heaven

Book Review & Giveaway: The Dan Diaries by D.D. Marx

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Book Title: The Dan Diaries by D.D. Marx (The Beyond Series Book #4)
Category: Adult Fiction; 200 pages
Genre: Chick-Lit
Publisher: Beyond Dreams Publishing
Release date: April 6, 2018
Tour dates: May 14 to June 8, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 (minimal swearing)

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Book Description

Dan Sullivan was the best friend of Olivia Henry when his life was taken in a tragic car accident. Shocked to be on the other side, Dan navigates his way by learning his new role in eternal life. His first assignment is as Olivia’s guardian angel. He has the crucial role of guiding her to her pre-defined destiny. Dan’s death throws Olivia into a tail-spin which causes her to veer way off course. He understands the enormity of the challenge when he hears the mechanism by which he can communicate. He’s only allowed to use signs and symbols to get her attention and cannot interfere with her free-will.

Every time he thinks he’s close, something throws her off track. He’s forced to start over by convincing her to trust in their enduring, unbreakable bond. Olivia can feel Dan’s presence but is still reluctant to believe the messages he’s sending. She is fearful of falling in love again at the risk of losing another soulmate. Can Dan persuade her to trust in his love from afar so she can finally receive the happiness she truly deserves?

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My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. I had read the previous books in the Beyond Series and I enjoyed them so I was looking forward to reading this one.
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Most of the books I’ve read about characters in the afterlife have left a lot to be desired but this story about Dan was great. He becomes his best friend’s guardian angel and although I’d read the story about Olivia (Hank) and Finn  before, it was good to read from Dan’s point of view. I especially liked how God was depicted.
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I like D.D. Marx’s writing style. It flows well and she has a knack at making me cry. The only thing that I had a little trouble with were the nicknames Hank and Frank. Both being such good friends to Dan, I had to keep reminding myself which was which. This wasn’t an issue in the first three books but both of them being such a big part in this book made it more of an issue.
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In the first three books, it is obvious that Dan was supporting Hank from beyond. In The Dan Diaries, we learn just how much Dan, Frank, and God help Hank and Finn reach their destiny. This book is a good fourth book in the series but it could also be read as a stand-alone. 
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About the Author

 

D.D. Marx is a contemporary romantic fiction writer and blogger. Marx is a graduate of the University of Dayton, as well as the Second City program in Chicago, where she currently resides. A proud aunt and self-described hopeless romantic, Marx has always had a knack for humorous and engaging storytelling. Her pen name is a dedication to her beloved friend Dan, who continues to guide and inspire her in her daily life.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

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Enter the Giveaway!

Ends June 16, 2016

1st Prize: Win the complete Beyond series (4 ebooks total / open int’l / 2 winners)

2nd Prize: Win the complete Beyond series (4 paperback books total) and a Shine Bright Journal (open to USA only / 1 winner)

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Book Review & Giveaway: The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall by Shannon Kirk

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What if you could choose your heaven now? Go on a celestial shopping trip of sorts? Thirty-five-year-old Vivienne does just that, as she lies dying in the ICU; a fatal walk into the path of a truck. In her final week of life, Vivienne treks through the Heavens of a priest, a best friend, a homeless child, and a lover who never was. Vivienne’s guardian angel, Noah, who may just be her soul mate, escorts her through selections of Heavens and through the confusion Vivienne experiences as she flounders between a doubt of life and the certainty of death. Although her visits to varied afterlives provide peace and beauty, choosing proves not so easy: Vivienne’s love for her young son and her earthly father pull her from her colorful journey—and from her divine love of Noah.

The nature of love, the variety and magic of life, unending hope, and the importance of saying goodbye are central to this uplifting tale.

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My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Vivienne Marshall is so busy texting while walking that when she comes to a crosswalk, she doesn’t stop and steps in front of a truck. Suddenly, her life is changed forever. She finds herself in a beautiful park where Noah, her first love and her guardian angel, greets her. She learns that she needs to choose her Heaven because she is dying. 

The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall is an imaginative and hopeful way of looking at life after death. I love the idea of being able to choose your own Heaven. But more than that, it’s heartbreaking yet heartwarming. The descriptions were excellent. 

I liked the characters but for some reason, I had difficulty connecting with Vivienne, maybe because the story seemed a bit disjointed. I loved everything about her nurse Marty: his personality, his stories, and the way he approached his position.

The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall is thought-provoking and has a unique concept.

 

About the Author

shannon-kirkShannon Kirk is the awarding-winning author of the international bestselling Method 15/33 (psychological thriller–bestseller in Colombia and Spain, will be lead title in Italy, 2017) and Heavens (Literary Fiction). Method 15/33 has received multiple accolades: 2015 Foreword Review Book of the Year (Suspense); Winner of 2015 National Indie Excellence Award, Best Suspense; 2015 USA Best Book Finalist; School Library Journal’s Best Adult Books for Teens (2015); and Finalist in 2013 William Faulkner William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition (when a Novella). Method 15/33 is optioned for a major motion film and has sold to nineteen foreign rights.

When not writing, she is a practicing lawyer, residing on Massachusett’s Cape Ann with her husband and son and two cat writing accomplices, Marvin Marquez (in honor of Gabriel Garcia Marquez) and Stewie Poe (Edgar Allen Poe).

Shannon enjoys writing in several genres: literary fiction, psychological thriller, young adult, and poetry. She has been honored three times by the William Faulkner William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition.

Connect with the author: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

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Giveaway

Prizes:

Win a copy of The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall (10 print copies for USA & CAN) and (20 ebook copies for Int’l)

30 winners total

Ends Feb 11

 

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