Introducing Laura Howard and The Forgotten Ones

The Forgotten Ones

The Danaan Trilogy

Book One

is now available exclusively on Amazon!

Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

About Laura Howard


Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Connect with Laura:

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Shattered Into Beautiful by Mel Ballew

Shattered Into Beautiful by Mel Ballew

Amazon Link
Barnes and Noble Link
Goodreads Link

Book Description

Her Magick is destined but true love forbidden.

After beautiful Sylver Kyllienne Brady meets death at the hands of her boyfriend, Roland Parks, she transcends into Summerland. There, she reunites with her mother and finds her soulmate, Zander. Pulled back to the earthly plane, she must embark on a journey of discovery. She uncovers a truth. She is the descendent of a long lineage of powerful Witches. She must learn to control her power, protect the family’s Amulet and Book of Shadows. Sylver has no idea what awaits her. And, this is only part of her discovery.

Lives unravel as secrets are discovered and mysteries unfold. 

Everything changes when she meets Zander Emmett –a vampire. Zander is gorgeous, exotic, sexy and unbelievably wealthy. He is also the one person a witch, such as Sylver, must avoid. Their love is forbidden but their souls draw them together like a magnet. Their bodies ignite, passion soars and their souls are left discovering, not only each other, but their destiny. His life holds secrets and enticing mysteries of his own that propel the parallels of their worlds to climaxing heights. 

Will their colliding worlds separate them? Will Sylver embrace her destiny? Will realizing what is expected of her and falling soul-fully in love with Zander - the vampire she is forbidden to love, just leave her breathless? 

Or, will she forever be Shattered Into Beautiful?

My Review

When Mel asked me to read Shattered Into Beautiful, I hemmed and hawed.  Really, the paranormal genre is something that I have never been all that interested in reading.  After all, isn't paranormal only about witches and vampires and shamans, oh my?  Boy, was I wrong!

Shattered opens in the year 1647 in the town of Hartford, Connecticut.  To the shouts of "burn, witch, burn", Alse Lake was hanged to death by neck, having been accused of being a witch.  Her husband John and daughter Alice were there to witness the hanging.  Thirty years later in the exact same town, daughter Alice was also hanged to death for the very same reason.

Fast forward several hundred years, and we witness Sylver dying at the hands of a mad man.  Battered, bruised and shattered, Sylver's blood pouring out onto the floor, she passes over into the Summerlands.  The last words she hears before she dies are "Hang on my li'l Kitten.  Fight Sylver"...  Her travel to the Summerlands brings her face to face with Zander.  Let me assure you, Zander is quite yummy.

Now, I would tell you more, but I don't want to spoil this beautiful book for you.  This is a poetically beautiful story about a love between a witch and a vampire that transcends time.  You will find that Mel's words are rich, warm and poetic.  After reading this book, it is still very hard for me to believe that she hasn't written for years.  Her descriptions will put you right there with the book's characters, but be prepared for the kisses to light a spark and the caresses to draw a low moan because the action between Zander and Sylver is hot.

If you've read Shattered Into Beautiful, make sure you leave a review for Mel on Amazon and Goodreads.  If you've not read it yet, what in this world are you waiting on?  The links are up top underneath that beautiful cover.  Also, make sure you stop by Mel's page, give her a "like" and tell her that Katie Mac sent you over to say hello!

Five Hankie review of Haven From The Storm

Purchase Haven here.
Add to your TBR here.




My Review:

It seems only fair to let you know right now that you will most definitely need a couple of handkerchiefs when you read Haven From The Storm.  This book is so full of emotion, right from the very start.  I felt devastation and loss, abandonment and abuse, hope, redemption and love.  Lily has suffered so much in her life, much more than any one person should have to endure.  She is just trying to hold on until she graduates from high school so that she can escape the hell that her life has become.  Dean is the one person left in her life that Lily truly loves.  Unfortunately, he comes with his own set of complicated issues.  Having grown up together, Dean should be the one person Lily can trust and depend on, the one who should love and protect her.  The question is,  can he overcome his own personal issues to give Lily the love she deserves?



Sarah Dosher is a new author and she shows great promise. This book was simply amazing. I had the privilege of  reading her work before it was released and even without editing, there was no mistaking that it was a diamond in the rough.  Dean has that delicious hunk appeal and Lily makes me just want to wrap her in my arms and share my chocolate with her.  I look forward to reading more from Sarah.

About Haven From the Storm:

"If you’re going to make me cry, at least be there to wipe away the tears…" Most were asleep in their beds the night Lily Grace’s entire world was ripped apart leaving only darkness and torment in its place. The only remaining person she depended on abandoned her without a second thought…or so that's what Lily's believed for the past four years. Dean Haven has returned for one reason, to win Lily’s love again. He broke her heart once because of the demons that haunt him, can his desire for Lily keep him from succumbing to those demons again? Dean has no idea what awaits him when he tries to fight his way back into Lily’s life. Everything he remembers has changed, including Lily. Is love enough when you’re forced to weather the storms life has blown your way?

About Sarah Dosher:
Sarah Dosher was born and raised in rural Oklahoma where she currently resides with her cowboy husband and twins (one cowboy and one cowgirl). 
She is addicted to books and The Golden Girls. Her love for reading inspired her to write her first novel, Haven from the Storm. She is currently working on the continuation of the Storms of Life Series. Sanctuary from the Darkness (Storms of Life #2) featuring Adley and Derek from Haven from the Storm is set to be published in September 2013.

Visit her website here to keep up with what Sarah is doing.

Five Smoking Hot Stars for Stormy Surrender and a Giveaway

Review:


I am just going to say this straight out. No holding back; no playing games. This book is "Oh My Goodness" HOT!!! I love Nicole. I love Nicole's writing. But honestly, I think I love Joe and Marti more now.

That sweet disillusioned Martha...only she would think that relocating with her husband to a new location would "fix" their marriage...her miscarriage...his cheating heart. What I can't figure out is why she would even want it fixed! I think it's awesome that she googles just what she is looking for...HOPE. This search for HOPE brings her to New Hope, SC. I've gotta say, there is just something about the South that can mend a broken spirit and soothe a troubled soul.

And then there is Joe. He is such a slut, such a womanizer, such a fan of the one night stand. He is also very broken...incomplete...maybe a little bitter. Joe is a contractor. He makes his living repairing houses. When he meets Martha, they hit it right off they clash like the Titans. (I just wanted them to hit it off right away!) Those two bicker and fuss like 6 year old sisters with only one Barbie to share between them. But there is just something there that draws them back to each other. It was fun watching the town try to keep these two apart. It was entertaining to see Joe's senile neighbor mistake a bonfire for a house fire. I bet that water was cold!

This book started off with that tug on me and would not let go even at the very end. Oh, I still have questions, but I know that there are more answers waiting for me in the second installment of the New Hope series!


Giveaway:


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