Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne

I really wasn't sure how I was going to like this book. I normally don't read books like this, it's just not my style. That being said, I actually liked it! I've never read anything written by Mary Jennifer Payne before but I will now. 

I really enjoyed the relationship between Edie and her mom, it was really sweet. Even when she was mad at her mom it was very evident that she still cared. Edie's mom went through Hell to protect her daughter and that is the biggest form of love there is. 

Jermaine was too nice of a guy for all the stuff that he dealt with. I don't know anyone that would put up with half the things that he did without punching someone. I guess I'm just more violent than he was. Edie and Jermaine were adorable together and I'm glad it ended the way it did for them. 

Edie and her mom have been on the run from her abusive dad for five years. Every time they would get comfortable some where they would have to pick up and leave because he found them again. They run to London and then the unthinkable happens, her mom never came home from work. Edie is all alone in a place that she has never been before. She teams up with Jermaine, the local outcast, to find her.  

Carrie by Stephen King

This is the first Stephen King book that I ever picked up, the first one I was ever really interested in. It's the first Stephen King book that made me want to read more of his works. I had in my mind that all of his books are terrifying, though some might be this one isn't. It might be weird but it's not scary. Sometimes I need a book that leaves me with questions.

Carrie is the first book ever written by Stephen King. This is the book that started it all, the book that carved the way for one of the best known horror writers. I think everyone has either read this book, seen the movies, both or have at least heard of it. I say movies because this movie has been redone. I've seen the 1976 version and the 2013 version, I liked both, though I did like the modern aspect of the 2013 version. 

Carrie White is a painfully shy girl that has telekinetic powers. Her Mother is very religious and mentally abusive and that makes Carrie act weird around her classmates. She becomes ridiculed at school when she freaks out in the shower because she got her first period. Her classmates prank her resulting in their prom getting taken away from them. As revenge, Chris decides she is going to pull the prank of the century on Carrie. A prank that turns deadly for everyone.

I love the book and the movies. I do wish the ending of the movie was like the ending of the book. I guess this just proves that the book is always better than the movie. As if readers needed more proof. 

Finding little Elsa.

I love animals, the only kind I've met that I don't like are pet birds and spiders. The reason behind the pet birds is because they're really freaking mean. I'm not saying that all pet birds are but all of the ones I have met were evil little rats with wings. (Not to be confused with a bats) And spiders are just gross! I understand the reason for their existence but they still scare me. 

Anyone that knows me knows I have a long haired dachshund, her name is Keelie. I got her name because I was watching Phil of the Future. I also want another puppy but my husbands insists we should wait until we have a fenced in yard so we don't have to leash train another dog. I already have names picked out, I really want a puppy. 

Throughout my twenty-three years here on this earth I have found that there are dog people and then there are cat people. There are some in between people that are both, my best friend is one of those people. I have also met some people that absolutely hate cats or absolutely hate dogs, they don't want anything to do with them. I have always been more of a dog person myself but I still like cats too. 

My husband and I came across a small kitten while going through his grandmas things and we brought her home with us. It would have died if we left it there all alone. It would have either starved, been hit by a car, killed by a dog or frozen to death. The animal lover that I am, I couldn't leave the kitten knowing it would more than likely die. So we brought the cutie home with us. 

There was only one minor problem, we have a dachshund. Dogs and cats don't like each other, we learned the hard way. We both knew if we gave them time they would work out their differences and grow to tolerate each other. Well that was getting old quick! The constant hissing and spitting, growling from both species, whining and yelping was enough to make me want to pull my hair out. 

We didn't have a chance to name the cute little kitten, we mainly called her kitty. It broke my heart but I knew our house just wasn't right for her. So we found a really nice family that really wanted a kitten, they had two adorable little girls that were super excited. The oldest child immediately named her Elsa because she is a Frozen fan. 

I was so upset the whole car ride. As much as I knew we needed to give her to a loving home that didn't have a little yappy dog, it still hurt to part ways. But then when I saw how much the two little girls fell in love with her just from seeing her, I knew it was the right thing to do. The man that took little Elsa was head over heels happy to have a kitten, he wanted one for a while. 

It was fate for us to find Elsa in that house because even though she wasn't right for us, she was right for that family. We were a bridge to get her to them. 

The Beast Within by Christian Endres

The Beast Within is another Psycho Thrill horror novella. I read it in about a hour and a half, so it's perfect if you're looking for a quick read. 

It's obviously about werewolves, you can gather that from the cover and title. It's not like other werewolf books I've read though and I can't tell if that's disappointing or refreshing. Like most werewolf books, the 'were' is super strong even in their human form. Not this guy, he was just a regular weak human when he wasn't a wolf, which was kind of disappointing, to me. I guess I just expected him to be crazy strong and could get out of every situations but that wasn't the case. 

Jackson Ellis has been a werewolf since he was twelve years old. He's been alone since he was twelve years old also, there is a connection there. He talks a lot about his dead friend, Dead Crow (yes his friends name was Dead Crow). He even talks to his dead friend that he can apparently see and hear. He finally has a semi-normal life as a bouncer at a nightclub, with a girlfriend that he fights with a lot and a dog that is more loyal than he is. When a pretty girl in a bar catches his eye and invites him to her house he can't refuse. It's a decision that changes his life, now he has to fight to survive. With only one thing remaining on his mind, revenge.  

I've only read two of The Psycho Thrill books but I really enjoyed them. I look forward to reading some of the others. 

Girl in the Well by Vincent Voss

 Girl in the Well is a Psycho Thrill horror novella by Vincent Voss. I was told if I liked Stephen King then I would like this, that wasn't a lie. I did enjoy this book, so much that I finished it in a day. 

It reminded me a lot of the paranormal shows - like The Haunted, A Haunting, Paranormal Witnesses, etc - and those shows have creeped me out in the past. (I'm a wuss.) When I first started reading GITW I kept thinking it was like those scary movies that I loved to watch with one minor difference, I couldn't shut my eyes to the scary parts. 

 It follows Johanna Ebeling and Henning Lambertz, they both work at the Ethnological Institute in the witch archives. It starts with them getting a phone call from Mrs. Falkner stating "I am evil." When she shows up to give her interview to prove that something strange has been happening to her, strange things begin happening in their office. Intrigued Johanna and Henning go to Mrs. Falkners house to further their investigation. The deeper in the investigation they get the more dangerous it is for everyone. 

Like most paranormal movies and shows it leaves you with more questions that answers. The ending left me craving more.

The Mine by John A Heldt

The first thought that comes to my mind when it comes to this book is...amazing! This was easily one of the best books I've read in a really long time! At first I was worried that the historical part of the book would bore me because history and I do not mix, but that was not the case at all. I ended up almost craving for more history. I learned more from this book than I did in my high school history classes.

Heldt did an awesome job capturing my attention and holding it throughout the entire book. I didn't skim or skip any parts and I ended up reading over half the book in one day. It was truly amazing. 

This is the first book in a series which means there is more to come. I am looking forward to completing this series. I might be purchasing the second book soon because I don't think I can go without finishing the story of Joel and Grace.

Joel Smith is a history minor in his senior year of college. He is taking a break from studying for finals with his friend, Adam. When they come across an abandoned mine Joel can't help himself, he has to explore. When he goes into the mine it is 2000 but when he exits the mine it is 1941. When he finds himself stuck in 1941 he has to go through a couple tough days until he finds a family that takes him in. The family gives him a job and introduces him to the girl that will make him question everything. When the time comes to return to his time he has to decide if he can leave the love of his life, future grandma and new best friend. 

The ending of this book literally made me scream with joy. I don't think I've ever rooted for a couple to make it like I did for Joel and Grace. I highly recommend this book to everyone, it has time travel, a healthy does of history and a good love story. I give five stars! 

More about the author.
John A. Heldt

Organ Reapers by Shay West

 Organ Reapers is a very interesting urban fantasy book, it's like nothing I have ever read before. Shay West is a talented wordsmith. This is the first book I've ever read by her but I look forward to checking out her other works. 

I'm not going to lie I was a little worried that I wasn't going to like this book. I don't usually read books that follow detectives because it reminds me too much of Law and Order but Organ Reapers was actually refreshing. I ended up loving the detectives and enjoyed seeing the other side of the law. 

It followed two sets of people and even though sometimes that can be very confusing, it was very easy to follow. Eli usually works alone but just got assigned a new partner, Ava. He starts to fall for her but of course since they are both detectives he can't pursue her. I really liked their partnership, they complimented each other well. Tani and Keena are also work partners in a way but it's cute how much you can tell they like each other. In their world you can't show affection unless you are married (which they are not) so it's even cuter when they sneak a hand hold. 

Eli and Ava are detectives that are trying to solve a string of murders. Tani and Keena are organ harvesters, in their world that is a sacred job. (They use magic to travel to this world to kill and steal the organs of innocent people, to save the people in their world.) When Ava and Eli start working these organ harvesting murders, things get weird because how can you catch someone that can travel to another world? After Tani and Keena get a job that involves the murder of a child they decide they can't do it anymore and they run away. After having visions from their Gods they know what they have to do. They end up teaming up with Eli and Ava so they can forever close the gates connecting the two worlds.

I loved Tani and Keena, especially when they came to this world to help Eli and Ava because their world is in the olden days. They still lived in the renaissance times, so it was cute when they tried to figure things out. I loved the epilogue, it was the cutest thing! I think the two worlds were blended together nicely. I've read books that tried to do something like this but it didn't work as well for them. This was a very good book and I'm so glad I gave it a chance.  

More info about Shay West