Book Review: Raven's Blood, by Cassandra Lawson

Raven's Blood
(Moon Virus #1)
Cassandra Lawson
Trade Paperback, 300 pages
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
March 25, 2014
Dystopian Fiction, Mythology, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction
Source: Received from author

Book Synopsis: Following the death of her wood nymph mother at the hands of vampires, Raven worked hard to build a life for herself in one of the few remaining human settlements. Her life takes a frightening turn when she finds herself an unwilling guest in a vampire settlement, but things are not anything like she expected them to be. Still, she cannot help but feel that her attraction to the vampire leader is a betrayal to her mother’s memory and her human friends.

From the moment Connor first laid eyes on Raven she has thrown his entire world off-balance. In order to prove his strength as a leader, he has no choice but to take her up on her offer to trade her freedom for that of her human friends. Having begun his life as a slave, he has no interest in keeping the wood nymph captive. As a man, he has no desire to feel this overwhelming attraction to a woman who hates him and his kind.

As Raven spends more time with the vampires, her feelings for Connor grow even stronger and Connor finds that she may be the one thing he cannot live without. Unfortunately, a new danger emerges that could threaten the survival of vampires and humans alike. As Connor struggles to unravel the mystery of the attacks from a new species of vampire, a madman will go to any lengths to get Raven’s blood.

No cliffhangers. Can be read as a standalone novel.

My Review 

(Reviewer's Note: I received a printed copy of this novel from the author, in exchange for an honest review.)

I was really intrigued when I first heard of this novel, since the paranormal couple in it consists of a vampire and a wood nymph. I've been reading vampire romances for a long time now, and had never heard of such an unusual pairing before. So my curiosity was high as I began to read the book.

The mythology involved certainly does not disappoint! It's very obvious that Lawson has done her research well, and knows her wood nymph legends. She's also created a very unique way for the nymphs to manifest in the United States, since these legends originated in Europe. Raven the wood nymph is thus a very believable character, with an interesting background that explains her allegiance to humans, instead of her own kind.

The pairing of Connor, a somewhat jaded vampire, with Raven, the idealistic wood nymph fighting on the side of the humans, is a truly inspired one. She is, of course, a free spirit, although she's admired as a leader among her human friends. Connor is much more of a driven person; he takes his duties as leader very seriously, and is definitely addicted to rules and discipline. Both of these main characters are utterly likable, even though, at first, Connor comes off as rather arrogant and very much an alpha male. He is also absolutely gorgeous. Raven, who has a very strong dislike of vampires due to a childhood trauma, is no meek, cringing creature; she totally stands up for herself, refusing to be cowed. At the same time, however, she can't help but feel attracted to Connor, as he is toward her, since he finds her very beautiful. 

Their love story starts off as lust-driven, which is understandable, given the nature of wood nymphs. However, it's obvious that there's more than lust under the surface, although I do wish the sex scenes had been more romantic. Still, these two had a lot of chemistry going!   

I found Connor's care and concern for Raven very touching indeed, and she, too, was very sweet to him. I  especially liked the fact that his male chauvinistic attitude toward her completely disappeared as their relationship evolved into one of love and trust. In fact, they were wonderful together!

The origin of the vampires is also a very unusual and creative element of this novel, one that makes it a refreshing addition to the vampire mythos. These vampires are, in fact, a madman's accidental creation, the product of a supposedly lethal virus intended to wipe out huge sections of the American population. Instead, it has turned them into vampires.

Another unusual aspect of the book  is that, initially, the vampires are victims of the humans, instead of the other way around.

The setting is a future  roughly a hundred years ahead of the present time, with a society that has disintegrated into isolated settlements of vampires and humans. For the most part, they hate and distrust each other. It's a very bleak world, one in which both groups engage in a constant struggle for survival.

Aside from the two main characters, there are several very memorable minor ones, such as the vampire Jack and his human wife, Muriel. Simon and Ian, two vampires who are members of Connor's group, are also memorable, becoming even more so as the plot moves along. I also liked Norah, Connor's best  friend and ex-lover, who ends up becoming a fierce fighter.

With all of these interesting, unique elements, the book was bound to be a great read! However, I was unfortunately put off to some extent by  the constant use of profanity, especially "the F bomb". This is something that really bothers me about novels written for the adult  market. 

In spite of the above objections, I really enjoyed reading this novel, and admire Lawson's creative world-building, as well as her very likable, well-rounded characters, pacing of the story, and ability to create a unified novel that smoothly mixes genres without missing a beat.

Readers of speculative fiction will definitely love this story of a futuristic, dystopian/paranormal world with a dash of mythology. Kudos to Cassandra Lawson for creating such a richly-imagined world!

  
MY RATING:           

Shelf Candy Saturday #118: Blue Lily, Lily Blue, by Maggie Stiefvater

 

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This is my weekly feature

showcasing beautiful book covers!

It also provides information,

if available, on their very talented creators!

For more information

about Shelf Candy Saturday,

just click HERE.

Here's my choice for this week!

Blue Lily, Lily Blue

(The Raven Cycle, #3)

Maggie Stiefvater

Hardcover, 416 pages

Scholastic Press

October 21, 2014

Mystery, Mythology, Paranormal Romance,

Urban Fantasy, YA

Amazon US/Amazon CA

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

The Book Depository

Why do I love this cover?

This cover just blew me away when I first saw it! I wanted to feature this book for "Waiting On Wednesday", since it will be released in October, but I decided to feature it here instead, so I could write something about the gorgeous cover!

This image is proof positive that blue is the absolute king of colors, although the tones used here run more toward aqua. This makes sense, since there's foliage around the girl's head.  This foliage cascades down to the girl's shoulders, as hair would.  Since she's a magical creature -- a fairy, most likely -- she might very well have leaves as hair.

The profile is really beautiful, too!  I love the smudges of aqua on her cheeks; this is a very nice touch. The hair on the top of her head falls in loose strands that somehow mimic the movement of the leaves.

The young fairy seems to be thinking about something -- perhaps about how she's going to resolve a problem she has encountered.

The contrast between this profile and the white background is part of what makes this image such a stunning one. The birds flying off into the distance in this background serve to give it some depth, as well. It seems as if the fairy has just stepped out of the forest. Another nice aesthetic quality of the white background is that it makes the title really stand out. However, I really do think that the font could have been a more graceful, ornate one, instead of one obviously modeled on ancient Roman letters. The designer really should have used a font with an Art Nouveau influence, instead.

As I gazed at this image, I was suddenly reminded of

The Green Man.  This is a motif related to ancient pagan vegetation deities, and I do think that this cover definitely has some relationship to it.

I have not been able to find any information about the cover artist, unfortunately. I thought that this information would be readily available in the Amazon reader, but alas, such is not the case! However, I'm wondering if the creator of this cover might be Stiefvater herself. She's an artist, as well. Who knows, she might be the one responsible for the cover of her own book. If so, this girl is really talented!!  Click on her name above, and you will be directed to her website, where you can see samples of her art.

What do you think of 

my choice this week?

Please leave me a comment

and let me know!

Thanks!!  

Blog Tour: Interview/Giveaway!! Rough Trails and Shallow Graves, by Hays & McFall

Please join me in  welcoming 
Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall, authors of

Rough Trails and Shallow Graves,

to

A Night's Dream of Books!!

This tour is sponsored by
Bewitching Book Tours!!

Interview

Maria: I will be addressing most of my questions to both of you, and maybe a couple to each of you individually. Of course, feel free to jump in and add details to each other's answers, if you like.

Now, how did you two first meet? Did you both know each was a writer at the time?

C & K: We met in an eco-vegetarian, perfume-free restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Kathleen had just moved to Portland with her (then) 3-year-old daughter. Clark had also just moved to Portland from Montana. Clark was the sous-chef, Kathleen was a waitress. While the attraction was instant and electric, we were both married (to different people) at the time, so we bonded  over poetry and chocolate mousse, short stories, Hungarian mushroom soup, book reviews, and rosemary chicken. We ate together during breaks and became friends. Kathleen was just getting her writing legs at that point, and Clark helped her along by sharing his work. According to Kathleen, Clark inspired her to take writing more seriously. According to Clark, Kathleen was already a better writer, and she inspired him to become a better writer. Romantically, we "took the high road", but that spark smoldered for several years until our circumstances changed.

Maria: What prompted you to start writing novels together?

C & K: When we finally unraveled our lives enough to fall in love, it was intense, overwhelming, and shattering. So much so, we couldn't stand the fire, and after six months, we broke up in a way that traumatized us both. A year passed with not a word spoken between us, and then a single postcard Kathleen sent to Clark when she was traveling in France got it going again: "Stephanie and I wish you were here. The French love cowboys. You would fit in really well. Love, Kathleen." Clark was waiting on her porch when she got back to Portland. And so we decided to test our love by writing a book together.

Maria: Kathleen, in what ways is your writing style different from Clark's?

Kathleen: I am more serious, and have a literary, experimental bent. My writing gods are the Russian masters, and I need my words to have an undercurrent of philosophical significance. I'm not very funny; well, at least not intentionally.

Maria: Clark, in what ways is your own writing style different from Kathleen's?

Clark: I am definitely more into humor and action and entertainment value. I draw from graphic novels, everything Louis L'Amour wrote, and early occult and metaphysical fiction. I think it's safe to say I aspire to write with literary intent, like Kathleen.

Maria: Could you give us some idea as to what your characters are up to in Rough Trails and Shallow Graves?

C & K: Tucker and Lizzie are grappling with the realities of sustaining a romantic relationship after life starts getting....complicated. Plus there are vampire politics, mercenary armies, and twisted scientific experiments.

Maria: In what ways would you say Tucker and Lizzie complement and balance each other?

C & K: Tucker and Lizzie are from vastly different worlds -- New York City versus tiny LonePine, human versus vampire, cerebral versus physical -- and they have a complicated but complementary yin-yang relationship. We like to think that they reflect the best part about our own relationship: matching neuroses. His insecurities are smoothed out by her strengths, and vice versa. Their rough edges fit together, and they make each other better in the process.

Maria: Are you planning to write more novels in this series?

C & K: Yes! We are working on book four of The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection. We've promised our readers that we will quickly resolve the "issue" that occurs between Tucker and Lizzie at the end of book three. Right now, we are seeking out a name for a new evil female character. Any ideas from your blog readers would be much appreciated.

Maria: Some PNR/UF readers say that the vampire romance is pretty much washed up, that there's nothing new you can write in this genre. I happen to disagree -- especially since you guys have come up with this unique combination of a cowboy and a vampire! Why do you think these readers are saying this, and what would you tell them?

C & K: Vampires are never going to die because they are undead, of course, and also because, as an archetype, they are able to contain and amplify the themes, fears, and cultural currents we project onto them -- sex, mortality, decadence, evil, death. We (Kathleen and Clark) joke that they are "literary tofu", soaking up whatever flavors authors choose to marinate them in; in our series, we use vampires to focus on politics, animal rights, human consciousness, and more. The market may be saturated, but that's only with one spectrum of vampires. There's always new territory to explore.

Maria: Do each of you have different techniques you use in writing dynamic, fascinating plots? If so, what are they, and how do you combine them?

C & K: We are meticulous plotters. Before we start a book, we sketch out the big strokes -- the conflict, the themes, the resolution -- usually on loud, argumentative walks in Forest Park. Once we get all that ironed out and start speaking to each other again, we plot out the specific chapters, also on boisterous walks (other hikers must hate to see us coming), then we sit down, open up our computers, and promptly toss it all out the window and dive in. We know where we want each chapter to start and end, and we trust each other, and our characters, enough to know we're going to make something magical in the process. Then comes the long, arduous task of editing and making hard choices about the direction of various plot twists. At least that arguing is usually confined to indoors.

Maria: What books and writers do each of you most admire, and why?

C & K: For Kathleen, it's Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. For Clark, it's Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond. There's an unexpected connection there. Check out Jared Diamond to discover it.

Maria: What do you think makes readers who enjoy PNR/UF romances different from those who don't?

C & K: We are dreamers who are never satisfied with the constraints of reality. Readers in the PNR/UF genre want/demand/require a world that is richer, bigger, more complex and more mysterious than the world we live in. We're not satisfied with ordinary, and that makes us dreamers powered by imagination.

Maria: When and where do each of you find it most comfortable to write? Any differences?

C & K: We both work in communications, and we both have worked as freelancers, so we are able to turn it on just about anywhere, as long as there is a deadline involved (and we are very good about self-imposed deadlines). In a perfect world, the most comfortable place to write, for Kathleen, would be in a big bay window overlooking the ocean on the Oregon coast, in the fall, with a fire in the fireplace and a glass of wine. For Clark, it would be in a cabin overlooking a mountain lake with a winter storm sweeping in, and a fire in the fireplace. And a glass of whiskey.

Maria: What project(s) are you currently working on? Will you continue to collaborate, as well as perhaps start writing books individually?

C & K: We are starting book four in The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection, and we are excited to kick off a new mystery/thriller series set in Portland. As for individual projects, we always have stuff cooking, but we will always collaborate on  everything. At this point, we so completely rely on the other person to provide edits, feedback, and guidance, even a grocery list is practically a collaboration!                    

Interviewer's Note

 I'd like to thank Clark Hays

and Kathleen McFall
for a most informative and
entertaining interview!

Book Release: Just Another Maniac Monday, by Jennie Marts

Welcome to this stop in the 
blog release  tour for

Just Another Maniac Monday,

brought to you by

Fabulosity Reads Book Promotions!!

 

Just Another Maniac Monday

(A Page Turners Novel, #3)

Jennie Marts

Trade Paperback, 238 pages

Create Space Independent Publishing

Platform

June 8, 2014

Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Mystery, Suspense

Is finding your long-lost love 
worth losing your life?

Edna Allen’s Monday goes from mundane to murderous when she opens the front door to find the love of her life standing there. A man she thought had died years ago… after being accused of murder. John Collins is back, bringing with him a charming smile, a dog named Havoc, a second chance at love…and a threat of death. Danger surrounds this former bad-boy, and even after a lifetime apart, he still ignites a spark in Edna. A spark she thought she’d buried decades earlier. As Edna relives their summer romance, where more than the weather was hot and steamy, she falls in love all over again and evokes memories filled with drama, passion, action, and murder. Now these soul-mates must face the truth about what happened in the past and find the killer hunting them in the present. And Edna, with her sarcastic wit, a pocket stun-gun, and a few hare-brained schemes, is ready to fight for the man who still makes her pulse race. But does she dare risk her heart again to now protect the man whom she couldn’t save back then?

A Word From The Author

 Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog today! I am excited to introduce you to the Page Turners Book Club.

I write romantic comedy, and my series is set in the small town of Pleasant Valley, Colorado. It’s centered around a wonderful group of women in a book club. The women range from their teen years to their eighties and each book features a different woman and her story.

Every book has romance, friendship and mystery because in Pleasant Valley, dating can be deadly. These women are easy to fall in love with as they search for romance and clues while eating really great desserts!

Just Another Maniac Monday -- Book 3 in the Page Turners series, released this month. It’s Edna’s story and this character is a funny, sassy eighty-year-old who considers herself an expert on murder due to her extensive knowledge of CSI and crime-show television episodes. She gets the surprise of her life when her Monday morning game shows are interrupted by the arrival of John Collins, the love of her life…a man she thought had died years ago after being accused of murder.

John Collins is back, bringing with him a charming smile, a dog named "Havoc", a second chance at love…and a threat of death. Danger surrounds this former bad boy, and even after a lifetime apart, he still ignites a spark in Edna. A spark she thought she’d buried decades earlier.

This book flashes back to the sultry summer of 1955 as Edna tells the love story of her and Johnny, and more than the weather gets hot and steamy. But the past has a way of catching up to you and a deadly threat has followed John to Edna’s door. Edna, with her sarcastic wit, a pocket stun-gun, and a few hare-brained schemes, is ready to fight for the man who still makes her pulse race.

Falling in love all over again, Edna must choose to risk it all to save the man she loves. But is finding your long-lost love worth losing your life?

You can find Just Another Maniac Monday and all of the Page Turners books on Amazon.

I am so excited to share Edna’s story with you!

                                         

Jennie Marts loves to make readers laugh as she weaves stories filled with love, friendship and intrigue. She writes for Entangled Publishing and is the Kindle Bestselling author of the Page Turners series, which includes the romantic comedies: Another Saturday Night & I Ain’t Got No Body, Easy Like Sunday Mourning, and Just Another Maniac Monday. Reviewers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and full of great characters that are “endearing and relatable.” She writes from the mountains of Colorado, where she lives with her husband, two sons, a golden retriever named "Cooper" and a Sheltie puppy named "Maggie". Jennie enjoys being a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Colorado Indie Authors, and Pikes Peak Writers. Jennie is addicted to Diet Coke and adores Cheetos. She loves playing volleyball and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends. Jennie loves to hear from readers. 

Follow her on:

Facebook

Twitter 

www.jenniemarts.com

Buy Link:  

Amazon

Fabulosity Reads Book Promotions is a book touring website that promotes authors and their precious works to an extensive audience using blogs, twitter, Facebook and other Social Media, with the aim of introducing them to an appreciative readership. They offer a diverse range of both complimentary and affordable products to help the reach of your book go that much further. 

For the complete tour schedule,
just click on the tour button above!!

Waiting On Wednesday #108: False Future, by Dan Krokos

This is a weekly event hosted by

Jill @ Breaking the Spine!!

It showcases future releases which

we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!!

Here's my choice for this week!

False Future

Dan Krokos

Hardcover, 320 pages

Disney-Hyperion

August 19, 2014

Fantasy, Science Fiction, 

Young Adult Fiction

Amazon US/Amazon CA

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

The Book Depository

True Earth has returned during a massive snowstorm in Manhattan-and this time they have an army. Rhys, Noble, Sophia, and Peter know they don't stand a chance against the enemy without Miranda. And once they revive her, she's horrified to find her world in flames.

The enemy occupation is brutal, but the director promises to release her hold on the city if Mr. East is turned in, and Miranda and her team are determined to find him. With her grief over the losses she has suffered fueling her spirit, Miranda knows that this time the sacrifices have to be worth it.

Packed with suspense and deception, Dan Krokos brings Miranda's journey to a mind-bending conclusion as she risks losing everything in the fight for her future.

Check out previous volumes

HERE!!

Why I'm waiting on this one!

This is a very exciting series,

which is why I've had the first 

two books on my Goodreads TBR shelves 

for a while now!

Science fiction, whether for adults 

or young adults, has always 

fascinated me, so.....

I need to get this series under my belt!!

Maybe I'll ask Scotty to

rev the engines to Warp Factor Nine.....

What do you think of my choice?

What fascinating book(s)

are you waiting on this week?

Book Review: Energetic Boundaries, by Cyndi Dale

Energetic Boundaries
Cyndi Dale
Trade Paperback, 328 pages
Sounds True
October 1, 2011
Metaphysical, Nonfiction, Psychology, Self-Help Spirituality

Book Synopsis:  Just as our physical body is protected by our skin, our psyche and spirit have energetic boundaries that keep out harmful influences. These boundaries, invisible to the naked eye, are more than just defenses. According to Cyndi Dale, these spiritual borders are our soul's way of communicating to the universe what we do and don't want to experience in life. With Energetic Boundaries, this renowned intuitive and energy-medicine expert presents a definitive guide for maintaining this essential aspect of our health and personal integrity, including techniques to enhance the health of your physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual borders, self-diagnosis instructions for determining where your boundaries are weakest, and practical ways you can strengthen them. Also included: how to signal the world that you are ready for success and prosperity, special guidance for healers, sensitives, and people whose work regularly exposes them to strong emotional forces, and how healthy boundaries allow us to balance intimacy and personal autonomy in relationships and parenting. Strong and flexible energetic boundaries allow us to share who we truly are with the world, teaches Cyndi Dale. Filled with insights, practical guidance, and easy-to-learn techniques, Energetic Boundaries is an indispensable tool for staying protected and connected in every aspect of life in our relationships, career, and on our spiritual journey.

  

Amazon US/Amazon CA

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

The Book Depository

My Review

The idea of a human energy field is not new; numerous books have been published on the subject, many of which I've seen on Amazon. I do think it makes sense, to some extent, that the human body should be surrounded by such a field or fields. As the author herself states, our psyche and spirit need protection just as much as our physical body does. The author of this book, Cyndi Dale, cites numerous scientific sources as evidence that these fields do exist. Of course, Kirlian photography has been around for many years now. For those who might not be familiar with this type of photography, it's basically a technique used to photograph the electrical discharges surrounding people and other living beings, including plants. Dale briefly discusses this process in the first chapter, "Energy and our Energetic Fields".

This book also deals with the subject of the chakras, which are centers of energy in the physical body, and are also part of what is known as "the subtle body". These centers of energy are a well-known aspect of Hindu beliefs, and specifically, the yogic tradition.

Although I do feel that much of New Age philosophy, psychology, and spirituality needs to be taken with a grain of salt, I nevertheless enjoyed reading this book. It's not one for casual reading, either; in fact, studying it will yield more food for thought than just one reading will provide.

The author introduces the concept of energy balancing with an exploration of the four basic energy boundaries -- the physical, the emotional, the relational, and the spiritual. These are actually comprised of several of the twelve auric layers surrounding the physical body, and each has a different color, when viewed clairvoyantly; the physical is red, the emotional, orange, the relational, green, and the spiritual, white. She also discusses what life events can have detrimental effects on each of the boundaries.

Next, she presents the eight specific boundary issues that most people will typically encounter. These she calls "spiritual syndromes". 

The first of them is named "The Paper Doll Syndrome", the basic manifestation of which being an endless repetition of the same troubling pattern in at least one area of a person's life. This might be, for example, a substance addiction that the person can't seem to break, or a pattern of getting involved in abusive relationships, also persistent in spite of therapy.

The second boundary issue is named "The Vampire Syndrome". This one deals with the curious phenomenon of feeling energetically drained after being around certain people. It can manifest as a feeling of exhaustion, frustration or lack of motivation, as well.

The third boundary issue, known as "The Mule Syndrome", is related to being a workaholic, of feeling duty-bound to take up the slack for others. It even involves worrying about others' concerns, to one's own detriment. Of course, physical exhaustion, as well as anxiety and depression, are also part of this boundary issue, which is related to co-dependency.

The fourth boundary issue is named "The Psychic-Sensitive Syndrome". This one is specific to those people who are psychically gifted. It includes those who are highly empathic, as well as those who are able to sense supernatural beings. Admittedly, this sounds a little scary to me.... Physical symptoms such as anxiety and insomnia are typical of this syndrome, unsurprisingly enough!

Dale mentions three other boundary issues -- "The Healer's Syndrome", which afflicts not only those in the medical or intuitive healing fields, but also those who are extremely kind-hearted; "The No-Boundary Syndrome", in which people are constantly hyperactive, as well as hypervigilant, and "The Environ Syndrome", which involves extreme sensitivity to environmental surroundings.

Dale offers various solutions to all of these syndromes, starting, of course, with one's own self-diagnosis to see which one(s) a person might be affected by. From there, she discusses such things as visualization, guided meditations, color and crystal therapy, and sound therapy.

I must admit to some skepticism as to the validity of using crystals for psychologically therapeutic purposes, because it just seems too "way out there". Some of the qualities Dale claims for crystals just seem to have no basis in scientific fact. Colors, on the other hand, do have valid psychological associations, although I'm not totally convinced of the therapeutic benefits thereof.

Subsequent chapters deal with working on boundary issues to help in specific areas, such as work and success, financial issues, relationships, and parenting.

Specific techniques that I do think are useful are "Uncovering Your Storyline", which is a means of digging into one's psyche in order to discover the origin of one's boundary issues, the use of sound therapy (music has scientifically been proven to profoundly affect the brain, and therefore, moods), visualization, and prayer. Although the author refers to God mostly as "the Divine", she does have a rather Christian-sounding tone in these sections of the book. I especially like her reference to "streams of grace" coming from God to take away the symptoms of the above-named syndromes.

Again, this is a book that can be best appreciated by studying it, and putting its techniques into practice. While perhaps not everything will be helpful to individual readers (this depends on each reader's beliefs, as well as degree of skepticism), there is much to reflect on here, psychologically as well as philosophically speaking, not to mention the spiritual sense. Each chapter in the book is annotated, with references to scientific research articles on the Internet, for instance, as well as spiritually-related ones. There's also a bibliography for further reading.

The tone of the writing is very soothing and peaceful, yet, the concepts discussed will ensure the reader's full attention. Dale never talks down to her readers, nor doe she engage in filling her chapters with any kind of jargon; in fact, she explains potentially new or confusing terms in clear, easy-to-understand language.

In short, this book will not only be appreciated by veteran New Age adherents, but also by those who are open-minded enough to investigate a field of knowledge that might not entirely be sanctioned by the scientific establishment, yet, remains totally fascinating.   


MY RATING: 

(from the Sounds True Website)
Cyndi Dale is an internationally renowned author, speaker, intuitive healer, and visionary. She is president of Life Systems Services, a corporation that offers intuitive-based healing, destiny coaching, and corporate consulting. Cyndi has been trained in multiple healing modalities, including shamanism, intuitive healing, Lakota medicine, and Reiki. She has written several groundbreaking books on the chakras, including Advanced Chakra Healing, Attracting Prosperity Through the Chakras, and New Chakra Healing, and her work has been translated into nine languages.

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