Book Review: Club Prive: Book 1 by M.S. Parker

Club Prive: Book 1 (Goodreads)

 

In Club Prive: Book 1 we meet Carrie, a law intern working towards her Master's Degree. With barely enough time to work and study, Carrie has proclaimed that there is just no time in her life at the moment for dating or a relationship. Trying to alleviate her stress, Leslie with the loud snorting laughter, and Krissy, roommate to Carrie throughout their higher education, drag Carrie to the new nightclub in town, Club Prive. And here is where our hot, mysterious Gavin enters the picture. A friendly dare from her friends, and Carrie finds herself with Gavin's phone number. But remember, she has no time for a commitment.

 

Strangely enough, Gavin keeps showing up wherever Carrie is. He seems to know quite a bit about the lawyer-to-be, and yet she knows so little about him. What kind of passion will be found between a stubborn woman and a mysterious man? Sensual and electrifying are the most I will give you because I need to leave you wanting more...much like M.S. Parker has left me wanting to read the next book. This one ends in quite the cliff-hanger, so expect to be begging for more.

 

Sensual, tasteful, and enjoyably fun is what I felt reading the first of The Club Prive series. I hope to find more excitement in the following episodes. I recommend to readers of erotic romance.

 

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

~ cross-posted on Goodreads



Becoming Psychic Magazine, May 2014 - Book Review Link

Becoming Psychic Magazine - May 2014 Issue
 

I am so excited to share this link with everyone because I had the wonderful opportunity of reading and reviewing Robert Moss' book, The Boy Who Died and Came Back. Robert Moss is also the special guest interview for the May Issue.

After you have read my review, come back here and let me know what you think, and if you have any personal stories about Shamanic Journeying, Conscious Dreaming, or want to know more about them in your spiritual journey.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the May Issue of Becoming Psychic Magazine while it's free all month long. Do you have any stories of spiritual nature that you would like to tell? Let me know.

Don't forget to come back to see what's Beyond My Bookshelf. What will we find next?

My Prison Without Bars: The Journey of a Damaged Woman to Someplace Normal by Taylor Evan Fulks

My Prison Without Bars (Goodreads)

 

 





This is a story unlike any story I have read before. Taylor Evan Fulks is an amazing writer, and she has an amazing life story to tell. My Prison Without Bars is a fictional book based on true facts. It is told without filters, and written in an adult language that is very graphic. It is meant for 18+ adults to read, and states that it may trigger those who have experienced childhood sexual abuse.

I have read several books in fiction and non-fiction genres on childhood and adult sexual abuse. This is a topic that has been close to my heart since my own incidences as both a child and an adult. It was in December that I saw a post about this book needing reviewers. I approached Taylor on Goodreads to read it, and felt a connection with her right away. I knew this was a book that I needed to read, and a story that I needed to hear. I began reading it in January, after all the holidays and festivities had wound down. With the attention span of a gnat, I need to have a quiet and serene surrounding to give a book my best attention. So I began...

It didn't take long before something strange started happening. Flashes of my own abuses started creeping into my head, slowly at first and then quicker the further I read. I began to feel the things that had happened to me. I was reading Taylor's story while being physically and mentally assaulted by my own. I would get up and leave the computer for an hour or more, and then come back to it only for the visions and sensations to return. Soon it was a few days or a week before I could come back to the book. The more I read, the stronger my reactions, and the harder I fought to finish this book. It seems strange for me to say this, but finishing Taylor's story would be a huge accomplishment towards my own inner healing. I had to feel what Taylor did in order to come to terms with my own cement walls I had built around my ability to feel and heal. So I created a mantra that got me through to the end of the book: "This is not my story, and I can get through it." I read like this for a few hours a day for the next week, quivering at the sensations and trying to block out my own images. With gritted teeth and squinted eyes I finally came to the end of this heroic book.

Taylor chose to write her book so that the reader would feel as she did. I commend her for writing this book in her own way, and not giving in to how other's felt she should write it. This story is her own personal journey through the physical act of being abused, the mental jail of loneliness, mockery, and powerlessness, and the internal void of being left to die inside from emotional abandonment by those a child should trust most in this world. It takes a strong person to come back from abuse, and an even stronger person to relive it.

I live each day of my life knowing that what we survive in life makes us wiser and more resilient human beings, and mentors to those we meet in our travels. I have learned a lot by reading Taylor's book. Not only does she have a gift for words, but she has a gift for each person she tells her story to. I am stronger for having read My Prison Without Bars, and I am honoured to have a connection with a woman making a difference in this world. Thank you for telling your story, Taylor.


~ cross-posted on Goodreads



Becoming Psychic Magazine One Year Anniversary!

Becoming Psychic Magazine

 

Sending a very Happy First Birthday to Becoming Psychic Magazine. I'm so happy to be a part of the magazine family, and I can't wait to see all the great things to come in the second year.

 

 

Don't forget to check out my latest book review for the April issue! And remember that the latest issue is free to enjoy for the whole month.

 

I'll be back to regular reading, reviewing, and blogging for all my readers soon. Watch for what is just Beyond My Bookshelf! 

Becoming Psychic Magazine, April 2014 - Book Review Link

Becoming Psychic Magazine - April 2014 Issue

Well, after a month of horrible winter weather and a household of illness, I am happy to "Spring" forth with the new Becoming Psychic Magazine's book review. The magazine has become so much easier to read this month, with new links to the pages you want to check out. I'm linking directly to my book review so tell me what you think. Also feel free to check out the rest of the magazine because there are some great articles by some great experts in their fields.

Come on...aren't you curious what book I reviewed? Well, click on it. Go ahead. Okay, a hint first. I read and reviewed The Magnificent Truths of Our Existence by Daniel F. Parmeggiani. Read my review and tell me what you think. I know you're curious. See you soon!

Don't forget to let Daniel know what you thought on Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, keep looking Beyond My Bookshelf! You never know what you might find.

Becoming Psychic Magazine, March 2014 - Book Review Link

Becoming Psychic Magazine, March 2014 Issue



I am so excited to announce that I am the new book reviewer for Becoming Psychic Magazine. The March issue is now live, so please enjoy the whole magazine for free this month.

 

Just go to the March Edition, and click on the cover to read it now. And enjoy!

 

And to get you extra excited to read it, my Book Review is on pages 74 & 75. The book I reviewed is How To Read an Egg: Divination for the Easily Bored by Colette Brown. Just click on the link to find out what my thoughts are of the book. You know you are curious about a title like that. Am I right? I'd love to know your thoughts on it. And don't forget to enjoy the rest of the magazine. Beautiful pictures and great topics fill the March issue.

 

Happy Reading!

Book Review: October Baby by Eric Wilson



October Baby - Goodreads

 

October Baby is a story of feeling lost or something big is missing from your life. As well, it is about finding that something amongst what you had all along. Eric Wilson creates characters that we can laugh with, cry with, and learn to see through new eyes with. He has created a heart-felt story out of a difficult topic, and he has done it very well.

 

Hannah Lawson is a university student who has grown up with many medical issues. From frail bones and hip surgeries to severe asthma, Hannah's body has been through a lot. After passing out during a play, Hannah finds out that her parents had adopted her as an infant. But even more surprising is the fact that she was born after a failed abortion. To find out that her birth mother didn't want to keep her was one thing, but she wasn't even supposed to be alive. What would someone do in this position? How do you react?

 

After some inventive ideas from a creative character named Truman, Hannah's best friend Jason comes up with the final persuasion to get her to come along on a Spring Break trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Jason points out that Mobile, Alabama, Hannah's birth place, is on the travel route. This may be a way to get answers for her questions about her birth mother.

 

This journey is one of Hannah finding out important information, but also the other characters along for the ride. What each one discovers about themselves helps towards the final scenes for Hannah. This is an important self discovery for Hannah, and the story itself has some wonderful messages on trust, love, and forgiveness.

 

I enjoyed October Baby very much. I think it is a great read that brings a softer light to a heavy topic. It is subtle in its Christian perspective and would be great for the non-Christian reader. I also look forward to viewing the movie that this book is based on to get a visual perspective of the story.