Freda's Voice

Welcome to the February Edition of Monthly News! We had mixed reviews from the Groundhogs in regards to the weather. The Canadian groundhogs are sure there will be less of a winter, while the American Groundhog is sure for more.Thankfully I live in Canada. Valentines Day was sweet. The hubster took a day off work, to treat me like a queen. It was awesome! I was definitely spoiled rotten. I also was Tagged by Shirley at My Bookshelf . It was fun to Tag others, even if I messed up a bit. Read about it HERE . BOOKS: 1. Flirts - Lisa Scott 2. Beach Flirts -Lisa Scott 3. Holiday Flirts - Lisa Scott 4. Moon Spell - Samantha Young (recommend) 5. Mornings with Jesus 6. The Legacy of Eden - Nelle Davy 7. Heart of Ice - Lis Weihl (recommend) 8. Put on Your Crown - Queen Latifah 9. Fairy Tale Flirts - Lisa Scott 10. Queen Pin - Jemeker Thompson-Hairston 11. The Pocket Therapist - Therese J. Borchard 12. God Never Blinks - Regina Brett 13. Forgive Yourself - Allie Sager 14

(If graphic doesn't load, refresh page.) Welcome to Bonfire Academy! Set in the foothills of the alpine mountains in St.Moritz, this exclusive private school caters to a special kind of student. Enter at your own risk... but if you are human, you may not want to enter at all. WARNING: This YA story is set in a school for paranormals who are very different from normal human teens. Thus, the language and some scenes might not be appropriate for younger YA readers. Recommended for those sixteen and above. INITIATION is the first book in the prequel series (Bonfire Academy) of the Bonfire Chronicles. Kindle Edition: 1097 KB Publisher: Imogen Rose (November 23, 2011) ASIN: B006DI7XH6 My Opinion: I couldn't get enough of this book, the idea around it, and everything it was about! It was sooooo good! Paranormal fans are going to go insane when they read this cool tale, that is almost reminiscent of the Xmen school, but so much more. I couldn't get enough of this boo

Onlinenailbar.com stock a fantastic range of nail art stickers . Each sheet contains between 30 and 60+ stickers so this means that you can complete multiple manicures or share with friends. This product is extremely affordable at only £1.25 each. Nail art stickers are easy to use and create a professional looking manicure which ends up costing pennies. My Opinion: I had a lot of fun messing about with this nail art. I chose red polish, with art, for my first set. I'm glad I enjoyed doing it, since they didn't stick on very tight and within 2 days had fallen off. Still looked good though. Then I tried a green base with another design. This one stuck on better, and ironically the last sticker fell off today! I loved designing my nails though. It was fun and easy to use. I think teenage girls would get a kick out of these things! 4/5 Recommend? Definitely. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com . Regardless, I only r

SHOULD BE READING (If graphic doesn't load, refresh page) Accepting his connection to others, the traveler must take up company on his journey. The giving of gifts symbolizes friendship, love and trust. Loneliness has passed.

LUMINOSITY (Luminosity, #1) by Stephanie Thomas (September 11, 2012) "My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings. And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t been the same since. The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me. But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I think I’ve already helped them win." Paperback Available for Pre-Order from Amazon Add to your Goodreads TBR

(If graphic doesn't load, refresh page) Ponga Boy is the story of a young Mexican boy s journey from small town fisherman to college soccer megastar. Pichu Castillian, alias Ponga Boy, grew up in an impoverished fishing village at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. Pichu is the heart and soul of the dock, a local legend who works the bait fishing boats, or pongas, with his father, and amazes locals and tourists alike with his feats of athleticism. One day he attracts the attention of two American collegiate soccer coaches. After witnessing Pichu s abilities, they offer him the opportunity of a lifetime a tryout with the University of San Francisco soccer team and a full scholarship. Pichu embarks on a journey that goes beyond soccer as he enters a world that challenges everything he s ever known and leads him to confront who he is and what he really wants in life. Hardcover: 180 pages Publisher: Epic Press LLC (July 19, 2009) ISBN: 9780615201849 Author Bios: Philip Reed

Welcome to Week 64 with me! Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56. *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. *Post it. *Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple. (If graphic doesn't load, refresh page.)   Pichu heard the words but they didn't fully sink in. There had always been fish in the sea, so many fish you could run across their backs all the way up to the shore. True, there had been some bad days recently, but then the next day of fishing was fine. Now his mother's words frightened him. A horrible image flashed into his mind of a still, lifeless sea, an empty sea. And it made him panicky and hot.

Archaeologist Sheppard Smyth has staked his career and the honorable memory of his deceased wife and partner on proving his widely-panned theory: Cleopatra VII, last ruler of Ancient Egypt, was murdered. When a statue of the doomed Queen is discovered in an Olmec excavation site in Mexico, Shep rushes to investigate and, hopefully, find the proof that has evaded him for so long. Soon, he finds himself in the middle of the rivalry between the sexy, enigmatic international thief, Victoria Kent, and infamous rumored Russian mobster, Dmitri Kronastia. Both hold pieces to the puzzle that will finally shed light on Cleopatras death, as they vie for Shep's trust and assistance. As he is drawn further into their world of ancient gods, supernatural powers, and alternative history, little does Shep know that the fate of all humanity may hinge on his ability to discover the truth in between Victoria and Dmitris' fragmented claims and hidden identities. Working to decode the ancient past w

SHOULD BE READING The stupid bird tried to do even more damage to my nose by pecking at it. Even though it was against the rules, I grabbed her wing and tore it off of her.

Archaeologist Sheppard Smyth has staked his career and the honorable memory of his deceased wife and partner on proving his widely-panned theory: Cleopatra VII, last ruler of Ancient Egypt, was murdered. When a statue of the doomed Queen is discovered in an Olmec excavation site in Mexico, Shep rushes to investigate and, hopefully, find the proof that has evaded him for so long. Soon, he finds himself in the middle of the rivalry between the sexy, enigmatic international thief, Victoria Kent, and infamous rumored Russian mobster, Dmitri Kronastia. Both hold pieces to the puzzle that will finally shed light on Cleopatras death, as they vie for Shep's trust and assistance. As he is drawn further into their world of ancient gods, supernatural powers, and alternative history, little does Shep know that the fate of all humanity may hinge on his ability to discover the truth in between Victoria and Dmitris' fragmented claims and hidden identities. Working to decode the ancient past

Evocative and filled with a rare compassion, Forgive Yourself by new author Allie Sager blends supernatural dreamscapes with affairs of the heart and unforgivable betrayal. Smart and telling, the author enlists a stunning and heartfelt prose to weave one woman’s reluctant love story. On the surface to the outside world, Sammy Logan might appear to be a woman who has it all, but the fact is she is married to a man who has never truly forgiven her for a past she had no control over. Haunted each day by the vivid secret, she turns to Conner Simpson, a man she has always loved—the man without question who makes her feel complete. Caught on the brink, confused, but certainly not alone, Sammy must first forgive herself, make peace with the dark demons of her past and her mystic ancestral visions before she can truly be free. Paperback: 196 pages Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (June 14, 2008) ISBN: 9781419695162 Author Bio: Allie Sager is an avid poet, essayist, and journalist with k

Already an internet phenomenon, these wise and insightful lessons by popular newspaper columnist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Regina Brett will make you see the possibilities in your life in a whole new way. When Regina Brett turned 50, she wrote a column on the 50 lessons life had taught her. She reflected on all she had learned through becoming a single parent, looking for love in all the wrong places, working on her relationship with God, battling cancer and making peace with a difficult childhood. It became one of the most popular columns ever published in the newspaper, and since then the 50 lessons have been emailed to hundreds of thousands of people. Brett now takes the 50 lessons and expounds on them in essays that are deeply personal. From "Don't take yourself too seriously-Nobody else does" to "Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift," these lessons will strike a chord with anyone who has ever gone through tough times--and haven'

INBETWEEN (Kissed by Death, #1) by Tara Fuller (August 7, 2012) Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky—and unending—lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option. It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn't let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul. Paperback Available for Pre-Order from Amazon Add to your Goodreads TBR Chapter 1 Finn Sometimes

Happy Sunday readers! Today we have author, Rita J. Webb, joining us to talk about her book, Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal , and answer a few questions for us. So Rita, tell us about Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal ; Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal is a YA paranormal romance anthology, consisting of 8 stories by some wonderful authors. But why reinvent the wheel? The blurb expresses it best: Discover the secrets of a siren, fly with a hawk girl over the mountains of Montana, and flee supernatural party-crashers as the décor comes to life in this magical journey through paranormal stories. Along the way, watch for ghosts in a haunted house, or ride through the moonlight with a stranger. Save a comatose boy who has lost his soul, and don’t forget to bring your garlic and wolfsbane—you never know when the shadows will snag you. Transcendent includes eight stories of magic, love, death, and choice by some of the newest names in young adult fiction. Who or what in

Whenever Therese Borchard was weathering a personal storm, and help was nowhere to be found, her one guiding light was the question, "What would a therapist say?" The result was a sort of therapy scrapbook for rough days--a quick reference for anyone who needs a dose of encouragement, support and tried and true ways to cope. THE POCKET THERAPIST is a compact and accessible guide filled with techniques and advice to help combat everything from addictive behavior to negative thinking. Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: Center Street; 1 edition (April 15, 2010) ISBN13: 9781599952994 My Opinion: My first thought a little way into this book was I was glad the author is not really a therapist. What she is, is an in-your-face author who shoots straight talk always. You are either going to love her or hate her. I didn't care for it, even though I laughed a couple times. I just felt like the old adage "misery loves company" played in here all too well. Not my thi

When Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, he also won a long-running debate with his wife Michelle. Contrary to her fears, politics now seemed like a worthwhile, even noble pursuit. Together they planned a White House life that would be as normal and sane as possible. Then they moved in. In the Obamas, Jodi Kantor takes us deep inside the White House as they try to grapple with their new roles, change the country, raise children, maintain friendships, and figure out what it means to be the first black President and First Lady. Filled with riveting detail and insight into their partnership, emotions and personalities, and written with a keen eye for the ironies of public life, THE OBAMAS is an intimate portrait that will surprise even readers who thought they knew the President and First Lady. Thanks to Anna and Hachette Book Group , I have one copy up for grabs to one lucky person! Fill in the Rafflecopter form to enter. There is a mandatory question to ente

Welcome to Week 63 with me! Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56. *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. *Post it. *Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple. (If graphic doesn't load, refresh page.) It's easier to collect than dig.

Jemeker Thompson-Hairston paid a heavy price for her involvement in the drug game. Learning from her sources of a federal investigation, Jemeker went on the run. It was love for her young son that brought her back to Los Angeles, even though she knew she would be arrested. A subsequent 15-year sentence would cost her not only her legitimate business and the fortune she'd amassed through the drug trade, but the most precious thing of all: time with her child. But not all was lost. Fortunately, while Thompson-Hairston was serving out the fifteen-year sentence, one pivotal moment helped her turn her life around, setting her on a path to help and inspire others like her. Now, in QUEEN PIN, written with New York Times bestselling author David Ritz, she reveals in gripping detail her journey of redemption that readers won't soon forget. Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (June 22, 2010) ISBN-10: 9780446542883 Author Bio: Jemeker Thompson-Hairs

Good evening readers! Tonight we have author, Hilary Thomson, joining us to talk about her book, A Will to Murder , and answer a few questions for us. Check it out. A Will to Murder is a humorous mystery novel. When wealthy and eccentric patriarch James Boyle dies a bizarre death, the DA declines to investigate, convinced the victim died of natural causes. Yet even the police are stunned when members of the Boyle family gather for the reading of James' will--and begin to die, one at a time. Only when long-lost Boyle relative Bradley Smith appears, along with reporter Eric Maxwell, do the mysterious deaths finally receive a proper investigation. Even so, no one is prepared for the lunacy that hides beneath the family's facade. Who or what inspires your writing? That's an impossible question to answer. I've read mountains of books, and the ones I like the most aren't necessarily the same ones I'm inspired by. Many authors do bits and pieces of

SHOULD BE READING All the time I'd been holding out on Daff didn't mean I wasn't having sex. In fact, the sex I was having put me up even higher in my little mind.

Five modern takes on classic fairy tales, and the only magic is the real-life kind. Each sweet, funny, romantic short story is 10,000-13,000 words in length. The stories can be read separately, but are linked together in the collection, and wrap up in the perfect happily ever after. Stories include: Cindi, Red, Belle, Snow and Goldie. Kindle Edition: 654 KB ASIN: B006Z0LUWG Read my reviews for the other 3 Flirts books HERE . My Opinion: Cindi is a modern-day Cinderella story that had me picturing Sarah Jessica Parker in the starring role. It was a wonderful shoe-affair! (5/5) Red , is a modern-day Red Riding Hood that I enjoyed better than the film that came out last year. This story was "naughty but nice". It made me laugh too, just so you know. (4/5) Belle , is a modern-day Beauty and the Beast, and just as romantic as you might think. It made me smile from ear-to-ear. (4/5) Snow , is a modern-day Snow White that made me think Michelle Pheifer would be great as

February is Black History Month . I read this book in lieu of that, as it was part of the A-Z Blogging Mini-Challenge . Modeled after Maria Shriver's Just Who Will You Be, Queen Latifah's goal with Put On Your Crown is to help young women build a strong sense of self-esteem. A US Dept. of Justice survey found that females ages 16-24 are more vulnerable to partner violence than any other group, almost triple the national average. Cases like Chris Brown's assault on pop star Rihanna showed an ugly side of adolescent life. However, Queen Latifah has always been a shining example of a woman happy with herself and unwilling to compromise to fit into the "hollywood ideal" of what a confident beautiful woman should look like. The result: She's one of the biggest A-list celebrities in Hollywood. Hardcover: 208 pages Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (May 6, 2010) ISBN: 9780446555890 Author Bio: Queen Latifah was born and raised in Newark, Ne

Good morning readers! Today we have author, Ernst Dabel joining us to talk about his book, Pantheons . On the streets, they call fifteen year old orphan Isaiah Marshall the Indestructible Diamond.  Isaiah is the leader of the Redrovers, a group of teenage misfits consisting of his friends Jeremy, Monty, and Pipsqueak, but when they trespass into Kaliber Academy to get even with the arrogant Jason Ollopa, they are in way over their heads. Principal Webb enrolls them into the High School and Isaiah soon learns about the existence of the gods of the Ancient World. Because the gods have refused to fight the last War for fear of the Mysterious Dark, the Powers-that-Be have stripped them of their spiritual bodies and given them mortal, teenage forms. Isaiah discovers he's not only a god, but that he's the child of the Greek goddess Metis, the son destined to overthrow his cruel and sadistic father Zeus, the Darkener of the Sky, and become the greatest god in all the Pantheons. 

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them. Thanks to Anna and Hachette Book Group , I have 3 copies up

E Van Lowe is giving away a signed set of his books: Never Slow Dance With A Zombie, Boyfriend From Hell and Earth Angel. Along with a fun Valentine theme YA Gift Basket containing a plush puppy, a heart mug, an ARC of Wintertow by Stephen Emond, devil socks, devil and angel duckies, RockStar Sweethearts, Red Hots Lip Balm, Bath and Body Works pocket bac, and travel size Pink Chiffon lotion, pencils and a Bewitching Book Tours bookmark After the author guest post, is the form for the giveaway. A Storyteller’s Dream - E. Van Lowe Early in the spring of 2006 I hit a wall with my career. I had reached what felt very much like a crossroads in my life. After several months of talks with a studio, I had failed to land a job writing and producing a popular TV drama. I had the feeling I wasn’t hired because of my age. I had had a stellar career writing and producing many great TV shows and some not so great shows. But in show biz, people over fifty have been known to hit a wall. I

Welcome to Week 62 with me! Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56. *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. *Post it. *Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple. (If graphic doesn't load, refresh page.) This one seventeen year old girl was so tired and angry because she had to get up every morning to feed her younger siblings breakfast and get them ready for school while her mom was still in bed, too strung out on crack to move.

(If graphic doesn't load, refresh page) Elizabeth Avery could easily be the girl next door. But what she has planned will make your blood run cold. At first glance, the crimes appear random. Arson. Theft. Fraud. Murder. But these are more than random crimes. They're moves in an increasingly deadly game. And the one element they have in common: a woman who is gorgeous, clever . . . and lethal. Elizabeth Avery has a winsome smile and flawless figure, but underneath is a heart of ice. She's a master manipulator, convincing strangers to do the unthinkable. And she orchestrates it all without getting too close. Until now. When Elizabeth ruthlessly disposes of an inquisitive young reporter, her crime catches the attention of Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce, FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges, and crime reporter Cassidy Shaw. They know they're dealing with a cold-blooded murderer who could strike at any time. What they don't know is that they're already on a first-

(If graphic doesn't load, refresh page) For generations, Aurelia was the crowning glory of more than three thousand acres of Iowa farmland and golden cornfields. The estate was a monument to matriarch Lavinia Hathaway's dream to elevate the family name—no matter what relative or stranger she had to destroy in the process. It was a desperation that wrought the downfall of the Hathaways—and the once-prosperous farm. Now the last inhabitant of the decaying old home has died—alone. None of the surviving members of the Hathaway family want anything to do with the farm, the land or the memories. Especially Meredith Pincetti. Now living in New York City, for seventeen years Lavinia's youngest grandchild has tried to forget everything about her family and her past. But with the receipt of a pleading letter, Meredith is again thrust into conflict with the legacy that destroyed her family's once-great name. Back at Aurelia, Meredith must confront the rise and fall of the Hat

Good afternoon readers! Today we have author Andrew Gavin joining us to talk about his book with bite, The Darkening Dream . And just so you know, right now on Amazon you can get the Kindle copy for free! Here is more about the book: 1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is full of friends, books, and avoiding the pressure to choose a husband, until an ominous vision and the haunting call of an otherworldly trumpet shake her. When she stumbles across a gruesome corpse, she fears that her vision was more of a premonition. And when she sees the murdered boy moving through the crowd at an amusement park, Sarah is thrust into a dark battle she does not understand. With the help of Alex, a Greek immigrant who knows a startling amount about the undead, Sarah sets out to uncover the truth. Their quest takes them to the factory mills of Salem, on a midnight boat ride to spy on an eerie coastal lair, and back, unexpectedly, to their own homes. What can Alex’s elderly, vampir

SHOULD BE READING (If graphic doesn't load, refresh page) Allison had always known Colton Foley had other victims. And her hunch had been confirmed when a woman answered the ad she and Nicole ran in the alternative paper.