworn to Vengeance Blurb: 

Book 7 of the USA Today Recommended Courtlight series.

Grab book one for FREE today: smarturl.it/CBSDeal

Ciardis Weathervane is nothing if not resourceful but she and her friends are running out of time and options. They stand at the westernmost edge of the Algardis Empire with a mission from their emperor - bring home the collar that will stop a god in its tracks or die trying.

But nothing is ever that simple. In their way stands thousands of people trapped inside a walled city for half a century. With the bodies of the living and the souls of the damned, the denizens of Kifar have become the living undead.

What's worse than confronting the undead? Learning that those poor souls blame the imperial family for their predicament. Now the city and its people want retribution and the only thing they will accept is the sacrifice of the empire's most famous son - Sebastian Athanos Algardis.

He will stand trial for the crimes of his bloodline and it will take more than diplomacy for Ciardis to win his freedom, before a reign of fire comes down from the wyvern and the dragon to burn them all.


May you read well and often

May You All Have a Blessed St. Patrick's Day!

Thursday, March 17, 2016

To all of our dear friends - old and new, those found online and in real life - may you all have the best and most blessedly beautiful St. Patrick's Day!

May you read well and often

Book Spotlight For The Strength of a Heart by Ioana Visan

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Hello Everyone! I hope that you're all having a wonderful day today. I'm so glad to welcome award-winning fantasy author Ioana Visan author of The Strength of a Heart - Book 2 of The Stolen Wings Series - to Emeraldfire's Bookmark. This is also my twenty-fourth Book Spotlight post ever, but I still hope that I do The Strength of a Heart by Ioana Visan justice.

About The Strength of a Heart:


One day, a pair of wings will change the world. Alise’s wings are killing her.

Twice condemned to death, Alise is slowly fading away after a poisonous Mermaid’s bite, but Rafe will have none of that. Along with two other Guardians of Balance and Alise’s human friend, they go in search of a cure in The Mists, where Gorem’s Wizard is in hiding.

Their journey will be met with danger and strife along the way. With werewolves, demons, dangerous sea creatures, and Alise’s poisoned-filled wings growing back, their chance of survival is slim.

Will Alise survive another murderous plot?

Purchase your copy from Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon AU and Amazon CA!

Meet Ioana Visan 


Award-winning writer Ioana Visan has always dreamed about reaching the stars, but since she can't, she writes about it.

After fighting the apocalypse aftermath in Human Instincts, she played with shapeshifters in Blue Moon CafĂ© Series: Where Shifters Meet for Drinks, she dealt with vampires in The Impaler Legacy series, and then she designed prosthetics in Broken People before tackling longer works like a fantasy trilogy and a science fiction series.

Aside from publishing short stories in various Romanian magazines and anthologies, she published a Romanian short story collection Efectul de nautil and the Romanian edition of Human Instincts.

She received the Encouragement Award from The European Science Fiction Society at Eurocon 2013.

Connect and Socialize with Ioana!


May you read well and often

Introducing Kaitlin's Tale by Christine Amsden!

Saturday, March 12, 2016

I'm delighted to announce that the award-winning author Christine Amsden has listened to the fans of the Cassie Scot Series. In response to the overwhelming desire of many for her to tell the story of Cassie's best friend, Kaitlin, Christine is honored to present Kaitlin's Tale - which will be coming out in May. To celebrate the release of Kaitlin's Tale, Ms. Amsden is hosting two Release Parties on Facebook - one to commemorate the release of the ebook, and the other to commemorate the print release. 

Ms. Amsden is hosting the first of two Release Parties for Kaitlin's Tale on Facebook on Monday, May 16th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM in CDT - also known as Central Daylight Time! The second Facebook Release Party will take place on Friday, July 15th - to celebrate the print release of Kaitlin's Tale by Christine Amsden. Sounds like it's going to be a blast!

As Christine says: "In a way, this is a one-day review blitz (with two days to choose from). But with a party. I plan to bring chocolate. I wish I could share via the Internet!" - Hope to see you there!



Kaitlin's Tale by Christine Amsden (2016)
Length: 275 pages
Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Kaitlin's Tale Blurb:

Kaitlin Mayer is on the run from the father of her baby - a vampire who wants her to join him in deadly eternity. Terrified for her young son, she seeks sanctuary with the hunters guild. Yet they have their own plans for her son, and her hopes of safety are soon shattered.

When she runs into Matthew Blair, an old nemesis with an agenda of his own, she dares to hope for a new escape. But Matthew is a telepath, and Kaitlin's past is full of dark secrets she never intended to reveal.


May you read well and often

C. S. Feldman - Fey: A Fantasy Novella

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

5. Fey: A Fantasy Novella by C. S. Feldman (2015)
Length: 123 pages
Genre: Short Story
Started: 1 March 2016
Finished: 8 March 2016
Where did it come from? Many thanks to C. S. Feldman for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 6 November 2015
Why do I have it? I like short stories and C. S. Feldman is a new author for me.

Nessa Donnelly has been happily married to her husband Reg for four years. In all that time, she has never once mentioned her family - claiming only that she has been on her own for a long time. The truth is that Nessa Donnelly does have family - her father, Hugh and brother Orin - but she hasn't seen either of them for many, many years. Although she  doesn't understand what caused their initial estrangement, she can't completely quell the sneaking suspicion that it is her choice of career - a sculptress in a family of stonemasons - that has made her something of a disappointment to her father.

While it seems that her career doesn't exactly please her father, Nessa would say that she absolutely loves sculpting and honestly can't see herself doing anything else. She may not be content with the current state of their relationship, but she has somehow managed to come to terms with the way things are between herself and her family. Nessa never actually expected to see her eccentric father ever again, so it comes as something of a surprise to her to receive a phone call from the hospital in her hometown. According to his doctors, Hugh Donnelly lies in a persistently comatose state for which they have no explanation.

Although he is comatose, his vital signs seem to be deteriorating; so his doctors are hoping that Nessa can shed some light on her father's inexplicable condition. Horrified to hear that her father's condition is so dire, Nessa rushes back home to be with him. Since she had always believed that the Donnelly family came from hardier stock, she is beyond stunned to discover her father is actually perilously close to death. As much as she would like to help them, Nessa isn't exactly sure how much information she can provide to her father's doctors - after all, her brother Orin is much closer to their father than she is - so he would have a better understanding of their father's medical issues.

However, Nessa assures his doctors that she will do her best to help them discover what is wrong with her father. The search requires that she move back in to her childhood home for a while, and she is astonished when she sees the dilapidated condition of her father's house. As Nessa begins her research, long-buried family secrets emerge, and she slowly begins to realize that those secrets were kept hidden from her for a specific reason; a reason that she can't fully comprehend.

She also realizes that there is something in the woods behind her father's house; something that he never told her about. Although she doesn't know how she knows it, Nessa understands that there is actually something in the woods that defies any sort of logical explanation. She has the vaguely unsettled feeling that whatever resides in the forest has been there since she was a child.

And, in what is perhaps the most disturbing realization of all, Nessa slowly comes to believe that she is not quite as alone in her father's house as she thought she was...

It probably won't come as much of a surprise to my readers, but I really do enjoy reading stories based on Irish folklore. In my opinion, the plot of this story was intriguing and I was curious to see how it would develop. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found that the story was very well-developed and easily paced for its length - definitely an A! Actually, I'd be very interested in finding out if Ms. Feldman will write a sequel to this story.

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Reading Wrap-up For February at Emeraldfire's Bookmark

Tuesday, March 1, 2016


Hello everyone out there and I hope that you all had a terrific reading month for yourselves. I am known as Emeraldfire around the Internet and this is my new personal reading blog.

Anyway, I started out February with about two hundred unread books lying around the house and ended the month with...umm...uncountable amounts of books unread. All of the books that I acquired this month came from authors, Paperback SwapAmazon.

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Changes to the TBR pile

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- Mirror World by John Calicchia
- Seal of a Monk by Eden Baylee

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
- The Bad Lady: A Novel by John Meany
- Rock Bottom by Mi'kea
- Seal of a Monk by Eden Baylee

Well, there it is...the breakdown! All in all, a very good reading month for me, considering. Here's a further breakdown:

Books Read: 2
Pages Read: 476
Grade Range: A+!

So, there you go! The reading month that was February. I hope that you all had an equally good reading month; if not a little better. :) See you all next month! :)

May you read well and often