Tuesday, August 1, 2017

A Brighter Palette by Brigham Vaughn

Title: A Brighter Palette
Author: Brigham Vaughn
Series: Colors #1
Genre: F/F Romance
Release Date: June 30, 2017
Summary:
Annie Slocum is a bisexual woman struggling to make a living as a freelance writer. Stuck in a rut, she feels bored with her career, her relationships—her life. A chance meeting with Siobhán at a gallery adds a bright spark to her dull life.

Siobhán Murray is a lesbian Irish painter living in Boston. She loves her career, loves her life, but she’s missing the one piece that will make her life complete—a partner. She falls hard for Annie and is delighted to realize Annie inspires her work. But a string of failed relationships has left her wary of bisexual women and wondering if she can trust that Annie won’t leave her.

When Siobhán’s past comes back to haunt them, they’ll have to decide if the new relationship is something that will burn bright and end quickly or if it’s meant to last.


Annie Slocum is a struggling writer who happens to be bisexual and is seriously lacking in inspiration, on all fronts.  Siobhán Murray is an Irish lesbian painter who is happy on all fronts but one, love.  When they meet, more than inspiration sparks, but will it be enough to fan the flames?

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Brigham Vaughn's work, so when she told me she was starting a F/F romance series, I knew I had to read it.  Followers of my reviews have probably noticed that M/M is my favorite genre but that I really don't have a prescribed comfort zone.  I like everything!  Sure I have my favorite tropes and genres but I am not beyond reading those that may not be my norm.  Having said that, my familiarity with F/F is limited but not non-exsistent so when I say A Brighter Palette is an amazing read and incredible portrayal of love, I am not exaggerating.

Before I touch on Annie and Siobhán I have to make mention of one of my favorite TV ships being a relationship between a gay man and bisexual man and how the fandom perceives some of the writers as bi-phobic because they feel it should be all roses and rainbows without problems.  I don't feel they're being bi-phobic in how they are writing the gay man wrapping his brain around the bisexual man finding him to be enough, it can be a real issue for some in the LGBT community and it is a fictional soap opera afterall. But as in every facet of the fiction spectrum, its in the eye of the beholder.

Now, I said all that about my TV ship because I feel that Brigham Vaughn has also shown that Annie's bisexuality is a bit of an issue, not in a bi-phobic way but because Siobhán's past relationship has made her weary and gun-shy but it doesn't make me not want to shake Siobhán any less for her way of thinking and some of the words she uses.  Brigham deals with this in a believable and yet entertaining fashion.  I say "entertaining" not because its roses and rainbows from beginning to end but because it kept me intrigued even when I was upset with Siobhán.  I love how their artistic sides mesh with their personal sides, sometimes all that is needed to get the fire started is a common spark.  A Brighter Palette is just an all-around enjoyable read that will break your heart one minute and heal it the next but most importantly Brigham has left me hungry for the next installment.

RATING: 


Annie pressed her palms to her cheeks. “I got a little carried away.”

Siobhán straightened but didn’t slide away. “I enjoyed watching you get carried away. We’ll have to do that again when we aren’t in such a public place.”

Annie glanced around. Thankfully, they were toward the back of the nearly empty lounge and the backs of the booths had dividers. Unless a waitress had walked by, it was unlikely anyone had seen them.

“This is so unlike me,” Annie admitted.

Siobhán tilted her chin and gave Annie an appraising look. “Perhaps it’s just what you need.”

Annie’s embarrassment began to fade, and she offered Siobhán a small smile. “I certainly could use a bit more excitement in my life,” she admitted. “Although, that doesn’t necessarily include a public exhibition.”

“Public exhibition is optional,” Siobhán said, “but passion shouldn’t be.”

Author Bio:
Brigham Vaughn is starting the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time writer. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga.  She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.

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EMAIL: brighamvaughn@gmail.com



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A Demon Scheme by Lauren Marie

Title: A Demon Scheme
Author: Lauren Marie
Series: Haller Lake #1
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Release Date: July 13, 2017
Summary:
KRIS BENNETT is an art consultant and lives by Haller Lake. On an evening after an opening for a new artist, she drinks a glass of Brael Mist wine. The peach chardonnay is tainted with cyanide, other poisons and an evil enchantment spell. It opens her mind to a spiritual world she never believed existed.

ROMAN is a guardian of Haller Lake. He is told by the Lakeman's Oracle he must watch over Kris and keep her safe from an evil interested in her abilities. When she drinks the wine she is able to see Roman and the other lake guardians. His love for Kris comes on quickly and helps her understand the new world she is experiencing.

ABEDNEGO BRAEL is a low level demon who wants Kris body and soul to be possessed by the ghost of his long dead love ROCHELLE. He's done it before, but that body aged and died, releasing Rochelle back into the world. SHADRACH AND MESHACH are Abednego's brother demons who are also after Kris, but for different reasons. They realize she has a great power and if they are able to turn her, they could take the power for their own uses.

When the wine opens Kris's mind, she learns about her own magical powers from her alter ego, ELZABETH, who has long lived deep inside her mind and guided other women in Kris's family, who also had magical abilities.

With the help of the Haller Lake guardians, Kris fights to retain her very soul and her growing powers.


Kris backed up a step away from Abednego. “What do you want?” she hissed.

He smirked at her. “I think you know, Miss Bennett.”

“What is this place, Abednego?” Kris asked and looked back at him.

“It's the Between. Your spirit is in the space connecting the different realms.” He smiled at her and looked aloof.

“How is it I’m here? Roman has the sage and lavender pots burning. You shouldn't be able to reach me.”

Abednego looked over his shoulder at the woman and started to laugh. “Your other should never have let me touch her. Once I felt your essence there was a connection. I know you felt it, too, my dear.”

“Yeah, my skin crawled.”

“Miss Bennett let me ask you a question. Why have you denied your abilities all of these years?”

“I don't know about any abilities,” she said.

“Someone who is so honest is telling a lie. You've always known about them.” He continued to stare with eyes black. “There was a time when you were young. You played with jacks and when your mother came out to get you for lunch all ten of the metal pieces spun like tops.” He closed his eyes. “I can hear her voice tell you the powers should never be used or seen by anyone. You must always keep them to yourself, she said.

Author Bio:
Lauren Marie’s first published series - The Men of Haller Lake - originally came out in 2010. She’s learned so much over the last seven years and it’s been a dream to get the stories re-edited and problems with point of view corrected. With Books to Go, Now’s help the dream has become a reality with the release of A Demon’s Scheme - Book 1 of the Haller Lake series.

She is also the author of Big Mike-Little, Golden Ribbons - story 4 of the Miss Demeanor Private Detective Agency series, I’m Not What You Think, Love’s Embers - book 1 of the Canon City Series, Love on Ice - book 2 of the Canon City Series, One Touch at Cob’s Bar and Grill - story 3 of the Montana Ranch Series, Love’s Touch - Then and Now, Going to Another Place.

She lives in Western Washington State with four cats, Agamemnon, Tazmania, Jericho and Jasper.

Lauren likes to receive feedback. If you want to send her likes and dislikes, you can go to the contact us page on the website or write to her at themenofhallerlake@hotmail.com. or friend her at Facebook. She does respond to feedback.


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EMAIL: themenofhallerlake@hotmail.com







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Sink by ME Rhines

Title: Sink
Author: ME Rhines
Series: Mermaid Royalty #1
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Release Date: July 31, 2017
Summary:
Obedience has always been a matter of survival for sixteen-year-old mermaid princess Pauline. Her mother is the tyrannical Queen Calypso, who rules the kingdom of Atargatis with an iron trident. To utter one word against her would mean banishment—or worse—so Pauline bites her tongue and minds her manners. But on the eve of her sister’s merling-shower, all of that is about to change. Confronted with the truth about what happens to the human men who are betrothed to the mermaids of Atargatis, Pauline realizes she can stay silent no more.

Determined to end the queen’s dark tradition, Pauline goes along on a search for shipwreck survivors, secretly planning to free them. But things get complicated when she finds herself inexplicably drawn to one  of the men. Before she realizes what’s happening, she has kissed him—and a kiss from a mermaid is not without consequences. Now Pauline will have to risk everything if she is to save the young man and thwart the queen’s dark plans…



Good and Evil – The Almost Invisible Line by ME Rhines
It only takes a quick flip through the pages of the most beloved and timeless books to find one common theme - love.  And with good reason.  Romance is enchanting, intoxicating, exciting, and arguably down right addictive.  You’d be hard-pressed to find anything in the universe holding more influence.  It can create a hypothetical fairytale, filling our hearts and minds with visions of eternal happiness and happily ever-after.  Unfortunately, we learn as we grow it’s not all warm and fuzzy wonder.  There’s a dark side to love.  One that can take a perfectly innocent heart and crush it to pieces.  It is from these ashes that villains are made.

If you’ve ever read one of my books, you’ll notice I have a pension for zooming in on the uncomfortable creation of evil.  I’m a strong believer that in life we’re all born with an equal chance of going one way or the other.  None of us are born wicked; we’re made that way.  The path to hero or villain is complicated, dependent on circumstance, coping skills and surrounding support systems (or lack thereof).  To write a great villain, you should be willing to wade in their realm.  See the world through their eyes and justify their actions, even if your hero/heroine can’t.  Heartbreak is a powerful catalyst for action, and allowing a glimpse into your antagonist’s prospective adds an entirely different layer to the story.

The very best villains, the ones who stick with us past the final page, are the ones we can relate to in some way.  When we can say, “I understand why he/she feels the way they do, and I could’ve gone that direction, too,” we can truly immerse ourselves in the story.  Once we’re that invested, we can get excited when the heroine defeats that darkness, because in some strange way it’s like they did it for us.  The difference between the good and evil may seem like a chasm, but I think when you take a closer look, it’s more like a crack.  

Author Bio:
ME Rhines a southwest Florida native currently living in North Port with her two beautiful children and a third, much larger child whom she affectionately calls husband.

She writes young adult paranormal romance to feed her belief that fairy tales are real and
nonsense is necessary.

She also writes adult romances under her edgier alter-ego, Mary Bernsen.


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