Great deal! 😉
Day: November 19, 2017
#Review “Blood Awakening (The Immortal Sleepers)” by Miranda Nichols
4/5 Stars
Tyrian Blackwood is a member of the Hunter Administration, a thirteen-member council charged with keeping the realm of humans safe from the inhabitants of the other twelve realms of vampires, necromancers, sirens, shifters etc. Tyrian is a Vampire Hunter.
On the way to a council meeting, Tyrian meets bookstore employee, Kaelyn Hamblin. Their conversation is brief but meaningful and they will meet again.
Because they are fated mates.
Of course, nothing is ever easy, and before Tyrian can explain his life, their connection, and the fact he’s seven-hundred and twenty-two years old to Kaelyn, Tyrian’s eighteen-year-old charge (or Page), Caleb, is kidnapped and taken into the vampire realm.
Entering their own realm is a death sentence for a Hunter… unless they have the blood bond of their Medium (mate).
Here is where Kaelyn’s ‘awakening’ begins. It’s already known she lost her mother in a fire, never knew her father and grew up in foster care… now she’ll learn the rest of the story as Tyrian hurries to rescue Caleb.
I liked Kaelyn Hamblin. She’s pragmatic, not teary or wimpy. She’s taken the hand life dealt her and not done too badly for herself.
Tyrian Blackwood is also likable. His own backstory is as heartbreaking as Kaelyn’s and Caleb’s and helps you to understand him and his choices. Even the bad ones.
Orphan Caleb is the perfect sullen, snarky teenager, desperate for his guardian’s approval.
Ember (Kaelyn’s best friend), Lilith—a Witch Hunter (the only female Hunter), and Starla—a Druid (the HEAD of the council and its most powerful member) are strong female characters whose scenes of vulnerability enhance their characters, not portray them as weak. Big kudos to the author for these admirable characters.
Villain Cynric… is just nuts. But while he does some despicable things, I saw him more as an out of control loony pawn than evil. Think this could change though. The foreshadowing is epic.
The world building is effective. Realms, their inhabitants, Hunters, and the rules are revealed as the story progresses in good detail without any info dumping.
Where I stumble with this read is Tyrian and Kaelyn… together. They’re good together—say the right things, do the right things—but, personally, I never felt a chemistry. That smoldering, forever-and-a day type of love wasn’t there for me.
Also, the story is paced very well… except when Tyrian and Kaelyn are together.
Granted, when your H/h are together, it’s usually the part of the story you want to savor and relish. However, for me, the descriptive prose was exhausting.
Readers want to be in the scene; we want to be shown and not told, but how many descriptions for eyes are needed in the same scene? In the same book? Great scenes were ruined for me because of the endless prose describing the scene.
I love the details. They almost always enhance any story. But, I had to take breaks from this read because I was yanked from the scene too often by too many details.
It IS a good story. Traveling to other realms, battling in other realms… was all spot on. The unlikely bonds forged have meaning and show a depth of character. But, for me, the romance feels forced and just isn’t compelling.
There aren’t many resolutions before story’s end, but I wouldn’t call it a true cliffhanger. Lines are drawn in the sand, warnings are given… the battle is coming, and YES, I do plan to read book two, Awakened in Flame. A teaser in included at the end and it’s just enough to make you wonder!
I’m sure Fantasy, Dark Magic, and Paranormal Romance fans will enjoy Blood Awakening.
Special Note: Blood Awakening: The Immortal Sleepers is currently only available from the publisher linked below, and is not on Goodreads.
Title: Blood Awakening (The Immortal Sleepers)
Author: Miranda Nichols
Genre: Paranormal / Fantasy Romance
A war has been brewing in the shadows.
Kaelyn Hamblin never felt particularly extraordinary, growing up in a strong Irish household in the heart of Boston for most of her young life. Her humdrum routine remained markedly unchanged for longer than she cared to remember; until that day. The day when a beautiful stranger drifted into her hole-in-the-wall bookshop and changed her life forever.
Tyrian knew from the moment he locked eyes on her that she was the one. His one. The singular being within all of time and space that was made for him and him alone. His world was not one of niceties and pretty things; bringing her into it would be dangerous. But he would protect her. He had to. After all, it was foretold.
Worlds collide, marking the beginning of the end to an age long battle warring between the forces of darkness and light in the universe. The fate of all rests on the shoulders of a lone druid and her band of human hunters to quell the rising tide of evil threatening to overtake everything and plunge the connected realms into eternal darkness.
~~~
Author Bio
Miranda Nichols is an up and coming author of the paranormal romance genre. She’s a full-time student working towards her degree in creative writing. When she isn’t studying or helping the alternative fuel industry, you can find her on https://www.fictionpress.com/ or curled up with a steamy romance novel. She’s a loyal friend who’s not afraid to tell it like it is. Like the smell of fresh popcorn, her fantasy romances tempt you and keep you coming back for more.
Links
https://www.mirandanicholsauthor.com/
https://www.facebook.com/author.mirandanichols/
https://twitter.com/mnichols_author
https://www.metamorphosisliteraryagency.com/
Fibromyalgia and Dental Care
Few people enjoy going to the dentist, but for someone with fibromyalgia, it can be an extremely frightening and painful experience. The pain increase caused by a dental visit can be enough to send someone with FMS into an anxiety attack long before the visit day even arrives.
Fears of the emotional and physical distress of a dentist appointment are very real if you have fibromyalgia, but the last thing you want to do is skip going to care for your oral health altogether.
Bringing extra anxiety
Going to the dentist is worse for fibromyalgia patient because it is stressful thinking about the pain and flare that a dentist visit can possibly cause, setting you on a downward spiral for weeks.
While fibromyalgia pain is widespread, it is often most prevalent in the head and neck, which sets up the fear of dental problems, and the fear is not unfounded. Those with FMS may be more susceptible to these issues – especially if they continually put off going to see the dentist and need to spend more time getting worked on.
Other fears which fuel anxiety over dentists if you have fibromyalgia is that an infection may come and cause a flare of the syndrome, debilitating your body for long periods; the after visit pain will be unbearable; or, the dentist will be unable to numb you enough, since those with FMS usually require more shots to be numbed.
Sensitivity to touch
The fear of going to the dentist with fibromyalgia is mostly founded in the sensitivity to being touched. Simple touching can cause pain in overly sensitive fibromyalgia nerves. This symptom may cause a lack routine dental hygiene, such as flossing and brushing, to be avoided because of the pain it causes. This would make those with FMS more in need of regular dental visits than most.
To ease the pain before going to the dentist, prepare for this in advance with anti-inflammatories, just check with the dentist about which ones to use. Some medications, such as aspirin, can cause increased bleeding– something you definitely do not want when you are having dental work.
No tolerance to pain
It is a bit of a catch-22 for fibromyalgia patients since going to the dentist can cause pain, but not going regularly can cause more pain since you’ll have to sit in the chair longer and have more work done on your teeth. Also, it is important to make sure the pain in your jaw that you’ve been considering part of fibromyalgia syndrome for the last few months is not really a dental problem.
With FMS, you can sometimes start believing all the pain you have is from the disease and not consider other causes, such as a tooth abscess which is badly infected. Only regular dental visits can identify problems like this.
The numbing shots alone can cause a trip to the dentist to be worse for those with fibromyalgia, especially when you need more than the norm, but you can ask for desensitizing gel to help a bit with the pain. I don’t be afraid to speak up if you aren’t as numb as you should be. A dentist has no what of knowing that unless you tell him. The last thing a dentist wants is to cause unnecessary pain.
Don’t give up the Dentist
It is important if you have fibromyalgia to not give up on going to the dentist for regular visits. Ask your friends about their dentists. Find a dentist who is not only knowledgeable on fibromyalgia and its impact on the widespread pain. You also want to make sure he is sensitive to your specific needs, whether it’s severe anxiety, TMJ, more than average numbing, or low tolerance to pain – all part of fibromyalgia.
As soon as you schedule your dentist appointment, ask about medications you can take in advance to ease your anxiety and pain. You also want to discuss and what you will be given during and after the procedure to handle your unique pain.
Dentists sensitive to the fact that a visit is worse for fibromyalgia patients can use relaxation techniques in their offices, such as more comfortable chairs and soothing music. You might also want to consider complete sedation or at least a medication which will alter consciousness so you don’t feel much while you are there. It is possible to make a trip to the dentist easier – even if you have fibromyalgia.
The preceding article is from FibromyalgiaTreating.com and posted here for sharing purposes only. For additional information, please visit their website or consult your doctor or dentist.
“The Awakening, Part Two (Book One of the Lycan War Saga)” by Michael Timmins #BookTour
Title: The Awakening: Part Two
Author: Michael Timmins
Genre: Fantasy
The world is awakening.
The monsters of myths and fairytales walk among us.
While Clint, Shae, Kat and Blain awaken to their powers, the others have too. Realizing that they are not like everyone else and that they aren’t alone.
Samuel, who was once known as Syndor, has managed to survive all these years preparing for Kestrel’s spell and her arrival.
Five of the original eight bloodlines have awoken, but what of the others? How will their awakening happen?
Sylvanis continues to grow at a rapid rate, much to the bafflement of her parents, but her body recognizes the need and responds. Now, she must make a desperate gamble to call out to her Lycans, knowing Kestrel will be able to find her if she does.
Blood has been spilled already, but the war has only just begun!
The Awakening, Part One (Book One of the Lycan War Saga)
~ Author Bio ~
Michael Timmins lives in Toledo, Ohio with his wife and two sons. His inspiration for writing came from his many years making modules to run for his D&D group. It has been a dream of his to one day get his work published, and now with the ease of self-publishing, he has made his dream come true.
Links
Facebook page – Lycan War Sage
Giveaway
Enter for a chance to win a free eBook of The Awakening: Part One, a signed copy of The Awakening: Part One, or the grand prize: a signed copy of The Awakening: Part One and The Awakening: Part Two
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