Book Review: Jezebel's Wish by A.J. Nuest

Title: Jezebel's Wish
Author: A.J. Nuest
Paperback:  298 pages
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press (March 14, 2011)

Ratings: 

★ ★ ★ ★  



My thoughts:


Jezebel has returned to her family after the death of her fiancée. She thought going home would make her feel better but she's wrong. She couldn't escape the past because of a secret that has been haunting her since the day her ex died. Everything seems so wrong in her life until her mom pushes her into riding lessons with the vet Matthias Saunders. Slowly, she finds happiness with the stallion and the vet. However things are not that easy to forget. Her past is still haunting her. 


The plot of the story is great, the characters are likeable especially Matty, the local vet who falls in love with Jezzy. The conflict of the story was believable, the story had me crying. I can feel Jezzy's pain. This is my first book by AJ Nuest and I will definitely look out for her other books.


About the book:


Haunted by nightmares, tormented by guilt, Jezebel came to Redemption Ranch to escape the past—except now she's stuck in the middle of nowhere with no redemption in sight. When her mother pushes her into riding lessons with local veterinarian Matthias Saunders, Jezebel balks. Sure, the doctor is gorgeous, but he’s completely obnoxious and knows how to push every one of her buttons.

Only her deep connection with The Reverend, a gentle stallion who guards her darkest secrets, has her agreeing to spend any more time with Dr. Saunders. Caring for the stallion is the first bright spot in her life in months, and if being around the horse means she has to deal with Matthias Saunders, then so be it. Surely a city girl like her can handle one country vet—even one with disturbing blue eyes. Can't she?


About the author:

AJ Nuest resides in Northwest Indiana with her loving husband and two beautiful children. She is the author of two published romance novels.


Note: 


I received a review copy of this book free from the author, A.J. Nuest. The review posted above is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Author Interview: Katie Salidas

Bookingly Yours would like to welcome Katie Salidas, author of the Immortalis Series - Carpe Noctem and Hunters and Prey (read my reviews here). 

Hello Katie, can you please tell us something about yourself, your background, (where you were born, live? Your work prior to becoming a writer)

Hmm, let’s see, background on me. I was never very good at just talking about myself. I’m a complete introvert, which I guess helps with writing. I’m much more comfortable with my notebook and pen, writing down stories than I am in public speaking about things. So, really, my life is not hugely exciting. I grew up in a small town in Texas and at the age of 14 moved to Sin City, Las Vegas, Nevada.  Being an introvert, I spent a lot of time people watching , which I think also helps when it comes to creating characters. You learn a lot by observation.
 
When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I spent a lot of my teenage years reading books and writing down my own silly stories. I never expected them to become a career. It was always just a fun hobby. As I got older, I really wanted to share them with others. That’s when I started seriously considering publishing.
 
I love your Immortalis series!! Is this your first book series? If not, what were your previous writings?

The first thing I ever wrote, was a YA vampire romance tailored after the Vampire Diaries. However, during my move from Texas to Nevada, I lost the manuscript and it never got the chance to see the light of day. I was so upset over losing it, I refused to rewrite it. The Immortalis series is a much more grown up version of that type of story. It’s not the same, but it has some of those elements of love and growing up that I felt were important to show. The main character, Alyssa, starts off very naive in many respects and as the series progresses, you see her strength and character form.
 
How did you come up with the idea for the book?

I’ve always been a fan of vampires and have read as many books about them as I could. When it came time for me to write my own, I wanted to try and take a slightly different approach. Most books gloss over the actual transition from human to vampire, but I wanted to really focus on that change. I wanted to try and depict the actual hardship involved in the transition.

How could a regular person, who for all intents and purposes is “good, be able to kill another human being for sustenance? Would hunger alone do it? Many might just starve themselves at the idea. From there I had to ask what might motivate a person to finally make that kill? What would the bloodlust be like and how would that kill ultimately affect my main character?

For every question that came up, I found an answer and the scenes began to play out. Over time, Immortalis took shape and with it, the reader gets to experience Alyssa’s journey through the transition to this frightening new world, first hand.

If you’ve read the books, then you know how she ultimately deals with it, but here’s the question: Could you? If you were in the MC shoes in this world, would you be able to deal with the need to drink blood? Would you be able to kill to survive? 

Yay, no! Ewww. How about the characters? Are they based on people you know?

There are a few characters in the Immortalis series that are based off of people I know, and those people know who they are. =)  Nicholas, Rozaline, Alyssa, Crystal, & Drew. Though they are based on real people, their mannerisms are embellished a bit.

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I’m a paranormal addict. I love reading anything with a vampire or a werewolf, and even a witch too! It would be unfair of me to pick one over the other because each story, each series becomes my favorite for the time that I am reading it. I just finished the Charlaine Harris series and loved those, but when I was reading Patricia Briggs, I couldn’t get enough. I love them all and even more, I love discovering new and indie authors too!

What are you reading right now?

I’m actually in-between books right now. Have any good suggestions?

Oh yes! Vampire Academy and Succubus series by Richelle Mead, loved those series! For the last question, what do you do when you are not writing and reading?

That’s an easy question. Family . I do so much work on my books that when I am not nose-deep in my laptop or Kindle, it’s all about my family. We’re actually planning for a fun summer this year! I can’t wait to get started.

Thank you so much Katie for joining us here today! Can't wait to read Pandora's Box!  


About the author KATIE SALIDAS

Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons.  She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.
 
And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…

Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

http://www.katiesalidas.com/

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916

LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=58814031&trk=tab_pro

Twitter
http://twitter.com/QuixoticKatie

Witches of East End Release Day

Bookingly Yours reviewed Witches of East End, read here.

Expected publication: June 21st 2011 by Disney-Hyperion 

 

From the author of the highly addictive and bestselling Blue Bloods series, with almost 3 million copies sold, comes a new novel, Melissa de la Cruz's first for adults, featuring a family of formidable and beguiling witches.

The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.

For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them.

With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil.