Book Review: Behind the Mask, by Elizabeth D. Michaels (aka Anita Stansfield)

I purchased this book as an e-book during a $0.99 promotion two weeks ago. It was one of my better investments. I loved the book.
Since receiving my Kindle as a Christmas gift just over a month ago, I've been downloading lots of free and heavily discounted books--because I can at little cost to me. (I've had a Nook for several years now, but the deals just aren't there for the Nook). Anyway, I was getting discouraged, having yet to find a book that pulled me in among all those cheap e-books. I was about to adopt the attitude I was determined never to tread upon--because I am a self-published author who has two e-books out there for $0.99 each on Amazon: the attitude that self published books are of lesser quality. Then I was directed to Behind the Mask through one of Rachel Ann Nunes's promotions.

I more-than-welcomed the feeling of being pulled into a book within the few pages. By the end of the first chapter I was fully engaged and had a hard time putting the book down. Lately, this has been hard for me to find such a book. I think it's because I've become overly critical in my reading because I'm overly critical of my writing. I find all the writing "no-no's" as I read, often letting them distract me from enjoying the story. Though I was bothered at first at Anita's writing style of jumping from one character's point of view to another's, sometimes even in the same paragraph, I was able to look beyond that "no-no" because the story pulled me in with such power.

I would highly recommend this book, especially to those who love a good, clean romance with a touch of mystery.

The author was recently interviewed on a blog I visit. You might want to check it out to learn more about the author and the production of this multi-book series.

BOOK BLURB:
Abbi has the gift of dreams. But her uncanny ability to see glimpses of the future has no apparent purpose or meaning until a dream leads her to a man on the brink of despair and destruction.

Cameron is a man without a name and without a country, framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Long ago forced into exile and believed dead, the passing of years have defaced him of all hope.

The country of Horstberg suffers beneath the weight of tyranny, and only Cameron holds the secret that could see her ruler undone and restore the people to peace and prosperity. While revolution brews and whispers of treason threaten all that is dear to Abbi, she remains unaware of her own ability to answer a nation’s prayers.

Trusting only her heart and the power of her dreams, Abbi gives all that she has to lead Cameron back into a civilized world, where love is real and freedom comes only in facing what hides behind the mask.

Resolutions: Why only in January?

     With the dawn of a new year, it seems to be a time we all make resolutions to do more, eat less, and change things about our lives we don't like. But there is a problem with this paradigm--at least that's what I've found.  
     By procrastinating making these needed life changing goals until January 1, instead of grabbing the bull by the horns at the time we first recognize these needs in the previous months, we are already establishing yet another bad habit--the very thing most resolutions aim to battle. We are also setting ourselves up for potential failure. It is easy to be caught up in the popular trend of making New Year's resolution, often becoming over zealous in our goals. By mid-February our enthusiasm wanes. By mid-summer we give up or even forget about our resolutions--we'll wait until the new year to change.
     I've found that if I continually make goals throughout the year as different situations arise, and work at them slow and steady, picking myself up and dusting myself as needed, has been much more successful for me than making New Year's resolutions.
    What is your feeling about New Year's resolutions?