Review of No Angels for Christmas by Petie McCarty

Welcome to the review tour for No Angels for Christmas by Petie McCarty! This story is one that is going to capture all of your emotions along the ride. Please enjoy my review and then follow the tour to read what other people have to say. You can also leave questions and comments for the author along the way, which gives you bonus chances to enter the great giveaway!

No Angels for Christmas

No Angels for Christmas . . . a cozy romantic mystery with suspense from The Mystery Angel Romances series. An angel hidden in every book waiting for you to figure who . . .

Child psychologist Rachel Kelly isn't quite sure how to handle the situation with her newest client -- a six-year-old boy who says he can talk to angels and one is coming to help Rachel. She already has her hands full of trouble this Christmas season, and things quickly take a turn for the worse when a stalker crashes Rachel's Christmas party and takes her young clients hostage.

Police negotiator, Lt. Jake Dillon, walked away from his fiancée Rachel when she suddenly balked at having kids. His kids. Yet when the hostage crisis erupts, Rachel calls Jake first. Now he has a choice to make -- stand back and wait for the cavalry to save Rachel or step in and try to save her himself. Time is running out, and Jake may be their only chance for rescue.

Unless Rachel's little angel-spying client is telling the truth…

Read an excerpt:

Jake whipped his BMW into the Azalea Center parking lot and switched off his headlights in one smooth motion. Guided by the light from the few streetlamps, he coasted to a silent stop next to Wally’s Jeep, though his emotions had urged him to come screeching around the corner like the cavalry. Common sense and the need for stealth won out. He couldn’t risk driving the trespasser underground only to have him surface later after Jake had gone.

Clicking off his interior lights, he drew his Sig Sauer from the glove compartment, then climbed out and pushed the car door in until the latch quietly held. He waited several seconds to let his eyes and ears take in the entire scene. Damn. All the landscaping crowded around the Center provided a multitude of places for a trespasser to hide.

He put a hand on the hood of Wally’s Jeep. Still warm, even in the cold night air. A brief stab of guilt hit him for dumping his team so abruptly in the Beef n’ Barrel. Couldn’t be helped.

He scanned the closest landscape beds for some sign of Wally. A stiff north breeze whipped across the parking area, stirring up leaves and debris. Barely visible through the treetops, the almost-full moon blazed bright.

He made his way past the large perimeter oaks to the interior sidewalk and began a slow circle of the building, checking sections of garden as he paced. All the offices on the west side of the building were unoccupied, and all windows were dark, a few with vestiges of their interior visible due to adjacent emergency lighting.

Rachel’s office just around the corner faced the back of the property. At this time of night, her office interior would be entirely visible with her lights on. Jake knew this because he’d snuck over here enough times in the last few months to observe her office from the garden. He was pathetic and every few weeks had needed a glimpse of her to get by. A wry smile twitched the edges of his mouth. He could’ve been called in as a trespasser on any one of those nights should someone have spotted him and cared enough to make the call.

Careful to remain off the sidewalk, he silently paced toward the back garden. If the trespasser was a stalker, then the perp probably knew the Center had no security guard and no security system. A fact that had always bothered Jake.

At the back corner of the property, he crossed the sidewalk to inspect the landscape areas adjacent to the building. With quick steps, he shifted from one landscape bed to another. Crouching as he left the larger camellias, he moved through the shorter azaleas and Indian hawthorn.

Clearing the corner, his position even with the back of the building, he paused to reconnoiter and stared at the faint pool of light cast by an overhead office. Rachel’s office.

As his gaze rose to the second-floor office, his eyes searched for the all-too-familiar figure. Without thinking, he straightened to his full height, clearly visible to anyone glancing out the window. Yet no one searched for a figure in the garden. All eyes in the office were busy.

Rachel stood with Olivia and her children on one side of the conference room. On the other side of the room, a man in a worn red jacket and baseball cap faced them—pointing a gun.

This was Jake’s horrible nightmare.

Available on Amazon

 Yes, this is my affiliate link. Should you make a purchase through it, I can earn a few pennies at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my websites!

**My thoughts**

Wow, this book was a lot more intense than I thought it was going to be! You have a lot of elements working together here. You have a broken relationship, sick children, abused children, the child who sees angels, and then a bit of suspense when Rachel and the kids are kidnapped. My heart truly hurt for these kids, and for Rachel who is trying to face life after some devastating news. I honestly kept a Kleenex nearby, because tears had a tendency to surface in many places. 

And then there is also the element of keeping the faith in life. Some characters are strong in their faith. Some are struggling. Some are finding it. But the most magical part of all is knowing there are angels among us.

This is not going to be one of your quick reads that you can easily breeze through. It definitely held my attention, but required a lot more digestion than a lot of romances and stories I have been reading as of late. The premise is an interesting one, and I may have to check out the other books in the series.

About Petie McCarty

Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—"The Most Magical Place on Earth"—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and her cozy-mystery-with-romantic-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.

Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and a noisy Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in No Angels for Christmas.

Visit Petie's web site online at http://www.petiemccarty.com or her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty.


Social Media:

http://www.petiemccarty.com

https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty

https://twitter.com/authorpetie

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094579.Petie_McCarty

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/petie-mccarty

https://www.pinterest.com/petiemccarty

http://www.amazon.com/author/petiemccarty

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-mccarty-30851412

Petie McCarty will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC and 3 ebook copies of Duke Du Jour, book 1 of the Lords in Time series to 4 randomly drawn winners (one prize per winner) via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Devil Is in the Details by Maya

New Release - The Devil is in the Details (The Broken Halos series Book 1) on sale for 99c for a limited time

Nothing can brighten up a day like hunting demons...OR...like opening up the portal to Hell!

Helena lived her life with a rigid sense of ethics until one mission went wrong and caused her to question everything. Now she must place her trust in a handsome demon, but at what cost? Will she have to sacrifice redemption for love, or is this just another demonic trick?

Because she is Heaven’s favorite...unless, she switches sides!

Read in Kindle Unlimited or grab it for 99c for a limited time!
Yes, these Amazon links are my affiliate links. Should you make a purchase through them, I may earn a few pennies at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my websites!

Follow on Facebook / Maya's Sassy Readers

Book 2 is on pre-order for 99c Speak of the Devil (The Broken Halos series Book 2) on Amazon.

#BookReview 'Eternal Dawn' by Kathi Haacke Morehead

Eternal Dawn Blurb:

This is the follow up book to White Night.

Kris and Jake Collins have the world by the tail: successful, happy lives, loving family, and a deep love that sustains them both. All of their dreams are coming true and there is nothing but blue skies on the horizon. When circumstances conspire to strip all that they’ve known from them, will they be strong enough to recognize the true meaning of love?


**My thoughts**

I just ugly cried. Again. I remember being devastated by White Night when I read the first chapter. Jo is on her deathbed, watching her children's reactions. It brought back up the pain of watching my father slip away and gave me insight into what was probably going through his mind at the time. This book hurt me even more. I don't think it is much of a spoiler to tell you that Kris is suffering from a brain injury. So much of this is told from her perspective as a prisoner within her own body. Again, I lost my father to a brain injury, so this really hit close to home for me. The emotions that must have been going through his head. The lessons he was trying to learn as he teetered on the brink between this world and the next. Then there is the other side of the pain and torture mixed with unconditional love that is felt by the rest of the family during this ordeal. If you have ever been through a similar situation with a loved one, I think you will feel and understand this book better than anyone else will. If you haven't, you will still need a box of Kleenex, because you would have to be completely heartless to not feel anything from this.

Just like in the first book, there are so many life lessons within these pages. As Kris reflects on her spiritual existence, you can't help but contemplate your own life situation. Have I loved too much? Have I sacrificed too much? Have I been too selfish? Unlike Kris, we don't have the wise Soul guiding us along our reflections. But isn't it more important to figure it out for ourselves before it is too late? Isn't that a gift that so many of us often forget to take advantage of?

This book and its predecessor tell the story of an epic love that transcends time and space. Yes, it will make a lot more sense if you read White Night first, but you may get something out of it if you read it as a standalone. It is the kind of love story that we all wish we could have on some level. It shows you that finding your soulmate in life does not guarantee perfection in life, without a lot of bumps and twists. It reminds you that true love really is one of the greatest purposes in life.

I think each person who reads this book is going to have their own experience with it. You are going to have your own life experiences to draw from, to make this book personal to you. I think you need to read it, to help put your life into perspective and to learn your own lessons. Despite feeling absolutely shattered at the moment, having just finished it, I am glad I read it. I liked it even more than the first one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Put Eternal Dawn on your Goodreads TBR list

Read my review of White Night here.

 
About the author:

Kathi Haacke Morehead makes her fiction debut with WHITE NIGHT. She is the author of HEART BLEED: Letting go and stanching the flow, and THE BEST FROM THE CHEAP SEATS. She has also written numerous articles for Mind Body Green, and Boomeon. She also blogs daily at A View From the Cheap Seats Today. Kathi lives in Brunswick with her husband Dave and their four finicky felines. Her motto is "love and laugh!"

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Blog | YouTube | Literary Addicts

 

Follow the Tour

FREE 2/2 'Child of Two: Journeys Begin' by Dustin H. Austin

Book blurb-

Tash is an Awkward eighteen year old boy who was born with an unusual birthmark. Over the course of one terrifying night, he gets to find out exactly what "Child of Two" means.

Tash and his best friend Ryder's lives get turned upside down. They spend the night fighting demons, the law, a secret society and a mad man. All Tash and Ryder have to help them in their conquest is a written letter from his mother, which instructs them to travel halfway across the country to find a man that Tash has never met.

Follow Tash and his fun-loving companion Ryder on their journey. Tash falls in love for the first time and discovers many new things about himself in this coming of age fantasy novel with paranormal romance story lines.

Tash and Ryder find out that many things in this world are not what they appear to be. They meet secret soldiers whose main purpose is to hunt down and fight demons. Can Tash and Ryder stay one step ahead of the demons? Can they find this mystery man before it's too late?)

Buy it on Amazon

FREE on 2/2!

Dustin H. Austin, a former police officer, is enjoying life with his retired K9 partner “Timmy.” His passion is helping animals and spending quality time with his Wife and their three children. Dustin and his family live in Texas.

Follow Dustin:

Amazon Author Page

Twitter: @author_dustin 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildofTwoJourneysBegin?ref=hl

Review of 'Wilted Wings' by Shadow Stephens

Wilted Wings
Power, greed, and envy fill Damon and Ilisha’s world. Their hope of settling into a life of peace and family remains out of grasp. Damon is kidnapped and forced to stand trial for the death of his father while a breed of hybrids designed to destroy all angels is set loose. With no choice but to leave her earthly mother and baby behind, Ilisha struggles in a world of high politics and family feuds. She must become an ultimate warrior to save her husband and both the worlds she loves.

**My thoughts**

This book is the sequel to 'Broken Butterflies,' which I reviewed last year here. In this story, Ilisha is much stronger, having accepted her life as an angel, with her husband by her side raising her best friend's human baby as their own. She and her husband have a smoking hot relationship, in which they literally damage their surroundings during their mind-blowing sex. (And there is a LOT of that in this book!) She has found a balance in her relationship with her earthly parents and her angel family, though there is still some hostility. You get a sense of peace that she didn't have when we first met her.

Now that there are demons on the loose wreaking havoc, she and her loved ones are called upon again to save the world and she risks losing everything that makes her life so comfortable. They embark upon a battle that traverses the worlds. It's a whirlwind of action that gets confusing in the passage of time and in whom you can actually trust. I did have to go back to reread a couple of passages, trying to figure out how much time had passed because it had blurred so much for me.

I think I did like the first book better than this one, simply because it was about Ilisha figuring out who she was and where she belonged in both of her worlds. Fans of demons are going to love all of the action in this one, though. And like I said before, there are plenty of smoking hot love scenes!
 
Ilisha's story isn't yet done. There is more to come. Something tells me that the precious baby girl is going to play a big role in the future. I do look forward to seeing how this series continues!

Purchase Wilted Wings now on Amazon.

About Shadow Stephens

Avid Cleveland Browns fan, animal lover, and paranormal addict are just a few ways to describe Shadow Stephens. Shadow grew up in Ohio and West Virginia, which gave her a fear of snakes and the ability to fix anything with duct tape. She has been writing since childhood, but wrote her first novel three years ago. She now resides in Utah with a veritable menagerie of pets and a million ideas in her head just waiting to be put on paper. When she isn't ghost hunting, Shadow can be found writing paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels. This will be her first published book, with many more to follow.

Follow Shadow Stephens: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Watch out Video chat with author Shadow Stephens July 17th at 7PM EST on Literary Addicts

Take part in our Book Tour event on Facebook July 16 - 18 All Day Long for Amazon Gift Cards and ebooks!

Follow the Tour
Shadow Stephens is giving away a $50 Amazon Giftcard, open Internationally. Fill out the form below to enter! a Rafflecopter giveaway

#AtoZChallenge Angels

This year for the annual A to Z Challenge, I took some time in March to ask my followers on various social networks to share some of their favorite authors, books, and genres. I don't read a lot of books about angels, but readers had a couple of favorite books to share with me. I will have to check out some of them! I have heard of the first two of these books, but not the third. 

Click on a cover for more reader reviews and to purchase on Amazon. I have included the Amazon blurb for each one.

A daughter’s mistake.
A mother’s wrath.
An impossible choice.

Sophie’s plans were simple: Leave the supernatural behind and raise a child of her own creation. For twenty years life couldn’t have been better, until the day her daughter showed up on her doorstep bloodied and bruised. They say, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” But the wrath of a mother, whose only desire was to protect her child, is unfathomable. Those pure of heart can rest easy. However, if you carry the slightest tinge of darkness, beware the Higher Calling.

Recommended for readers. 15+

Lucy Donovan was supposed to have a weekend of fun in the sun, celebrating her upcoming graduation from college. In a split second, everything changed. A drunk driver ended Lucy's mortal life.

Lucy opens her eyes to a world she never imagined possible and a new destiny: as a Patronus, a guardian of spirits. Adjusting to her new role and abilities while negotiating this confusing realm will test her limits and push her further than she ever dreamed she would go. From wayward spirits who don't want her help to soul stealing vampires, and even a stuck-up British royal, Lucy must brave them all to save one spirit she can't bear to lose.

Further complicating her confusing life is an inexplicable yet growing connection she feels to a member of her team, Max, whose mysterious behavior leaves her both confused and intrigued.

Waking up dead was just the beginning of her problems. Lucy's death is about to become the greatest adventure of her life.

What happens when Darkness and Light collide?

Seventeen is a life changing age for Emma Wise.
As her family's sole survivor in a car crash, she is left with a broken arm, and a few scrapes and bruises. But these are only outward marks; inside, her heart is broken and the pieces scattered.

Whisked away to Alaska, to an aunt she’s never met, Emma starts over. Secrets unveil themselves and now…she doesn't even know who or what she is.

A centuries old prophecy places Emma in the heart of danger. Creatures of horrifying and evil proportions are after her, and it will take Emma, her aunt, and six, gorgeously, captivating Guardians to keep her safe. But, if she can survive until her eighteenth birthday... things will change.

Which of these have you read? What are some of your favorite books about angels?

How to Create the Perfect Paranormal Man - Guest Post by Stacy Gail, Author of 'Nobody's Angel'

Before we begin, I’d like to thank Andi for allowing me to cruise by and chat about NOBODY’S ANGEL, my latest release from Carina Press, and the first book in The Earth Angels paranormal romance series!

Question: What’s your idea of the PERFECT paranormal man? Is he the lone-wolf wanderer? The strong, silent type? A domineering alpha-hole?

For me, my obsessive love for the paranormal hero began early—like nine or ten years old—when I picked up my first X-Men comic book and found Logan/Wolverine. Oh my stars, this superhero was amazing! He had the bad-boy attitude. He didn’t play well with others. He had a dangerous past he couldn’t remember. And, oh yeah, he was positively drowning in unrequited love for Jean Grey/Phoenix. What’s not to adore about this guy?

Ultimately, though, it was the unrequited love facet that snagged my interest the most. Come to find out, it’s not all that easy to create a hero who also happens to be a superhero. Fictional heroes are tough enough, but superheroes are that much more difficult to relate to on an average human level. After all, I have no clue what it’s like to be faster than a speeding bullet, and my clairvoyant abilities have yet to show me any winning Lotto numbers (though I do keep trying :P). Paranormal heroes need to be relatable. They need to be grounded in some facet of reality that everyone’s familiar with. One surefire way to that?

Just add a good woman.

Zeke Reece, my hero in NOBODY’S ANGEL, is unique; he’s a member of the Nephilim, a nearly extinct race of human-angel hybrids. That alone isolates him to an almost unbearable level, but in addition to that he lives under the constant threat of a heavenly smackdown for simply existing. He trusts no one and is obsessed with keeping his corner of the world problem-free, and though he tells himself it’s because he doesn’t want undue attention thrown his way, the truth is that he’s got a highly developed sense of justice. And who could blame him? He didn’t ask to be born as part of the Nephilim, and he hasn’t done anything wrong, yet it’s widely known his race is unloved and unwanted. Thanks to this, Zeke knows all too well about what’s fair, and what isn’t.

But to make him even more relatable—more human—there had to be something everyone could feel and experience along with him. Enter Kendall Glynn. Right out of the gate, Zeke is torn between wanting to protect her from a supernatural threat that has targeted her, and wanting to get closer to her for another reason entirely. But he knows he’s a winged freak that would no doubt disgust and horrify her, and that anyone who becomes close to him gets pulled into the shadowy world of the Nephilim. It’s his internal battle—and the raw yearning for the woman of his dreams—that humanizes him completely, and when things are at their very worst, it’s his love for Kendall that allows him to be at his very best.

I loved creating Zeke and all his complexities, as well as matching him with a woman who was strong enough to keep up with him. But the question remains—in your opinion, what is YOUR idea of the perfect paranormal man?

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A competitive figure skater from the age of eight, Stacy Gail began writing stories in between events to pass the time. By the age of fourteen, she told her parents she was either going to be a figure skating coach who was also a published romance writer, or a romance writer who was also a skating pro. Now with a day job of playing on the ice with her students, and writing everything from steampunk to cyberpunk, contemporary to paranormal at night, both dreams have come true.

Contact Information:

stacygail1@gmail.com

http://stacygail.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/Stacy_Gail_

 Nobody’s Angel

by Stacy Gail

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Book one in The Earth Angels

Investigative journalist Kendall Glynn is horrified when a friend and colleague signs off permanently during a live newscast, jabbing a pen into his jugular. Kendall's no expert, but judging by the strange white veil in the anchorman's eyes, she would swear he was a man possessed.

A descendant of the accursed Nephilim, Zeke Reece prowls San Francisco by night, keeping the city free from paranormal phenomena. But even he is no match for whatever malevolent force is behind a recent rash of murder-suicides. And when a beautiful tenacious reporter becomes the next target, Zeke has no choice but to stay close to her, until he can find the evil spirit and cross it over.

The closer Kendall gets to the truth, the more danger she's in. Fortunately, a sexy and mysterious masked stranger keeps swooping in to the rescue. Kendall's life depends on finding who or what is responsible for the killings, before it finds her.

Buy links: Amazon \ B&N \ eBooks.com \ Google Play 

Stacy will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC for the grand prize; and second prize is a Zazzle mug with cover art on front, plus a Starbucks Via coffee pack (US only) to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

  

'Broken Butterflies' Book Tour and Review

Broken Butterflies by Shadow Stephens

Ilisha Morrison should have died the day she boarded the bullet train to Colorado. As her train collided with another, a handsome stranger saved her life, but put her in more danger than she ever imagined possible. Caught in a warring world of angels, demons, and a vengeful Death Maker who wants to destroy her, Ilisha discovers her true identity and that not everything is as it seems. Betrayal, heartache and two angels competing for her love forces Ilisha to make the hardest decision of her life.

Buy on Kindle / Paperback


**My thoughts**

Ilisha has had to deal with a lot of loss in her life, causing her some issues with trust. She lost her father, which I know from experience is absolutely devastating. Her infamous train trip home is to bury her grandmother. She loves her mother, but they have become somewhat estranged since Ilisha moved from Colorado to Ohio.

It takes a strong leap of faith for Ilisha to grab Bram's hand when he reaches out and says to trust him. She is then taken on a roller coaster ride of emotion, experiencing betrayal, danger, and having her faith and trust tested several times. She also learns some truths about herself.

The idea of the broken butterflies, the meaning behind the title, is a comforting thought. When someone is about to die, angels appear in the form of butterflies to help them transition. Fallen angels transform into broken butterflies. Becoming a butterfly allows them to rejuvenate. I feel like an English teacher teaching about symbolism as I think on this. Butterflies go through amazing transformations, much like the characters in this book are forced to do. They give up their former selves to become something new in the hopes of it becoming even more beautiful. In some respects, their transformation does make them become a more magnificent creature who is experiencing new beauty. Unlike most butterflies, for some of them it adds danger and somewhat breaks them.
   
August 20- Review  http://thedealsandmore.com
August 21 excerpt  www.ginaslibrary.info
August 22 Review  http://www.craftylife.net
August 23 Review  http://nikita-mattes.blogspot.com
August 24 Feature http://ereadingonthecheap.com

August 27 Review  http://midwesternmoms.com
August 28 Review http://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com
August 29 Review   Generations of Savings
August 30 Guest post  http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/
August 30 Review  http://moreformom.com
August 31 Review http://livingatthewhiteheadszoo.blogspot.com/