Stacey Wallace BenefielRecensioni

{my thoughts} - Accepting those around you and yourself. This book hit home in so many places. It’s about standing up for what you believe in and for others around you. It’s about showing others that you can make a difference. This book is incredibly well written. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me reflect on my own life. It’s a must read book for anyone struggling to understand that it is okay to be different.

{reason for reading} - I was given a copy of this ebook by a fellow blogger in return for an honest review.

{my thoughts} - Accepting those around you and yourself. This book hit home in so many places. It’s about standing up for what you believe in and for others around you. It’s about showing others that you can make a difference. This book is incredibly well written. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me reflect on my own life. It’s a must read book for anyone struggling to understand that it is okay to be different.

{reason for reading} - I was given a copy of this ebook by a fellow blogger in return for an honest review.

With this one I am glad that I let the cover pull me in, as normally I wouldn't have been one to pick it up.
Now, don't get me wrong, I find absolutely nothing wrong with the subject matter, it just isn't something I would normally read.
That being said, I FREAKING LOVED this book, not so much the heroine! She seemed whiny and most of the time her attitude towards herself got on my nerves.

I didn't realize this was the first book in an offshoot from another series, but I didn't feel like this kept me from being able to understand and follow the story. I enjoyed it enough that I'm going to go back and read the original series, though. The characters were likeable, especially the teens, and the storyline was interesting, starting with the whole rewinding time power!

All in all, this was an interesting and well written book, and I look forward to continuing with the series.

5/5 stars.

Death by Chocolate
Story I from the Divine Collection by Author Suz Korb, Volume 1
By: Suz Korb
Narrated by: Kate Tyler
This is an audible short story I requested and the review is voluntary.
I really liked this different supernatural short. It is otherworldly, mysterious, and different and I like different. I like something fresh in the fantasy world. It is an exciting, sometimes heart pounding thriller, and other times, just curious, but never dull story that would be great if it was expanded into a full story.
The narrator was good but I think I would have chosen someone else. She would be ok for another story.

This is the second book in the Zellie Wells trilogy. I really liked the story.

I didn't like this one nearly as much as I liked the first two. I thought it was choppy and I had a hard time following what the overall plan was.

I liked this book. I had a hard time understanding why some of the character's did what they, particularly Zellie's mom and grandma.

Glimpse was a unique take on the idea of premonitions and psychic powers, set in the small town South. Religion plays a heavier aspect in this novel as well, which was refreshing. So it wasn't all doom and gloom and being a Southern Baptist gal myself I laughed aloud several times because I can relate. I loved Avery and Zellie's relationship at first, but lost interest during the climax. What a jerk! Still, I give props to Benefiel for her unique twist on this genre.
If you're looking for an fun read this is the book for you!

Loved these books Hardcore. I loved how the characters reappeared in different stories in different ways. These Shorts were sexy and touching and, at times, funny.
Totally worth every second.

Excellent, fast-paced book. It was over before I knew it! I can't wait to read the next one. I highly recommend it.

Interesting and exciting despite some bumps (note, having typo in the first sentence is off-putting). I liked the characters, I loved visiting Portland, and the plot was strong enough to keep me interested when the pacing slowed.½

Read the full review at Witchmag's Boekenplank

The first part of this book rocked. I had to hold my stomach several times, that’s how hard I was laughing. And that’s not something that happens often. I’m more of a quiet giggler ;) What came after that first part was still fun, with some nice quotes here and there, but the story was less credible and captivating. Sometimes it felt like sentences were missing, or that the author forgot to tell us some very important information. There’s just too much happening and it’s being told in a short amount of pages. I’d preferred it if the pace was more relaxing, with more pages for explanations and room to breathe or to progress everything that just happened.

The romance blossoming between Avery and Zellie happens at the same neck-braking speed. It’s like the seed blossomed in one day! I know there’s an attraction between them and that they’ve checked each other out for a while. But they’re sixteen years old! Even when they have lots of hormones going through their body, I still find it hard to believe that you would take of your shirt the second time you meet! They both didn’t feel like 16 your old teenagers. At times they behaved older or they acted like little children. But never your average sweet 16. It was kinda confusing.

And now the Romeo and Julia concept. Although this isn’t the same story and they don’t die (at least not yet ;) ), I got the same feeling of star-crossed lovers. And I didn’t like it one bit that their parents tried to keep them apart. I mean, the vision is obviously something that happens way in the future. This means there’s plenty of time to think of something to prevent it from happening. And even if it did happen, they are soul mates, meant to be. So they would have at least some time together they can spend in absolute bliss. Beautiful memories that Zellie can treasure for the rest of her life. What would you choose? Limited time with the love of your life (and a baby)? Or living separately, not able to love each other, in fear that one of you would die? I know what my choice would be!

What I liked most in this story (except from the beginning ;) ) was the concept of the visions and the powers everyone has. It was well thought off. Almost every question that I had, got answered. And the ones that didn’t, well let’s say they motivate me to read the next book so much more! Cause the ending didn’t help much in creating some anxiety for the next book. It was a Disney ending: too sweet and perfect…

Conclusion

3 HEARTS. The story started very, very good. However the rest of the story was a bit pale in comparison. A lot of things happened in just a couple of pages. I got the feeling that it was a bit rushed and sentences were skipped. I didn’t like the Romeo and Julia, star-crossed lovers very much, but that’s just my opinion. On the other side, the concept of the paranormal powers was well thought of and on the whole: this story was a nice read.

This was a fun read and this book includes 6 great short stories. I have written my review around the story Bloody Valentine, by Lucy Swing.

BLOODY VALENTINE by Lucy Swing.

Lucy Swing has written a short story in this anthology called Bloody Valentine. Her writing is excellent the story flowed so well that before I knew it I was on the last page. I was a little disappointed at the end but it was only because I wanted more.

This short story is about a young woman name b that has been having horrible nightmares. She is not sure what is going on but her dreams are so vivid it’s like she is seeing things that haven’t happened yet. When girls start to go missing and she knows something is wrong, she recalls her dreams and just knows there is a connection. When her best friends goes missing b heads out to search for her taking clues from her dreams. B doesn’t realize she is walking straight into a trap; she soon finds out that she trusted the wrong person and the one person who she was afraid of was the one who wanted to protect her all along.

This is a great short story, and Lucy Swing’s story telling is excellent. I definitely will go check out her other books.

go to my blog to see more information on Death by Chocolate

http://tana-someofmyfavoritebooks.blogspot.com/2012/02/death-by-chocolate-book-t...

Overall an excellent start to a series. Benefiel nailed the teen tone and made me feel like I was back in high school--except, you know, with psychic powers. The POV transitions were a bit jarring as there wasn't any indication of the shift, but this might have been some kind of issue with the Smashwords meatgrinder eating away the formatting. Zellie is a totally relatable heroine, and I absolutely look forward to seeing more of her in Glimmer.

I really enjoyed the world Benefiel set up in this short novella. The heroine was relatable, the hero yummy, and the potential for future installments great. Looking forward to Rebellion!

I felt like this was a step up on the action front in this series. It did not end where I would have ended it, but hey, author's choice. I really enjoyed Cara and Abel, and I felt like this was a really good continuation of Day of Sacrifice. Really looking forward to the third installment.

Six delish YA supernatural romance short stories with a cocoa twist.

AVAILABLE 2/14/2012!

Death by Chocolate is the paranormal young adult romance anthology. Six authors, Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Cheryl J. Carvajal, Nikki Jefford, Lucy Swing, Kira Saito and Suz Korb, bring you supernatural adventure stories, each with a cocoa twist. The stories are: Back in Time by Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Sweet Witchery by Cheryl J. Carvajal, Spellbound by Nikki Jefford, Bloody Valentine by Lucy Swing, Sweet Torture by Kira Saito and The Girl with Three Heads by Suz Korb. Time travel, witchcraft, terror, agony and light hearted comedy too. Combined with more than just a hint of enchantment, these stories are the ingredients for the Death by Chocolate recipe of romance.

MY REVIEW
This is an excellent collection of short stories that all contain chocolate in some way and of course as its available on the 14th Februaury they all contain a reference to Valentines Day too! I have decided the best way to "review" this book is to review each individual short story. So here goes;
Back In Time by Stacey Wallace Benfield
In this short story a woman is returning to her home town wishing she had done things differently all those years ago. She meet a mysterious old tramp who gives her an old broken mobile phone to hold so people don't think she is mad when she talks to herself!
Then Wham she suddenly has a chance to change history and in doing so alter the future. Can she do it? Can she change just enough to gain the correct outcome? Does she even want to change things?.............
I really enjoyed this one and would say it was one of the best, if not the best in the anthology, so a great one to start it off. It is well written, it had the whole beginning, middle and definite end. Just the thing to read with a cup of cocoa or a glass of wine! I will definitely look for more books by this author.
Sweet Witchery by Cheryl J Carvajal
A mysterious witch turn up and opens a chocolate shop, her name is Ramnusia. People are slow to use the shop as they do not take so well to strangers.
One elderly blind old man who you could say is a tramp, is given some chocolates by Ramnusca and days later his sight begins to come back. Others hear of the "magic chocolates" and they too sample the chocolates and have their own miracles.
A father is anxious to find a husband for his only daughter decides to literally sell her to a wealthy landowner. The landowner is a mean and greedy man so naturally the girl has no wish to marry him in fact she has her sights set on a much younger though less well off man. When the landowner realises the girl does not wish to marry him he has the idea to eat the "magic chocolates" as everyone that eats them in his thinking gets exactly what they want. However things do not work out like that, ..... read to find out the true gift of what the chocolates do for people.
Again I loved this story, especially the lovely little twist and the happy endings the people that eat the magic chocolates end up having. This book has mystery, love, greed and betrayal. A real feel good book, would add this author to my "keep an eye out for" list.
Spellbound by Nikki Jefford
In short story three we have a tale of jealousy really. It features the witch twins Graylee & Charlene.
Its a tale of one witch twin, Charlene, wanting revenge on a girl that steals her boyfriend. She decides to bake some chocolates and puts in some mystery ingredients, unfortunately her unsuspecting twin, Graylee sample one of the chocolates ad ends up being the one that dies!
The twins mother is naturally devastated but really makes matters even worse by consulting a dark magic specialist. its a case of be careful what you ask for!
This one is quite funny and a little sinister I suppose. It shows what jealousy can cause. For twins these girls are not very ...er close, it seems like Charlene doesn't care who gets hurt as long as she gets her way. Again if I saw a book by this author I would certainly pick it up and check it out. This one could be aimed at the YA market too.
Bloody Valentine by Lucy Swing
The fourth in the anthology starts with us being in someone dream, or should we say nightmare!
Its a recurring dream she keeps having. What makes it more sinister is the girls she sees tied up in her dream/vision/nightmare are the girls that are mysteriously disappearing...Of course theres a a few guys thrown into the mix there's the rather overly confident one and the dark brooding one called Jude in this case who the girl secretly loves.....
Hmm, I did like this one just perhaps not as much as some of the other short stories, I think we needed longer to get attached the characters and to know more in the story and witness the other girls going missing, this one could have been fleshed out a lot more and I think been made into a full length novel...I felt like I wanted more from it.
Sweet Obsession by Kira Saito
This short story has the bitchy rich good looking size zero girl and the "sheep" that follow her. In this case the bitchy girl is called Beatrice. She leads the guys on and literally gives them tasks to complete before she will actually allow them to date her.
The gorgeous guy she wants to play with this time is called Dante. And the poor girl that gets caught in the middle is Claudia. Claudia and Dante end up accidentally bumping into each other in a coffee shop, they find they really like each other and hang out together, there relationship getting stronger.....or is it? Is Dante falling for Claudia? Or is Dante merely carrying out a task to gain a date with Beatrice? And where does a voodoo doll fit into this short tale?
This one was a light, funny, chick lit type tale. It makes you smile on more than one occasion, though you will shake your head and roll your eyes too! its well written and flows well as a short tale. Once again I think this would appeal to the YA market.
The Girl With Three Heads by Suz Korb
This is last in the anthology. One morning a girl wakes up after what she describes as a powerful dream,and she looks in the mirror and AARRRRGGHH! she sees she has three heads!!! The heads are Hera and Zeus. the girl goes about her daily life and no one looks at her twice so she presume she was imagining the heads. Only one person gives her a strange look and that is Jason, whom she thinks of as a bit of a hunk.
This is an Olympian Fantasy, as it features Hera, Zeus, Persephone and Hades. it is very "otherworld" This is a short story that could also have been made into a much longer tale too. Personally I have to say I wasn't as keen on this one, I felt things needed explaining more. it kind of started and was over before I knew what was going on. Perhaps as a spin off from a series it may work for some, but I don't know I just kind of thought "Oh" it didn't impress me as much as the other short stories in the anthology.

So did I like the anthology? Yes, would I recommend it? Yes to YA and adults too! Would I read more books/stories by these Authors? Yes I would certainly check out other titles by all the authors in this book. Which was my favourite short story in the Anthology? Hmm tricky...I need to pick two.....Back In Time by Stacey Wallace Benfield and Sweet Witchery by Cheryl J Carvajal.
Had I heard of the Author in this anthology before? Only Kira Saito though I hadn't read her books before.
This Anthology is released on 14th February 2012.

So, have I mentioned lately how much I heart Zellie and Avery? I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Glimpse, and was eager to revisit this world. I was not disappointed. All the elements I enjoyed in the first book were also in this book: great teenage dialogue, Zellie and Avery, an engaging story, twists and turns, Zellie and Avery, a smooth writing style, Zellie and Avery...ya get the picture ;) There are also a couple of other characters who have bigger roles in this book -- Ben and Christopher. We first met Ben at the end of Glimpse and his character continues in this book in a more significant role that also creates some romantic conflict. Christopher also adds some conflict to the story as the "bad guy" or at least one of them. He may seem like a new character at first, but he is actually one you have seen before in Glimpse.

The story opens a short time after Glimpse ends. Ben comes back into the story and we learn more about his abilities and his past. Zellie and Avery's relationship is tested when the parental units band together to keep them apart to protect Avery from the death seen in Zellie's vision. They will have to stay apart unless they can find a way to prevent the vision from coming true. Christopher is plotting his revenge on The Society, and an attack by a greater evil must be thwarted or they are all doomed.

Like Glimpse, the story had plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing which way it would go. There were multiple POVs, but it seemed to be mostly Zellie and didn't switch as frequently, so it was a little easier to keep track of who was talking. It was a smooth read that I didn't want to put down. I was drawn through the story and eager to see what would happen next.

The few nitpicks I had include one of the characters doing a complete flip-flop on his focus that did throw me off a little. He spends a good portion of the book focused on a goal that he had been working toward for a long time, and then he suddenly does a complete turnabout without seemingly much more than a shrug of the shoulders. (That’s a little cryptic but I don’t want to give away any spoilers!) The transition just seemed too easy.

Just a heads up...this book has more sexual content than the first book. Some readers may feel it is inappropriate for a YA book and others will not see a problem with it. You will have to judge for yourself, but I would probably recommend it to the older end of the teen audience or adults.

Stacey spins a great story that keeps me engaged and turning the page. I love the characters and Glimmer is a great addition to the series. Though the ending doesn't have a huge cliffhanger, it does leave some open story threads to be explored and also a few questions in this reader's head. I look forward to the next book, Glow, and another dose of Zellie, Avery, and the rest of the gang.

Rating = 4 (I Really Liked It)

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I am very happy I came across this novella, it was absolutely enthralling. It had been hooked from the first page. The action, story, characters all very entertaining. As I was reading through this I saw great potential in this story line and how it could become a fantastic series and built upon. I found that I really wanted to get inside some of the other characters heads besides the main one, Flora. I wanted to be at that meeting when the father found out something had gone wrong, what he was thinking about his daughter. I wanted to be inside Fauna's head as she watched Flora get shot. And most importantly the blow by blow of what Aiden and Julian were experiencing as well. There are some pretty steamy sex scenes and some swearing, but they were some heart pounding well written scenes at that!
I hope that in the next stories I get to see more of the world, maybe meet some other witches, vampires, guardians etc. Completely awesome and has tremendous potential for full length novel/series.

The second book in the DoS series opens just before the ending of the first book, Day of Sacrifice: The Prophecy. When the first book ended with a cliffhanger, I had questions that needed answers. Where the heck did they all come from? How did they know to do that? Where did they go? And also, what happens to Julian? Well, the book continues with the storyline so we do get to see what happens immediately after the cliffhanger ending in the first book and questions get answered. This installment revolves around Cara (mother of Aiden) and Abel, another Guardian. Flora and Julian from the first book still play a part in this book so I did get a sense of their continuing story, but I was hoping their relationship would get more attention.

The rebellion against the Gods continues. A small group of Guardians and Sacrifices have banded together to fight the Gods, fulfill the prophecy, and stop the Sacrifices. They have regrouped at Julian's homestead in the Outer Territory. Abel has been assigned to protect Cara whose son was recently sacrificed to the Gods. She is a strong witch who can control the air and also a healer. I didn’t really get a feel for Abel’s back story. I wanted to know more about him.

Their feelings for each other grow as the story progresses, but I don't feel there was any resolution to that relationship by the end of the book so I will be interested to see if it will continue in some way as a part of the future stories. This world is not just made up of witches and angels -- there is also a vampire and a werewolf in this one but the vampire is the more prominent secondary character. I wonder if we will see him in the future as there seemed to be a hint of a relationship.

The books so far are short at around 16K words, which is novelette size (somewhere between a short story and a novella), so there isn't a lot of room to really delve into the characters and flesh them out. I would have liked more character development, but at the same time I didn't really feel cheated. The author does a good job of presenting characters the reader can care about given the short amount of space to work within each book.

If you have seen my other reviews for Stacey's books then you know I already enjoy her writing style. It is tight and engaging without a lot of superfluous scenes that don't add anything to the story. There was one brief scene though that seemed to defy the laws of gravity. I read this scene several times and it still doesn't make sense to me. This is the scene where Abel scoops Cara up in his “arms" then a moments later (while still holding her) he moves Cara's hand from his chest to around his neck. Um, did he grow a third arm? If he let go of Cara to do this, wouldn't her legs drop to the floor? I haz confusion...or I’m missing something.

The books in this series are short but I think of them more like a TV series where the story continues with each episode and you have to stay tuned to the same bat-time and same bat-channel to find out what happens next. Speaking of which, the next book in this series is titled Dormant: Forever United and is expected to be out sometime around March or April 2011.

If you liked the first book in this series then I think you will enjoy this book. Due to the continuing nature of the story in this series and because the short length doesn’t allow for much of any back story, I recommend reading them in order or you will probably be at a loss as to what is going on.

After finishing this book I had some "kurious kitteh kwestions" for Stacey about this series that can be found on the blog at the link below.

http://indieparanormalbooksreviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-and-q-rebellion-o...

If you are looking for that Young Adult novel that shows teens the way they really are, then adds that twist that reels you in, then you have to read Glimpse. I am sorry that prior commitments kept me from reading it when I first got it. When Zellie finally hooks up with the boy she's always had a crush on and finds out it is reciprocated I was floored. It was that way with my first boyfriend. I finally got the courage to speak to him and found out he'd been talking to my father about asking me out. Our fathers were in a quartet together. Unlike Zellie I didn't have the ability to foresee the boyfriends death. Zellie and Avery's parents are doing everything they can to keep them apart. When her secret comes out she has to try to figure out how to hold on to what she has. Is this a gift? or a curse?
This was not an over the top paranormal book which is why it was such a wonderful book. It was very believable. Now I need to read the sequel Glimmer and I won't wait so long this time.

At 15,000 words this book is either a long short story or a short novella, depending on your perspective. Stacey's new series shows her versatility while retaining that wonderful writing style that I enjoyed so much in Glimpse, her YA series. This series is definitely for an older audience but every much as enjoyable.

The opening scene grabbed me right away and that is just the way I like it! Flora has a lot of spunk and a smart mouth, again...just the way I like it. The romance between Flora and Julian moved fast, maybe a little too fast, but hey, Flora only had three days to live, ya know...in theory. Their relationship and the secrets that are revealed set into motion actions that will upset the Gods' apple cart, and the Gods are not going to be happy campers about it!

The ending was action packed, but beware if you don't like cliffhangers! I guessed the "big picture" of what would happen but when it got down to the details I was surprised. I'm eager to see where this story will go in the next installment as there were some questions about the ending that I'm hoping will be answered in the next book, Rebellion: The Outer Territory, due to be released January 2011.

Rating: 5 - I Love It!

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Rating: 5 - I Loved It!

When I started to read this book I wasn’t sure what to expect. What started out as an unassuming, though enjoyable, YA romance with a light clairvoyant theme suddenly took me by surprise (and kept doing so throughout the book) and ended up being quite an engaging read.

The point-of-view switches back and forth between Zellie (first person) and Avery (third person). Though I really liked seeing both perspectives, at times it was a little confusing since the switch often happens from one paragraph to another. With that said, I got used to it and it didn’t deter from my enjoyment of the story. The author’s “teenage” voice was fantastic and it was so easy to fall into this story.

Glimpse starts with Zellie totally crushing on Avery, not realizing that Avery feels the same way about her. When they are finally coerced by their friends to step it up, the story really starts to get interesting. I lurved this scene and was absolutely hooked at this point:

We loitered in awkward silence for what seemed like forever. I finally turned towards him to espouse some more of my wisdom, when a strong gust of wind blew past us, unleashing my crazy hair from my ponytail, and blowing it right into his face. I rushed to smooth it back again, but Avery grasped my wrist.

"It's cool. It's not bothering me." He rubbed his thumb up along the inside of my palm. "Your hair is really soft. It's nice."

Commence heavy sigh and warm fuzzies!

Zellie and Avery are so likable you can’t help but root for them. In fact, all the characters in this book are well rounded and interesting. The plotting was very good with unpredictable twists that kept me guessing which way the story would go next. The climactic scene comes earlier than expected and reveals something quite intriguing about Zellie that sets up the remainder of the story. By the end of the book a new mysterious character will be introduced as well.

As I approached the end of this book I was sure there was going to be a huge cliffhanger. I was wrong! Again! The author did a great job of wrapping up the story for this short novel and was even able to create a satisfactory HEA (at least for this book) while still creating a wee bit of a cliffhanger to make you eager for the next book in the series, Glimmer, due to be released November 2010. Yay!

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I am so impressed. So impressed with Stacey Wallace Benefiel's writing, and to be honest a little confused as to why a larger publishing company didn't snatch her book up! I'm so glad that independent publishing companies such as CreateSpace allow authors like Stacey to share their work with us. Truly, this was a book I loved and I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Zellie is smitten with Avery. So smitten in fact that she gets in trouble in church (her dad is the pastor) for spending too much time staring at him and dreaming. First off, how sweet is that? However it doesn't end there, no not buy a long shot. Zellie is a fiery and headstrong girl who knows what she wants and goes for it! Oh sure, her dad might disapprove if he found out but Avery is so good it just doesn't even matter.

I LOVED Zellie! I loved her tenacity, I loved how she is awkward at times and so brave and put together at others. I loved that Zellie is a typical teenage girl. She's someone who everyone will be able to relate to, almost like a "Jane Every Girl" of sorts. Layered on top of that also however, is a character who you will fall in love with from the very first page. Zellie says and does things that will make you laugh out loud at times, and make you feel deeply for her at others. I wish I could better describe this character, but really all I can say is just that she is amazing! You'll have to read for yourself.

Stacey's take on visions and seeing the future is really intriguing. Without going into too much detail, I will say that Zellie is fortunate to be able to do more than just see the future. In fact, her other power is so amazing! Sorry for the vague writing! I know. I'm actually hoping to tempt you more into reading this book. If that didn't work I have three words for you. Ghost Baby Daddy. Mmhmmm....take that as you will. Give this book a read! It is well worth your time!