The Journals of Octavia Hollows Audio Blitz

Hello Everyone!! 

Welcome to my stop of this awesome Audio Blitz tour :) 

I am pretty excited to be apart of this together with an author I absolutely love! I have not had a chance to listen to this Audio yet... but it is next on my list... Yay!!!! 

...Let's take a quick trip around this tour...

*** *** ***

Do you like urban fantasy and snarky heroines? Then you'll want to meet necromancer Octavia Hollows and her sidekick Bacon.

We are celebrating the release of The Journals of Octavia Hollows by Stacey Rourke on Audio. This collection features all six journals in the series and was published by The Audio Flow. 

Come fall in love with this feisty heroine, her pet pig, and the brilliant narration provided by Brenda Scott Wlazlo.

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ The Journals of Octavia Hollows ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

Grab your copy: Audible | Audible UK

With a touch of her hand, Octavia Hollows can restore life. Yet, she couldn’t save the man she loved from the horrific accident that stole him from her. Octavia thought she could outrun the pain, but ghosts from the past refuse to be silenced. Out of options, she chooses to retrace her wayward journey across the country in search of answers. Surrounded by baffling mysteries of the undead, what she learns about herself along the way might become her greatest weapon.

This six novella series chronicles Octavia's adventures in:

Wake the Dead

Dead Man's Hand

Caught Dead

Drop Dead Gorgeous

Dead Ringer

Dead as a Doornail

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ Listen to A Sample ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ About the Author ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

Stacey Rourke is the award winning author of works that span genres, but possess the same flare for action and snarky humor. She lives in Florida with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant dogs. Stacey loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction, and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Audible

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ Giveaway ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

One lucky US winner will receive a signed paperback copy of the Journals of Octavia Hollows collection. The book will be signed by author Stacey Rourke and narrator Brenda Scott Wlazlo.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TedxTalk Inspirations #2 ~ Chris Haroun

Hello there my fellow inspirational peeps 

Hope you are all feeling inspired and happy today!! 

As always I listened to my morning TedxTalk, but today I wanted to be a bit more person focused, than topic focused. 

Every now and then I do come across some amazing people and possible mentors. To be honest I cannot remember how I discovered Chris Haroun, but all I know is I love following his stuff. 

The thing I love about Chris the most is that in his videos and posts he are so real and down to earth. Relate-able in many ways and easy to connect with. You can see that he does what he does with heart and that is what is so inspiring to me. I can listen to him so easily, which makes it that much more enjoyable. 

I do actually have a course or two of his that I want to do on Udemy and now that I 'know' him a bit better, I really cannot wait to see what he has to share with me!! 

He takes the time to post videos on Youtube answering questions that are sent to him and he shares his life, tools (and flaws) freely.

As we should know by now, I do believe that most of the answers are in a book somewhere in the world, you just need to find the right book. I love studying and educating myself. 

"I think that all problems in the world can be solved using education and technology. As such, I launched Haroun Education Ventures to help students “dream bigger with a passion to learn, earn and return with no limits.”

— CHRIS HAROUN

Here is one of his videos that I absolutely 100% enjoyed and felt inspired by: 

Trust me if I lived in the same neighborhood I would be requesting a mentor coffee meeting with him. These days I have noticed that the influencers that are succeeding are not the ones that have it all together and seem perfect, but the ones that have had a tough road and journey that they are sharing but still seem humble. It's vulnerability and failures that make them easier to connect with. 

Who knows maybe one day I will be an influencer... one can only try and dream....

Since I am wanting to keep this to the TedxTalk Inspiration link... Here is the TedxTalk he spoke at: 

It is still my dream to one day hopefully give a talk at either Tedx or a proper TedTalk... why not dream big. 

Since Chris's Bio is quite extensive, I am going to leave you with some of his links to checkout if you want: 

Website l LinkedIn l Twitter l Instagram

Do you have anyone that inspires you to dream bigger, take steps and just be a better version of yourself achieving things in life?? 

Let me know in the comments. 

Otherwise stay safe and inspired. Keep dreaming peeps. 

Much Love 

Chanzie 

xxx

Audio Book Review: The Sigma Surrogate (Prequel When Tomorrow Calls) by JT Lawrence

Goooooood Morning Everyone

Welcome back to another exciting Audio Book Review!! 

Once again is from my all time favourite South African Author, JT Lawrence. I must say her diverse writing skills really is inspiring <3 JT is a genre hoping author which only makes me love her even more. She makes her own rules and she is am amazing person to chat to. 

Once again I was lucky enough and she was kind enough to sponsor me a copy of her audio book series When Tomorrow Calls and this prequel. Even though I love this author and she gifted me a copy of the book, this review is based on my honest views and opinion. 

I still live in hope that she will write a follow up to Grey Magic sooner rather than later (if you missed my review, check it out here). 

If you haven't heard of her yet... check out her bio at the bottom of the post. 

OK lets get down to business... 

Audiobook on Audible:
Narrator: Jean Ann Douglas
Length: 4 hrs 1 mins
Released: 07 March 2018

Paperback info:
Published: 10 March 2018 

Publisher: Fire finch Press

193 pages

* What it's about *

2021. A tribe of surrogates. A terror cult. A deal struck in desperation.

Keke is a biopunk journalist who won’t stop till she exposes the truth. Will her reckless ambition help the surrogates, or harm them? Prequel to series When Tomorrow Calls now.

* My thoughts *

It took me a while to really get into this book, but it wasn't the books fault at all. The reason it took me a while to warm up to Keke was because I was still mourning Raven from Grey Magic. Silly I know, but it's a true story in my life!! It took me over a week to be ready to move on to a new story. JT does cover one or two sensitive topics in the story but nothing that made me crawl out of my skin. 

In the Sigma Surrogate, JT paints a futuristic world where there is a bit of a fertility crises going on, hence the need for pure surrogates to keep humanity going. Might I add that some of the technology JT depicted in this world was awesome... pity it won;t be that real in the real 2021 which is but a stone throw away in time. 

Keke is a journalist who is looking for a her big break through story. So when she gets an anonymous tip off, she thinks she might have hit the jackpot. To be a surrogate in this world is a highly respected position in society according to most. So when a surrogate gets attacked, this is cause for high concern but it is also being kept quiet definitely peaks Keke's interest.

JT definitely knows how to develop and create some interesting characters. So let's discuss a few of my favourites: 

Keke - It took me a little while to warm up to her. Initially I couldn't quite get a read on how I felt about her, but she is quite a straight forward characters. The more I got to know her, the more I got to love her. You get to see that her heart really is in the right place. It is in her nature to want to share the truth with society as a journalist, but it is also in her nature to protect those she feels connected and attached to. At times Keke's companionship preferences were a bit confusing and to be honest I wasn't always sure if she was straight, gay or bi. She kept it interesting to say the least. Plus I suppose in their world it is about who you know and how you can benefit from each other. I was quite happy with the partner she ended up with though. 

Keke does get herself into some sticky situations, but I guess that is why we love her. 

Marko / MM - We meet MM later in the story and to be honest I just adored him the same as Keke does. He is just sweet and so caring. His geeky ways just add to his character. He knows Keke is out of his league but he helps her anyway and I love that about him, especially in the dating world where it seems to be I'll take what I can get and well your loss if it doesn't suit me. Guess you will have to read/listen to this to meet him and see what I mean! 

Betty - Ooooh I want to know so much more about Betty!! She only features about 3 or 4 times. She is definitely unstable but I want to know why???? The introduction here is a great lead into the full series. I feel so sorry for Betty and just want to really know what is going on and what she knows. What truth is she trying to get through to another character, Kirsten. And how does Kirsten's boyfriend, James, really know her? What ever fuels Betty is a great side story line in this story and I cannot wait to find out more in the next book. 

JT rounds up the story nicely, with what I am sure is a few good openings to the Original series. I can't wait to see where exactly these characters that I have come to adore fit into the main story. 

Buckle up peeps.. It's going to be an interesting few reviews to come!! 

* Rating * 

Author Links and Bio: 

Website  l  Goodreads  l  Facebook  l  Twitter  l  Instagram

JT Lawrence is a bestselling author (and playwright) based in Parkview, Johannesburg. She is the mother of two small boys and a baby girl, and lives in a house with a red front door.






Any thoughts?? Post a comment below <3 

Happy Reading Peeps! 

Love 
Chanzie 

xxx

~ My Reading Radar #4 - Beasts of the Frozen Sun ~

Oooh lovelies do I have a lovely book to share with you today.... 

So by now I am sure you know why host this post... *Tee hee* My silly humour. 

My reading radar is for me to keep track of all the awesome books or series I come across, but cannot really afford to get at the moment because my bookshelf is currently overflowing and to be honest I probably have enough reading material to last me the rest of my life plus a the next one! 

It is not only for books that are going to be released but also for books that I discover while traveling through the blogsphere. 

So where did I discover this book that that I literally want to abandon my current read and dive into?? On a favourite blog of mine called: The Reader and The Chef. As if the blurb isn't enough to grab my attention.. check out their review!! 

I love a good mortal versus god/goddess type story line, mixed with some star-crossed lovers... Almost like a Romeo and Juliet feel... YES PLEASE <3 

Author: Jill Criswell
Book name: Beasts of the Frozen Sun
Series: Frozen Sun Saga
Book #1
Publisher: Blackstone 
Published: 06 August 2019

Links: Goodreads l Amazon

Burn brightly. Love fiercely. For all else is dust.

Every child of Glasnith learns the last words of Aillira, the god-gifted mortal whose doomed love affair sparked a war of gods and men, and Lira of clan Stone knows the story better than most. As a descendant of Aillira and god-gifted in her own right, she has the power to read people's souls, to see someone's true essence with only a touch of her hand.

When a golden-haired warrior washes up on the shores of her homeland--one of the fearful marauders from the land of the Frozen Sun--Lira helps the wounded man instead of turning him in. After reading his soul, she realizes Reyker is different than his brethren who attack the coasts of Glasnith. He confides in her that he's been cursed with what his people call battle-madness, forced to fight for the warlord known as the Dragon, a powerful tyrant determined to reignite the ancient war that Aillira started.

As Lira and Reyker form a bond forbidden by both their clans, the wrath of the Dragon falls upon them and all of Glasnith, and Lira finds herself facing the same tragic fate as her ancestor. The battle for Lira's life, for Reyker's soul, and for their peoples' freedom has only just begun. 

***

~ Author Info ~

Links: Goodreads l Website l Twitter l Instagram l Facebook

Jill Criswell is a writer of Young Adult Historical Fantasy. She was born and raised in the swamps of northeastern Florida. She earned degrees in English and Psychology and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida. Her greatest passion, besides reading and writing, is traveling the world; she’s visited fifty countries across six continents, falling in love with places like Iceland, Namibia, and Cambodia. She works as a university English teacher and lives in South Carolina, near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with her husband and daughter (who is named after a volcano in Iceland). 

***

What do you think?? 
Have you read this book? 

Let me know your thoughts <3 

Happy Reading!! 

Chanzie 

xxx

Book Review: The Hybrid: And the Lost Tails of Mermirran by Suellen Drysdale

Hello all you beautiful people!! 

Welcome back to my weekly book review. In an effort to make a dent in my bookshelf I picked up a book I won via a competition a while ago. It is totally in my genre but written for the younger teens. I love all Mermaid and the mystical world under the sea type stories. 

Paperback

Published: 09 October 2012

Publisher: Createspace

220 pages

* What it's about *

Her mother is gone. Her fisherman grandfather is missing at sea. Australian farm girl Kirsten McGee is convinced her clumsy, overgrown feet are the final sign she's been cursed. But when a mysterious white horse, Merri, enters her life, Kirsten learns that things are not always what they seem. A beach holiday with her fidgety brother, Jeremy shines a new light on her family heritage. She is not the ugly duck she'd thought, but a Hybrid; part human, part mermaid. As the trio embark on a quest to find their grandfather somewhere in the South Pacific, the children venture to the secret city of Mermirran to meet their mermaid Grandmother. But Grandpa is not the only one missing. The stakes are raised as the children discover the entire region is under threat by a fire-obsessed Minotaur, using a stolen relic from the deep to fuel his evil plot. Volcanic eruptions are imminent and the children must now recover the powerful Great Pearl of Mermirran to save the creatures living in the hidden depths. Using their wits, Jeremy's backpack full of junk and the aid of some new friends, the children combine their skills to restore a life they hadn't known existed.

* My thoughts *

This book had been on my shelf for a while after I won it through a competition on a website (booksdirectonline.com). My review is not based on this fact, and it comes from my own feeling about the book. 

Initially I thought the book was just a great book for kids. As the book went on and from about half way I realised that I truly was getting lost in the book and eager to get back to read it and to see what happens. I really loved how Sue linked up things in her story. Like how Jeremy's love of gadgets got them out of a sticky situation later on when they needed to solve a riddle. I love gadgets myself so I loved this quirk. 

It really is a great light but fun and interesting read.

* Rating * 

Author Links and Bio: 

Website  l  Goodreads

Suellen Drysdale has been daydreaming since birth - but has only recently transformed this talent into writing children's books. Her mission is to help kids use their imaginations - and then find their own voice through story writing.

Her first novel for 9-13 year olds, "The Hybrid and the Lost Tails of Mermirran" was published in late 2012. Following close on its tail (excuse the mermaid pun) is the recently released "The Hybrid and the Emeralds of Elisar".

Unfortunately, Suellen lives far from the sea in inland Victoria, Australia but is surrounded by nature, animals and flying horses (she wishes!)- oh and of course her own kids!

Happy Reading <3 

Love 

Chanzie 

xxx

TedxTalk Inspirations #1 ~ Don't focus on your goals

Hello fellow peeps 

So I have been wanted to share of my thoughts and inspirations for a while. Since this doesn't really fall under Soul Inspirations, I needed to create a category of it's own for it. 

Most mornings between Monday and Thursday I listen to a TedxTalk while getting ready for work. I have listened to some amazing speakers and met so many new inspirations along the way!! 

Today's talk by Reggie Rivers is what inspired me to take this thought / idea and put it into action. Make the post a reality instead of just a goal or worse... a one day goal. 

So the theme sounds crazy... If you want to achieve your goals don't focus on them. 

Initially I was like what??? That sounds like madness, but I was intrigued to hear what Mr Rivers had to say.

The way he explains the concept in the beginning was a bit of a different approach which I did enjoy and it gave me a good giggle, but his second example really hit home. 

His point goes on the suggest we rather we focus rather on our behaviours that will achieve our goals, rather than just the goals themselves. 

Hmmm..... *ponders in thought* 

Initially this can seem like the same thing right? 

It was with his second example that it rang true... So you want to lose 10kgs? You can set the goal, but if you don't change your eating habits and exercise routines, you are never going to get there. *ahhh* 

Same thing with writing a book and becoming a published author, or any other goal you set for yourself. You can dream of becoming a published author, but if you don't put in the time to write the book, it's just a dream. 

The synchronistic thing is.... this links up perfectly with the quote for the day which was: 

'You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.' 

~ Martin Luther King Jr

So in conclusion.. set the goal. After that, plan the steps you need to take or the behaviours you need to master to get closer to the goal. You might not know all the steps all the way and that is OK!! 

Just plan the first step, the rest will unfold along the way. 

My step towards being a published author is to actually finish writing the book. There is no use in me worrying about publishers and marketing and all of that when I don't even have a product to present. 

Even if my book doesn't make a top 10 somewhere or only 10 people read my book, at least I will have the satisfaction of having finished the product and achieving the goal of publishing a book with my name on it!

Sometimes the problems with setting big goals.. which is amazing... is that we get overwhelmed with how big they are and how we are going to reach the end. The best advice I ever got (from a few different life coaches might I add), is that the only thing you need to focus on once the goal is set, is the next step. 

Brain storm 10 things (big or small) that will take you closer to your goal. It's the commitment that changes everything. 

Check out the video below if you are interested in hearing what Reggie rivers has to say. 

I do hope either the video or my post inspires you a little today. 

Go out and take that step!! 

Do you have any goals that you are working towards? Leave a comment and let me know :) 

Love 

Chanzie 

xxx

Book Review: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Hey hey friendies... 

Hope you are having a fantabulous week filled with great books!! 

Things have calmed down my side a bit and hopefully we into the smooth sailing phase for a while :) I am always hesitant to share books that I didn't finish or enjoy but alas those are the reviews we need to read as well sometime. 

The Power of Now is a book that has been on my radar for the longest of times. So when I found it at a great price in a second hand book shop I felt like I had hit the jackpot and was super stoked to add this book to my collection. 

Even though I don't always believe everything I read in books like these, I do believe there is something to be gained from these teachers and books. They were published and chosen for a reason after all. 

Here we go then....  

Paperback

Published: 01 January 2011

Publisher: Hachette

256 pages

* What it's about *

Eckhart Tolle is one of today's most inspiring teachers. An international bestselling phenomenon, this book has inspired a generation and is as popular today as it was a decade ago when first published. Accessing the deepest self, the true self, can be learned, he says, by freeing ourselves from the conflicting, unreasonable demands of the mind and living 'present, fully and intensely, in the Now'. To make the journey into The Power of Now we will need to leave our analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind. Although the journey is challenging, Eckhart Tolle offers simple language and a question and answer format to guide us. Surrender to the present moment, where problems do not exist. It is here we find our joy, are able to embrace our true selves and discover that we are already complete and perfect. If we are able to be fully present and take each step in the Now we will be opening ourselves to the transforming experience of THE POWER OF NOW. It's a book to be revisited again and again.

* My thoughts *

I really really wanted to love this book. I have wanted to read this book for such a long long time. It started out good but then it just lost me. It didn't resonate with me at all. I have read many spiritual conceptual books similar to this, from which I have grown and thrived. 

Sadly I just got to a point where I just didn't want to continue as it seemed a bit far fetched with the concepts. I understand the presence and power of now, but the part where he is talking about problems, future and past just lost my attention.

* Rating * 

Author Links and Bio: 

Website  l  Goodreads  l  Facebook  l  Twitter  l  Instagram

Eckhart Tolle , born Ulrich Leonard Tolle, February 16, 1948, is a German-born writer, public speaker, and spiritual teacher. The New York Times has called him "the most popular spiritual author in the nation". He is the author of the bestsellers "The Power of Now" and "A New Earth".

Tolle had an unhappy childhood in Germany and Spain. His depression reached its peak during early adulthood in England, until he underwent what he calls an "inner transformation". He then spent many years as a vagrant, "in a a state of deep bliss", he says, before becoming a spiritual teacher. He eventually moved to North America where he began writing his first book. He currently lives in Vancouver, Canada with his wife, Kim Eng.

Happy Reading <3 

Love 

Chanzie 

xxx

Tackling the TBR #1 ~ October 2019

Hello lovelies!! 

So I have been contemplating for a while a type of post where I can track what I need to read and what I want to read... I came across a blogger friend of mines post.. Tackling the TBR hosted on her blog and decided to join in! 

I love her blog as often we enjoy the same type of books and she is fun to follow. If you don't know her, check out her blog here. 

Tackling the TBR is all about making some progress on that never ending and growing wonderful pile of books on our bookshelves! 

What is more fun than picking out which books to read next. This slightly organised method of reading will definitely and hopefully amp up my reading enjoyment to the next level. 

Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.

&

Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

******************************************************************************************************

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.

2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.

3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Currently Reading:

Here’s what mine looks like:

October 2019 TBR Tackler Shelf:

Priority Titles off my Bookshelf or Kindle Shelf !!

Netgalley:

Audio books:

The Reserve:

New Books on the shelf:

I don't really have an update on reading progress as this is my first post for this meme. My reading time isn't as ample as it used to be as I need to split it between reading, writing, gyming, series with hubby and general family time which includes homework with our 6 year old. Never mind the fact that being preggos I fall asleep faster than usual. Baking that bun in the oven kinda takes it out of you on some days, and you can't even rely on any caffeine to get you through!!

It was hard to choose books for this post as there are literally so many books I wish I had time to read. It is definitely easier to read off the kindle than reading a normal book these days, as I can still read a kindle when hubby wants to sleep and I feel guilty having the bedside lamp on!

My reading progress is way slower than it used to be... but at least I have finished my goodreads challenge for the year *whoop whoop*.

I was considering taking part in NaNoWriMo this year, but figured that I already have so much on my plate that adding another challenge seemed a bit stupid. I am almost finished writing the first draft of my book I want to publish in the new year so sacrifices need to be made.  

The only way I sneak in extra books is firstly I read 2 pages of a motivational book before I leave for work in the morning (currently: The Secret) and then I listen to an audio book on my commute (Currently none as I just got my car back from a repair and need to download it from Audible), and then I try read for 15 minutes minimum before I go to sleep at night. 

What are you juggling on your plate? Where do you find time to read?? 

Next TBR post 04 November 2019

Happy reading folks <3 

Love 

Chanzie 
xxx