Only Bajan Rosa & The Obsidian effect #1

Hello Peoples

It is I Rosa, yes this is where I make conversation with you the public! Right. Now I shall get to the matter at hand. Did somebody say Obsidian? Yip someone did, in fact thousands of people have screamed it to the top of their lungs all over the internet. The question is, "is it really that good?"

   I the Bajan Rosa am on a mission to find out! One of my good friends has bought me an ebook of the EXPENSIVE Obsidian (okay so 6.79 isn't so bad, but when one is accustomed to buying 2.99 and under ebooks one can have sticker shock from the more popular titles.) I am very certain that I will find something to like about this book but will it cause me to go into fits of girly squealing, only time will tell.

Truthfully I am quite looking forward to reading the book, unfortunately that experiment will have to go in increments as I read, because as you would know if you have visited my reading list page, I have 11 books to review in the month of June and I intend to reach that Goal! Also I will not review Obsidian only share my reactions with you until I reach the end!

Now on to the other stuff! I have started a blog on Wordpress. It is more of a public diary, and I care not who reads it! However if you would like to know more about me and my lovely life here on this lovely island you can visit onlybajanrosa.wordpress.com and check it out!

That is all for today, remember tommorow I will be reviewing the book Freak so look out for that. Anywhos I shall chat with you all later!

-Rosa

Xxx 

If I Could Be Like JT

Author: Barbara Ehrentreu
Genre: Contemporary, YA
Age Group: 14  +
Title: If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor

Blurb: Carolyn Samuels, is your average everyday teenage girl, and that is her problem. The last thing Carolyn wants is to be average and unnoticed on the first day of school but what can she do about it. She wears size 14 clothes that are baggy and out of style. The boy she's pinning after doesn't even see her and worst of all, she has to face the perfect Jennifer Taylor at school everyday. 

As if  that isn't enough the boy she wants belongs to Jennifer Taylor and to top that off her Math teacher puts Jennifer and her together to work on a project where they have to be in close contact! Will Carolyn survive? Or will she be unable to Breath!

My Views: If you have ever been to Middle or Primary school High School, Secondary School or whatever you call it in your country you know that there is always a Jennifer Taylor, in every year and every class, there is always that girl who is popular and seems to be perfect. No matter how much you hate her, the truth is you want to be like her! For me I've been like Carolyn more times than I can count.

In Primary school, in Secondary school and in College! I was like Carolyn and the names the popular girls threw at me were so much worst. Now I am at University (yes there is a difference here in Barbados) and even though they are more than enough "Jennifers" I am no longer obsessed with becoming like them. I guess you could say I've grown up and realised what Carolyn did in this book.

This book touches on most of, if not all the problems we face while in school. There is peer pressure, body image, self-esteem and the list goes on. Truthfully this book was the most moving and real thing that I have read for the month and I give the author kudos for such an excellent piece of work.

My Recommendation: Girls, If you are at school and you are struggling, you need to read this story, I do not know if it will help you, but what I do know is that it will show you that you are not alone. It will show you as my mother always says ; "all that glitters is not gold". 

You can take this story for the truth, and know that no matter how beautiful, how skinny how popular or classy the girl you want to be is, She's got problems honey and sometimes they make yours look like dust in the wind. This book will show you that no matter what you think, we are all human and we all have flaws some of us, are just really good at hiding them.

My Personal Message to girls like Carolyn and Jennifer: Love yourself, and I know that sounds silly and simple but it's so hard for some people, but until you get the courage to do that the problems you face will always overpower you.

My Rating: For the book itself  5/5: 

My Rating for the message it Carries 10/10:

Ms. Ehrentreu, has agreed to do an interview for you guys, pay attention because she has some important things say and you need to hear them!

Author Interview

Barbara Ehrentreu

Bajan Rosa: What are the things you love most about writing?

Barbara:  What I like most about writing is when I have an idea and it forms into a sentence. Then I either write it down or type it and suddenly I'm writing paragraphs. I look up and I've written over 2000 words. This is the first part of writing and that is what I love!!!

Bajan Rosa: How did you come up with the Idea for today's featured book?

Barbara: I was applying to be in Paula Danziger's children's writing workshop at Manhattanville College for Writer's Week and I needed 3 chapters to get into the class. So my daughter was having problems with bulimia at the time, and she had always had issues about her body. So I used her dissatisfaction with her body for the main character and I used my daughter's problems with an eating disorder for the secondary character. I took it to the workshop and Paul basically cut it to shreds. However, she gave me real sentences to use and said that I might have something good. So I continued writing it and it took me 3 years to finish it and revise it.

Bajan Rosa: There are a lot of strong themes going on here, can you tell us about them?

Barbara: The first one is bullying. Jennifer Taylor bullies Carolyn because of her breathing problem and the way she dresses. Jennifer is the typical mean girl at the beginning of the book.

The second is body image. Carolyn Samuels, the main character, thinks her body is "too heavy for fashion". She has a very poor image of herself at the beginning of the book and doesn't feel any boy or any popular person would want to be with her. Her constant worry causes her to hyperventilate at times of stress.


Hyperventilation is when someone is breathing too fast and gets too much oxygen. So they begin to pant and it can cause someone to get dizzy and actually faint. Carolyn does that in the beginning of the book.

Friendship is another important theme here. Carolyn is friendly with two girls who are not in the popular crowd. She longs to be popular and when Jennifer pays attention to her when they are paired for a project, Carolyn starts to believe she might be popular. Yet she worries that her friendship, with Jennifer, which may or may not develop, is going to make her old friends angry. The whole idea of friendship and how to be a good friend is explored throughout the book.
Being popular and cliques are also addressed.
Secrets and the idea of should you or shouldn't you keep a secret even if you feel someone else knowing this secret might be helpful to the person who told it to you? Carolyn starts needing to keep secrets from her parents and her best friends and pretty soon she becomes involved in a series of lies that get more and more complicated to keep these secrets. 

Bajan Rosa: Is your book meant to impact young girls, and if so what affect do you think the message in the book will have on them.

Yes, definitely this should impact young girls. I have seen its effect on some of them and it has created a very interesting discussion about the themes just discussed here. They have told me that they love the book and they enjoy the story. I would hope that it will help anyone who has run into this problem or may have any of the problems addressed here such as low self-esteem and body image and/or an eating disorder. I have sent a copy to the National Eating Disorders Association and they have it in their library. Very few books are written in the point of view of someone who has to keep a secret about someone else's eating disorder. 

Bajan Rosa: Finally is there anything you would like to say to girls struggling with these problems?

When I was Carolyn's age I felt the same way about my own body. My daughter still has terrible feelings about her own body. What I would say to any girl who is dealing with any of these problems, is to tell someone about it. You don't have to tell your parents, but you can talk to a good friend or a guidance counselor and they will help you to find help. Definitely, if you or anyone you know is struggling with an eating disorder I would suggest you try to find someone you trust and tell them about it. Keeping it a secret is only endangering your own or your friend's health. On the other hand, if someone tells you about their own eating disorder, try to steer them to someone who will help them.

There you have it!

 Author Bio

Barbara Ehrentreu is the The Author of If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor a school teacher and a serious writer.  You can follow her on her blog, Or on twitter here, On shewrites.com here, and to get your hands on her book you can either go to the top bar of this page and check out featured books, or, you can go here.

Readers if you or anyone you know would like a free copy of this book, today is your lucky day the author is offering one free copy to the winner of the raffle below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love & Pain

Author: Presley Collins
Genre: Adult, Contemporary
Age Group: ADULT
Title: Love This Pain

Blurb:Ryan is a play boy, one of those guys who can have any girl he wants. I mean what girl wouldn't what a hot band member in bed with her? Ryan has always done the dumping, no ifs or buts about it, until one day he is the one being dumped. Depression overtakes him, the shock of being dumped sends him into a place he's  never been before. All this just before he turns 30.

Enter Natalie, a blind date, who his friends think will be the best thing for him. To Ryan's surprise, she is not at all what he thought she would be. She is smart and funny and fun to be around. Not the type he is used to at all. He likes it. They soon end up back at his hotel room where there is "Birthday sex". Ryan soon realises that his feelings for her are much more than ever. Unfortunately for him Natalie is no where to be found.

                                                         

My thoughts: A good book, if one is into this genre, The storyline is believable, the characters are real, and the whole concept is good. However, I am going to be very honest to you and say, I did not think I would have liked this book as much as I did.

The start seemed so over done, you know hot guy, in shock  that he could possibly be dumped bla bla bla. There was also a the typo 'the' instead of 'they' in one of the first sentences, I saw no more and I was very happy about that. No one can be perfect, I make those mistakes all the time! Anyway, it goes on from there and the twists, if  I might be so bold are truly unexpected and frankly shocking. I won't share any of them with you! I don't deal in spoilers, but I will say, this is not your typical romance at all! 

                                                            

My Recommendation: If you are looking for something new, with a flare of the unexpected and a tendency to make you either cry, or pull your hair out in frustration (in a good way), this is the book for you.

If you have an aversion to foul language and adult themes or are under the age of 18, This book is not for you, I do not recommend that you buy it or read it especially if all you are going to do is bash it because it is not your thing! 

All in all I will probably end up reading over Love this Pain later in life to see if I feel the same way about it but for now this is my rating:

Rosa's Rating: 3.99/5 would be fantastic if not for the start

                            
                                                                Author Bio
Presley Collins is the Author of at three novels, Cover Girl, And First Love song along with this one.  You can find her on her blog, Or on twitter here, On Goodreads here, on facebook here and to get your hands on her book you can either go to the top bar of this page and check out featured books, or, you can go here.

Perks of the newbie blogger #1

Hey everyone!

It's me again! and today I'll be talking about the perks of being a newbie blogger!

   Bloggers and Reviewers have you ever had that feeling? You know the feeling you get when you know a book hasn't been released yet but you've got your hands on it! Yea that feeling makes you want to say to the whole world: I GOT AN ARC! I GOT AN ARC! ARE YOU JEALOUS! ARE YOU JEALOUS!

Yes I've felt like that as of late, being a reviewer is turning out to be very rewarding! I love the fact that I can review a book that only a few have yet to read, It makes one feel special!  That is why when an author or publisher offers me a book to review. I always make sure to finish the entire book no matter how hard it is to get through.

I believe that if someone gives you the opportunity to review their work, you should always give respect no matter how awful the book may be. They have selected you to tell the world about their work and you should feel special regardless. Even if you know you, and a couple hundred like you are reviewing the book.
Give respect to these people, writing is hard. All you have to do is read and give an honest opinion and how bad can that really be!

- Rosa Xxx

5 Roses for Five

Author: Christie L. Rich
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance YA
Age group: Teen
Title: Five (#1 Elemental Emnity)
Rosa's Rating: 5/5 for Five :)

Blurb: Sometimes, your life is crappy for a reason. Rayla Tate is a teenage girl, with dreams of going to college far, far away from her demanding life with her aunt and cousins. After all she's baby-sat them most of her life, doesn't she deserve a change? After Rayla's aunt refuses to let her go to college where she wants to, Rayla decides she dosen't need permission being 18 and all.

Little does she know, she is walking into a nightmare where she is the main attraction and prized possesion. You see Rayala is an elemental, one of the unique women who posses power over matter. Now she must never be alone lest she be taken, and she must try her best to avoid the Fea Lords who hunt her, at all cost. She finds  the beautiful Zach who she see's as a helper and maybe alot more, but is this human boy really what he seems?

Christie L. Rich's Five is a tale where Rayla learns the meaning of  action and consequence. I love a lot of things about this book, It flows well and the characters were very well portrayed. Ever single Lord was hot! Some of them good, some evil but all Hot!

The female characters (other than Rayla) were good too, the aunt was very believable and Rayla's reaction to her not allowing her to go away for college was what I'd do.

Overall The book was well written, If there were typos, or errors in syntax I did not see any and if you ask me that just goes to show how good the book was! If you are looking for a really good fantasy, with Romance and Fae this is the book for you.

Readers, Many of you have expressed to me how much you love to hear from the Authors. Well Christie has agreed to do an interview for you! You guys are lucky!

                                                   Author Interview

Christie L. Rich

Christie: Thanks so much for having me with you today!  I always love to do interviews, so I appreciate you asking me.

Bajan Rosa: It is always a pleasure to speak with an Author, so thank you! 

Bajan Rosa:  What do you like most about being an Author?
Christie: Creating new worlds.  There is nothing like submerging yourself into a world you do not know.  You explore with the characters and come to understand the workings of this new place right along with them.  It's exciting!

Bajan Rosa:  What was it like to create Five?
Christie:Fantastic! LOL. I've always loved to read, but this took the experience to a higher level than I thought possible.  Anything can happen while writing and that is a seduction all its own.


Bajan Rosa:  They are a lot of books about the Fae yours is unique how did you come up with it?
Christie:I've enjoyed stories about the fae my whole life. Faerietales are amazing, but I began to wonder if the fae had gotten a bad rap.  That's when I started thinking about them as people.  Some are good, and some not so much.

 Bajan Rosa:  Are there any characters you are especially fond of?
Christie: Fexlie-a little pixie that flitted into my mind on day on the way home from work.  She was such a strong character.  She was the one that introduced me to Rayla and the rest of the story flowed from there.  I will always have a special place in my heart to her for finding me.

Bajan Rosa:  Lastly When will the next book come out?
Christie: Genesis is near completion and I am hoping to release it by August.  The final book should be out around Christmas, but don't hold me to it.  LOL

There you go another great review!

                                            Author Bio
Christie L. Rich is a new and upcoming Author.  You can follow her on her blog, Or on twitter here, On Goodreads here, and to get your hands on her book you can either go to the top bar of this page and check out featured books, or, you can go here.

The Perils Of A Newbie Blogger 3 (I am Titanium)

Hello everyone,

Yes it is that time again when I talk about myself and my problems. I don't have many currently, blogging is going great and I'm getting a fair amount of traffic, I just reached 1000 unique visitors and I'm stoked thank you all for visiting.

I'm working on Paranormal Poison though its going really slow. I may just ditch the project if it goes nowhere but I keep trying!

My page is starting to look like a book blog. I haven't changed the layout since last week and I'm proud! I have not much more to say i hope you are all having a really good time!

Though it's hard I keep finding inspiration!  here is one of my favourite songs. This one keeps me going!
Ok enjoy taaaa!

Happy (belated) Anniversary Bajan Rosa Books

My original page info: My Name is Rose-Ann (Rosa for short) I am a very energetic person, or so I've been told, there is not much I'm not willing to try, unless it endangers my life that is. I started this blog on the nineteenth of may 2011 on a total whim, but I'm willing to give it a try!!!!

Look at that one year went by and I didn't notice until now. On the 19th of May 2011 I started this blog, and although I did have a lot of downtime. I am happy to say that I am now blogging and reviewing as often as I can! I would have done a give-away but I don't think I'm ready for that just yet, but next year I hope to be!

Well here's to Bajan Rosa Books! and God willing another great year of blogging, reviewing and meeting many more  wonderful people!

Special Thanks:

God!

My Mum :D

My sister <3

Sandra (my first follower and supportive friend)

All of the authors who promoted my site!

the folks at Goodreads Making connections and Blog lift

The BookBlog website

SelfSame A Must Read

Author: Melissa Conway
Genre: Fantasy, Mordern/Historical, YA, Romance
Age Group:Teen +
Title: SelfSame
Rosa's Rating: 5/5

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live two different lives? Well, Sorcha knows and so does Enid  they are two vastly different personalities. One of them lives in the past, one of them in the present, both of them are the same person.

Melissa Conway's SelfSame is a story of a teenage girl who's worries are much more troubling than studying for finals and pinning after boys. When she goes to sleep at night, she wakes up in a different world either in the past or in the future, her soul divided between two bodies.

This mixture of modern and historical story telling, makes for an extremely entertaining read with action on every page and a new mystery to uncover in each chapter. Readers will enjoy the tale of Enid/Sorcha  as she finds her way through her lives, romantic interests and problems galore.

This is truly a must read for any fan of good YA fiction and lovers of Fantasy.


Readers, would you like to know more about Melissa Conway, well today is your lucky day. She has agreed to answer these short questions about her writing for us.


                                              Author Interview

Melissa Conway

Bajan Rosa: How did you become interested in becoming an author?

Melissa: Like most writers, I was an avid reader first. I grew up devouring the works of Fantasy/Sci-fi greats such as Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne McCaffrey and Andre Norton. In the back of my mind, I think I always knew I wanted to write a novel, but life got in the way for many years. Then one day I realized I couldn’t let excuses stop me anymore and I buckled down and began. That was eight books and several unpublished manuscripts ago!

Bajan Rosa: This idea of SelfSame is a unique one. What would you say inspired you?

Melissa: I’m a big fan of Jane Austen, and I often thought I would try my hand at a historical novel, but I don’t recall the exact chain of events that led to the inspiration behind SelfSame. Typically, my stories start with a mere wisp of an idea that I turn into a “What if?” Then my mind adds more kindling to that spark until I’ve got a good fire going. At some point, I start to get excited, thinking, “This might make a good book.”
 
Bajan Rosa:Was it hard to write such a complicated story and if so how did you manage?

Melissa: There are two kinds of writers, the kind who take a concept and plot it out carefully before they begin, and the kind who take that same concept and just run with it. I’m the latter - called a ‘pantser’ because we write by the seat of our pants! As with all my stories, I begin with a vague idea of where I want the plot to go. Then I think about my characters when I’m busy doing other things, like driving, cleaning house, etc. If I was to give my plotting process a name, I’d call it focused fantasizing. And I’ll let you in on a little secret: originally I had intended a different ending, but as I was writing the last chapters I realized I had inadvertently built in a way to make the ending more satisfying! It’s wonderful when the individual threads of a story all come together in the end.

Bajan Rosa: I truly speak for all those who have read the book, when I ask when is the next one due?

Melissa: Right now I’m working on the sequel to Xenofreak Nation. Truth be told, I put that off to write SelfSame because I was so enamored with the concept! At this point in time I don’t have a sequel to SelfSame planned, but I can’t say I haven’t thought about it. The story wraps up rather nicely, but with a little fudging I could probably continue on with it. I’ll have to see what my fans think. ;o)

Bajan Rosa: Finally, a lot of people out there want to become authors; what would you say to them about the process?

Melissa: First off, they’ll want to develop a healthy respect for proper grammar and punctuation. Then they’ll do themselves a big favor by reading a few books on how to write. This advice might seem pretty basic, but you’d be amazed at how many beginning writers think it doesn’t apply to them. One of the hardest things to grasp is that being an author doesn’t stop with having written down some words. No matter how beautiful those words may be, you still have to convince people to actually read them! Learn how to write a great blurb and an effective query. Develop an internet presence through social networking. And most important of all, take criticism gracefully. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you can’t please everyone!


                                               Author Bio
 Melissa Conway is the author of four young adult ebooks. She is the founder of the book review site Booksquawk. Her website is here, her YouTube channel here, she blogs at Whimsilly and can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Editing is hard Blogging is easy(#2 The Perils of the Newbie Blogger)

Greetings...I'm not in a very chipper mood this morning I miss my mum who is over in England at the moment. so excuse me while I whine.

In my post The Perils of the newbie bloger I forgot to mention editing. I have issues with that. Unfortunately that is a bad thing. You see if I don't I end up looking like a giant dummy. (which for the record is not the case.)  I just have so much to do on a daily basis that editing my posts has to come after I post them and either some kind soul points the errors out to me or I notice them and correct them myself.

Ahhhh life. Anyway I am currently reading Selfsame by Melissa Conway It's going well and you can look forward to that tomorrow. Also for those who have been trying to contact me. I have put a new page up where you can do so. I don't know if it is the same for you, but sometimes the form takes a while to load so please be patient.


Other than that I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday!
Xxx Rosa

Hold your Breath

Author: Jenelle Jack Pierre
Genre: Y.A, contemporary
Age group: teen and up
Title: Before I breath

Rosa's Rating: 4/5




               




"When you're fifteen and somebody tell's you they love you you're going to believe them" (Taylor Swift)

 Before I breath by Jenelle jack Peirre is a YA novel that isn't afraid to show the world what can happen to a girl hungry for attention. Kalena Moore is fifteen she isn't a very good student, but she isn't the worst. Isaiah is a boy who she thinks isn't her type until he begins to treat her like the world and they end up doing the unthinkable. 

Little does she know  sex isn't all wine and roses, and soon she's late. Kalena must now live her life with a teenage pregnancy. A boyfriend who no longer treats her like the world and a social life that is falling appart. Will she be able to get through this? We'll just have to hold our breaths.


    I so much wanted to give this book a five rose rating, In all honesty and truth it deserves one it was moving and touching My problem with it is that it went far to fast, and ended much to quickly. I personally believe the chain of events was too in your face there but that is only my opinion.


Otherwise it was an awesome read.




As most of you know, if you've been to my about me page, you know that I live in Barbados. Well Jenelle Jack Pierre was born in Trinidad & Tobago another of our Caribbean Islands and I feel entitled to as we say " big her up"

Jenelle Jack Pierre was born in Trinidad and raised in Maryland. her parents encouraged her love of reading with lots of books

she started writing as a way to entertain myself, mostly poetry. she majored in Communication Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park and after college, she became a media researcher (radio) at a PR software company. Soon after that, she interned and studied writing at Johns Hopkins University.

Before I Breathe is her first YA novel.  she also writes contemporary short stories.

Modified from her website

If you would like to learn more about this author or purchase her book please visit the sites below:

Goodreads

Amazon

Adventure in Shadowland

Author: C.M Gray
Genre: Fantasy
Age group: teen and up
Title: Shadowland

Rosa's Rating: 3.5/5

This is a story, about a story. A fantastical retelling of a great adventure of two friends who leave home after a devastating attack. A historical tale that will draw you in and entice you to read more. If you love stories about King Arthur, Saxons Knights and everything medieval with a flare of magic, tales of druids and serious battle then this is the book for you.

 C.M Gray's Shadowland is not for everyone, it is one of those stories where you have to read a while to get the point. My honest opinion of this book, is that it was good and could be considered epic, but only for those who enjoy this type of historical storytelling or are big fans of Arthurian Legend I myself am not.
Don't get me wrong it isn't boring and neither is it "traditionally" historical. The dialogue is very modern and entertaining. Only they are a lot of long winded bouts without dialogue, that some readers may find hard to get through. Overall thought it was a well written novel.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review, if you would like a free copy of C.M. Gray's Shadowland, please visit the link below get it while it's free:

Amazon

If you would like to know more about this author please visit these sites:

Goodreads
C.M. Gray's Blog

The Perils of the Newbie Book Blogger

So as you all can tell, I'm quite new at this book bloging business. I've changed my blog so many times this week I've lost count. Today I want to know does anyone get it. It's a lot more work than I thought.

So anyway on to the next few things, I am currently reading three books, the reviews will be posted on the blog ASAP. I've gotten myself a blog button don't laugh I tried my best. Grab mine and I'll grab yours!

I've also met some fantastic new bloggers be sure to join them too!!! I'll put links there over in the sidebar along with my button soon, or at least I'll try. I'm working on "stories from the Sea" as well as reading the books I have to review so I'm very busy! I hope you are all having a fantastic day! I know I am!


-Rosa

A Great Big Yip for Jaguar Sun

Author: Martha Bourke
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Age group: Older teens, Young adults and Adults
Title: Jaguar Sun (#1 Jaguar sun)
Rosa's Rating: Fantastic 5/5



Have you ever read a book so good you actually had a physical reaction to it? Well I can say that's happen to me only a few times. Jaguar Sun was one of those few books and let me tell you when you read it you'll get chills.

Maya is a teenage girl who feel's out of place. She's Hispanic and can't speak or understand Spanish. She's convinced her Jock boyfriend loves the game more than he loves her and she's trying her best to forget the mother she no longer has, while keeping in contact with a loving Mayan Grandma, whose existence only reminds her father of the woman he lost.
If all that weren't enough, Maya is having dreams about a shadow animal that also stalks her in the day. As life continues for Maya it just gets more complicated, all of a sudden she is more important than ever to her native people. She and her friends must head off on a dangerous Adventure to complete a task that will change the world as we know it forever!

December 21st here we come!

I am a big fan of YA paranormal romance and have read several, they are so many to choose from.. This genre is a hard sea to dive into with so many books to compete with however Ms. Bourke has managed to create a debut novel with in a class of its own.

The characters, Maya, Matt, Grandma Rosa and the twins as well as all the others really made this book special to me. The romantic elements were perfect and Maya's witty dialogue throughout the book was very entertaining. There was also a lot  to be learned about the Mayan culture and the Spanish language. This is all my favorite books wrapped into one wonderful story.

If you are like me , you want to know a lot more about this book, More than I can tell you! the Author was kind enough to provide us with a short interview about her book:






                                           Author Interview

Martha Bourke

Bajan Rosa: The concept of this book is wild and wonderful. What inspired you?

 Martha: Thank you. Without a doubt, I was inspired by being an International Relations/Spanish double major in college. That led me to teaching Spanish Language and Culture for fifteen years. So, I have a genuine love for foreign cultures, people, and customs. Maybe I should have been an anthropologist! But, Spanish is the first foreign language I learned, and it’s still my favorite. I had wanted to write a YA novel with a strong Hispanic (or in this case Mayan) female protagonist for a long time. I did some deeper research on Mayan customs and never looked back. 

Bajan Rosa: Are you a fan of YA paranormal books and how does this reflect in your writing?

Martha: I am a HUGE fan of YA paranormal. I would say that it’s probably seventy-five percent of all the books I read. I think that reading the genre you write is a basic requirement for any author. it lets you see what’s out there, exposes you to other writing styles, and gives rise to new ideas. For me, it helps me with voice, keeps my imagination flowing, and lets me see what’s out there.

 Bajan Rosa:Can we expect more on this particular topic or was it a one time thing?

Martha: Jaguar Sun is the first book in the Jaguar Sun Series. At this point, I have 3-5 books 

planned.

Bajan Rosa:There was definitely a lot of research put into this book. Would you say the process was fun, or taxing and how?

Martha: Okay, you got me. I am a total research geek! I love it. Many times, I will only have an inkling of an idea in my head and it will all come together as I read on the topic. It’s fantastic. And it’s all been made easier with the Internet. Things like, “Is there a hospital in that town?” I don’t even begin to know how you could find that out without a million phone calls without having the Net. Going to where the book takes place is amazing as well. I hadn’t been to Mexico in ages, but it still helped. 

 Bajan Rosa: Lastly how soon can readers expect a new book from you?

Martha: Book 2 in the Jaguar Sun Series will be titled Jaguar Moon. It’s due out this fall.

There you have it, If you would like to learn more about This book and the author, or purchase a copy please head over to these websites.:

Amazon

Goodreads

The Official webpage of the Jaguar Sun series
Martha's Blog 

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Dreadfully Delightfull

Author: Marty Shaw
Title: Dreadful Beginnings
Genre: Y.A paranormal
Age group: 13+
Rosa's Rating : EPIC 5/5

First of all the cover is off the chain!

Favourite quotes:
 "What's that?" 
"the ultimate weapon for killing demons"
"It's a suitcase ."
"Well, yes, it is but it holds the ultimate weapon against killing demons"


I say I feel like a dog with a bone! oh my gosh!!!!!




WARNING! this book is much too short, it will rile you up and have you begging for more! The adventures of Penny Dreadful and Doctor Horror is bound to be a best selling series.


The story begins with a girl right out of school in a crappy telemarketers job. The last thing she wants is a boring desk job little does she know what awaits her. a prosperity spell gone wrong and a demon released now Penny Dire must help Doctor Horror slay it but can a girl with pink highlights really slay a demon?


It has all the elements that make a great story a great storyline, a bad-ass chick a strange, a mysterious Doctor a nifty suitcase! great writing, great pacing and wait for it...A HEARSE!

Can some one say spiffy! now I have to say this was a great book my only complaint being it was much too short. this is why I don't usually read novellas. However if I did not read this I would have missed out on a great book!


I was given an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. if you would like to read it please visit these sites:


Marty's blog
Amazon

The Annihilation of Foreverland

Author: Tony Bertauski
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Age group: 10 and up
 Rosa's Rating : 3.5



It all begins with Reed in a prison of sorts complete with an escape that's not really an escape, and a creepy mad scientist character. The Author builds from this scene, an intriguing tale of  young boys thrust into a world not there own where they are given a  dream life so they can "get better", but is unconsciousness really a good sign of "getting better"?

Chill's I say chills! I started reading this book Tuesday May the 15th. and without even skimming finished it today. According to my mobireader the book was approximately a seven hour read. Now into the thick of it. Honestly  Reed's first scene seemed a bit slow  honestly by the end of the chapter I wanted to stop.  You see Y.A Scifi isn't one of my favourite genres and I have a very short attention span when it comes to such things.

     However the story does progress and the pacing throughout is well done. Sometimes you have to watch the tortoise till the end to see the great WIN. I often read books by an Independent authors and the grammar is terrible. not the case here. It is quite obvious that the Mr. Bertauski Knows his stuff!  There were one or two typo's but that is expected when you don't have the backing of an entire Publishing house behind you. 

To sum it up It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but a very far cry from the worst. And I believe that it has earned the rating I chose for it! 

Finally, I have to say, I was very honoured to receive this work directly from the author himself, and I will definitely read more from him. This was an honest review in return for the pleasure of reading. 

If you would like to read this book, or any others by this Author please visit these click on the links below:

Amazon

Tony Bertauski's website

Free Reading for the Blind and Visually Impared

Blind Child listening to a Learning Ally 2.0 Audiobook Player 

• Sightsavers

•  Listening books

• JBI International

• British Wireless for the Blind Fund

• DAISY audio book initative

According to the World Health Organization About 285 million of the world's people are visually impaired 39 million being completely blind. I have always lived by the philosophy that every person should be able to enjoy everything this life has to offer. People who have physical disabilities and life altering impairments should not be left out. I could not  imagine what it would be like to live without my sight, so many things that I enjoy doing require me to use it especially what I love doing most of all, reading.


A few month's back I posted on the joy's of audiobooks for the busy person, and introduced readers to Amazon's Audible.com. I to have found myself listening to audiobooks from time to time. They are more expensive than normal paperbacks or ebooks, but less time consuming. What I have noticed about these new technological wonders however is that I don't need to use my eyes.


many will agree with me that being sequestered in a story gives you sight in your inner eyes. You see the landscapes created by talented Authours and beautiful voices and it is one of the most satisfying experience one can have.


Unfortunately not everyone has the money to spend on these audiobooks. People who are visually impaired often spend all the money they have on health expenses and other important amenities, while things like reading and entertainment take a back seat.


Today however, they are non-profit many organizations, that can give those who desire it with not only audiobooks, but books in Braille as well.   Today you can make a difference support these organizations listed below and gift someone with the joy of reading today!

Insurgent whoop!

As you all know I am a huge fan of Divergent by Veronica Roth. The book was something special and I have to say I did not think she could duplicate far less surpass it. However Veronica's Talent's Know no bounds the book she produced was nothing less than fantastic.

The book starts of were it's predecessor ended on the train, fleeing from the rouge Dauntless and the Erudite. The story progresses from there, ending in a fantastic finale that will surprise, delight and have you begging for more

So the question is; When's the next one coming out. According to Ms. Roth "book 3 is scheduled to be released next fall, Fall 2013." so keep that in mind all those who have read book two, you have a long wait ahead of you but I'm sure it will be worth it!