Hacienda Moon

Title: Hacienda Moon
Author: KaSonndra Leigh 
Published: July 2012
Synopsis from Goodreads

Love, obsession, and betrayal, the most powerful human emotions, are spun together in this gothic novel. Tandie Harrison is a police medium who has just suffered a divorce after losing both her psychic visions and her daughter in a car accident. When she leaves New York City to start a new life near her hometown, she moves into the alluring plantation house, Chelby Rose, and falls for its charismatic caretaker, Eric Fontalvo. Their burgeoning affair ignites a centuries old curse, ensnaring them in a web of danger, deceit, and intrigue. Soon Tandie learns that in placid Bolivia, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected.

Hacienda Moon is a seductive tale of one woman’s journey to confront the demons of her past and find the courage to face her future. It is a mesmerizing novel that explores the deepest depths of human nature, and the characters will hold and haunt you long after you have read the final chapter.


KaSonndra Leigh's is a name you will soon remember because she's about to hit the big time. A while ago, I read her novel Copper Suns and while reading Hacienda Moon I have noticed that her writing has greatly improved. She's ready for the big time! Unlike When Copper Suns Fall, Hacienda Moon is not a YA novel. No sir re bobby! This one is for the adults!

A gothic romance you won't want to put down. This book is full of ghosties, bumpities, psychic visions, and ahhhhh!! SPIDERS!!!

There's also a bit of swoon in it, too! And your heart will ache for Tandie (the main character) who has lost her child and is trying to get on with her life.

One thing that I enjoyed about this book was that it was based in the South. And because KaSonndra Leigh is a southern girl she did the South proud by not adding a jillion idioms. Thank Bob!! It always makes me so mad when southerners are portrayed as poor speaking ninnies who just sit on the front porch drinking iced tea saying phrases that maybe their great great grandmothers said. KaSonndra also doesn't go all Gone With the Wind like others tend to do. Sure, Tandie lives in an old plantation house but this house has nothing on Tara.

 Hacienda Moon is a great read. If you're looking for a mystery, a ghost story, a romance, or even a contemporary... somehow... KaSonndra Leigh wrote just that ;)

The Big Brag

Title: The Big Brag 

Author: Dr. Seuss

Published: 1958

Synopsis from Goodreads

It starts out harmlessly enough, with a rabbit feeling rather pleased with himself and his talent for hearing. A neighboring bear overhears the rabbit's boasting and takes offense. The challenge is on, and the bickering begins as the bear proclaims that his ability to smell is quite superior to the rabbit's hearing. It's up to a wise earthworm to point out the winner--neither! A great Seuss classic to give as a gift, with a story and a moral for our times.

"The Big Brag" is just what the title says .... a BIG brag.

A rabbit believes that he is the best animal of all the animals because of his ears. A bear, on the other hand, believes he is the best of the beasts because of his nose.

The rabbit shows the bear how he can hear a fly sneeze from 90 miles away, while the bear shows the rabbit how he can smell a stale egg from even further.

Of course there is no way they can really show each other this. And that is where the old worm comes into the story. He comes out of his hole and tells the bear and the rabbit that he is the best because he can see further than either one of them. He looks out across the world and sees two fools up on a hill. Just so happens that the bear and the rabbit are standing on a hill.

Imagine that.

Greta's Thoughts
I love how Dr. Suess has lessons in his stories. This is a great book for a brother and sister who are constantly fighting over who is the best. And I loved how the old worm intervened like a grandparent. The book was quite clever. It make me wonder how Dr. Suess came up with these ideas. Were his kids fighting at the time? Maybe he had the same tiff with his siblings? Or perhaps he was watching two colleagues try to get the same position at work. No matter what your age might be, this book can really teach you something.

12 Rounds (Knockout Series) by Lauren Hammond: Review

12 Rounds
By Lauren Hammond
Published July 31st 2012 by S.B. Addison Books
Pick up your copy today at Amazon!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Sean (Right-Hook) Reilly knows a few things about himself. One, he's the middle-weight boxing champion of the world with an undefeated record. Two, women find his cocky persona, chiseled biceps, and inked body sexy. Also, the fact that it's known that he doesn't do relationships only adds to his sex appeal. And three, he's Irish, proud of it, and a member of the Braithreachas Don Saol, a branch of the Irish mafia and king pins of the drug cartel taking over the streets of Cleveland.

Connor Doyle(aka Connie) the boss and leader of the Braithreachas Don Saol, has been like a father to Sean, taking him under his wing and teaching him how to survive on the streets after the death of his parents. Sean has never been ungrateful, but has always wanted one thing...

More. More to live for. More to fight for. More to believe in. A chance at a future without drugs or guns. A chance at a future without wondering which day will be his last.

There's only one problem with that. You live by the braithreachas. You die by the braithreachas. And Sean knows whether Connie considers him to be family or not, the only way he'll be leaving the braithreachas is in a body bag.

Hadlee Flax has had a year to overcome her issues. After almost being raped and brutalized, she's putting her best foot forward, seeing a therapist, and has even(with some persuasion from her best friend, Lara) enrolled in self defense classes. And she's doing well moving on with her life until she meets the dark, and conflicted Irish boxing champion of the world, Sean Reilly.

Hadlee is immediately drawn to the gorgeous, cold, and mysterious man who speaks with a slight Irish brogue. She soon learns that there is much more to him than his darkened gaze, cool demeanor, and body covered in tattoos. He's not the type of man she thought he was. And Hadlee finds herself doing something she never thought she would do in the last year...

Falling for a guy.

Falling for Sean Reilly. A man who is on the path to becoming a boxing legend.

One thing Hadlee doesn't know is the other part of Seans' life. His life of drug running, and killing. Or the fact that when he's not boxing he's walking the streets with a gat tucked into the back of his loose jeans, and glancing over his shoulder at every turn.

But it doesn't take Hadlee long to learn that some attractions and relationships can be fatal.

And sometimes...

They just might be worth fighting for.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

So I have been eagerly anticipating this book for MONTHS now. It's should come as no surprise that when it comes to Lauren Hammond I have definitely drank the Kool-Aide. So when I first found out about this book I about drooled on myself. I mean you take a awesome writer like Lauren and then she writes a totally hot bad boy? Ummmmmm YES PLEASE!! And let me tell you she does not disappoint!

Sean isn't really a bad guy. I mean deep down there is a heart in there somewhere. In fact that heart is what got him in to the bad things that make him look bad on paper. The day his mother died so did the naive little boy Sean once was. He did what he had to do to provide for his little sister, even if that meant working for the mob, and giving up the chance at ever having a normal life...The only thing good he has going for him is is boxing career. Then again, of course he would be a good fighter.

Hadlee hasn't been the same since that night she was attacked. She just can't seem to get it out of her head. If it hadn't have been for the guy that saved her everything could have been much worse. Still as it is she can't get close to a guy, and can barely handle going to class much less out with friends without having a panic attack. There just isn't any such thing as a safe place when the devil as weaved his way into your head. That is until she meets Sean, Right Hook, Reilly. There's something about him that just seems so familiar, but most importantly safe...

Can these two fix the broken pieces of each other?

First of all I just need to get this out of my system....Sean Is HOTTTTT. Like omg I just drooled on myself, can someone pick my jaw up off the floor hot. I can't help it, I just love my bad boys. I mean here's a man that's covered in tatts, is in the mob, fights for a living, muscles for days, and underneath all that hard shell is heart? Um yes please, may I have another? *winks* lol

Then there is Hadlee. She is a girl you can't help but love. She's broken, and lost, and raw. You just want to fix her, and can't help rooting for her. Between the two of them I'm not sure who needs the other more, but either way you just want them to have a HEA.

Overall Lauren has written another great novel. I loved all the background story and how she makes sure that you really understand each character and where they come from. Plus she does it in a way that only she can. I soooooo can't wait for the next book in this series!

Lymi...