THE ABRAXAS SERIES:BOOKS 1-3-CINSEARAE SANTIAGO

My first thoughts of this book; absolutely, freaking amazing. I was hooked from page one and sad to see it end when I got to the last page. I am so glad that Cinsearae Santiago is planning on a fourth novella. This is a book that I plan on reading again and again just because it is that good. My only complaint is that it is way too short; I think that the detail should have been greater, and she would have been able to create an amazing story of any great length.
These first three novellas are all combined into one book. Also, this is definitely not your typical, straight laced book. This is about the darker side of life. This is definitely a book for someone who is in touch with their bad side, and can appreciate the sexy, gothic side to life. Count me in on all counts! The characters are dark, their attire is sexy as hell, and they have this seductive creepiness to them that makes me want to visit their world.
Christine Vargas doesn’t even know what hit her. One minute she is a normal human being just barely getting along in life and the next she is all but tossed into a totally different world that she never knew existed. Realizing pretty quickly that her powers are greater than most vampires, and that she is viewed as pretty important, she meets Ryan Price. Ryan cannot take his eyes off of her and she feels the sexual energy between the two of them. Ryan tells her that he has waited a long time for her.
Lord and Lady Abraxas, which is the title that Christine and Ryan have, are now the rulers of their small clan. With powers greater than any, they must fight to keep their clan alive, as well as themselves. Certain clan members feel as though they want to rule and pull out all of the stops to make that happen. While all of this drama is happening, Christine and Ryan find that they have a raw sexual energy that they cannot extinguish. Cinsearae Santiago shows us just how much they want each other in her lusty, leave you panting for more, love scenes.
Later on in the stories, Ryan comes into contact with his ex fiancé’, who he finds out is a witch, literally. She tries her hardest to come between Ryan and Christine and has some very dangerous games up her sleeve. You meet some characters that gave me the goose bumps and made me want to sleep with a nightlight on. The ending of these three novellas is very shocking and definitely leaves you craving to read the fourth book. Ryan starts to exhibit some very strange behaviors, and something bad happens to one of the clan members. I won’t give anymore away!
I absolutely loved the characters. I think Christine and Ryan were sexy, sensual, powerful, and very appropriate for their positions. I loved the description of their love scenes. If you are someone who is not afraid to read spicy material and allow your blood to heat up, then get cozy and read this book! Although there are only a few of these scenes, they are worth it!
Cinsearae Santiago has a beautiful way of writing and using her words. You can tell that she has lots of knowledge of the gothic way of life and is a fan of vampires. Her words allow you to close your eyes and imagine yourself as one of her characters, being the one to slip on that spicy red silk nightgown and slip under the black silk sheets next to your lover and have a wild ride.

This seriously is a hot series! This brought out the side in me that always seems too taboo to talk about in my everyday 'normal' life. Most people see dabbling in this darker side as weird, scary, and they don't approve. I give lots of credit to Cinsearae Santiago for being able to have the courage to be herself and not care what anyone thinks. As for me, I keep my thoughts to myself, and continue on in my cookie cutter life. Don't get me wrong, I love my life and the people in it, but if I had all of the courage she had, I would definitly do things out of the norm and be able to take more risks with my looks and what not.

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FATAL ENCRYPTION-DEBRA PURDY KONG

Kudos to Debra Purdy Kong in this wonderfully thought up mystery. The world of computers and technology is growing each day, and she gives us a big dose of both of these. This is not your typical murder/mystery story; this is so much more. She weaves a tale of lies, deceit, murder, and threatening. A computer master mind is at large and people’s lives as well as the fate of a huge company depend on this man being caught before it is too late.
Alex Bellamy has had trouble finding work. When the owners of a big store confront him, it takes little convincing for him to agree to be added to their payroll. The job ends up being much bigger than he ever expected it to be. With the help of his friend Tristan, Alex rushes against a ticking clock to try and find the code to unlock what could turn out to be a fatal encryption that could destroy lives. The person behind all of this is demanding money, and lots of it or else he plans on permanently destroying a huge company’s computer program as well as the store itself.
What I really liked about this story was that I had many people that I suspected was behind everything, but it wasn’t until the very end when I was able to finally figure it out. I like books like this because it makes me want to read faster and faster so I can figure it out. I hate it when you figure it out for yourself halfway through the book because then I end up not really wanting to finish it.
I think that Debra Purdy Kong does a wonderful job at character description. She really allows you to get inside their head and she makes them so likable. They have senses of humor that I would look for in a friend. Also, she is great at keeping you on track with computer lingo. Not once did I find myself confused about anything going on. I know a bit about computers, but I also know that that is a lot that I do not know, but she is good at keeping it simple and not overwhelming the reader.
I think that this book is a great read for any mystery fans. It goes above and beyond any simple mystery story. This is a book definitely worth having hanging around on your book shelf!

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BABY,BABY- KAREN WIESNER

This story was a nice, quick read. It wasn’t complicated, it wasn’t meant to confuse you; it was simply meant to be a nice story. Karen Wiesner does a great job giving her readers one of those books that is very light on the heart and a great summer time read.
Tamara and her husband Robert are good, practicing Christians. They put the lord first in their lives, and truly believe with all of their hearts that He will provide for them. They are blessed with five children, and wonderful home, and are very happy together. Robert works at the plant and is hoping for a upcoming managerial position while Tamara is a stay at home mom who derives pleasure out of keeping the house clean, home schooling her children when they are young, doing volunteer work, etc.
Just like all couples, Tamara and Robert have problems of their own. Robert is stressed out and has been depressed lately because he thinks that the managerial position is going to go to someone with a college degree who hasn’t worked at the plant half as long as him. Tamara, knowing the reality of their financial situation, tries to ease his burden by using a talent that she has for making gift baskets and taking a chance by trying to sell them. They are a hit. Robert is very unhappy with this, and asks her countless times to give up her new found business and let him worry about providing for his family. Tamara is very heartbroken over this, thinking he is very cruel for crushing her dreams. Robert is torn over this because he views it as a slap in the face that his own wife doesn’t think he can provide well enough for his family.
Their arguing reaches a peak and they both fear for their marriage. They both must pray and seek The Lords’ guidance on what they should do; the future of their family depends on it.
There are no mystery’s to solve and nothing unexpected happens in this story, but I do not think there are meant to be any. This is a simply a story of faith, love, and trust. This is a story is very real in the fact that couples get into arguments all the time and it’s how you handle them that decides the fate of your marriage.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a light read. This would be especially good for Christian women. I myself am not a religious person, but still found this a pleasant read. I got a little angry at Robert’s ignorance and stubbornness when it came to the issue of women earning an income, but the end result put a contented smile on my face. This is definitely a great beach read!!
This is Book One of the Family Heirloom Series


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MELODY:STACY-DEANNE

Another great read! This is definitly a book that is in my top 30 reads of all time. I couldn't put it down!
Here is my review:
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Stacy-Deanne has done it. She has created an amazing plot, with amazing characters and turned this into a fantastic book to read. I was sucked in from page one and did not feel bored once. Any description she was willing to give about any part of the story I soaked up and happily read. This is an A-one story.

Melody and her sister Sarah are complete opposites. They do have one thing in common though; they are both beautiful. Although they look very different, they both have a charm and a grace that causes most men to do a double take. They are both living together in Sarah’s house because Melody is having a hard time finding a job. Everything is going smoothly until Sarah meets a gorgeous man named Keith. Melody knows right off the bat that something is wrong with him. He walks in her room while she is changing and just stares, commenting how beautiful she is. He doesn’t leave when she asks him to and she realizes then and there that this is a dangerous man and she does not want her sister with him.

Unfortunately for Melody, Sarah is as smitten with him as can be, and soon she and Keith announce that they are in love. Keith becomes more and more aggressive towards Melody, even resulting in threatening her, but Sarah is getting more and more fed up with Melody constantly complaining about him and refuses to listen to any of it.

The same time that this drama is going on, the city that they live in is being terrorized by a serial rapist. He has raped over 25 black women already and doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. Melody fears for her friend, a black woman. She is living alone most of the time because her husband is a truck driver. On top of this, Melody is meeting up with an old friend, Lucas, and realizing she may be falling in love, but also realizing that she may not be ready for a relationship and becomes scared.

Stacy-Deanne cranks the drama and excitement up a notch each page you turn. Melody’s life becomes endangered, the serial rapist hits her close to home, and Keith is unrelenting in his quest to control her. How much can she take until she cracks?

The only criticism I have for this book is some of the wording. Stacy-Deanne uses a lot of the same descriptions when describing simple emotions. For example, the sentence “She walled her eyes…” is used a least a few dozen times, if not more. I think that a little more variety when it came to descriptions would have been beneficial. Again, this was only a minor criticism. This book was absolutely amazing and it will be one that I read again and again! I think this book would be a great read for anyone.

IN THE FACE- LORELEI ARMSTRONG

This story definitely stood out in many ways compared to others that I have read. There are a lot of things that I really liked about it, and thought were very original, and there were things that I did not like so much.
Evo Selig is a beautiful man. He was the product of what is called shaping. When Evo was a little baby his parents took him to a doctor to have his face shaped so that he would grow up to be a beautiful, perfect looking person. True to the doctors’ word, Evo becomes a very famous man; he stars in all of the most popular films, has lots of fans, and is loved by just about everyone.
A man winds up murdered on the property of the doctor who shaped Selig’s face years ago and an investigation takes full swing, along with lots of media coverage. A simulation is found of the murder on a video feed and detectives MacEvoy and detective Cleinrath find that it is not actual footage, it is a simulation, and the person they see on the feed carrying the dead body is either being set up, or really did commit the crime; that is what they need to find out.
This story takes lots of twists and turns, and a few more people wind up dead before the surprise ending. This is one of the things I really liked about the story. It was never obvious who the killer was. There were a few people that I thought may have done it, then as the story went on, I found myself ruling them out. The person who ended up being the killer was someone I never suspected.
What I did not like so much about the story was that I felt it was unclear in a few spots. For starters, I have never heard of face shapers and am not sure if there are even doctors out there that do that (I hope not!). I am going to assume that a lot of readers are in the same boat as me, so therefore I think that there needed to be more explanation of this. Also, I found that some characters were thrown into the story before they were properly introduced. I found myself feeling a little confused for longer periods of time than I would have liked. Eventually I found out who the people were, but more of an introduction and more details about them would have been nice.
My last criticism was about computers and simulations. I am in no way a computer geek, so other than the internet, Microsoft word and the occasional card game, I do not know much about computers and what they can do. This book has a lot of talk about simulations. For the longest time I had no idea what that was and what exactly it entailed. I figured out most of what I needed to know throughout the whole story, but I felt that the story would have been much better if I would have known what a simulation was. A big part of the story is the killer murdering people, then making simulations of the murder and sending it through the computer for people to see.
Overall this was an okay read. It was definitely different than anything I’ve ever read about, and I really liked the ending, but the writing was a little weak and I found a lot of holes in the story. I don’t think anyone would be disappointed if they read this, I just think that with a little more work this story could be truly great.


Like i stated above, this was a really interesting book, it just has some kinks that should be worked out. If you are a book lover, it is still worth the read. If you are a computer geek, and know a lot of the terminology, then you'll like this book even more! visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!

MERCY STREET-MARIAH STEWART

Never having read anything by Mariah Stewart, I decided to read a few reviews from other books she has written before I read Mercy Street to get a feel for what I was in for. Of course all of the reviews I found were positive and highly recommended this author. I became excited to read her story and dove in. True to their word, her reviewers were right on the money. Mariah Stewart has a gift with her words. I was pulled right into this story and could not take my eyes away from the pages. It takes a massive amount of talent to be able to use words that have enough power to make someone want to put their own life on hold for a few hours so they can finish your book.
Mallory Russo is a private investigator. She used to be a detective, but due to a big misunderstanding on the force, she decided it best to retire early. She now has been hired from a wealthy man to investigate the murder and disappearance of four teenage children. These children met late one night at a favorite hangout of theirs, the playground, to talk about something that had been bothering one of them. The next thing you know two of them are shot in the head and killed instantly and the other two have disappeared. Nobody has a clue if they are alive or dead. Nobody knows where they could possibly have gone. Finding a strip of cloth from one of the kids clothing on the chain link fence leaves Mallory hopeful that they were able to get away from their attacker. Having lost a baby and wife out of thin air a year before, Robert Magellan decides to fund this search in hopes of a happy ending. He has had to suffer a year of not finding any answers and knows the agony it has caused him, and he wants to spare others of that same fate.
Detective Charlie Wanamaker, the detective that is hired to the department to take Mallory’s place, is also in on the search. His reasons are the same as Mallory’s, but also because he finds himself getting lost in her eyes and wanting to know more about this recluse woman. The two of them re-interview and go over all of the evidence that the police have already gone through, and find a few clues along the way that help with the case.
The ending is surprising and action packed. Mariah Stewart gives her readers a healthy dose of romance and suspense that sates our appetites. Her use of wordage is fluid and she gives just enough detail to allow you to feel as though you are riding in the car right along with Mallory and Charlie as they go from suspect to suspect. I would recommend this book to anyone who is shopping for an amazing read with lots of suspense, twists, turns, and some budding romance. Kudos to Mariah Stewart for what looks like another amazing book!


This book is definitly on my top 30 list of best reads!!!! it was excellent! visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews on some awesome books!