Metaphysical Gravity Book Review

Synopsis:

"Love is metaphysical gravity." R. Buckminster Fuller

A force beyond reason and the laws of nature, love draws us together in many ways. In these four short stories, four authors explore the essence of love, from practical to magical. 

"In Her Hands," by +Angela Amman , explores the moment in which a woman weighs the choice between expectations and the lasting passion she craves. 

A shy librarian offers her beautiful best friend a shot at the English teacher she secretly desires, in +Mandy Dawson  "Home." But what is beauty isn't all he needs in a lover? 

+Cameron Garriepy  eponymous "Valentine" is a young woman whose fairytale is sidetracked by tricksters loose in the streets of New Orleans. 

In "Elephants in the Atmosphere" by Kameko Murakami, a young woman in extraordinary circumstances finds love in an unexpected place and against all odds. Is a happy ending even possible?

Title: Metaphysical Gravity
Author(s): Angela Amman; Mandy Dawson; Cameron D. Garriepy; Kameko Murakami
Publisher: Bannerwing Books (February 13, 2013)
Format: eBook (57 pages)
Genre: Romance
Location Available: Amazon

Metaphysical Gravity is a collection of four short stories whose major theme is LOVE. Who doesn't like sweet stories about finding love and overcoming obstacles involving love?

When I started reading Metaphysical Gravity I said I would read one story just to start off. By the time I looked up, I realized I was finishing up the 3rd story. The stories were engrossing even though they were short. I like how it progresses from the natural to the supernatural - magic.

The stories reminded me of a collection of Chicken Soup for the Soul stories. Though fiction, the theme of love is nothing but. The stories made me smile and feel warm inside.

In Her Hands presented us with the choices we have to make when choosing love. Do we settle because we think that is what we should do? Or, do we let go and go on that journey to seek what we truly deserve? While reading this story, I was rooting for Lainey to chose for herself and not be influenced. Through her grandmother, she was shown what she meant to get in love. A very bittersweet story that will make you happy for the heroine.

I enjoyed the story Home because it shows us that to be lucky in love, we just have to be ourselves and stay true to our nature. Anyone can get the guy, even if he's a hunk.

I liked Valentine a lot. It was funny and full of mystery. If you believe in magic and love at first sight, you will enjoy this story. I do hope that this story is made into a full length novel. I could see it going in so many directions. I wanted more and that's a great thing.

Elephants in the Atmosphere was quite different than the rest. While it was a love story, it had a sci-fi element to it. I like sci-fi, some, but this was really interesting. All the while I was reading, I was wondering how the story was going to be resolved. This is another story that should be made in a novel. There was so much going on that I wanted to have the answers to it all.

Do I recommend this book? I do, I really do. If you want to smile. If you believe in magic. If you believe in the power of love overcoming anything and everything, I do. Just know that when you sit to read this book with your brew of choice, you will have finished reading before finishing your brew. It is a very quick read that will capture your attention and won't let go until you're done.

 

Shattered. Whole. Again.

Shattered. Broken. Irreparable.

Hollow. Empty. Nothing.

No stranger to pain. No stranger to being put down. No stranger to feeling nothing.

Yet never having felt anything like this.

How can that be?

How can she have this vast emptiness inside her and have a searing hot blade penetrate her heart burning away everything she’s ever known?

It happened. When she least expected it, it happened.

Against her better judgement, she allowed him in.

Against her better judgement, she shared with him.

Against her better judgement, she gave him the best she ever had.

Against her better judgement, she gave him the best she ever will be.

Like trash, he threw her away.

Like tobacco, he chewed her up and spit her away.

Like filth, he swatted her away.

Like nothing, she no longer existed.

She vowed never to love again.

Shattered. Broken. Irreparable... or so she thought.

Just as how the Pheonix rises from the ashes, so did she.

She quietly picked up her pieces. One by one, she mended them.

Day by day, she forged together.

Week by week, she grew stronger.

Month by month, she became whole again.

She smiled again. She laughed again. She loved again.

What?! How can that be?

Once thinking that love was lost to her forever, it caught her by surprise.

Love so unconditional.

Love so strong.

Love so cemented and rooted deep within her, nothing can tear it away.

Let anyone try, she won’t cave in.

Let anyone try, she won’t back down.

Let anyone try, she will fight to that person’s death.

Let anyone try, she will die for that love.

That love, oh that sweet, everlasting love saved her.

Saved her from misery.

Saved her from depression.

Saved her from herself.

How can this be? She vowed never to love again. How can it be?!

When this love came into her life. She accepted. She embraced it. She welcomed it.

She was blessed. Oh yes, she was blessed. Blessed three times over with this warm, tender love.

Love - when she first held them in her arms.

Love - when she first looked into their eyes.

Love - when she nurtured them from her bosom.

Love - when she she lets them go for the first time on their own.

Love - The love for her children. The best thing that has ever happened her.

Love for her children. The strongest there ever is. The strongest there ever will be.

Buck's Landing Book Review

Synopsis:

Sofia Buck escaped Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, ten years ago with no intentions of returning, but her father's death forces her to come back for the summer to deal with Buck's Landing, the family business he left behind. Sofia has one goal, to keep the business running until it's sold. What she doesn't count on is falling in love. 

Silas Wilde walked away from an unsatisfying legal career in Manhattan. Relying on instinct and serendipity, he finds himself running a seaside market and gift shop on Hampton Beach's Ocean Boulevard. He's content in his new life and livelihood, until a chance encounter with his new next-door neighbor awakens him to the one thing he's missing. Her. 

Threatened by Sofia and Silas's very different dreams, can their love survive the summer's end? 

Buck's Landing is +Cameron Garriepy  debut romance, and the first in the New England Seacoast Romance series. 

Title: Buck's Landing

Series: New England Seacoast Romance

Author: Cameron D. Garriepy

Publisher: Bannerwing Books (October 21, 2012)

Format: eBook (94 pages); paperback (204 pages)

Genre: Romance

Locations Available: Amazon; Barnes & Noble; iTunes; Smashwords;All Romance eBooks; Personalized Paperback

Buck's Landing was short summer romance where two individuals cross paths and begin a scorching love affair. 

Sofia is a very strong willed and independent woman. She left her only home behind and created a new life away from her hurtful past. She was forced to return and face the ghosts of her past. In dealing with those, she found love where she never thought she would, the one place where love left her a long time ago. She is definitely one feisty character. Silas is the perfect match for her as he is her cooling water, just like the ocean. 

Silas was the perfect man. He definitely was created to be the man in every woman's dream. He's had a great yet exhausting career. He makes a risky move that pays off for him in the end. Silas knows exactly what he wants and he goes after it. 

I enjoyed the story though by the end of it, I was wishing it was longer. I wanted to know more about the budding romance between Sofia and Silas. I wanted to know more about her parents. This is a story that you can read in one sitting and enjoy the love that endured between two individuals who were seeking different things in life. All in all, it was a good story. I could certainly see Cameron writing beautiful love stories about the coastal life. 

Do I recommend this book? I do, if you are looking for something quick to read that will leave you smiling in end and in love. 

First Time for Everything - Book Tour Host

For the past few weeks (it's almost a month now) I've been doing book reviews on my blog, among sharing some things. This has proven to be loads of fun for me.

During this time, though, some things have occurred. One of the major things being my return to Facebook. As I've mentioned before, I did miss the relationships I developed with strangers and renewed friendships from my past. I also missed out on the interaction with my family. The major deciding factor for my return, and I'm not going to lie, was to share my blog and the reviews I do. I'm happy to have decided this because if it weren't for my blog, I would have continued to miss out on those relationships. So, in a way, it's a win win situation. For the most part, my return was welcomed. I appreciate it and thank those who welcomed me back so warmly from the bottom of my heart.

Also, reading has always been a passion of mines but adding book reviews has given me a purpose. If that makes sense. It feels good to help new and seasoned authors promote their work. Why not? It's a great way to share good books that brings you warmth, comfort or gives you the chills.

I have been ecstatic and truly happy doing this. I feel lighter and happier. I've found something that I truly enjoy doing that is for me while helping others.

In returning to Facebook and creating a page Same DiNamics Book Review Blog, I was able to meet new folks in the writing and blogging world. What a delight.

One of these folks that I met sent me a private message and asked if I was interested in joining her Book-Tour site where they also help to promote authors and their works. I was taken aback by this. I was humbled, in fact. I felt like I was given a chance to continue doing something I love. Naturally, I said yes. I wanted to join her site.

Sylvia has been patient with me as she's answered my questions on what all this entails. She's been great.

So this will be my first time where I will be hosting, if I'm using the blog term correctly, a book for an author. I have selected to do an excerpt of the book and a review of the book. These will be shared on my blog on two separate dates, April 20th and April 21st, respectively. The book I chose to review is called Whisper by Michael Bray. The blurb alone got me excited.

I hope that you will join me on April 20th and April 21st as I share an excerpt of the book and my review. In the meantime, check out the trailer of Whisper and judge for yourself.

Whisper by Michael Bray Book Trailer 

The Sword of Sighs Book Review

Well, what can I say. What a ride! What a journey!

The next book I had the pleasure of reading was The Sword of Sighs by +Greg James.

Synopsis:
Sarah Bean lives a quiet life in Okeechobee, Florida until the day when she is transported from our world to the fantastic realm of Seythe. She meets a wayfaring wizard called Ossen who saves her from the dreaded black riders, servants of a being known only as the Fallen One. Together, they will have to undertake a treacherous journey to the far-away Fellhorn mountain where Sarah must find the one weapon that can save them from the black riders pursuing them - The Sword of Sighs. 

NB: This novel is recommended for mature young adults as it contains occasional bad language and occasional scenes of graphic nature.  

Title: The Sword of Sighs
Series: The Age of the Flame: Book One
Author: Greg James
Publisher: Manderghast Press (February 11, 2013)
Format: ePub; Mobi (172 pages); Print pending through Amazon Createspace
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Locations Available: Amazon; Kobo; Apple (pending)

Greg James has done it again. He's a phenomenal author who guarantees to take you on a journey. I've had the pleasure of reading his Vetala Cycle books under the pen name G.R. Yeates. His words create a poetic atmosphere that captures you and doesn't let go. He brings you in with such vivid imagery that as you read you see the world he creates playing in your mind like a movie.

The Sword of Sighs was such a book. From the cover of the book, to the synopsis, to the prologue, he grabbed a hold of me and didn't let go. Nice! The story had a Lord of the Rings feel to it in that the story was a grand and epic adventure. I've read stories before where there's action and adventure but none to the scale of what James created with The Sword of Sighs.

*Warning: May contain spoilers from here onward.*

The story revolves around Sarah Bean. She's just an ordinary girl who was chosen to be the savior of the world of Seythe. One minute she's hiding from her foes and the next, poof, she's gone. I was sad for Sarah and felt her loss and anguish as she was just taken from the world she knew into this foreign world that was alien to her in every sense of the word. It was good to know that she meets someone who takes her in and cares for her.

Friendship, love and bonds were formed through out Sarah's time in Seythe. She learns that she has to either place her trust in individuals or be alone and face the monsters in this world. And were they monsters!

As with any epic story that is told, treachery and betrayal is an integral part. Power play is being made as well as bold face lies. As I was reading, I was gasping in disbelief of what my eyes had just read. There were times where I just wanted to protect Sarah and times where I wanted to yell at her asking what the heck she was doing.

Towards the end of the book, I was on edge. My eyes couldn't read fast enough because I wanted to know whether or not Sarah would succeed in her quest. I wanted to know what would happen to her.

*End of spoiler warning.*

I am happy to know that this book is part of a series as I would like to know more about Sarah's life in our world. I would like to know how come she was the one chosen for this quest and why. I would like to know how her story continues in the world of Seythe.

I have to say that while this is a young adult fantasy, it certainly is different than any I've read. Some young adult fantasy I've read have the lead female character in love with her male counterpart. This is usually what defines her, not the fact that she has the potential to become something greater. This is certainly not the case with Sarah Bean. We see her grow as a person through out the story and start becoming who she was chosen to be.

Do I recommend this book? Heck yeah I do! If you want to dive into a fantastical and epic journey of good vs evil, then this book is for you.

Letting Go

In life, we all have our accomplishments and struggles. Our ups and downs. Our happy times and sad times.

We learn, in our own way, how to deal with them. I'd like to go as far as saying there's no right or wrong way in handling the surprises, good or bad, that life throws our way. However, there are things you can do to help you deal.

In life, we continue to learn as we grow. We have milestones that we reach in our lives beginning in infancy, some may even say before that.  We learn how to hold our heads up. We learn how to chew. We learn how to walk. You get the picture. However, one of the most important milestones that we reach in life is our thought process. That is an ongoing milestone that we are always improving upon (or in some cases declining upon). We always learn how to deal, how to react.

Our thought process can help to define us as individuals. How we deal and react to situations help us learn and grow, in a positive or negative manner. It is up to us to decide. I am constantly, constantly evolving on this.

Several events in my life have taught me how to react in any given situations. I'm still learning actually. I have choices to make. We all do. I try not to react to a situation without thinking it through.

I've come to realize that while I can do something about some things, I choose not to. I choose to do nothing about decisions made by others. I choose to do nothing about the reactions made by others. I choose to do nothing about any negative consequences based on my actions (unless I deliberately, willfully and maliciously hurt someone, which this is not the case). In doing nothing about it I choose to:

Let It Go

I think that this is a lesson that we all should learn or put into practice. Let it go and accept the things that we cannot change. We will be so much happier for it. I hope to impart this lesson on my children as they continue to grow and learn. 

This is where I will send all that I let go. Down a lonely road by itself. :-)

Good Guys Love Dogs Book Review

I'm loving reading books for review and have been basking in my excitement.  So far, I've hit the jackpot on reading good books that have brought me joy.

Here's the latest book I read and my review: Good Guys Love Dogs by +Inglath Cooper

Synopsis:
Desperate father Ian McKinley moves his delinquent teenage son to the small Virginia town of Keeling Creek, a place very unlike the New York City life he has been leading. Love takes him by surprise when he falls for Colby Williams, a woman unlike anyone else he has ever been drawn to, a small town vet with a heart for animals and a fierce love for a teenage daughter she is also struggling to raise. 

But Colby has a secret in her past, a secret she's not sure her daughter will ever forgive her for. And as for Ian McKinley, he seems too good to be true. If she had learned anything from the one time she had thrown her heart fully into love, it was that it didn't last. 

Title: Good Guys Love Dogs
Author: Inglath Cooper
Pulisher: Fence Free Entertainment, LLC; 1 Edition (June 9, 2012)
Format: ePub; Kindle/Mobi; 247 pages
Genre(s): Romance
Locations Available: Amazon; Barnes & Noble; iTunes

This story is about finding love when you least expect it. It was a wonderful and easy read with an uncomplicated plot. The pace was just right, not too fast and not too slow. It's a great story to read on a lazy Sunday morning or while relaxing at any time.

From the minute I read the prologue, the story grabbed my attention. I needed to know how Ian McKinley was going to fix the huge rift that was in between him and his son, Luke.

The emotions the story invoked in me were topsy turvy. I laughed and felt sad several times while reading this story. It was also exciting. At one point Colby says she felt like a teenager. I felt like that right along with her as I followed her experience.

The main characters were well developed. You were able to understand what their story was and how they came to be where they are in their lives. The story not only revolves around the lives of the adults but also that of the teenage children. You feel the anguish they experience through out the story. While reading, you can't help but root for these broken families to repair themselves. Each of the characters in the story played a vital role, even if they were mentioned once or twice. They contributed to the story whether it was just by making Ian feel welcome or psychologically pushing him to do things he never thought he would. Even the non-human characters are vital to the story. A great book for animal lovers.

The story ended exactly how I wanted to end. There was closure and it's great to read a story that has resolved the conflicts within the characters.

I do recommend this story if you want something easy to read. Something enjoyable. Something that will leave you feeling happy and in love.