Review: Shrouded In Illusion By H.D. Thomson

Shrouded In Illusion
Shrouded Series #3
By H.D. Thomson

Book Description:

Someone wants Skye Hunter's son and they're willing to kill her or anyone else to get to him. One the run for her life, she is forced to turn to the only person who can help her-a complete stranger with a shared past-David Bishop, a renowned illusionist.

David's life is also an illusion, built of smoke and little else. He meets Skye, a woman filled with passion and conviction, and the pain he sees in her eyes is a mirror to his own soul. But when he realizes she has the same strange, telekinetic phenomenon inside her body that he does, he is forced to question his life, his childhood and the father who raised him. Can these two lost souls uncover the mystery behind their powers and save Skye's son and themselves in the process?

My Review:

I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.

Skye Hunter is a mother of a 9 year old son whom someone wants. Skye and her son Tyler are on the run and are hiding out. Someone wants Tyler for his special abilities. Skye took her son and went on the run having to stay in one hotel after another trying to keep her son safe after someone tried to kidnap him and for whatever reason their plan to take him backfired on them. Skye will do whatever it takes to keep her son alive and safe. She loves him more than her own life. As long as Tyler is safe that is all that Skye cares about. Her son is the only reason she fights to survive. Tyler is Skye's life and no man will come between the love that a mother has for her son. Skye meets up with a man by the name of David Bishop who may be the only person that can help her keep Tyler alive. But she may have a hard time convincing David of this fact.

Skye knows that she and David are connected in some way from their past only Skye nor David knows what that connection is. And Skye is having a hard time getting David to believe her. He thinks she is crazy until he starts to questions his father and gets the answers that Skye predicted that he would get from his father. His father is very evasive with his answers. I think that he is only trying to protect David. He loves David very much and doesn't want to see anything happen to him. But of course as it always is he doesn't have control of the situation the other guy is calling all the shots.

David and Skye after spending some time together start to have feelings for one another. Skye knows this is not a good thing and she must not let herself fall for David. David feels the say way about Skye and he also thinks that it would be the wrong thing to do; to start having feelings about this woman. He thinks he has been doing a very good job of not letting a woman work her way into his heart. But what he is experiencing with Skye has slipped up on him before he has had the opportunity to put a damper on it. And when Skye has to leave town in a hurry David starts to realize how much she means to him and wonders how he can just let her go like that but let her go he must. Will David and Skye find away to be together? Can they put aside their differences as well as their past so that they can be together?

Shrouded in Illusion is the third book in the Shrouded Series but can be read as a standalone book. Shrouded in Illusion is the first book of the series that I have read and I have had no problem figuring out what is going on. Shrouded in Illusion has a lot of twist and turns that will make you not want to lay it down but life does tend to get in the way at times. Shrounded in Illusion is one of those books that you could definitely read in one setting if life would just not get your way. The ending is one that will most certainly blow you out of the water and will not see coming. All I am going to say is that you will not ever find two people quite like David and Skye. I don't think that there is hardly any love or person that is as strong as David or Skye not especially David.

Warning: Before starting reading of this book a little advice pick up a whole box of tissue because there are a couple of scenes where you will be needing them. David and Skye will find a place in your heart and you will feel there pain as if you are right there with them and going through everything right along with them. Shrouded In Illusion is one phenomenal read! Get your copy today you will not be displeased. As a matter of fact you will probably be a little upset that you have not read it before now.

About The Author:

H.D. Thomson moved from Ontario, Canada as a teenager to the heat of Arizona where she graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Business Administration with a major in accounting. After working in the corporate world as an accountant, H.D. changed her focus to one of her passions-books. She owned and operated an online bookstore for several years and then started Bella Media Management. The company specializes in web sites, video trailers, ebook conversion and promotional resources for authors and small businesses. When she is not heading her company, she is following her first love-writing.

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Promo Blast: Phantom by Laura DeLuca

Phantom (Dark Musicals #1)
by Laura DeLuca
Young Adult Romance
Categories: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Pagan Writers Press
Release Date: April 11, 2012
Heat Level: Sweet
Word Count: 85,560

Available at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Description:

The "Phantom" was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses "Phantom" as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.

Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars-Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.

Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn't know who to trust, but she knows she's running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.

Excerpt:

The orchestra tuned for its virtuoso, and Justyn stood ready. But no one else was ready for the magical performance he began. Beside her, Carmen was rambling on about something mundane. Rebecca elbowed her to silence so she could listen to the perfectly thrilling tenor. As she listened to the song unfold, the world around her started to slip away. Gone was the high school auditorium. Gone were the rowdy teenagers. The Gothic stranger on the stage had become the embodiment of Erik, and Rebecca watched him in all his dark glory, belting out his tormented love through the words of his song. And she was as breathless with wonder as Christine herself must have been when the masked stranger serenaded her in the candlelit labyrinth of the opera house. In that moment, Justyn wasn't just portraying the phantom. Justyn was the phantom.

"Let the music touch your soul. Let the darkness make you whole. Do not fear what is unknown. Your true path has now been shown. Listen to the words I sing. Embrace the peace that night will bring."

As he continued to sing in his deep but somehow angelic voice, Rebecca found that she couldn't tear her eyes away from him. With every line, her heart began to beat faster. She truly felt the arms of night wrapping her in a warm embrace. She could almost feel the hands of the phantom glide along her body as the words poured forth. The music caressed her. It possessed her-mind, body and soul. Each word left her longing, yearning for more.

She was gawking so obviously, it was hardly surprising when Justyn felt her eyes on him and steadily met her gaze. She realized her mouth was hanging open in stunned awe, and she quickly snapped it shut. His lips moved into just a small hint of a smile. He never took his eyes off her while he sang the final verse, making her cheeks flush to the point that she felt almost feverish. But it wasn't embarrassment but excitement, arousal even, which was sending her mind spinning in so many directions.

When the song was over, and Rebecca had recovered just a hint of her composure, she couldn't help but burst into a healthy round of applause. A few scattered people joined in, including Debbie and Carmen after she nudged them in the ribs. But only Miss King seemed to truly appreciate the brilliance of his talent as much as Rebecca did.

"That was amazing, Justyn!" the teacher gushed.

"Lord Justyn," he corrected as he stepped down from the stage.

A few others complimented him as well, but he took in all in stride. In fact, his serious expression never faltered as he stepped down from the stage. He seemed almost bored, like it was all he could do to hold back a yawn, despite the smiles and words of encouragement.

But not everyone in the crowd was pleased as Justyn glided down the aisle, so ethereal in his dark garments that he still resonated the spirit of the Opera Ghost. Miss King might have been excited about the newest male addition to her cast after being limited for many years, but Tom and his group of boisterous companions glared at him as he passed them by. Jay sneered and tossed a balled up piece of paper in Justyn's direction, but the Goth was quick, and caught it in his hand without missing a beat.

"I think you dropped something," he said.

His speaking voice was no less melodic than his singing voice, but something about his tone made Rebecca shiver. He tossed the paper back at Jay, who was nowhere near as coordinated as Justyn. He practically fell off his seat in his efforts to catch it.

"Hey vampire," Tom called when Justyn went to walk away. "Are you sure you can handle the competition?"

Justyn smiled, a cool, sarcastic half-smile, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you?"

Miss King didn't notice the short confrontation, and Justyn vanished from the auditorium as quickly and mysteriously as he had appeared. Only Rebecca had noticed the very real tension between the two boys. She wondered if it was a bad omen for them to start off the production with hard feelings and envy. That could only lead to trouble. The kind of trouble that could end with someone getting hurt. The kind of trouble that Rebecca would do whatever it took to avoid.

About the Author:

Laura "Luna" DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon.

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