Title: The Parent's Guide to Facebook

Author: Kathryn Rose

Publisher: CreateSpace

Buy Link: Buy The Parent's Guide to Facebook Here!

Rating: You Want to Read

Reviewed By: Janelle

Blurb:

The Parent's Guide to Facebook is a step-by-step guide focusing on using Facebook as another window into your children's life, friends, attitudes and online actions. Facebook is the world's largest social network. To make sure people enjoy connecting with their friends and loved ones while protecting their privacy online, just follow this simple guide. Let the author walk you through the steps from the start of the sign up process all the way through setting up a group, uploading pictures, writing status updates, and do's and don'ts of privacy on Facebook.

Review:

I'll start with a confession: I'm not a parent. I was a Sophomore in college when Facebook first started to get big, and I've had a page since then. So I can see this issue from both sides.

I have to give this book credit for not giving into the fear mongering that inevitably surrounds sites like Facebook. It is easy to blame these site for all the ills of the world, while forgetting that those ills have been around long before even computers were invented. This book instead focuses on using Facebook as safely as possible, while acknowledging that nothing is perfect.

On the down side, there are a lot of places that boarder on paranoid; saying that such things as relationship status should be hidden to prevent bullying by other children. There are also places where the books seems to suggest a parent should change their child's page. This is a major violation of privacy, and is not going to make your child open up to you.

Technically, this book is dry. It is an instruction manual, after all, and unless you are interested in what it has to say, it will probably put you to sleep. Also, there are some rather obvious grammatical and syntax errors. There aren't many, but in a book like this they are quite jarring.

Overall, I have my doubts about the long term viability of this book. Technology changes at incredible speed, and in a year or two, this book will be obsolete.

Title: Play It Loud

Author: Gina Lee Nelson

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Buy Link: Buy Play It Loud Here!

Rating: You Need to Read

Reviewer: Nerine

Blurb:

Claire Ashton-Howard strikes out on her own to prove to herself, her Upper East Side family, and Downtown Magazine, she has what it takes to be a journalist. When she rescues Evan Price from the path of an oncoming subway train, she stumbles onto the story of a lifetime.

A devastating motorcycle accident stripped Evan of icon status. Now ready to make a comeback, the former pop star must confront the demons in his past and convince Insignia Braff Music he's more than a has-been. Drawn to Claire's passion, Evan allows her into his guarded heart.

Revealing his painful secrets will cement her reputation. Little does Claire know that immersing herself in Evan's life will cause her to question herself. As the days pass, Claire's heart and head take sides.

The love of her life? Or the story of her life? She can't have both.

Review:

Claire Ashton-Howard is determined to approach life on her own terms, despite her privileged upbringing. Although she was groomed to be a professional musician by her parents, she dreams of being a journalist. While out researching a story about homeless people, she inadvertently saves the life of a famous musician, Evan Price, who, after a horrible motorcycle accident, is intent on making his comeback. Sensing a story, Claire auditions as a backing musician, hoping to dig up dirt for an exclusive inside scoop. The only thing is, she never bargained on falling for the man and having her feelings returned with equal intensity.

Be it my background in music or my present involvement in the media industry, Play It Loud resonated instantly with me. I immediately empathized with the characters in this little page-turner. Gina Lee Nelson tells a heart-warming, engaging story and it was easy to forgive the few patches where her narrative could have benefited from stronger transitions. It's refreshing to see a contemporary romance author put effort into her setting and secondary characters, offering the right blend of romantic tension and textured story arcs. Gina Lee Nelson takes a well-worn trope and gives it a unique sparkle with undertones of humour drawing to a satisfying conclusion.

Title: Shell Shocked

Authors: Angelia Sparrow and Naomi Brooks

Publisher: Pink Petal Books

Buy Link: Buy Shell Shocked Here!

Rating: You Want to Read

Reviewer: Nerine

Blurb:

Sean Dempsey came home from Iraq with artificial knees, scorched retinas and a lot of baggage. He supplements his disability checks with money made writing romance novels under a female pseudonym, ironic as he has grown very nervous around women since a certain suicide bomber. When he meets Gabriel Herne, legless phone psychic, the sparks startle him. It's everything he's written about and never believed.

Swept into a whirlwind romance, Sean has to learn about his newfound bisexuality and his lover's pagan faith at the same time. And when he has a religious experience of his own, he discovers everything changes in its time, just like the Wheel of the Year.

Review:

Now heavily dependent on his medication, Sean Dempsey is scarred both emotionally and physically when he returns from the war in Iraq. With extensive surgery to his legs behind him, he struggles to cope in NYC, his PSTD often making it difficult for him to go into public. Even sleep doesn't provide sanctuary, as he is plagued by terrible nightmares. Yet, incongruously, he gets by, writing romance novels under a nom de plume. Then he meets Gabriel Herne, a wheelchair-bound phone psychic, and the feelings of attraction are very much mutual.

Overall, this is a well-written, well-told story. While I felt there could have been more conflict (and I kept waiting for some massive try/fail cycle that never happened) I nevertheless found the authors' exploration of Sean and Gabriel's lives together very touching. I liked the realism. The characters are not super-rich. Hell, they don't even drive cars, and they work hard to get by. The fact that love isn't all wine and roses, is also a plus point here. The characters get pissed off with each other and they admit when they're wrong, they're ordinary folk just trying to get by without the false glitter of hyper-realism. Also, there are no miracle cures for Sean, no great epiphanies that shake his world other than the quiet realization of his love for Gabriel. Shell Shocked is a tale sensitively told by two ladies who deliver consistently good-quality prose.

Title: Born Again

Author: Joel Dodd

Publisher: Mundania Press

Buy Link: Buy Born Again Here!

Rating: You Want To Read

Reviewer: Nerine

Blurb:

Al's life has gone to the dogs. Memory blanks, nightmares, and a disturbing new appetite for small, furry animals. Not to mention his reclusive, nocturnally gothic frat brothers who never seem to attend lectures, and his deliciously-scented girlfriend and her pals.

Standing at the lamppost of the crossroads of his life, everything that is odd in Al's life comes together to unmuzzle his true, inner self and reveal who his true friends really are.

Review:

Al's got problems. He's not sleeping too well, he has heightened senses and he's been puking up bits of animal remains. At the insistence of one of his fellow students, he goes to see a psychiatrist who recommends him for a CAT scan, and that's when he starts discovering some very strange things about himself.

Born Again is a deliciously malicious short story that plays with the stock-standard university horrors we love to watch on late Friday evenings. Although I would have liked to have seen Al question his odd situation a bit more (it was abundantly clear to me, as a reader, what was going on) I enjoyed this tale very much. As a reader I would have liked to have experienced more of a sense of impending doom while Al tries to piece together his mysterious condition but overall Dodd is a strong storyteller who kept me engaged with the narrative.

Title : Finally, My Love

Author: Kate Richards

Publisher: Breathless Press

Buy Link: Buy Finally, My Love Here!

Rating : You Need To Read

Reviewer: Jodie Pierce

Blurb:

Amelia Staker meets her Internet lover, John Quincy, for the first time in the flesh. After a year of seeing John only through webcam, she's ready to show him a good time. Without a moment to waste, Amelia is prepared for two weeks with John-alone, with no computer screens between them-until the elevator puts a hold on those plans. Stuck in a darkened cab, their imaginations run hotter than their online trysts. Can this romance translate into a permanent future? Or will she send him packing?

Review :

Computer savvy Amelia Staker finds love and more in John Quincy. A chance meeting online leads to webcams, cybersex and even phone sex. It takes several months but John finally makes it out to California to meet Amelia. First thing that happens is they get stuck together in the dark in her apartments' elevator. They make the most of their time and enjoy the release the internet and phone could not provide. Once out and in her apartment, they both profess their love. Will John move to California to be with Amelia? Will they be forced to continue their long distance relationship? Is John hiding something at home?

The plot, though I craved more was well thought out. The whole "internet sex/relationship" thing is very popular these days so it made the story very contemporary and relatable. The characters were very much the every day person next door so the reader could easily replace themselves into the story. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for romance and erotic sex in a tight little bundle.

Title : Gypsy Crystal

Author: Lorrie Unites-Struiff

Publisher: Eternal Press

Buy Link: Buy Gypsy Crystal Here!

Rating : You Want To Read

Reviewed By : Jodie Pierce

Blurb :

When a ritual killer starts terrorizing her town, FBI agent Matt Boulet is sent to lead the task force to catch the murderer. While Rita feels she has a connection with Agent Boulet, she senses he is holding back a deep dark secret about the killer. Her suspicions deepen when she learns another secret about her Roma family-one she finds impossible to swallow.

Review :

Gypsy girl, Rita Moldova is of Romanian descent. Her mother is old school, she reads tea leaves and palms. Rita has a secret gift. She wears an amulet that gives of signals of good and bad. It has allowed her in the past to see into the eyes of the dead people they recover. The new FBI Agent, Matt Boulet who's come into town from New Orleans has a secret gift too. He is searching for the same killer Rita's department has been looking for. The killer exsanguates all the blood from the victims, cuts a hole in their neck and dumps the bodies somewhere random. Rita is caught by the killer on a sting operation but when he samples her blood he calls her poison and dumps her out of his vehicle. Rita and Matt go to her mother for answers. Together, they find out that the killer is a long lost relative of Rita's and he is a vampire. Will they be able to stop Lucian before he can kill again? Who will lose their life in battling him? Will Matt and Rita not only come together at work but come together in the bedroom as well? What is Matt's secret?

The development of the characters in this story was great. The background on Rita was well developed and placed perfectly in the story. She was very likeable, strong yet innocent in a way. The lack of background for Matt made him more mysterious at first. He was the outsider. The mysterious knight in shining armor. The whole back story on Lucian was brilliant and well placed within the story. He was really so awful and you really got the sense of that from reading it. I really connected with the characters and when we lost one of them, I actually felt a brief sense of loss myself.

I found the story to be very interesting with a new twist on the old vampire story. It was written so well it was as if I was right there in the book with the characters. The chapters were short and kept you moving quickly through the book. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who loves a little action, paranormal and suspense in their readings.

Title: Outside Sanctuary

Author: Cyna Kade

Publisher: Ellora's cave

Buy Link: Buy Outside Sanctuary Here!

Rating: You Want to Read

Reviewed by: Gabrielle

Blurb:

Stephen just needs a little time to himself. He's tired of sharing every emotion with everyone in Sanctuary. He longs for privacy so he leaves the clan enclave. When Stephen is attracted to a human woman who likes rough sex, he decides to ignore all the rules he's been taught.

Darla stands tied to a tree at an isolated campsite. She's always longed to explore her dark side with a strong, dominant man. Stephen is sexy as hell, but he's hard and controlling. She's starting to question her decision to meet him in this isolated spot. He might be more than she can handle.

Stephen knows it's dangerous, but really, this is something he does very well. What could be the harm in fulfilling Darla's BDSM fantasies? He just has to maintain control of his powerful sexuality-not go too far-and he can show her how a little pain can enhance her pleasure.

Review:

This story is book two in the Power and Pain series. Darla is a small town waitress who finds herself longing for rough sex and when Stephen shows up at her diner she thinks that she may have found just the man to satisfy her needs.

Outside Sanctuary is a fast paced and emotional read. Both Darla and Stephen are attracted to each other and what they can give to one another but is it enough? I loved seeing Darla enjoy herself and dare to move out of her comfort zone. Stephen is an honorable man that comes from another place and cares for Darla and her happiness. This was a very intense and hot read that has both Darla and Stephen taking a hard look at themselves and deciding where they want to go from there.

This book is well written and has characters full of emotion. It is a nice addition to this series and should be on your to be read list. I cannot wait to see what is in store for Stephen in the future and what new adventures he may have.