Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to All!

    I’m so excited to see what 2017 has in store for my family, friends, and myself. These last few months have been crazy busy but in a good way as I transitioned into a new job and learning how to balance my life is now my new main task. But I’m not complaining one bit, nay I am extremely thankful for my new job, because I had been searching for a couple years and then just when I was at my wits end at the job I was working, God gave me exactly what I needed. 

    So looking over this last year I realized sure at the time I felt like I hadn’t accomplished much, but I read a lot and got to travel too. I loved that I traveled quite a bit with my sister and friends to places I’d been dying to venture to in and around LA. Seriously, singing out loud during packed LA traffic are the best moments. My health also took a turn for the better, helps when specialist can pinpoint things your regular doctor can’t. Oh and my other hobbies are beginning to flourish, well at least their shaping up into something to be proud of. 

     All in all, I’m happy to enter 2017, with my family, friends, books and camera. I'm ready to pack for trips I hope to squeeze in after a busy work week, but I really hope to hit my reading goals this year by reading more classics and history books I've had on my TBR list for waaay too long. I also hope to spend a lot of quality time with my family meaning my grandparents who are a lot older now and my kid cousins who aren't the babies I remember them to be. 

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My Goodreads Record:

Okay I know for a fact that I've read a few more books than just the novels I've pressed "Read", but I must sadly admit that my number of books read this year was smaller than last years. I completely blame it on my wanderlust and lack of a  proper computer for a bit.

Now a lot of amazing books were released over this past year and some series released their final novels. Those releases are always bittersweet because anticipation is sooo long, but once finished the realization that your beloved series is over sometimes sets in a book-depression. However, all good things must come to end, or else how can we cherish them if not for their beginning and subsequently their unforgettable ending. 

So listed below is a compilation of my favorite reads from the year and a mention of the various series that finished this past year.

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My Favorite Books Read In 2016:

Surprisingly enough most of these novels were released just this past year. Hope some of these books match your favorites from this year or bring you a new choice to pick up for the new year.

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PARANORMAL:

"Awakened Angel" 
(Soul Savers, Book 7.5) 
by Kristie Cook
Genre: Paranormal, Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy. 135 pages
Price: $0.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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YOUNG ADULT:

"Nora & Kettle" 
(A Paper Stars Novel, Book 1) 
by Lauren Nicolle Taylor
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Social & Family Issues. 355 pages
Price: $3.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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"Back of Beyond" 
(Complicated Love Series, Book 1) 
by Neeny Boucher
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Coming of Age. 316 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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"See No Evil" 
(Brotherhood Trilogy, Book 1) 
by Jordan Ford
Genre: Young Adult, Sports, Romantic Suspense, Thriller. 244 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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NEW ADULT:

"Never Stop Falling"  
by Ashley Drew
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance. 288 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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"The Sister Code" 
(D.O.R.K. Series, Book 2) 
by Haley Allison
Genre: New Adult, Music Fiction, Contemporary. 268 pages
Price: ebook N/A  (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

**Note: the D.O.R.K series is in the middle of a makeover but ebooks should be available soon.**

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Contemporary Romance:

"Yesterday's Tomorrows"  
by M.E. Montgomery
Genre: Romance, Mystery, Suspense. 290 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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"Geronimo" 
(A Songbird Novel, Book 8) 
by Melissa Pearl
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Holiday. 218 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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"In All My Wishes" 
(Riverbend Novels, Book 1) 
by Ciara Knight
Genre: Contemporary Romance. 188 pages
Price: $0.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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"Shameless" 
(Dearest Series, Book 4) 
by Lex Martin
Genre: Contemporary Romance. 394 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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"Follow Me" 
(Corrupted Hearts Series, Book 1) 
by Tiffany Snow
Genre: Romantic Suspense. 304 pages
Price: $1.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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"Polaris Boxed Set: 
North Star and True North" 
(Book 1 & Book 2) 
by M.E. Montgomery
Genre: Romance, Mystery, Suspense. 582 pages
Price: $4.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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"Last Chance" 
(A Second Chances Novel, Book 8) 
by L.P. Dover
Genre: Romance, Sports, Mystery, Suspense. 318 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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MYSTERY:

"The History Major"  
by Michael Phillip Cash
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense. 132 pages
Price: $1.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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Historical Fiction:

"Forget Me Not"  
by Allison Whitmore
Genre: Historical Fiction. 447 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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"Time of Useful Consciousness"
by Jennifer Ott

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller. 286 pages.

Price: $0.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Blog Post: Click Here

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Series That Ended in 2016

Some of these series I'd been following since the beginning, while some I found at the end. But all of them I'm happy to have read and will most likely re-read in the future.

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House of Royals Series

Series Purchase Link: Click Here

This is definitely a refreshing twist on the vampire genre. The female lead is royal vampire who is constantly concerned with matters of family, community, politics and learning to live. It's a great series and a spin off is coming soon.

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The Big Play Novels

Series Purchase Link: Click Here

As a new writer in the ya sports romance scene Jordan Ford, she brilliantly smashed the charts with "The Playmaker". Each novel is about a couple and the drama encountered is high school with issues such as race, social status, blackmail, bullying, friendship and of course love.

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The Risky Business Trilogy

Series Purchase Link: Click Here

The risk is clear when it's the main character who has to choose whom to trust. Two hot guys and she has to decide whom not only to believe but love as well. Ugh, wish I had her problems, minus the danger.

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The Patience Trilogy

Series Purchase Link: Click Here

This trilogy opened my eyes to an issue I knew about in thought but hadn't truly given more attention too. The main character endures sexual abuse and after turning in her abuser begins to find healing. It's her story process of healing and the strength it takes that really makes me want to be there for people who've faced similar situations.

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The Fire and Ice Series

Series Purchase Link: Click Here

This is a spinoff of the Kindred series and fans from that series will not be disappointed. The two leads make this series their own and let me just say Erica Stevens is great with writing about the supernatural and chemistry ;)

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Supernatural Chronicles: The New Orleans Collection

Set Collection Link: Click Here

Written as individual novellas by various authors, the story all revolves around a key plot and of course New Orleans. Each novella highlights a different supernatural group and a bit of their history. A project like this from these authors is amazing.

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Sydney West Novels

Series Purchase Link: Click Here

Simply put main girl doesn't do love or relationships, but loves sex and partying. The party time is reward for her good behavior and hard work at college, but when vacationing in Malibu-California, everything is fair game. Until one guy says no to her for once and shows her love could be a real thing.

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Love in the '80s: A New Adult Novella Anthology

Set Collection Link: Click Here

Novellas written but various authors chronicle the fantastic 80's decade by each year. It's great how contemporary the stories are even set in a time when it's all about scrunchies, spandex and shoulder pads.

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The Dark Cycles Series

Series Purchase Link: Click Here

This is YA but I'd definitely keep it upper YA. Dealing with angels, demons and other supernatural beings everything always seems unknown. The plot is complex and just a bit sinister when the hero finds he may not get his HEA.

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Make the Play Series

Series Purchase Link: Click Here

This series is the epitome of opposites attract theory. Amber Garda knows how to have her characters fall hard for people they think aren't or shouldn't be their perfect fit. Especially when the relationship brings tension to the baseball team.

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The Captive Series

Series Purchase Link: Click Here

For this series to end I honestly cried. The first novel "Captive" was the first novel I read by author, Erica Stevens, and I've been her fan ever since. So saying adieu to the characters and this dystopian world of vampires and humans fighting to coexist and survive was difficult.

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Hey, It's A Blog Tour for "The Patience Trilogy" by Beth Fehlbaum

by Beth Fehlbaum

The complete trilogy:
  

TITLES 

Courage In Patience
Hope In Patience
Truth In Patience
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary.

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Courage in Patience

Price: $0.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here 

Courage to endure.

Courage to survive.

Courage to overcome.

Tenacious 14-year-old Ashley Asher claws her way back to normalcy after enduring six years of an unimaginable Hell. Uprooted from her negligent and selfish mother, Ashley finds solace in the safety of her father’s home. Building a relationship with her stepmother, she’s finally able to open up and confront the past that haunts her. 

With the help of her stepmom, therapist, and a group of troubled adolescents, Ashley battles her demons, struggling to find the normal teenage life she’s always wanted. Can Ashley find the strength and courage to overcome the horrors of her past while fighting for the future she so deserves?

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My Rating:  

My Thoughts: Heartbreaking But Honest.

       This novel is truly raw, brutal, but real in helping readers understand abuse and the healing process. The author writes from the heart and gives realism to her character's situation. Reading this novel has enlightened me in so many ways.

        Night after night, day after day fourteen year old Ashley Asher is frightened by her secret. Her home is not a safe place. No matter how many times Ashley tries to tell her mom that she is being abused and molested by her stepfather, Ashley is told she is imagining things. It's not until things go too far and Ashley mask of "normalcy" breaks in public that she is finally taken from her abusive home. Ashley is sent to a small town in Texas called Patience to live with her absentee father and his new family. It's in this new home that Ashley begins to find rest but not peace as she is still plagued with memories and pain of her abuse. With the help of her true family, therapist and new friends, Ashley  begins the road of healing.

         Overall, it's weird to say I loved the book when it's such a heartbreaking story, but it was very enlightening. This novel and character was needed to be written even if the subject matter is too horrid to think or talk about because it's all to real for too many people. I'm not a victim of abuse but I work with a young women and am always conscious of their situations and personal history. Ashley goes through the most unimaginable horrors as a child into teenage years but once she's "freed", it's clear her healing has only just begun and will take more than a few therapy sessions. I truly couldn't help but want to cry for Ashley as she literally tears herself apart trying to understand why and how everything evil happened to her. However, seeing Ashley find her real family and home with her dad, stepmom and stepbrother, uncle and cousin is the greatest. Plus Ashley's stepmom Bev is totally awesome.  Also note that from a literature point of view I love how well written the novel was, there was an integration of another novel used in a classroom setting as a segway into bigger issues, which was genius, the side dialogue and characters from the school are great. So if you've ever been abused or know of someone that has been this novel is worth a read.

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Hope in Patience 

Price: $3.99 ebook (at time of post)
Book Link: Click Here

Hope to Heal.

Hope to grow.

Hope to evolve.

Still shattered from the horrific events of her childhood years, 15-year-old Ashley Asher is barely holding it together. Battling her vicious and vile mother who still sees her as the villain and not the victim, Ashley’s stuck in a cycle of self-injury and self-hatred as a result--despite the many people who trying to pull her out of it.

Adolescence is hard, but throw in a new school, a new family, and a father she hardly knows, Ashley's need for self-destruction and pain intensifies. Her new therapist, Dr. Matt, may be unconventional with bizarre antics, but he'll do whatever it takes to pull Ashley out of the doldrums. Ashley just wants a crack at normalcy. But can her counselor and the friends and family who love her teach her that "crazy is the new normal" and that nobody has it easy?

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My Rating:  

My Thoughts: Hard Road To Healing.

       This is the continuation of "Courage in Patience" and if you haven't read that novel I highly recommend it, so you can fully understand Ashley's emotional situation and her now journey of healing. However, if you are just starting the series at this novel you will not be too lost as the author died a great re-cap at the beginning.

        Now fifteen and trying to recover from her near abduction and loss of safety, Ashley Asher just wants to start school like a normal  teenager. Ashley finds that school is so much more difficult when topics like family set her off emotional. Working with her therapist, Dr.Matt, Ashley is learning not to inflict self-harm when bad things or memories occur. One such thing is a court hearing against her mom and stepdad aka Satan for the attack last summer. Now along with her family issues Ashley also has school to deal with which brings up a variety of issues like racism, censorship, new relationships, teachers and subject matter. Only thing clear is Ashley is on a long journey of recovery and it is uk to her whether or not it's successful.

         Overall, great follow-up novel. Having Ashley still on her journey makes it all very real since in fiction most authors would be like "she met a boy and felt complete the end." But for Ashley the process and emotions are real and still being worked through. especially concerning her mom. The fact Ashley still struggles over trying to accept her moms actions in the situation is saddening, because everyone wants her to just write the witch off but Ashely still loves her mom even if she was horrible and still refuses her truth in the situation. Now again Bev is my fav teacher/stepmom/ character, she may have had her own past but nows how to own her class even with the Pams in there. Plus she knows how to handle Ashley even when she goes all crazy or mean girl moody on everyone. Again for this story loved the integration of a classic "Farewell to Manzanar" to help illustrate subplot, which are all key contemporary issues. Also I'm also happy to see some history class mentioned, but biased love history. So if you are continue Ashley's story or just starting join Ashley on the long road to find healing and understanding.

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Truth in Patience 

Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)

Book Link: Click Here

Truth in the Past.

Truth in reality.

Truth for tomorrow.

Finally adjusting to life in small town Texas, Ashley Asher sees a glimmer of what happiness really is. Even her new relationship with the attentive Joshua Brandt shows promise of a first romance. But Ashley's fear of intimacy after years of unspeakable abuse may cause friction and distance in their relationship. 

 Determined to prove to her that she's healing, Dr. Matt, her beloved therapist, shows her that "life is messy." And he doesn't know how messy it is about to get. When her mother decides that Ashley belongs back in their hometown with her, Ashley is forced into another family feud that she isn't prepared for. Refusing to leave behind the new life she created in Texas, Ashley and her mother go head-to-head. But can Ashley finally find the courage and strength to battle her demons when her mother might be the biggest demon of all?

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My Rating:  

My Thoughts: Healing Is Day By Day.

      The third novel in the Patience trilogy, one can't help but already feel connected and hopeful for Ashley's healing. With each step forward a challenge emerges that can either be conquered or surrendered to. By the end of this novel it's clear the journey to find healing isn't in regard to those who harmed you but for you to find peace and strength.
       Beginning the second semester of her sophomore year in high school Ashley Asher should have a grip on most of her issues. But when ever her and her boyfriend begin to do couple things, Ashley can't help but flash into times with her abuser. Everything is tainted but him and her reactions against her boyfriend send mixed signals. Ashley is confused by her feelings and becomes even more unsettled when her mother finally reaches out to her asking for her return. Things become emotionally messy again for Ashley when dealing with her mom, boyfriend, school, friends and family so temptation to slip back into old harmful habits becomes ever pressing and when asked to find another outlet she does in poems. When Ashley mails her poem out to her mom, it brings them face to face and Ashley may finally have a chance to say her peace.

        Overall, another wonderful continuance in Ashley's healing. Ashley slipped up a couple of times but the power of family and friends helped her return to them. The strength it takes for her to continue is inspiring and knowing real people have experienced her reality or worse truly saddens and angers me. This may sounds kinda cliche maybe, but I can honestly say that after reading the novels in this series I understand the victims side better than I ever did before. Emotional healing is truly a process that goes day by day and to rush it or discount how much strength it takes would be a horrible impact on the person you're helping. More people need to be aware of the pain people carry around with. Anyways, if you haven't read this series I would even if the content isn't in your norm.

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Beth Fehlbaum

Author Links: Amazon Page, Facebook, Website, Twitter, Goodreads.

In addition to writing Young Adult Contemporary Fiction, Beth Fehlbaum is a high school English-Language Arts teacher who frequently draws on her experience as an educator to write her books. She has a B.A. in English, Minor in Secondary Education, and an M.Ed. in Reading.

Beth is a featured author on the 2015-2016 Spirit of Texas Reading List- High School for the Kirkus Starred Reviewed Big Fat Disaster (Merit Press/F+W Media, March 2014) and The Patience Trilogy: Courage (1), Hope (2), and Truth (3) (Steady On Books, April 2016).

Beth is a member of the RAINN (Rape , Abuse, Incest National Network) Speakers’ Bureau. She has a following in the young adult literature world and also among survivors of sexual abuse because of her work with victims’ advocacy groups.

She has been the keynote speaker at the National Crime Victims’ Week Commemoration Ceremony at the Hall of State in Dallas, Texas and a presenter for Greater Texas Community Partners, where she addressed a group of social workers and foster children on the subject of “Hope.”

Beth is in-demand as a panelist, having presented/appeared at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference, the American Library Association’s annual conference, YALSA, and N.C.T.E./ALAN, and she is a member of The Author’s Guild.

She is a survivor of a traumatic childhood, like Ashley in The Patience Trilogy, and the day-to-day manager of an eating disorder much like Colby’s in Big Fat Disaster. These life experiences give her a unique perspective, and she writes her characters’ stories in a way meant to inspire hope. Beth lives with her family in the woods of East Texas.