Review: Control Freakz by Michael Evans

I received this book to give an honest review.

Title: Control Freakz
Author: Michael Evans
Published: Oct. 3, 2017
Pages: 278
Format: ebook

Alone. Abandoned. Threatened. Natalie has lost all hope for a better future. Everything she’s known and everyone she’s ever loved is gone, and it’s up to her to get her old life back. In Michael Evans’s first novel, Control Freakz, Natalie’s journey toward a better life begins.
When Protocol 00 is enacted, Natalie’s family is taken by the government, along with the families of her two best friends, Ethan and Hunter. With nothing to lose, and the threat of government hitmen kidnapping them at any moment, the three must battle to survive in a horrid, post-apocalyptic world run by President Ash and his invasive government. They want answers. And they’re willing to jeopardize everything in desperate pursuit.
Risking ruthless leaders, attempted mind control, and her very existence on the planet, Natalie, along with Hunter and Ethan, will stop at nothing in their quest to regain everything they’ve ever known. Her spirits crushed and her will to live destroyed, Natalie knows everything is dead and gone, and soon she will be, too.
Memories connect us to the past, and can often cause us to long for a better future, but they can drive our minds into a state of hell if a better future is unattainable. Nevertheless, Natalie’s hope for a better a future remains.

Review: Skeleton in the Closet: and Other Scary Stories by Russell J. Dorn

I received this book to give an honest review.


Title: Skeleton in the Closet and Other Scary Stories
Author: Russell J. Dorn
Published: Oct. 9, 2016
Pages: 121
Format: ebook

A collection of scary stories for brave readers! If you like tales that will chill you to the bone, make your skin crawl, and spoil your appetite, Skeleton in the Closet and Other Scary Stories is the collection of horror stories for you. These twenty-three tales of terror are sure to thrill, as are the eerie illustrations created for each narrative.

A boy finds a skeleton in his closet.
Another hears a voice under his bathtub.
A class gets a substitute teacher who is a bit creepy and really into magic tricks.
Someone leaves their leftovers in the fridge too long.
A young man wakes up in the body of a giant bat.
Did that scarecrow move on its own?
A girl meets a wicked witch who turns people into firewood.
All this and many more creepy tales to tell in the dark!

Find out what happens when you try to keep the skeleton in your closet a secret, when you clown around too much, and when you are too loud in the library. Included here are stories about getting too much sun, finding yourself in the dark surrounded by water, listening too closely to the whispers in the walls, as well as the fate of those who take candy from a stranger when it isn't Halloween. What happens when you're buried alive? What if you were to wake up as a giant bat? What if a person were to cross paths with a witch in the woods or a pirate crew of skeletons on the sea? Read about these frightening dilemmas and find out what's really in that plum jelly. All this and more is here in Skeleton in the Closet and Other Scary Stories.

Are you brave enough to read all these horror stories?

Review: Mask Beneath Her Face by Rafael Chandler

I received this book to give an honest review.


Title: Mask Beneath Her Face
Author: Rafael Chandler
Published: Oct. 14, 2017
Pages: 412
Format: ebook
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During the 1980s, slashers terrorized America. With machetes and masks, these unstoppable killers stalked college campuses, quiet suburbs, and lakeside cabins.
Thirty years ago, Bobbi Metzger survived a massacre at her 16th birthday party. She spent decades putting her life back together.
Tonight, Bobbi will face a new killer: a high-tech slasher hell-bent on opening the doorway to an abyss of unimaginable horror.
How long can Bobbi survive this nightmare? What will she do to protect the people she loves? How much blood is she willing to spill?

Release Blitz: Forbidden Destiny by Raebeth McGee-Buda

Forbidden Destiny by Raebeth McGee-Buda
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Releasing: October 1, 2017
Cover Designer: Emcat Designs

We dream of our future and what we want to be when we grow up. These dreams are who we come to be: unless our destiny has other plans. Sophie Hathorn stumbled upon her destiny through her love of books. She learns she's part of a legacy of the most powerful witches, but with a twist. She's also part Wizard, which makes her the first and only Hybrid.

Struggling with her newly found life, Sophie must prepare and train for the biggest fight of her life. Eros, a Shapeshifter, and Succubus plan to overtake Sophie's hometown and call it his own. He's created an army of Cambion to help him fight. In the midst of the threat, the Wizard's Council comes into town to help Sophie prepare for the fight of her life when she finds herself romantically attracted to Mason; the son of the most powerful Wizard. However, the law has been set for centuries by the Goddess, Pax that no witch or wizard shall be involved romantically.

Not only is Sophie pressured to become the best Hybrid, but she's also fighting the internal battle of the feelings she has for Mason. Will she be able to handle the physical and emotional battle she's about to face or will she fall short?

Cover Reveal: A Messy, Beautiful Life by Sara Jade Alan

Cover reveal time!! Check out this gorgeous cover for A Messy, Beautiful Life by Sara Jade Alan! I personally love covers like this. And is that a bone in the background?! Why am I just noticing it? I don't know how I feel about that lol and I'm the bones gal. Add it to your TBR list today!

Review: Hell Will Rise (Bloodthirst Mafia #1) by Skyla Murphy

I received this book to give an honest review.


Title: Hell Will Rise (Bloodthirst Mafia #1)
Author: Skyla Murphy
Published: May 5, 2017
Pages: 265
Format: ebook
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This was never what I wanted, but fame in the mafia was what I got. When you see numbers like I can, death becomes a constant threat. It lingers, waiting for you to make one wrong move. One falter. One fatal step out of line.

The endless presence will drain you, layering you with guilt and regret. Until one day, you’re covered in blood. And in that moment, you realize… you’ve become the grim reaper yourself.
Nothing could stop me from saving my little sister. Nothing could weaken me... until my boss threw a blonde slave at my feet. Once I found out who she was, I should have wanted her dead.

But I had a bad habit of breaking the rules.

And I loved that she hated me.
Like a stupid man named Romeo, I fell for the daughter of the feuding family. Like an idiot named Juliet...
She didn't try to run.

Review: The Evolution of Ivy: Poison by Lauren Campbell

Title- The Evolution of Ivy: Poison
Author- Lauren Campbell
Genre- Contemporary

Rating:

They won't recognize the new me.

But they know the old me well—the me she harmed, and the me he loved.

She thinks she has him. But I'm going to take him back.

He thinks she's the one. But I'm going to show him he's wrong.

I thought it was over. But now I have a chance.

I decided pick up this book at UTOPiA Con after it won Best Debut Novel. I'll be honest, I never heard of it before I went. I started reading it on the place ride back home and couldn't put it down. Lately I've have a hard time reading books in the amount of time that I used to. What used to take me a few days now takes me over a month 😭 I breezed right through this! It was just the right book to get me through a reading slump. I'm still asking myself "if I loved it so much, why am I having a hard time thinking of what to write in my review?" This happens a lot now. I don't know why but it's annoying! I'd love nothing more than to tell you why I needed to be reading this every second of the day. I've got NADA :(

Early on, I knew Ivy was cuckoo bananas... like a straight up crazy Popsicle, dipped in chocolate, rolled in gun powder and set on fire. She should probably be in a loony bin. But with every chapter came a new layer to the story that was Brooks and Ivy that just made her craziness seem justified and less like a stalker. I kinda don't like Brooks, tbh, and I especially hate Eliza! I want to slam her face into this damn desk. My hate for her just grew to an alarming rate that it's probably unhealthy to hate a character so much. I can't even tell you why she's a raging thunder cunt because I don't want to ruin it for you. There's still so much that I need answers to and I'm really hoping Lauren finishes the second book ASAP!

Lauren Campbell lives in Atlanta, GA, with her family, and is author of The Evolution of Ivy: Poison.

She was raised in Columbia, SC, with her three sisters who annoy her greatly.

Lauren's social life is pretty boring, but she loves reading, coffee & hot tea, and living in her pajamas. She's a glutton for punishment, and regrettably signs up for things like Room Mom in her children's classes, leaving her up all night doing things like baking dozens of cookies between swear words. Her favorite food is avocado. If she could, she'd find a way to put it on everything.

Review: THE BURNING OF JUNIPER SLAIDE (THE JUNIPER SERIES Book 1) by Johanna Handley

I received this book to give an honest review.

Title: The Burning Of Juniper Slaide
Author: Johanna Handley
Published: Sept. 5, 2016
Pages: 227
Format: ebook
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Juniper Slaide is the sole survivor of an arson attack that destroyed her home and killed her family. Nine years later she’s worked hard at putting the past behind her. She clings to her best friend James, the only person she’s been able to trust since the fire.
But one day James disappears.
Juniper tries to find her friend, but she uncovers more than she bargained for. As tensions grow and friendships are tested, she begins to realise that James wasn’t who she thought he was.
And worst of all, his disappearance is connected to her somehow, and what happened to her all those years ago … An exciting thriller full of twists and turns which you wont be able to put down!

Review: Onyx Webb: Book Nine: Episodes 25, 26, 27 & 28 (Onyx Webb #9) by Richard Fenton, Andrea Waltz

I received this book to give an honest review.
Title: Onyx Webb (Book 9) Epsoides: 25, 26, 27
Authors: Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz
Published: April 28, 2017
Pages: 314
Format: Paperback
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Welcome Back to the World of Onyx Webb! This is Book Nine. (Episodes 25, 26, 27, & 28) Haven't Gotten Entangled Yet? Please Start with Book One.
Book Nine is the most cataclysmic book in the series yet and what we have been building to for so long. The web is almost entirely formed now. But questions remain: what happens to everyone now that it is?
Onyx Webb is a complex multi-genre mash-up that combines elements of supernatural suspense, crime, horror, romance, and more. The Onyx Webb series follows the unusual life of Onyx Webb along with a central group of characters in various locations and times.


In Book Nine: The Mulvaney's host the Solstice Eclipse Ball for the Restoring Savannah Foundation and Gerylyn's prediction comes to pass. Stan Lee gets his revenge and Juniper battles a dark evil at the mansion. Onyx Webb spends her days at the lighthouse alone again without Noah Ashley but Noah may have other plans.

Wine~n~Sign NYC Event & Book Order!

Hello my gorgeous blog readers! I wanted to tell you about an AMAZING event coming to NYC Saturday, September 9 from 3-5pm! It is part happy hour, part meet-n-greet, and part book signing! ONLY 200 tickets will be sold to this exclusive, intimate event at The Delancy Rooftop Deck!! The event is 18+, 21 to drink. The first 100 people through the doors will receive a tote and swag donated by these fabulous authors.

Review: REN: Awakened (REN #1) by Brittany Quagan

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Title: REN: Awakened (REN #1)
Author: Brittany Quagan
Published: August 24, 2016
Pages: 218
Format: ebook
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Seventeen-year-old Ren Nagel knows that the strange things she's seen are real--even if no one else believes her. But, when she's locked up in a psychiatric hospital; she loses hope that anyone will ever truly be on her side.
Then everything changes. With the help of a new friend, Ren breaks out. It's when she's on the run that she learns who she really is.

Hunted by evil, Ren must learn to control a power she never knew she had, organize a coalition of people she never knew existed, and remind humanity why fighting the darkness is a big part of being human.
Sometimes, feeling different is much more than just a feeling. For Ren, it means the fate of the world.

Product Review: Shefit Ultimate Sports Bra

Image via https://shefit.com/

Rating
*I was not compensated for my review. This was a personal purchase. 

I Wrote a Book! Now What?

Hey everyone! I want to welcome Tamara Beard, owner of Wrapped Up Writing, to share a guest post on some essentials after writing your book. I've known Tamara since I started blogging and her drive has always amazed me. She's going to do big things with her career!

Review: Outpost by Ann Aguirre

Title: Outpost
Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: Razorland #2

 Rating:

 

Deuce’s whole world has changed.

Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn't fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

Kill the Witch! by Matt McAvoy

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Title: Kill the Witch!
Published: Feb. 1, 2016
Pages: 340
Format ebook
Buy the book

A series of devastating coincidences, or a mercilessly vicious witch's curse?

Jack doesn't believe in coincidences. But he does believe in her, and the terrible mistake he made the day he crossed her.

The day his life became a living nightmare.

But with the lines so blurred between Jack's terrifying fairy-tale and his own mental diagnosis, can he still tell which is the true modern-day horror story, and who is the real villain?

Now so deluded, so convinced of the curse, is he truly willing to go to any lengths to stop it, even if that means committing shocking and brutal murder?

Facebook Hiding Posts (and what you could do to see more)

If you are an author, blogger, or anyone with an interest page on Facebook, you’ve noticed a HUGE decline in views/interaction. Lets face it, Facebook is a major jerk for it but it’s in their right to change their terms and charge to see things. IT SUCKS. But I’d be mad too if people were using my FREE service to make money. It happens a lot and it’s really going to hurt the entrepreneurs that rely on Facebook for marketing. I, myself, refuse to pay for my posts to be seen because I make no money from blogging. NONE, nada. It becomes this big internal debate whether or not I want to continue to do it if no one sees anything. I interact more with bookish people on my personal profile, but even then they hardly see it.

Prepping for #UTOPiA2017! #StepWriteUp #BookFreaks

By now a lot of you have already set your accommodations and travel plans, but now is the time to put yourself in gear to make the most out of your trip to UTOPiA. Lists are always helpful to keep on track (that is if you remember to bring your list LOL) Make sure you email that list to yourself. Don’t be that guy haha. Yes, I’m talking about myself. I am not an author so I can’t tell you what you would need when it comes to prepping yourself for the convention.

You can see more suggestions here:

Jo Michaels Blog

The Paisley Reader

Before I get started, check out the

 limited edition ‘Circus Freaks’ Lit-Cube! 

Pardon Our Appearance! We're Moving Back to Blogger!

Pardon our appearance

Hey everyone! I did some thinking and had a discussion with the other ladies of A Little Bit of R&R. I've made the decision to move our blog back to Blogger. There are a lot of pros and cons with a self-hosted Wordpress and it honestly came down to money. Hosting was too much $$ and even switching to a cheaper service would mean more work when moving the files. I'm in no way a techie so I'd probably break everything. This switch is also coming with big changes. We will no longer be accepting blog tours unless it's a review stop. The reason we switched from Blogger in the first place was because myself and thousands of other bloggers were booted for using affiliate links (or so they say) Affiliate links and blog tours are actually against theirs TOS and they had every right to boot us. With that said, this is the reason we are no longer doing tours. We welcome you to contact us and set up a creative content post (something that is not available on another blog or site) Right now we're working on bringing the old reviews over to the Blogger blog. This will take us the whole month so things may look a little crazy! Thanks for sticking with us!

Review: Granjy’s Eyes (Modern Tales of Horror) by Matt McAvoy

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug, and alcohol use, and/or violence.

Title: Granjy's Eyes
Published: Nov. 7, 2016
Pages: 164
Format ebook
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Meet Ollie. Well-educated and spoilt - a rich kid, fun-loving party-goer and brutal sociopath.
Ruthlessly arrogant Ollie takes what he wants, when he wants it. But Ollie's going to learn, the hard way, that for every action there's a consequence, and for every bounty a price.
Because living with Granjy isn't the bed of roses he thought it was going to be; the blind old lady sees everything - sees him - and most of all sees the monster he is becoming, in a way that nobody else can. And that strange and terrible perception that surely only she has frightens Ollie more than he'll ever admit.
It was she that spoilt him rotten-to-the-core, and now his payment is due. Her sightless eyes and her creepy, knowing smile will compel him to tear apart his own dark soul.
Granjy will teach him new meaning of the word 'remorse'.

Review: Waiting For The Beast by T. Hayden

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Title: Waiting For The Beast 

Published: Feb. 14, 2017
Pages: 309
Format: eBook
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What if the Bible has it all wrong about the Anti-Christ?
What if this person is female and what if she actually has a choice?
Meet A.C. a.k.a Angelica Cunningham
Angelica is drop dead gorgeous, lives in a sprawling mansion with her two aunts, attends a prestigious private school, is an A student and excels at everything she does effortlessly. She has a great life.
That's until her 16th birthday and it all goes banana's. One of her aunt's fall mysteriously ill on the brink of death. Angelica is suddenly telepathic, has a heightened sense of smell and is seeing supernatural beings, that only exists in fairy tales.
Angelica's family is forced to tell her the truth. Her aunts are actually supernatural beings that have been charged with protecting Angelica from her father, Lucifer. He has put a bounty on Angelica's head and every creature from the Abyssal Realm a.k.a Hell is looking for her. In addition she has a hot guardian angel that has been assigned to her since birth that she can now see.
She is suddenly thrust into a dangerous, magical world. Between dealing with her new identity, a love triangle, hiding from her father, and just trying to be a teenager she has to make a decision to run, fight or wait for the darkness to consume her.

Review: Five Suns of Treason by Jim Heskett (Part 1)

Title: Five Suns of Treason
Published: December 18, 2014
Genres: dystopian, science fiction
Pages: 76
Format: eBook
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Part one of the three-part Five Suns Saga
Kellen’s tired of politics and the back-stabbing that accompanies it. As a senior staffer to a US senator, he’s privy to all kinds of information, like details about the meteor hurtling though space on a collision course with earth. He also knows what the public has been told isn’t the whole truth, and now he’ll have to decide if exposing the lie is worth trading his life.
Part dystopian epic, part espionage thriller, Five Suns of Treason features six interconnected short stories before, during, and after the downfall of society, with each one unlocking another piece of the mystery of how the world collapsed.

Review: Onyx Webb: Book Eight: Episodes 22, 23 & 24 by Richard Fenton , Andrea Waltz

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Title: Onyx Webb: Book Eight: Episodes 22, 23 & 24
Published:  Jan. 27, 2017
Pages: 240
Format: Paperback
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The timelines - the web - is more tightened than ever. Although the connections are clear, suspense reigns as always.
Onyx Webb is a complex multi-genre mash-up that combines elements of supernatural suspense, crime, horror, romance, and more. The Onyx Webb series follows the unusual life of Onyx Webb along with a central group of characters in various locations and times.
The billionaire Mulvaney family, piano prodigy Juniper Cole and her brother Quinn, paranormal show hosts Cryer and Fudge, and a few others make up the core of the series. Written like a book version of your favorite tv series (think: supernatural soap opera like American Horror Story) each character’s story moves forward with most every episode. It may appear that the characters are entirely unrelated and yet episode by episode, the connections will become clearer. Like being an inch away from a spider web, with each book, the web will move further and further away revealing the full story of character and most importantly, the stunning conclusion for Onyx Webb herself.
In Book Eight: Onyx and Alistar's grandson Noah grow close as they create a "life" together with exciting new projects. The Mulvaney mansion is crawling with ghosts as a big event looms. Stan Lee continue to make mistakes without consequences, for now.

Review: Dead over Heels by Theresa Braun

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Title: Dead Over Heels

Published: Nov. 16, 2016

Pages: 38
Format: eBook
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Veronica’s first date with Sebastian not only stirs up a powerful attraction, but also a series of supernatural events that will tear them apart.
After countless hours of dead end online dating, Veronica meets up with Sebastian at a reportedly haunted restaurant, since he knows she has a fascination with the paranormal. While enjoying their meals and each other’s company, they share a shocking supernatural experience. Their romantic connection is overshadowed by the ghosts of their own pasts that threaten to destroy their budding relationship. Veronica decides she must return to the restaurant to face her past and dig up more answers. Unfortunately, she realizes she must go back, this time with a reluctant Sebastian. In the end, they join forces against the evil that stands between them, but will they make it out alive?