We're Off To See The Wizard

Published:  November 12th, 2013

No Place Like Home (Dorothy Must Die #0.5)

By: Danielle Paige

HarperCollins

ISBN-13:  9780062280763

In this digital original novella, Dorothy travels back to Oz to reunite with old friends, but her story may not have a happy ending.  No Place Like Oz is a prequel to the forthcoming novel Dorothy Must Die.

After returning to Kansas, Dorothy Gale has realized that the dreary fields of Kansas doesn't compare to the vibrant landscapes of Oz.  And although she's happy to be reunited with Aunt Em, she misses her friends from the yellow brick road.  But most of all, Dorothy misses the fame and the adventure.  In Kansas she's just another prairie girl, but in Oz she was a hero.  So Dorothy is willing to do anything to get back, because there really is no place like Oz.  But returning to land she left comes at a price, and after Dorothy is through with it, Oz will never be the same.

Review

     So anyone who actually knows me in real life, knows that I am completely obsessed with The Wizard of Oz in all of its forms!  Mostly the movie from 1939, but also the book and re-imagined SyFy T.V. miniseries Tin Man.  There is just something about the story that attaches itself to my imagination and places an ache in my wanderer's heart.  So while I was keenly interested in reading this novella and the following book that's released in April, I was also wary.  After all, it turns Dorothy into a villain instead of a heroic, lost girl from Middle America.  But even with my doubts, I can never resist a retelling if it even sounds halfway good!  So I went into it with an open mind and an adventurous spirit.  To understand anything, you need to know that the story starts two years after Dorothy returns to Kansas from Oz.  She was at first, something of a novelty in town for surviving the twister after no one thought she was alive.  But now she is sixteen and without friends, completely disillusioned with life as an average prairie girl in dusty, boring Kansas.  She would do anything to go back to Oz.  Anything to be important and the center of attention again.

     And that is where we find the biggest problem in this novella.  Dorothy is never satisfied with what she has.  She always wants more, no matter the cost or the pain to others because of it.  Dorothy wants fame, attention and things that don't belong to her.  She feels like she's better than everyone else in her town, including her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, whom she finds boring and unimaginative.  So when Dorothy is given some ruby slippers on her sixteenth birthday after a disastrous party, she puts them on hoping to go back to Oz like nothing changed.  Only things have changed since she's been gone.  Glinda is missing, the Scarecrow is no longer King and a mysterious girl named Ozma is ruling the Emerald City now.  Dorothy finds it up to herself to free Oz from Ozma and put the rightful ruler back in control.  Also, she must free Glinda the Good Witch from her imprisonment!  But is everything really quite the way Dorothy thinks it is?  And when she starts using the magic of Oz, will Dorothy herself be corrupted beyond all saving?

     Overall, I found this to be an interesting concept and was surprised that the novella was almost 200 pages long.  It was longer than most are, which gave it a lot more plot development and allowed an actual story to unfold.  It was nicely blended from the 1939 film and the Oz books, with mythology from both.  My favorite nugget was when Dorothy talks about the silver slippers from her previous journey - a thing from the book.  And also her pet hen Bilina, and the whole history of Ozma being disguised and hidden away until it was her time to rule.  The mythology of the ruling line of Oz being born from flowers was beautiful and if it was Baum's concept or Paige's, it was a nice touch either way.  Yet something was missing with Dorothy as the narrator.  I got truly annoyed quite a bit trying to wade through her inner monologue and really had little sympathy for her.  Especially after the way things go down between her and Ozma.  Also, the way she treats her Aunt and Uncle is horrendous.  That detracted from my true enjoyment of the novella.  Also, the preview for Dorothy Must Die in the back of the novella had me fearing that I wasted my time altogether reading it.  I did not like the protagonist of it AT ALL and am now really ambivalent of the whole thing.  I guess I'd recommend this if you're curious about the idea.  Otherwise, avoid it with all your might.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available online as an ebook only.**

Stars of Bethlehem Book Blitz

Book Description:

Jack and Lily have found each other. In this short holiday novella, Jack finally meets Lily's family and friends. And she tries to merge her life and her past with his. 

On New Year's Eve, Jack and Lily look forward to the new year ahead of them. Join them as they start to grow together. 

This is a part of the Flowering series and directly follows the events of Forget Me Not/Lily of the Valley. Another full length novel will come later as well.

 

 

About the Author:

Sarah Daltry writes erotica and romance that ranges from sweet to steamy. She moves around a lot and has trouble committing to things. Lily of the Valley is her third full length novel, although she also has several story collections and two novellas available. Her other novels are Forget Me Not, the story that tells Lily’s version of events, and Bitter Fruits, which was available shortly, but is now in the contract phase with a major publisher. When Sarah isn’t writing, she tends to waste a lot of time checking Facebook for pictures of cats, shooting virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window.

 

 

Excerpt:

 

“I have a present for you,” she says.

“I told you. I want nothing but you.”

“I know, but I’m excited. First, though…”

“Yeah.”

This is terrifying. If I screw this up, it could ruin everything. We haven’t been together that long and although I am trying to trust in us, I wonder if Lily could stay with me if her parents hate me. What if they hate me?

She kisses me quickly on the lips and then on the tip of my nose. I somehow feel both ten and hungry for her. She’s still so amazing to me.

“They are going to love you,” she says.

“Then why are you so nervous?”

“What if you hate them?”

I hug her and breathe in her hair. “I could never hate anything that you are. We might come from totally different worlds, princess, but every part of you is beautiful.”

 

Author Social Media Links:
 

Website: http://sarahdaltry.com

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahDaltryErotica?fref=ts


 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahDaltry

 

 

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahdaltry/boards/

 

 

Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/sarahdaltry
 

To Learn more about Jack and Lily’s story check out ‘Forget Me Not’ and ‘Lily of the Valley,’ by Sarah Daltry

 

 

Forget Me Not Purchase Links:
 

Available at:
 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DXM4YBI?force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links
 

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forget-Me-Not-Flowering-ebook/dp/B00DXM4YBI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375085336&sr=8-1&keywords=sarah+daltry+forget+me+not

 

 

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/336336

 

 

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forget-me-not-sarah-daltry/1116049899?ean=2940148433125

 

 

Paperback: https://www.createspace.com/4271499

 

 

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/forget-me-not/id673673228?mt=11

 

 

Sony: https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/sarah-daltry/forget-me-not/_/R-400000000000001091006

 

 

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/forget-me-not-flowering-1

 

 

Lily of the Valley Purchase Links:

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F5MN7H6?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

 

 

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lily-Valley-Flowering-1-5-ebook/dp/B00F5MN7H6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1379211642&sr=8-3&keywords=lily+of+the+valley+sarah

 

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/342349

 

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lily-of-the-valley-sarah-daltry/1116282455?ean=9781492216698&isbn=2940045177917

 

Paperback: https://www.createspace.com/4411185

 

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/lily-of-the-valley-flowering-1-5-2

 

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lily-valley-flowering-1.5/id702447714?mt=11

 

Sony: https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/sarah-daltry/lily-of-the-valley-flowering-1-5/_/R-400000000000001119706


Late Night With Andres Blog Tour - Review, Playlist and Giveaway!!!

Release date: October 29th 2013

Purchase: Amazon

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18469063-late-night-with-andres

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Rising-star blogger Milla Kierce knows she's arrived when she sees the swag basket in her dressing room on the night of her late-night television debut. But before she can bite into the muffin that symbolizes her success, gunfire echoes through the TV studio. She's just hidden herself (mostly in plain sight) when the door flings open. Instead of a gunman, there stands one of the world's most popular rock stars, Gage Daxson, looking for his own way out of danger.

Thrown together, they'll battle a venomous man seeking revenge and his own sexual pleasure, but they may never leave the building again. Distracted by fear, fame, and infamy, can these two somehow find their way to each other?

Equal parts horrifying and hilarious, Debra Anastasia's Late Night With Andres offers more than a few twists and turns—and, of course, enough heat to keep things interesting.

My Thoughts

     Definitely an interesting read!  Milla Kierce is a blogger who has suddenly become famous in the media for her wit and advice with her online persona.  Now she's waiting to be interviewed by late night talk show host, Andres.  Things don't happen the way she expects however when a crazed gunman comes to the studio, throwing together her and rock star Gage Daxson, into a mutual fight for survival.  Now all they have to do is stay alive until the police are able to get them out of there,  Will they find they have something more in common than they ever thought?  I was already a fan of Debra when I read this novella, having read her book Poughkeepsie and absolutely adored it.  So I went into this one expecting something mainly hardcore and intense in it's rendering.  What I got instead was something slightly hardcore, with a very big sense of humor!

     Gage and Milla are both bad-asses but the gunman himself is a caricature most of the time, making me laugh while making me cringe and fear for their lives.  Probably the biggest caricature in this book is Andres himself, the talk show host who is basically a complete asshole and uses the entire situation to break back out into on the scene reporting.  He has hidden cameras in the dressing rooms, tries to obstruct justice by denying the police access to anything and everything - oh and he'd like nothing more than for someone to die and make his story all that much more exciting!  Probably my biggest disappointment was that the novella length didn't really allow for any serious character development and the romance felt very, very rushed and superficial.  The thing with the toes (I won't go into detail, so as not to spoil it) was funny and weird, but overall I just didn't feel like they could really say they loved each other based on the interactions they had.  Overall, it kept me entertained and was a fast, fun read.  I would recommend it, and I hope Debra decides to maybe expand it into a novel someday!

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received an ARC from the author.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book was published October 29th, 2013.*

Playlists

Gage:  I felt like Gage would probably be a really big fan of ballady, 70s and 80s rock bands.  Gage probably listens to a lot of Journey and Foreigner on his downtime, with some AC/DC mixed in for good measure, just to make sure people know he's a bad-ass!  For newer stuff, I see him as being a fan of Seether, Blink-182 and maybe some Imagine Dragons.

1.  For Those About to Rock - AC/DC
2.  Faithfully - Journey
3.  Cold As Ice - Foreigner
4.  Fake It - Seether
5.  What's My Age Again? - Blink 182
6.  Amsterdam - Imagine Dragons

Milla:  She's not a fan of Gage's music, which leads me to believe that she might be more into stuff that doesn't neccessarily hit the mainstream.  Here are five songs that I think Milla would probably like (the last is kind of what I think her preconceived notions of Gage match up with):

1.  The Beekeeper - Aoife O'Donovan

2.  Open-Ended Life - The Avett Brothers

3.  Tell Your Heart - Schuyler Fisk

4.  Helplessness Blues - The Fleet Foxes

5.  Talkin' Smooth - Kate Voegele

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Debra Anastasia grew up in New York and got a bachelor's degree in political science at SUNY New Paltz. At the start of her marriage, she moved to southern Maryland with her husband. She still doesn't trust crabs and all their legs, though everyone else in her family thinks they're delicious. Her favorite hobbies include knitting, painting furniture and wall murals, and slapping clowns.

Her writing started a decent handful of years ago when along with the dogs, cat, kids, and husband, the voices of characters started whispering stories in Debra's ear. Insomnia was the gateway for the plots that wouldn't give up, wouldn't let go. In the shower, a twist would take hold and--dripping and frenzied--she'd find somewhere, anywhere to write it down.

www.debraanastasia.com | twitter.com/Debra_Anastasia

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Leave Me Breathless

Expected Publication:  April 30th, 2013
Breathless (Elemental # 2.5)
By: Brigid Kemmerer
Kensington Teen
ISBN-13:  9780758285539

Too many secrets. Not enough time.

Nick Merrick is supposed to be the level-headed one. The peacemaker. Since it’s just him and his three hotheaded brothers against the world, that’s a survival tactic.

But now he’s got problems even his brothers can’t help him survive.

His so-called girlfriend, Quinn, is going quick as mercury from daring to crazy. Meanwhile, Quinn’s dancer friend Adam is throwing Nick off balance, forcing him to recognize a truth he’d rather shove back into the dark.

He can feel it—-the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace.

Review

 

     Nick Merrick is always the one who plays it cool and makes the responsible decisions.  Someone has to, especially with three brothers who are impulsive and have hot tempers.  There's a secret that Nick's been keeping from everyone though, even his twin brother Gabriel and now he has to make a choice that will change things forever - or follow his heart.  Does he stay with Quinn, the girl he should love but doesn't, or does he admit to himself (and possibly everyone else) that he's actually attracted to other guys?  Things reach a breaking point when Nick is introduced to Quinn's friend Adam and is forced to be truly honest with himself for the first time.  A lot of people are pretty obsessed with this series, and I totally get the draw.  Hot brothers with wounded spirits and a traumatic family history, fighting to survive against the odds.  Each of them has elemental powers and they are all the swoony hero type of guy.  But honestly speaking, even though I've really liked the full length novels, so far I haven't LOVED them.  My favorite story has been Michael's, which ended with a pulse-pounding cliffhanger and made me fall in love with him as a romantic lead.  So of course, then I get thrown into the world of the younger brothers and poor Michael is stressed out and RESPONSIBLE now.  Forgive me for being disillusioned!  Anyways, Nick's novella is the closest since Michael that I've come to love.  He reminds me of myself, with his strong family loyalty and dedication to doing the right thing.  Also the tendency towards denial is very familiar as well.  I can totally sympathize with his refusal to admit to himself what he really wants.  Especially when Nick is afraid that it might hurt his family.  This is his problem with what colleges to apply to and who to be attracted to. 
     On the other hand character-wise, Quinn made me feel like alternately bitch-slapping her and crying for her misfortunes.  Having a shitty family and being unable to really leave it behind is an awful situation to be sucked into.  It's not like you can choose your parents when you're born.  And I get that it's normal for someone in that situation to have extremely low self-esteem.  But that scene with the ho-hos made me cringe with it's honesty.  Also, was really afraid for her when she went off drunk on the back of some random guy's motorcycle.  Seriously, that's just asking for trouble!  After not really liking her in the other two books, and thinking she was pretty much a complete bitch, I came around to boarding the Quinn train.  As for Adam, not really quite sure what to think as of yet.  I thought that he came across as slightly pushy, but in under 70 pages there's not a lot of opportunity for deep characterization.  I did like him though and feel like he will be good for Nick.  I can honestly say that I never saw Nick's attraction to other guys coming, until it hit me on the side of the head.  Then I went D'oh! and saw stars for a few moments.  Now I'm good again.  Overall, a really good novella and I loved the peek into Nick who was somewhat of an enigma in the other books.  I must also say that the kiss between Adam and Nick was epic!  Now I'm excited to read Spirit and see what she does with Hunter! :)  Recommended for fans of the rest of this series so far.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is April 30th, 2013.*

Love As Cold As Ice

Published: August 15th, 2012
The Ice Princess (The Princes Trilogy # 4)
By: Elizabeth Hoyt
Forever Yours
ASIN: B003VYBP8I

SEVEN NIGHTS OF SIN

As the madam of Aphrodite’s Grotto, the most infamous brothel in London, Coral Smythe knows everything possible about men’s needs and desires. Yet she’s never experienced the love of a single man—not even that of Captain Isaac Wargate whose hawk-like eyes stare at her with both condemnation…and lust.

SEVEN NIGHTS OF ECSTASY

Captain Wargate heartily disapproves of the sensuous madam who always wears a golden mask. She lures his officers from both his ship and their duty. But when Coral herself is offered up as the prize in a game of chance, Wargate impulsively enters…and wins.

SEVEN NIGHTS OF LOVE

Now the puritanical navy captain has just seven nights to learn everything he can about the mysterious madam and what she knows of a man’s desires. But when Coral is threatened by the new owner of Aphrodite’s Grotto, will Wargate take a chance on the woman beneath the mask…and on love?

Review

   This is the story of Coral Smythe, a madam of the most famous brothel in London, Aphrodite's Grotto.  She has spent her entire adulthood pleasing men and being left feeling cold.  She's never been in love or felt any true pleasure for herself.  It amuses her that the upright Captain Wargate, who comes to collect his men occasionally, seems to disparage and lust after her at the same time.  However, when the new top shareholder of the brothel, a cruel man, offers Coral as the prize in a high stakes game of chance Captain Wargate enters on impulse.  After winning the rights to Coral, he is determined to spend their seven nights getting to know what's underneath the mask she wears.  In such a short amount of time, Issac manages to raise her opinion of men and treat her like a woman instead of a prostitue unlike all the others.  But can they build a lasting relationship on their time together?  I felt cheated at the end of this story.  Yes, I kept in mind the fact that it is a novella and not a full book.  But if she was going to attempt to give Coral a happy ending, it should have occured that it was going to take an entire book to be believable.  I did not believe in the romance pretty much at all.  Issac was practically Puritanical, not interested in lowering himself into the bed of a prostitute.  I also had a really hard time believeing that there was anything like real love between them.  And could Coral really resolve all her issues in only seven days?  No freaking way!  As much as I was interested by the plot, the premise and the execution it just didn't work for me on the same level as the rest of the series did.  I honestly don't approve of novellas as a way to establish complicated plots and resolve them as beautifully as the ideas deserve.  If you're going to tell a story that is slightly complicated but doesn't ride on a intricate completion, that's what a novella is for in my opinion.  Disappointing, but still not a complete waste of time.

VERDICT:  2/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This novella was published for the Kindle on June 1st, 2012.*