Two Reviews ~ Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead & The Beginning of the End by Mindy Larson

Welcome to today's post where I have a review of Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead (Pre-Earth #2) and "The Beginning of the End" (Pre-Earth Prequel). I also have a link to my review of This Morning I Woke Up Dead (Pre-Earth #1) so make sure to scroll all the way down. :D 

Title: Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead

Series: Pre-Earth #2

Author: Mindy Larson

Publication date: May 20th 2014

Publisher: Lavish Publishing LLC

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Source: Review copy  

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo 

Synopsis

Hadley and Dominic seem to have it all. Each other. A beautiful little girl named Piper. Endless amounts of time. Fulfilling assignments as spirit guides.

But Piper is not like the rest of them. 

What would you risk? What would you give up to secure your loved ones safety? Fear drives Dom and Hadley to give up everything when they leave Piper behind on the only place the Masters can't go. The Purple Planet. 

Piper may look the part, gifted with the soothing tones of lavender, her eyes, hair, even her skin is kissed with a purpled glow, but she's different. She is special. She's alive. Fitting in, in the afterlife, proves to be more than difficult, even after she finds her soul mate, Aiden Hall. He is not only a resident but he runs the bar next door. Just when they reconnect and despite everything Hadley and Dominic gave up, Piper doesn't stay hidden long. 

The Masters are back and Piper is taken where she belongs to Pre-Earth. Attempting and failing at making contact with Piper from the other side, Aiden feels as if there's no other choice but to follow his heart. All the while knowing the risks are great.

Struggling with their reality neither Piper or Aiden remember a thing past waking up. Both feel as if they should remember something. Someone. But what? And who?

Will they end up together once more? Or will they choose to follow an easier path?

In Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead, the story now focuses on Dominic and Hadley's daughter, Piper, and her Piper's soul mate, Aiden. One of the aspects I loved about this book is not only spending more time with characters I adore but also seeing them from a fresh perspective - Piper's. And I also was able to get to know Piper and see her in a new way as well.  

Piper knows she's different from everyone on the Purple Planet (a place between life and death where everyone is dead), one example being that she moves more slowly and awkwardly. She's the only one alive on the planet. Once she's found by The Masters and sent back to Pre-Earth, there was a huge twist I never saw coming! It was brilliant and heightened the conflict of Piper and Aiden finding their way back to each other. 

Aiden quickly realizes he's unable to make contact with Piper and takes an enormous risk in giving up his life on the Purple Planet to find her on Pre-Earth, knowing his memory would be erased and that he might not find her. His bravery and dedication to Piper endeared him to me. There's so much to love about this character.  

I must say The Masters are so creepy! The idea of these higher beings in control of the living and the dead and where they end up is freaky. But their presence in this series brings up interesting questions - if you believe in a higher power, would you want that higher power to be human-like with compassion or to be omniscient and all-knowing? I think I'd prefer a higher being to be more human. The Masters are just too scary for me although I would like to better understand their decisions and reasoning. 

Two new characters, Oliver and Hope, are introduced, and Oliver really got on my nerves which I know isn't fair. He doesn't know what's going on, but I still didn't like him. I felt like he wasn't trustworthy and kind of desperate. I just really wanted Piper and Aiden to find their way back to each other so badly, and I didn't want Oliver getting in the way of that. I loved the connection Piper and Hope had; they were able to relate on a deep level. 

Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead takes you through many twists and turns. Logan, Emerson, and their daughter, Ruby, make appearances in this story from time to time. I LOVE Logan even though he's rough around the edges. He's so devoted to Emerson and Ruby - he's still a bad boy but has redeeming qualities. I had been looking forward to reading this book and am so excited with the surprises and direction it took that I couldn't have guessed in a million years. I'm looking forward to the next installment.    

My Rating:

Book One

Title: This Morning I Woke Up Dead

Series: Pre-Earth #1

Author: Mindy Larson

Publication date: November 13th 2013

Publisher: Lavish Publishing LLC

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Click here to read my review! 

Synopsis

What would you do? What rules would you break to be with your soul mate? This morning Hadley Christensen and Dominic Morris woke up living their dream lives. They are engaged and each has promising careers in the medical field. They are happier and more fulfilled than they have ever been, and they are ready to begin their happily ever after. 

Sadly, on her way to work, Hadley is in an accident. Before taking her last breath, she realizes she is already dead - and everyone on Earth is too. Now Hadley and Dominic must each find a way to live without one another. How do they continue when they are two parts of one flame? 

Hadley is given permission by the Masters to contact Dominic in the hopes he will also realize he is already dead. If Dominic can open his mind to hear Hadley they can be together forever. Is Dominic ready to give up life the way he knows it? 

Prequel

Title: The Beginning of the End

Series: Pre-Earth Prequel

Author: Mindy Larson

Publication date: January 16th 2014 

Publisher: Lavish Publishing LLC

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Source: Review copy

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo   

Synopsis

In the Prequel to This Morning I Woke Up Dead, we meet Emerson Morris and her boyfriend Logan; soul mates on their path to forever after. Logan soon learns the secret to Earth and must leave Emerson behind. While Logan is hoping Emerson learns the secret too, he must fight his need to contact her or face the wrath of The Masters. 

While Emerson is moving on with her life, her brother Dominic falls in love with Hadley Christensen. Hadley has a special bond with each of her Alzheimer's patients and soon starts to have a glimpse into The Secret. 

She is fighting against this knowledge, but will she succeed? 

Find out in "The Beginning of the End." 

"The Beginning of the End" is a short novella that focuses on Emerson and Logan's relationship and the events take place before both This Morning I Woke Up Dead and Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead. Emerson, Logan, Hadley, and Dominic take turns narrating, and while I at first wondered why Hadley and Dominic were also narrating, it began to make sense while I was reading. 

Larson takes us into what life was like for Emerson and Logan in their relationship and what it was like after Logan must leave Emerson behind. These are events touched on in the first book of the series, but their story is delved into more thoroughly with all of their emotions and thoughts involved. This novella satisfied my desire to know more about them.      

I think the Masters are afraid of Hadley - she's so close to realizing everyone is already dead, and they weren't expecting her to finding out the truth so quickly. I was surprised to learn they feel caught off guard. They might be more human-like than I thought. 

"The Beginning of the End" gives some insight into the perspective of the Masters, which I hadn't been given before. I know they're to remain mysterious which makes them more frightening, but I'd still like to know more about them and their thinking behind their rules and decisions. 

Most of all, I was happy with "The Beginning of the End" to have been taken into Emerson and Logan's story as though I was there with them. It was heartbreaking to experience Emerson's devastation after losing Logan, especially with both of them keeping important secrets that they never got the chance to tell each other. Their story is so realistic and heartbreaking, and I'm looking forward to the continuation of their story.    

My Rating:

About the Author 

Mindy Rae Boyer Larson was born in 1977 in Provo, Utah. She is the eldest of four children and only daughter. The family moved to the salt lake county in the early eighties when her father got a job at the USPS. 

With a very vivid imagination storytelling came only natural. Often she entertained her younger brothers with evening story tales. Her strong passion for reading and a desire to write her own fairy tales led her to write her first book at the tender age of seven. It remains locked up in a box for safe keeping. 

At the age of fourteen she baffled her classmates when she looked forward to her honors English homework rather than heading off to the movies or to canyons with the rest. Mindy often completed twenty page book reports on the day they were assigned and rarely got less than A's on her writing assignments. 

She has written dozens of kids' books, short stories, and many other works. This Morning I Woke Up Dead is her first published novel. Currently Mindy is working on the sequel and has plans to publish numerous more and to never stop writing.

When Mindy isn't writing she is looking after her four kids, cats, and dog. Being a passionate person her other favorite pastimes include; working out, playing disc golf, cooking, baking, traveling, and exploring. 

After a long search, she has finally found her true love and lives happily ever after in South East Idaho with her four kids, two girls and two boys, and the love of her life.

Author Links

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead by Mindy Larson ~ Blog Tour: Guest Post & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead Blog Tour hosted by Tourz de Codex. Click here to follow along with the tour schedule. 

Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead

by Mindy Larson

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo  

Synopsis

Hadley and Dominic seem to have it all. Each other. A beautiful little girl named Piper. Endless amounts of time. Fulfilling assignments as spirit guides. 

But Piper is not like the rest of them.

What would you risk? What would you give up to secure your loved ones safety? Fear drives Dom and Hadley to give up everything when they leave Piper behind on the only place the Masters can't go. The Purple Planet. 

Piper may look the part, gifted with the soothing tones of lavender, her eyes, hair, even her skin is kissed with a purpled glow, but she's different. She is special. She's alive. Fitting in, in the afterlife, proves to be more than difficult, even after she finds her soul mate, Aiden Hall. He is not only a resident but he runs the bar next door. Just when they reconnect and despite everything Hadley and Dominic gave up, Piper doesn't stay hidden long.

The Masters are back and Piper is taken where she belongs to Pre-Earth. Attempting and failing at making contact with Piper from the other side, Aiden feels as if there's no other choice but to follow his heart. All the while knowing the risks are great.

Struggling with their reality neither Piper or Aiden remember a thing past waking up. Both feel as if they should remember something. Someone. But what? And who? 

Will they end up together once more? Or will they choose to follow an easier path?

Guest Post

Five Steps to Be a Better Writer

by Mindy Larson

1. Read! 

Read first thing in the morning. Read right before bed. Read while in line at the grocery, at the doctors office, in the tub, on the tread mill, or in the car. The only time you shouldn't be reading is on a date, in a meeting, while talking on the phone, or during most social situations.

Why? Rumor has it you can learn a lot from other authors and without even realizing it! Sentence patterns. Sentence structures. New words. How long should you read for? I personally try to read an hour in the morning and an hour before bed. But as little as twenty minutes here or there can help. I can tell I'm in the zone when the rest of the world falls away and I feel as if I am walking around with the characters. Smelling the fresh flowers. Tasting the tea and cookies. When that kind of magic happens is when I learn the most. 

2. Pay attention to things around you. 

Tune into conversations floating your way. Whether you're out and about getting groceries or a coffee, listen to what others are saying. Yeah, I know some might call this eavesdropping, but I call it research! If I hear someone say something interesting or funny, I pull out my phone and make a memo to use it in dialogue for one of my characters later on.

3. Use your senses. 

This step goes more in depth about paying attention to things around you. It's best done in the outside but it can be done anywhere. Close your eyes and inhale. Concentrate on what you smell. Think of new ways to describe old scents. 'Inhaling, I take in the sultry scent of newly cut grass. Its earthy. Damp. And reminds me of summer of 2001.'

 Next, open your eyes and look around. What do you see? What does it remind you of? Today I saw a sunset. It was red, pink, orange, and blue. So, I might write something like, 'During my after dinner walk, I was greeted with a striking sunset. Red, pink and orange flames burst onto the sky as if ink spilling on a piece of paper.'

Next step in this little exercise is to listen. What do you hear? A lawn mower. A dog barking. Cars cruising by. And again, try to think of new words to use, instead of saying cars 'cruising by', try something more interesting such as, 'Cars growled by in raging fury.'

By this point, you're probably on to me and can guess what's next! Touch. What does it feel like? Is it windy? Is the sun warming your face with its rays? Maybe it's raining. The other day, my husband and I were caught in a rain/hail storm. If I were to write about it, I might write something like, 'Without warning we were assaulted with mother natures shrapnel, icy bullet like hail showered our skin and left us hungry for shelter and our flesh bruised with the impact.'

The last is taste. Describe the flavor and texture. Was it sweet? Sour. Meaty. Smoky. Bitter. And you need not only describe food in this manner! Maybe try something like, 'As the sour words began to pop off my tongue, a bitter, vinegar like taste remained in my mouth, leaving me no choice but to spit them out as quickly as possible.'

4. Practice.

Set aside some time to write daily, or as much as you can. This is just like reading and for me and every single day I spend as little as an hour or up to eight hours writing, depending on my schedule or how I feel. Some days I just can't write at all. If that happens to you, let that be ok! Go for a walk. Clear your head. Stop trying so hard. Usually, the ideas will come! But practice makes perfect and like anything you do a lot of you'll get better and better the more you do it.

5. Write only for you!

Write as if you're the only one who will ever read your words and just go for it! Allow the characters to speak to you and through you.

Thanks for reading my steps to becoming a better writer! If I missed any of your tricks, let me know!

Other Books in the Series

Book One

    

This Morning I Woke Up Dead

by Mindy Larson

Click here for my review! 

Synopsis

What would you do? What rules would you break to be with your soul mate? This morning Hadley Christensen and Dominic Morris woke up living their dream lives. They are engaged and each has promising careers in the medical field. They are happier and more fulfilled than they have ever been, and they are ready to begin their happily ever after. 

Sadly, on her way to work, Hadley is in an accident. Before taking her last breath, she realizes she is already dead - and everyone on Earth is too. Now Hadley and Dominic must each find a way to live without one another. How do they continue when they are two parts of one flame? 

Hadley is given permission by the Masters to contact Dominic in the hopes he will also realize he is already dead. If Dominic can open his mind to hear Hadley they can be together forever. Is Dominic ready to give up life the way he knows it? 

Prequel

The Beginning of the End

by Mindy Larson

Synopsis

In the Prequel to This Morning I Woke Up Dead, we meet Emerson Morris and her boyfriend Logan; soul mates on their path to forever after. Logan soon learns the secret to Earth and must leave Emerson behind. While Logan is hoping Emerson learns the secret too, he must fight his need to contact her or face the wrath of The Masters. 

While Emerson is moving on with her life, her brother Dominic falls in love with Hadley Christensen. Hadley has a special bond with each of her Alzheimer's patients and soon starts to have a glimpse into The Secret. 

She is fighting against this knowledge, but will she succeed?

Find out in "The Beginning of the End". 

About the Author 

Mindy Rae Boyer Larson was born in 1977 in Provo, Utah. She is the eldest of four children and only daughter. The family moved to the salt lake county in the early eighties when her father got a job at the USPS. 

With a very vivid imagination storytelling came only natural. Often she entertained her younger brothers with evening story tales. Her strong passion for reading and a desire to write her own fairy tales led her to write her first book at the tender age of seven. It remains locked up in a box for safe keeping. 

At the age of fourteen she baffled her classmates when she looked forward to her honors English homework rather than heading off to the movies or to canyons with the rest. Mindy often completed twenty page book reports on the day they were assigned and rarely got less than A's on her writing assignments. 

She has written dozens of kids' books, short stories, and many other works. This Morning I Woke Up Dead is her first published novel. Currently Mindy is working on the sequel and has plans to publish numerous more and to never stop writing.

When Mindy isn't writing she is looking after her four kids, cats, and dog. Being a passionate person her other favorite pastimes include; working out, playing disc golf, cooking, baking, traveling, and exploring. 

After a long search, she has finally found her true love and lives happily ever after in South East Idaho with her four kids, two girls and two boys, and the love of her life. 

Author Links

Blog | Facebook | Twitter     

Giveaway 

$25 Amazon GC 

& 

e-copy of Wake Up! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Blog Tour organized by:

Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead by Mindy Larson ~ Release Day Blitz with Excerpt!

After reading and reviewing the first book of this series by Mindy Larson back in December and LOVING it, I want to share with you the Release Day Blitz for the second book, Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead. 

Happy Release Day!

The link to my review of book one can be found below the book's cover.  

Title: Wake Up! We're No Longer Dead 

Series: Pre-Earth #2

Author: Mindy Larson

Publication date: May 20th 2014

Publisher: Lavish Publishing

Add: Goodreads | BookLikes

Purchase: Amazon 

Synopsis

Hadley and Dominic seem to have it all. Each other. A beautiful little girl named Piper. Endless amounts of time. Fulfilling assignments as spirit guides. 

But Piper is not like the rest of them.

What would you risk? What would you give up to secure your loved ones safety? 

Fear drives Dom and Hadley to give up everything when they leave Piper behind on the only place the Masters can't go. The Purple Planet. 

Piper may look the part, gifted with the soothing tones of lavender, her eyes, hair, even her skin is kissed with a purpled glow, but she's different. She is special. She's alive. Fitting in, in the afterlife, proves to be more than difficult, even after she finds her soul mate, Aiden Hall. He is not only a resident but he runs the bar next door. Just when they reconnect and despite everything Hadley and Dominic gave up, Piper doesn't stay hidden long. 

The Masters are back and Piper is taken where she belongs to Pre-Earth. 

Attempting and failing at making contact with Piper from the other side, Aiden feels as if there's no other choice but to follow his heart. All the while knowing the risks are great.

Struggling with their reality neither Piper or Aiden remember a thing past waking up. Both feel as if they should remember something. Someone. But what? And who? 

Will they end up together once more? Or will they choose to follow an easier path? 

Excerpt

“Piper. This is the new owner of the bar next door. New owner, this is Piper Morris, the owner of Bliss Bakery.”

“Hello, Piper,” her name has come out in knife like sharpness. I gather myself and tell her, “Nice to meet you.”

Her face pulls. “Nice to meet you, too.”

My insides feel funny when she looks at me; things begin to contort and twist together. Proving to me that she remembers me, I feel our souls weave together. I don’t know what to say to her; I consider asking her to play a game of checkers, but instead, I tell her that I am pleased to meet her. Again.

It makes her laugh. “Yeah, it’s nice to meet you too,” she mutters.

Why must we play this charade? What is she up to? Now that we’re the same age again, I long to take her in my arms. Kiss her deeply. Take her home with me. I’ve missed her terribly.

Without planning to, I take a step closer to her. “How are you, today?”

“Doing well, thanks. You?” She asks, playing with her hair. The same way she used to. Twisting it between her fingers. My hand flexes, wanting to touch her.

“I’m great.” My mundane words hover from me to her and back again. What I really want to do is reach out and put an end to this ordinary conversation that is unworthy of her and of us. But I fight the urge. And I just continue to stand there. Staring at her.

Mia senses something’s up and darts her eyes to me and then to Piper. She raises a lone eyebrow and clears her throat, reminding us that we’re not alone.

“So, I need to go,” Mia inhales sharply, wrinkling her nose, and then finishes, “Do something.”

Piper nods.

Making me somewhat jealous, Mia touches Piper on the shoulder. With a sly smile, Mia evaporates, leaving glitter sparkling in her wake.

“Wonder what’s up with her,” Piper says with a soft laugh as she picks off a piece of glitter from her arm.

I shrug.

Swatting away the remaining pieces of Mia’s glitter, Piper meets my eyes before I must look away. Through the last bits of sparkle, Piper waves her arm. “She gets like that sometimes.”

I nod a couple of times and casually step closer to her. I am so close I can smell her. Soft lavender and baked goods. It makes me dizzy, and it overpowers me for a moment. We stand in silence; it’s both comfortable and uncomfortable.

Gathering myself, I break first, “Well, it was really nice to meet you, Piper.” And again her name comes out all wrong, like a cough. I feel horrible.

“Nice to meet you…” Piper’s eyes grow large as she draws out the word you, revealing her desire to know my name. She’s pretending not to know me too. Interesting.

Should I tell her my name? Liking the idea of telling her the truth, my body warms. Before I can utter a word, a charge lingers between us and intensifies quickly. She’s in my head. Literally in my head. I can feel her rummaging around, sifting through my thoughts, rearranging them and placing them all around, looking for another, and another, searchingly. It makes me squirm. Although I like that she wants to be in there, I block her. I am not ready for this.

A quick shiver causes my thoughts to fall steadily back into place like crystals at the bottom of a snow globe.

A stunned expression is veiled upon her pretty face as if she’s been slapped. I feel bad. Horrible. And I almost wish I’d left her to snoop. Almost.

Breaking the silence, I suggest, “You can call me, Mr. Hall.”

Ironing out the expression from a moment ago, a perplexed expression washes over her and disappointment overcomes me.

‘Mr. Hall? What is wrong with me?’

The chilly sensation of my lie crawls over me. I want to tell her that my name is Aiden. I really do. I don’t know what exactly, but something is stopping me. Enabling me to continue the charade promises of telling her who I am later attach themselves to me.

“Um, ok,” she snorts, wrinkling her nose. “Mr. Hall.”

I nearly choke as I say, “Ok, Piper.” I try to correct myself by saying it in my head over and over again and until it begins to sound funny and foreign. Piper. Piper. Piper. One thing is certain: her name is not foreign to me. It’s the most familiar name in my vocabulary. I know it better than my own name. Piper, Piper, Piper. As to why I can’t say it without trouble beats me. Piper. Piper. Piper.

Breaking the song in my head, she stabs me with the sharp edge of her tone when she says, “Yeah. I get it. I’mspecial.”

“Special?”

“Yeah, I’m different.” Piper sighs, folding her arms across her chest and then asks, “Do you have a first name or do you just want me to call you, Mr. Hall?”

“Yeah, just Mr. Hall. That’s me,” I scoff, and I’m all tingly. It feels funny. Electric. Lies have a way of burning you even in the afterlife. “Anyway, guess I should be going,” I say tentatively, hoping she’ll tell me not to go, or better yet, beg me to stay.

When she doesn’t say a word, I turn to leave.

“Thanks for the coffee,” I pause and trip over her name once more, “Piper.” Feeling like I just ruined everything, I leave.

That was not how our reunion was supposed to go.

They’re should’ve been fireworks.

A band.

Doves.

Fireworks.

Other Books in the Series

Prequel

The Beginning of the End 

Pre-Earth #0.5

Add: Goodreads | BookLikes

Book One

This Morning I Woke Up Dead

Pre-Earth #1

Add: Goodreads | BookLikes

Please click here to read my review of This Morning I Woke Up Dead. 

Blitz organized by: Lavish Publishing