Top Paranormal/SciFi/Fantasy Reads of 2015

We have been on hiatus for the last month, prepping for the holidays and enjoying our families!  But that doesn't mean we've stopped reading.

Quite the contrary!  We've been binge reading!

We've also been spending the last few weeks going through our books and deciding what our Top Reads for 2015 have been.

Here is Chelle's Top Paranormal/SciFi/Fantasy Reads of 2015:



1.

Letters Written in White by Kathryn Perez

2. 

Faith by Kristie Cook

(This is the final installment in the Soul Savers Series.  It also has a new title and new cover!)

3.  

Never, Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

(The final installment is scheduled to be released on January 26, 2016)

4.  

The Blood Scion by Nazarea Andrews

5.  

Gentle Chains by Nazarea Andrews

Nazarea Andrews Brings My New Favorite Set of Vampires

Finding a good paranormal book can be tricky.  The genre relies on the author's ability to describe things that are only in their own imagination, and in a way that is easy to understand and vivid.  So it really can be hit or miss when trying out a new author.

Nazarea Andrews isn't necessarily new to the world of writing.  But she has been new to me in the last few months.  And she continues to stay on my radar because she does paranormal right.

"The Blood Scion" follows the life of a normal, everyday girl as she becomes acquainted with the world of vampires.  In this setting, vampires are "out of the closet" so to speak, so she already knows about them.  But in this context, she's getting to know them better after being requested to visit the Blood Prince.  We follow along as she reluctantly obeys while trying to keep the upper-hand.

"The Blood Scion" is a darker vampire novel.  No one sparkles.  No one bursts into flames.  But no one is hiding either. Vampires are in charge. They are the kings.  And as dangerous as they are, some humans are even worse.

Ms. Andrews knows how to do paranormal right.  She has just enough description to draw you into the world, but not so much that you get bored.  She gives us a little bit of sexy, but without turning it into erotica.  Her characters are interesting and the story is engaging.  

I would highly recommend reading "The Scionless House" first.  It'll give you background information important to really understanding "The Blood Scion".  And considering it's a free novella, it's worth it to check it out.

Get "The Scionless House" by clicking here.
Then get "The Blood Scion" by clicking here.

Ms. Andrews has made me a huge fan of hers and I can't wait to see how this story unfolds!

Be Prepared - Kathryn Perez is about to Gut You

A while back I wrote a review on Kathryn Perez's book, "Therapy".  In that review, I compared Ms. Perez to Al Pacino and how he is an amazing actor.   I stated that none of his movies will ever compare to "The Godfather", just like none of Ms. Perez's books will ever compare to "Therapy".

I am now eating my words.

"Letters Written in White" exceeds all expectations I had on what Ms. Perez could do with words.  It is brilliant and tragic and beautiful and ugly.  It is a story of every woman and a story of just one.  It is a masterpiece.

The story follows Riah after her death.  She must come to terms with the mistakes she made in her life before she can truly find herself resting in peace.  We watch as she sees the life she left behind, her husband, her children, her neighbors, and the impact her death has had on them.

While Ms. Perez's writing has always been beautiful, "Letter's Written in White" takes it to the next level.  And don't get me started on the formatting.  

Ok, yes...let's discuss that.  The letters our heroine writes in the book are actually written in white on a black background.  The result is not only stunning visually, it makes the words that much more emotional.

"Letters Written in White" is not an easy read.  I wept through a good 75% of it.  But it is almost a necessary read for anyone who has struggled with depression and thought the world would be better off without them.  Because this book gives us a glimpse into the reality of that thought.  The heartbreaking, tragic reality.

I cannon stress enough how important I think this book is.  Grab your tissues, a bottle of water and a quiet place to read.  Then click here to get it and dive in.

You will be gutted.

You will be destroyed.

But you will see the ugly truth of suicide.  And it will make you a better person for it.

Erika Ashby and A.E. Woodward "Impact" Their Readers Once Again

I remember reading "Caught" by Erika Ashby and A.E. Woodward.  I remember thinking what a fantastic read it was and how seamlessly they work together as a collaborating team.

I also very distinctly remember Greg. 

Oh Greg.

The wonderful side character that you want to know more about.

Well, surprise!  Ms. Ashby and Ms. Woodward agreed and decided to bring us his story.  And what a surprise it was!  I talk to Ms. Woodward on a frequent basis and she never once let the cat out of the bag that it was coming.  It was an honest to goodness surprise release for the fans.

I really enjoyed getting to know Greg.  I loved seeing him as a young, overweight kid.  I loved seeing him as a determined tween.  I loved seeing him as a studly teenager.  Frankly, I just loved Greg.

Now here's where Ms. Woodward and I don't necessarily agree.  In the synopsis as listed on Amazon, it distinctly says you must read "Caught" before "Impact".  Like I told her, I kind of wish I had read them in the opposite order.  Why?

Because I enjoyed Greg in "Caught" but I fell in love with him in "Impact".  And I think his story packs more of a punch if you don't already know certain things about him.  And no, it won't ruin "Caught" for you.  There are hints of the storyline, but no huge spoilers that you wouldn't have already figured out by reading the synopsis.

Either way, you should read them both.  Get "Impact" by clicking here. And don't forget to get "Caught" by clicking here.

By far, this series has made a big "Impact" on me.

Sara Ney's Writing Has Nothing to "Hide"

Truth:  Over the last year, Author Sara Ney and I have become very good friends.

Truth:  I mostly like her because I love her writing.

Truth:  Ok, fine.  That was a lie.  I like her for who she is as a person. But I really do love her work.  Her newest novella, "Things Liars Hide" is no exception.

It's the second in the "Three Little Lies" series.  And as always, it's fantastic. 

The story is about Tabitha.  Tabitha has a secret.  A sexy, erotic secret. She's perfectly happy living a double life...until Collin comes along. Collin knows her secret.  Will he let the cat out of the bag?  Or will he use it to his advantage to get the one thing he wants...Tabitha?  Secrets, secrets everywhere...

I love Sara Ney's writing.  It's not overly angsty.  It's not unrealistic drama.  It's genuine characters with genuine problems.  And this time, Collin's one liners will have you entertained until the very end.

You can get "Things Liars Hide" by clicking here.  Is it life altering? No. But it will keep you entertained the whole time and will leave you with a smile on your face.  

This is the part where I would normally give it 4 Diamonds.  But you know what??  You guys know I don't review anything lower than that on the Diamond scale!  So...just read it!

Happy Reading!

Erin Noelle Tells Us Why She Loves When "The Ground Rules" Are Rewritten

Wow. Ummm…okay. Geesh, I’m kinda speechless, and for those who know me, they know that NEVER happens. I just finished "The Ground Rules Rewritten" by Roya Carmen, and I thought it’d be best if I did my review immediately following, in order to best capture my raw emotions, but I can’t seem to find the right word(s) to properly describe how much I love to hate to love to hate this book and these characters.

First off, if you haven’t read book one in this series, "The Ground Rules", you need to do that. It was the very first guest review I did for the blog, and you can find out how much this book rocked my world (Get it by clicking here). A different spin on the love triangle/ square, I was thoroughly impressed with Carmen’s ability to make me feel like I was living the life, experiencing the emotions, right along with the main character.

"The Ground Rules Rewritten" picks up exactly where the story of Mirella, Gabe, Weston, and Bridget left off in the initial book. As I’ve stated in my reviews before, I’m not a fan of book-report-style summaries, so I’ll spare you the play-by-play of what happens. However, as "The Ground Rules" left off with the two couples ending the arrangement between them, obviously the deal is reinstated at the beginning of book two…or there wouldn’t be a need for it. The story would simply have ended.

So here we go again with the emotional roller coaster that occurs when Mirella becomes involved with a man who isn’t her husband, and much like in the first installment, her thoughts and actions jump from one end of the spectrum to another in a matter of seconds. As the entire story is told in only her POV (side note: I usually prefer dual POV stories in romance novels, but for some reason, I really like only getting hers in these books), scenes in "The Ground Rules" were broken into two categories: those with Gabe and/or her daughters and those with Weston, but in this book, we get to see what happens when those worlds collide. And I liked it!

Yes, there were times I wanted to thump Mirella between the eyes and scream at her to stop being a fickle, whiny brat, but for the most part, I understood why she struggled with keeping her emotions in check. I knew going in to the book that there was going to be a third book, and even though I had a pretty good idea of how this one was going to wrap up, I was still left with my mouth hanging open and my heart pounding in my chest.

Now I’m left anxiously (and impatiently) waiting for the next book, having absolutely no idea how in the world Carmen is going to conclude this page-turning series. I’m not even sure I know what I want to happen, but one thing I know for sure, whatever the ending to this story is, more "Ground Rules" are sure to be broken before we get there.

Get it by clicking here.

Colleen Hoover Creates Another Masterpiece

I'll make this short and sweet...

This may be my favorite book of 2015.  It also may be Colleen Hoover's best work to date.

You will not just love this book, you will devour it.  You will laugh and cry and gasp and yell and smile.  And just when you think you've seen the last twist, Hoover will find another way to surprise you.

Get it by clicking here.  Now.  Go.  Hurry.

Trudy Stiles Continues to Bring Us "Epic" Books

The thing that sets Trudy Stiles apart from other authors is her ability to take her own experiences and turn them into a heartfelt story.

Take "Dear Emily" for example.  The letters in "Dear Emily" are real letters she wrote to her daughter as they went through their own adoption process.  To me, that makes the story so much more real and personal.

"Epic Sins" is her latest example of real life experiences come to life.  

It's the story of Garrett and Samantha.  They are thrown together by difficult life circumstances that came in the shape of a newborn, and have to learn how to navigate through it all.  

I so enjoyed watching Garrett learn how to not put himself first.  I so enjoyed watching Samantha learn how to let her guard down.  But the true star of this story was Kai, the baby.  

As a mother of a two month old, I only recently started sleeping through the night (somewhat.  It depends on what your definition of "through the night" is).  We've got all his reflux and protein sensitivities under control, so he doesn't cry unless he's hungry or dirty now.  And he smiles at us, which makes my day every time.

But to watch Kai go through withdrawals was heartbreaking.  To live through the difficulties of parenting a drug addicted baby was fascinating.  And to know it is all bases on real life events, to me, that was the epic part.

There's one other thing that's worth noting.  Several of the characters from Ms. Stiles' "Forever Family" series popped in and out of the storyline as well.  It was fun seeing small follow ups of their lives. Especially Emily.  Seeing her family all together, that made my heart happy.

Overall, "Epic Sins" was a wonderful read.  But I honestly didn't expect anything less.  This story was very personal to Ms. Stiles, and it very much comes through.  You don't want to miss out on seeing the real kinds of struggles real children face.  Get it by clicking here.

And by the way, if you haven't read "Dear Emily" yet, it's another very personal story to her.  One-click it here.  It's free right now!

This was definitely a great beginning to what is sure to be an "Epic" series.

Kristie Cook Joins Others to Bring Us Some Interactive Reading

I have been following Kristie Cook since I randomly found her book "Promise" and fell in love with her stories.  So imagine how excited I was when an ARC of "The Wolves" landed in my Kindle the other day. 

Very excited.  

"The Wolves" follows Sundae Grayson, a werewolf who is ready to leave her pack and explore life on her own.  But that's not how things turn out for this 22-year old.  Due to a series of events involving the Daemoni (those are the bad guys for those of you who haven't read the "Soul Savers" series yet), Sundae is not only forced back into the pack. She's forced to lead it.  Her first act as the leader is a mission that will quite literally, save the world.

While it isn't part of the "Soul Savers" series (one of my absolute favorites), it's a parallel storyline.  And a really good one at that.  It was a treat for me to see that when it comes to saving the world from evil, it takes more than just angels.  It takes courageous acts from all kinds of creatures.

Even if you haven't read the "Soul Savers" series yet (what are you waiting for??  "Promise" is free!!), you will enjoy " The Wolves".  It's a fantastic installment of the "Supernatural Chronicles".  Get it by clicking here for only $0.99.

But that's not all.  Oh no.  This is where things get exciting:

As I was getting ready to write up my review, I noticed "The Wolves" is listed as the second installment in the series.

Huh?

I then noticed that the first installment, "The Skinwalkers" was written by someone else.  Looking even closer, every single installment is written by someone different.  Not knowing why this is, I went ahead and contacted Ms. Cook personally to find out what is going on!  Here's what she said:

"They are a series of books, each written by a different author, each about a different supernatural creature.  The first 9 stories are about a supernatural race given a riddle to solve and they have to bring a relic to the cemetery in New Orleans before the veil between our physical world and the Other one falls."

Well now I'm intrigued.  But guess what?  It gets better:

"The last book, The Noir, wraps up the overall story...Make sure you collect the relics because there is a scavenger hunt at the end with some amazing prizes.  BTW, if you joins us in the Dynamis' Dynamic Readers Facebook group, you'll get all the info and be able to stay on top of all the giveaways and fun."

That.  Is.  Freaking.  COOL!!!

Of course, I immediately added myself to the group.  And you'll want to as well.  This is an amazing interactive concept and I don't think any of us want to miss out.

The book itself was fantastic.  But this...THIS cements the rating:

WE HAVE A WINNER!!

Congratulations to the winner of the signed copy of "Unspoken" by Brenda Rothert.  Our winner, as chosen by Random.org is.....

WhyamIdoingthis

CONGRATULATIONS!!

You have 7 days to email me at chelleauthorstalker@gmail.com to claim your prize!  Please make sure to send me your full name and mailing address.

And if you haven't read "Unspoken" yet, you  need to!  Brenda Rothert is one of my absolute favorites!  You can get it by clicking here.

Happy Reading and Happy Halloween!!

It's a Signed Paperback Giveaway!!!!!

Brenda Rothert was one of our original Diamonds in the Rough when this blog started out last year.  But she's isn't "in the rough" anymore. She is polished and shiny and still one of my favorite authors!

Her latest creation "Barely Breathing" releases in less than two weeks!!!

So to celebrate, we're giving away a signed copy of one of our favs, "Unspoken".

It's easy enough to enter.  Just follow these 3 simple instructions:

1)  "Like" Brenda's author page by clicking here.
2)  "Like" the Diamonds in the Rough page by clicking here.
3)  Comment below with what your favorite Brenda Rothert book is.

See?  Easy!

Winner will be picked at random on Friday!!

Good luck and Happy Reading!

Kristin and I Agree....This is One of the Best Books of 2015!

Kristin here. It’s been a while and life has gotten me off track a little. I’m back now and am so excited about my newest Diamond(s) KL Grayson and BT Urruela who co-authored "A Lover’s Lament".

This book. 

This. 

Book. 

It’s a rare treat for me to find a first time author that I know will be one I follow for the rest of their careers. BT Urruela is one of those authors for me. What he and KL Grayson did with the story is phenomenal. I’m not even sure I have the words to express how much I truly loved this book. The story was seamless, even going back and forth between the two different POVs. For two authors that don’t know each other well, this is an incredible feat to accomplish. I have been kicking myself over the fact that I haven’t read anything by Ms. Grayson until now. I will be remedying that asap.

Anyway, let’s get back to the book! Forget the synopsis and just read this book. Seriously, it’s in my top 5 of the year and I have really high expectations. Like I said earlier, the story is written in alternating POVs; Devin and Katie tell us their story together and it meshes perfectly. We get a glimpse of their childhood growing up together and see how their friendship grew into something more. Of course there’s angst and heartache, but it’s balanced with such realness that you don’t normally see in romance novels. Katie is such a strong female lead and I felt an inseparable bond with her by the end of the book. She’s a character that I wish I could reach into the book and just give a big ole hug. We’re friends now and friends give hugs!

Reading from Devin’s POV was probably my favorite part of the story because he lays it all out there for the readers to see. Nothing is sugar coated or polished to make it easier to handle. We get a look inside the front lines like I’ve never seen before. Several times I could imagine myself right there with him seeing the bullets ricochet off the walls and hearing the explosions ringing in my ears.

This will definitely be a story that stays with me for a while. One I will keep coming back to, reading it over and over until I have it memorized. I am so excited to have added two more authors to my list of Greats and look forward to watching their success continue in the future.  You can get A Lover’s Lament by clicking here.   

By the way, I have picked up two of KL Grayson’s other titles; Where We Belong & Pretty Pink Ribbons. This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and she will be donating all proceeds from the sales of these two books to breast cancer research. You can get Where We Belong by clicking here and you can get Pretty Pink Ribbons by clicking here. 

I think it’s fairly safe to say that I enjoyed this book. I give "A Lover’s Lament" 5 shining Diamonds!

Take it From Someone Who Knows..Make Sure You Read Lisa DeJong's Latest Series in the Right Order

I made a fatal mistake when reading this book.

Call it post partum baby brain or just plain ditziness.  But somehow, I didn't realize "Love Unspoken" by Lisa DeJong is Book #2 in the "Flawed Love" series.  For about half of the book, I kept wondering what I was missing.  I was waiting for there to be some flashbacks or some sort of background information to be revealed.  Finally, I figured it out...I was missing the first book.  Hence, why I was so confused.  It wasn't my finest moment.

To be clear, I immediately downloaded "Lies Unspoken" so I could catch up.  But before I continue with my review, if you haven't read "Lies Uspoken",  STOP READING THIS REVIEW and go grab it by clicking here.  It's only $0.99 and it will give you all the background info you need to make "Love Unspoken" a much better read.

Because I read the second book in the series first, I'm recognize that my opinion is going to be a little different than if I had done it right.  So take it for what you will.

"Love Unspoken" is the sequel follow up to the rather screwed up love life of Lila.  She's nursing a really bad break up that left her reeling and is trying to figure out how to move on.  Considering she has a sexy boss that is damn near perfect and really into her, it seems like it should be easy.  But the heart doesn't forget as easily as we'd like it to.

I wish I could say I loved Lila.  I didn't.  I liked her.  I understood her.  I totally got where she was coming from.  But I also felt she was kind of wishy-washy.  She would make up her mind and then change it.  I know we all do that, but I felt bad for all the players involved because of it.

I also didn't care for Blake.  I wanted to.  I really, really did.  Even after going back and reading the first book.  I 100% understood where he was coming from.  He has dealt with lots of crap.  But I wanted to say, "No way, Bucko.  You screwed up so bad, you can't fix this."

Don't misunderstand me.  Lisa DeJong has an amazing way with words.  I have dabbled in writing myself and I kept finding myself thinking, "How does she make the simplest things sound so beautiful?" For the writing alone, I recommend reading the book.  Get it by clicking here.

If you enjoyed the first one, "Lies Unspoken" won't disappoint.  There is heartache.  There are happy moments.  There is closure for everyone involved.  The truth is, you don't have to love a character to be happy they get the best resolution for them.

But take it from me...if you ever pick up a book that says the word "series" anywhere on it, make sure you have read the first one.  I suspect I screwed myself out of enjoying this series more than I already did.

Despite my blunder, the writing alone deserves at least