Leila Tualla: Mama, Author, & Advocate
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            News & Bookshelf

Review: Intricate Deceptions by Jennifer Rayes

8/24/2017

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Waking up in a desolate cell, Gaia realizes that she has been kidnapped by a human trafficking organization, doomed to be sold to the highest bidder and unable to remember anything before her capture. An opportune rescue by Raoul, the Prince of Kayamato, saves Gaia from a gruesome future, and she is thrown into a world of luxury and privilege. 

As she struggles to regain her memory, Gaia learns that her rescue was no accident and finds herself in even more danger, hunted by a powerful drug lord, targeted by a thrill seeking pirate, and betrayed by those she thought closest to her.

Fighting for sanity and survival, she works to unravel the truth behind her capture, each revelation more shocking than the last. The intricate web of deceptions spun around her family will shatter her world, leaving her unsure if she will ever trust again. 

Through it all, she must survive to save a friend before it’s too late…
Buy Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Intricate-Deceptions-Jennifer-Rayes-ebook/dp/B00GRILZXK/

~ My Review ~

From start to finish, I felt like my heart kept racing at the action, the mystery surrounding Gaia's identity, who is out to get her, and who she can trust to keep her safe. From one moment to the next, I didn't know where Jennifer Rayes was going to take me. Even as Gaia was piecing together her past, I held everyone around her as a suspect. I also appreciate that Reyes shed light on human trafficking and its gruesome images. Rayes doesn't mince her words and tells you just how brutal and ugly this world is and I was pulled into that storyline almost as much as Gaia's. And can we talk about the ending?? Sheesh, what a crazy way to finish! I'm so happy to report that the second book is due out soon!! This story, the characters and most especially, Gaia took you on a heart stopping journey...all to uncover some pretty Intricate Deceptions. 

***I received this book in exchange for an honest review. However, these thoughts and opinions are my own. I'm not required to write a positive review.***

About the Author

​Jennifer Rayes is a freelance author who enjoys writing on the weekends and evenings. Born in Michigan, she spent the first several years of her life there before moving to Lebanon. After obtaining her Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Dayton, Ohio, she lived in Florida, Italy, Houston, France, Canada, and now resides in Abu Dhabi, with her Great Pyrenees, Koby.
Connect with the Author:
http://jenniferrayes.wixsite.com/intricatedeceptions
https://www.facebook.com/intricatedeceptions/?sw_fnr_id=763207072&fnr_t=0
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Review: Like Father, Like Daughter by Christina Morgan

7/13/2017

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Suspense Finalist for the 2017 Indie Excellence Awards!
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*BLURB* 
Libby Carter is pretty sure she didn’t kill her husband… When Libby wakes up to find her husband Ryan murdered in bed next to her with no memory of how it happened, she can only assume the worst. Daughter of the infamous I-75 Strangler, Libby is afraid that becoming a serial killer is in her DNA. Is she truly capable of killing the man she loves? The evidence against her keeps stacking up, and it’s enough for an arrest… It’s no secret that Libby is the number one suspect, and when she makes bail, she knows she has no choice but to turn to the only man who can help clear her name. Her father. After visiting him in prison, she decides to take the investigation into her own hands. Libby finds an unsettling lead on Ryan’s murderer and learns her husband might not have been as innocent as she thought. But every clue she uncovers leads to another dead end… Libby must risk her life to discover the truth about her husband and his murder, but things become even more dangerous when she realizes someone is watching her every move.
Buy Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Father-Daughter-Flesh-Blood-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HSGGU84/

~ My Review ~

In the first few pages, Libby wakes up to find her husband dead and she has no recollection of this living nightmare. What a way to start a series, Christina! This was told from Libby's point of view so we automatically get sucked into her world and this murder mystery that surrounds her. This was a page turner and moved along at a frantic pace, and even though it slowed down to let you catch your breath, I was still guessing who killed Ryan and what in the world Libby was going to do next. Well done and I can see why it's a suspense finalist for the 2017 Indie Excellence Award.
It's not everyday you get to read about a family that has two people with blood on their hands. Like Father, Like Daughter ? maybe we'll see exactly how alike these two are in the next installment. 

About the Author

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Christina Morgan is the author of The Flesh & Blood Trilogy (Like Father, Like Daughter/Family Ties/Brother’s Keeper) and Confessions of an Old Lady. She lives in Nicholasville, Kentucky with her husband and two teenage daughters, three dogs (one of which is blind and has only three legs), and three cats (one of which is still relatively feral.) 
 
To learn more about Christina and her books, please visit her website at https://www.xtinakayebooks.com/
Author Central Profile
https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Morgan/e/B01BG2DIWM/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/xtymorganbooks  
Twitter https://twitter.com/xtymorganbooks
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/40721960-christy-morgan

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Review: The Predator and the Prey by K.C. Sivils

4/13/2017

2 Comments

 
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Synopsis

Everyone has a past they'd like to forget. Inspector Thomas Sullivan has a past that is about to catch up with him.Sent to the developing planet Beta Prime to clean up its corruption and crime, Sullivan is saddled with a wet behind the ears rookie detective for a partner. An already difficult job is made more so by the haunting presences of a mysterious young woman.

A crazed serial killer and the theft of life saving drugs are just the start of Sullivan's troubles. Betrayal by his own police force just might finish him off.

Faced with solving multiple crimes at once to save himself, who can Sullivan trust in his new home, the eternally cold Capital City?
-- an ex-con cabbie
-- a priest who knows too much about crime
-- the owner of a neighborhood tavern and diner with a shady past
-- a mysterious beauty who haunts Sullivan from his past
-- his idealistic and naive young partner

Desperate for redemption for mistakes in his past, can Sullivan even trust himself?

The debut novel from K.C. Sivils, The Predator and The Prey is a crime thriller set in the gritty urban setting of Capital City 200 years in the future. Fans of cross genre storytelling such as Joss Wheadon's space westerns and Alex P. Berg's Urban Fantasy/Crime noir stories should enjoy the adventures of Inspector Thomas Sullivan as he seeks to deliver justice to the innocent citizens of Capital City and the planet Beta Prime.

Review

For some reason, I pictured Harry Dresden, of the Dresden FIles, as the futuristic Inspector. I know they have nothing in common, but as soon as the action hit the ground, I pictured Dresden doing the running. Obviously, it's just me. I probably still have Jim Butcher's book world residue dancing in my head. But just like Butcher, author K.C. Sivils knows how to start a series!

Within the first few pages, someone has died, and there's been some sort of cover-up, throw in a handful of dirty cops, and in the thick of it all is Inspector Thomas Sullivan. The book goes back and forth between his point of view, to that of a serial killer on the loose and his victims, and a mix of power hungry Elitists. This was such a fun read. I thought I knew who the killer was, and knew where the story was headed, but I was surprised at the outcomes. 

If you're looking for a quick read, this is a page turner. It is set in a futuristic, and distant world but the author won't let you get confused and be bogged down with new jargon. I read this on a kindle app, and at the beginning, there were some words that were underlined, which then took you to a link explaining the makeup of Beta Prime. Treat this as any other crime thriller, with an almost episodic action in each chapter but it works. I got sucked into this world and wanted to see when, and how Sullivan could catch the Predator and save the Prey.  

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. However, these thoughts and opinions are my own. I'm not required to write a positive review.

About the Author

Author of over twenty non-fiction books, including an Amazon Best Seller, Sivils has now ventured into the realm of fiction with his Inspector Thomas Sullivan series. Science fiction and classic crime novels have long been favorites of author K.C. Sivils. The combination of film noir and science fiction in director Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s sci-fi classic Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep into the masterful Harrison Ford vehicle Bladerunner encouraged him to consume as much of both genre’s as possible. 
A fan of past noir masters such as Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, Sivils also enjoys the current generation of storytellers like Renee Pawlish and Alex P. Berg.

Website: http://kcsivils.com/
Follow author K.C. Sivils on his Amazon page here. 
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    Book Pick:


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     I use Goodread's rating scale

    1 star – didn’t like it
     2 stars – it was OK
     3 stars – liked it
     4 stars – really liked it
     5 stars – it was so amazing, it's on my reread pile!

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Hi there! Here's a quick bio

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Leila Tualla is a Filipino-American poet and author based in Houston, Tx. Leila’s books include a YA contemporary romance called Letters to Lenora and a memoir/poetry collection called Storm of Hope: God, Preeclampsia, Depression and me. Her poetry is featured in several mental health anthologies and she is currently working on a poetry collection based on Asian American stereotypes and identifies. Her chapbook “pmdd & me,” will be out this Spring 2022. ​

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  • HOME
  • about me
  • Blog
  • News & bookshelf
    • Media
    • Books >
      • Letters to Lenora
      • Love, Defined
    • Poetry >
      • PMDD & me (poetry chapbook)
      • Storm of Hope
    • Anthologies >
      • The Sacred Feminine II
      • The Poetry Marathon 2021
      • Remnants of Home
      • Poetica II
  • ADVOCACY
    • RESOURCES for PMDD warriors >
      • IAPMD
    • Community resources for moms >
      • Pregnancy and Postpartum Support
      • 2020 Mom
      • Preeclampsia
      • Momma's Voices
      • Shades of Blue Project
  • Contact