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Booksniffer has read 9 books toward her goal of 100 books.
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Cover Reveal: CRYOSTORM by Lynn Rush!

They made his body, she'll awaken his soul.

4 Sniffs Review: SEE THROUGH ME by Sera Bright #Giveaway

There's only one person I want to see when I return home. But I know he won't be waiting. It's the reason I feel safe enough to come back. I’m so wrong.

YBO Sniffer Review: THIS WICKED RUSH by Jessie Evans #Giveaway

THIS WICKED RUSH is an edgy, sexy, boundary-pushing read intended for readers over the age of seventeen. The book features graphic love scenes, violence, strong language, and thieves in love. Read at your own risk.

5.5 Sniffs Review: SYNCHRONY by Cindy Ray Hale #Giveaway #Excerpt

Will Destiny and Preston find the synchrony they so desperately need, or will she find a way to forgive Isaac and return to his outstretched arms?

5 Sniffs Review: DESTINY by Cindy Ray Hale #Giveaway

Weaving around Destiny and Isaac's alternating viewpoints, Destiny is the first book in a series inspired by the characters of Les Misérables and explores heartbreak, self-discovery, intolerance, and love.

CHANGES & MERGER

Hello! I'm currently in the process of merging my 3 sites to make it easier for me to keep everything up.

So all book tours that have a ROMANCE title will be posted to the new site instead of here on Booksniffer Book Reviews. All non-romance titles will still be posted here.

Those posts can be found here: http://loveineverypage.weebly.com/

I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but it'll be better in the long run.

~Christina

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

5.5 Sniffs Review: UNTIL LILLY by Aurora Rose Reynolds #Giveaway #Excerpt




Title: Until Lilly
Series: Until #3
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Erotica, Romance
Publisher: Aurora Rose Reynolds
ASIN: B00IPRNJ6W
Release Date: February 27, 2014
When Cash Mayson was forced to choose between the love of his life and his unborn child, he knew exactly what he had to do. No matter how broken it left him.

When Lilly Donovan was forced to accept that the guy she loved wasn’t who she thought he was and became a single mother, she knew exactly what she had to do. Proving just how strong she was.

What happens when years later you find out that everything you thought you knew was a lie?

Can two people who once loved each other overcome the obstacles that are thrown at them and fall in love all over again?

Cash Mayson had forgotten how it felt to be loved Until Lilly came back into his life. And now that he remembers, he will do everything within his power to keep not only the woman that he loves, but also his children.

The power of love is a beautiful thing.




UNTIL LILLY takes place four years after the events in Until Trevor, when Cash broke up with Lilly because Jules got pregnant and threatened to abort the child if he didn't do as she said. Cash now has a healthy and energetic son named Jax, he's divorced from Jules, and only sees her when he has to. He still grieves over not being able to be with Lilly, but he doesn't regret what he had to do to protect his son. Then one day when he takes Jax to Jumping Bean, he sees a flash of red hair. Lilly is there with her daughter, Ashlyn, who bears a striking resemblance to Jax, so much so that they could be twins. It's then that Cash realizes that he has a daughter, and that Lilly kept her from him. But he couldn't be more wrong. Thus begins Cash and Lilly's journey back into each other's hearts and the joining of their family.

I'm going to say this right away, UNTIL LILLY was really heartbreaking, but it also showed the strength of true love and family. Cash and Lilly were torn apart by circumstances beyond their control, but fate had other plans. I truly believe that if you're meant to be with someone, you will be. It may not happen when you want it to or in the way that you want it to, but you will eventually be brought together. And that was shown in UNTIL LILLY. It has taken Cash and Lilly four years to reconnect. They both had their share of heartache, but their children also brought them joy. So while this story is heartbreaking and even has some darkness to it, it's also really beautiful. This is probably my favorite book in the Until series so far.



The Guy: Cash Mayson was just enjoying life and the ladies he was with, until he met Lilly and she became the only woman he wanted to be with. But one woman that he had a past fling with, Jules, had plans to get pregnant by one of the Mayson men, and Cash ended up being the one she chose. To protect his unborn son, he broke it off with the only woman he ever loved, breaking both their hearts. But he doesn't regret that he now has his son Jax. But his life is still stained with the pain and suffering that Jules still continues to inflict on both Cash and Jax. The only thing that brings happiness, besides his son, is Lilly reentering his life, with their daughter, Ashlyn.

The Girl: Lilly Donovan had never been with a man until Cash, and he's the only man she's ever been with. She quickly fell in love with him, but after Cash returned home one weekend, he suddenly broke up with her. Then she became pregnant after only one time with him. After confirming her pregnancy, she contacted Cash only to be told to get rid of it. This plunged her into a depression, but determined to keep her baby, she gave birth, then went home to Alaska to live with her parents. When she is offered a teaching job in Tennessee, she moves back to the south with her daughter Ashlyn. She never expected to see Cash again, let alone love him again.

Both Cash and Lilly have matured a great deal in UNTIL LILLY. You can really see a difference between how they were in Until Trevor and how they are now. Going through what they did and having children made them grow up faster than they probably would have otherwise.



The villain, without a doubt, is Jules. She somehow tampered with the condoms that Cash used when he was with her to make herself pregnant by him. Then she threatens to abort the baby if Cash doesn't do as she says. Then when Jax is born, she doesn't treat him like a mother should, and Cash basically raised him himself. Even after the divorce, Jules causes Cash and Jax pain.

Then when Lilly comes back into Cash's life, with their daughter, Jules does whatever she can to discredit Lilly's character and even threatens Ashlyn.

This woman is downright evil. I don't know what it is that she really wanted by doing all this, but she has caused the entire Mayson family nothing but pain and suffering. And the full extent of what she has done is just mind-boggling.



If the romance between Cash and Lilly doesn't make you believe that some people are just meant to be, I don't know what will. These two were torn apart by an evil woman, raised their children on their own (with the help of their families), and endured great heartache. And though it is four years later, they were brought back together, and the love that they had quickly comes back alive.

Lilly is the exact kind of woman that Cash (and Jax) need in their lives after having to endure the poison of Jules for so long. Lilly is loving, cheerful, and nurturing. She is a devoted mother and would do anything for her daughter. She shows Jax the love a mother is supposed to show her children, and that is something that he doesn't get from Jules.

Cash is in many ways a broken man after what Jules did to him, and Lilly's love for not only him, but his son as well, slowly heal him, and bring back the man that he was before.

This romance just really touched my heart, in many ways.



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“Is that what you do? I mean do you often try to hit on women in coffee shops by buying coffee for them?”

“I can tell you with one hundred percent truthfulness that I have never done that before.”

“Never.” A look passes over his face I don’t know what It means but I don’t like it.

“Do you date a lot?” I ask quietly wondering if he thinks I will be some kind of conquest.

“I haven’t dated.”

“You haven’t dated?” I look him over again he must think I am stupid guys who look like him must date a lot.

“I have never had to date.”

“What does that mean?”

“If I want to sleep with someone I don’t need to date them.”

“What?” I breathe that is not at all what I expected him to say. “You’re the guy that can get any girl he wants without ever putting any kind of effort into it.” He shrugs the gesture making me feel sick at the same time I want to kick him in the nuts. Maybe the red hair does make me have a temper.

“I never lead anyone on or tell them things they want to hear.”

“So that makes it okay?”

“I don’t know if it makes it okay but it’s who I am.”

“Well I am glad that this is coming to light now rather than later.”

“Oh no,” He shakes his head. “This thing with you is something completely different.”

“Yeah I know.” I tell him crossing my arms over my chest. “Its different because I will not be sleeping with you.” I lean forward. “EVER.”

“Well I guess we answered the question about red heads and their tempers didn’t we.” He smiles showing off both dimples. “But trust me when I tell you I would not have driven almost three hours to sleep with you that’s not what I am looking for.”


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Monday, March 17, 2014

Review Opportunity: MARKED BY HADES by Reese Monroe!

Booksniffer Review Tours is working with author Reese Monroe to celebrate the release of the second book in her Bound by Hades series, MARKED BY HADES, which releases on April 14th 2014!

 We are looking to get 50+ reviews the first few days of the book's release, anytime from the 14th to 16th of April. We would love to have you join in the celebration!

 **Book One, FORGED BY FATE, is also available if you need it to read and review Marked by Hades.**




Title: Marked by Hades 
Series: Bound by Hades #2 
Author: Reese Monroe 
Age Range: New Adult 
Genre: Paranormal, Romance 
Publisher: Entangled Embrace 
Release Date: April 14, 2014 

One choice away from eternity…

For 911 years, Gatekeeper companion Justin Bradford has denied the possibility of being mated to only one woman. He enjoys them all too much to settle down. So when he feels his mate’s Ahavah mark surface, his first instinct is to ignore it. But when he sees the leather-clad beauty in need of his help that’s easier said than done…

Yvonne wakes up naked on a cold park bench in a small town with no memory of who—or what—she is. All she knows is the gentle man who woke her was turned to dust when she touched him. And now the strange mark that appeared on her shoulder throbs in the presence of the raven-haired man now offering to help her…

As Justin and Yvonne navigate the mystery of her past, their bond grows, but the secrets they discover and the sacrifices that must be made could be enough to rip them apart for eternity.


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Thursday, March 13, 2014

5.5 Sniffs Review: IMMAGICA by K.A. Last #Giveaway




Title: Immagica
Author: K.A. Last
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: K.A. Last
ASIN: B00I2MADHI
Release Date: January 26, 2014
Source: K.A. Last  Booksniffer Review Tours  Tour Schedule
Links: GoodreadsAmazonBarnes and Noble ☆ The Book DepositorySmashwordsiTunes

Immagica 
Where anything is possible. 
Enter at your own risk.

The night before her fifteenth birthday, Rosaline Clayton uncovers a deep family secret. She receives an amulet from her deranged father, and he tells her she must find the book in order to save him. Rosaline is used to her dad not making any sense, so she dismisses their conversation as another of his crazy rants.

When Rosaline’s brother, Elliot, drags her to their Nana’s attic to explore, they find the old leather-bound book tucked away in a chest. It sucks them into its pages, transporting them to a magical world. Along the way Rosaline and Elliot are separated, and the only thing she wants is to find her brother and go home.

The creatures of Immagica have other ideas. After years of war their land lies in ruin. Using the amulet’s power, they want Rosaline to defeat the dragon and restore Immagica to its former glory. But Rosaline is bound to Immagica in ways she doesn’t understand, and when she discovers the truth about her family, she must follow her heart to save them all.




In IMMAGICA, Rosaline Clayton is given an amulet by her father for her 15th birthday. He tells her to find the book in the attic and go to Immagica, to save the magical world, and himself. She doesn't understand anything that's going on. When Rosaline and her brother Elliot find the book, they are taken into Immagica but are separated. There she meets fantastical creatures and makes new friends, all the while trying to find her little brother. But in order to find him, she needs to defeat the dragon terrorizing the realm. But there is more to the dragon than she could have ever imagined, and she learns things about her family that are better left in the dark.

I absolutely LOVED IMMAGICA! I'd say that IMMAGICA is more like an epic fantasy than just regular old fantasy, because well it's EPIC! We have a young girl coming of age, being taken to a magical world and meeting magical creatures, who goes on a journey or quest to save the world from destruction. IMMAGICA drew me in and I didn't want to stop reading. I sincerely hope that this will be made into a series, because I would love to read more adventures in Immagica.



Rosaline: Our heroine just turned 15 years old, and was given her birthrights after overhearing some strange things her parents were discussing behind closed doors. She enters Immagica with a troubled mind and heart and just wants to find her brother and go home. But as she travels Immagica and meets it's citizens and the beauty that could be destroyed, she realizes that she can't let this world and it's people die.

Elliot: He shares the same birthday as his sister Rosaline, but is two years younger. He gets sucked into Immagica along with Rosaline, but is separated from her when they arrive. While Rosaline's story is playing out, Elliot's own story is being written.

Brynn: She is the first person Rosaline meets in Immagica. They don't exactly hit it off at first, but as they journey, they form a strong friendship and loyalty to each other.

Ira: He is the black unicorn that Rosaline called to her so she could travel easier. The bond that Ira and Rosaline form is very, very strong, and I doubt it can ever be broken.

Sebille & Orin: The fairies! These two are always playing with Rosaline's hair and poking her in the cheeks, but don't let their carefree appearance fool you. They have their own magic and strengths that you wouldn't expect from such tiny creatures. They love Rosaline very deeply.

Lex: The Protector of the very heart of Immagica. He's cute with his geeky quirkiness, but when it comes to the protection of the Eye, he won't let anything threaten it. The Eye holds all the knowledge of Immagica, everyone who has ever visited has their book there. There's a little crush formed between him and Rosaline (and let's just say it's reciprocated).

The Dragon: I don't want to say too much about him because it would give a lot away, but he's the bad guy trying to destroy Immagica.



As I mentioned above, the dragon is the villain of this tale. He's trying to destroy Immagica and is evil to the core. He has the gryphons working for him on destroying the towers surrounding the Eye. All of them have fallen but the North Tower. The dragon has a surprising connection with the Clayton family.



There isn't much romance in IMMAGICA, until Rosaline and her friends reach the Eye and she meets Lex, the protector. And even then it's just little hints. But that's what made it so perfect. It was that awkward moment when a crush is first formed, and there's all the nervousness and blushing. It was just all around sweet and I really want to see more between these two (hint hint series).



There are epic battles all around in IMMAGICA. But it was the battle with the dragon toward the end that really stands out, as it should. That fight was one of the moments in the book that really had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath waiting for the outcome. And that's all I'm going to say about that, so if you want to see how it ends, you should pick up this AMAZING book!


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Friday, March 07, 2014

5 Sniffs Review: FORGET ME NOT by Stacey Nash #Giveaway




Title: Forget Me Not
Series: The Collective #1
Author: Stacey Nash
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Entranced Publishing
ASIN: B00IK07FOQ
Release Date: February 19, 2014
Source: Entranced Publishing

Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother's favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. When the brooch and the pendant are worn together they're no longer pretty pieces of jewelry -- they're part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewelry's power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device -- and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she's Enemy Number One.

She's forced to leave her father behind when she's taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends’ lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.

Fiction is Fact. Know the Truth.




FORGET ME NOT is the story of a young girl who stumbles upon a piece of advanced technology that's not supposed to be in ordinary hands. This leads Anamae and her best friend Will into the protective hands of a resistance group fighting against The Collective, who basically want to rule the world, one piece of tech at a time. But there is more going on than any of them know.

I seriously really loved this book! FORGET ME NOT has become a new favorite of mine, and I'm really excited to see what else will happen in this new book world.

I thought that it was interesting how the necklace that belonged to Anamae's mother was in the shape of a forget me not. It's like a message is being sent to Anamae not to forget her mother or something. And then it turns out that the necklace isn't just an ordinary necklace, but a piece of advanced technology that can make the wearer invisible. 

Then there is the secret society of The Collective. There is a lot of mystery behind them, and I like how not much is given about them. There are tiny little tidbits that slowly reveal them. It keeps readers guessing, and we're even thrown for a loop every once in a while. It's great!



The Guys: Will Avery is Anamae's best friend. He's been there for her when her mother disappeared, and he's very (and I mean VERY) protective of her. It's also hinted that he may have feelings for her. He really doesn't like Jax.

I really liked Will. He's a great friend and a huge source of support for Anamae. But just like Anamae, I found is overprotectiveness a little annoying at times. 

Jax Belfry is one of the resistance fighters, and the one who saved Anamae when she was attacked by a Collective scout. He's got walls higher than the tallest skyscraper, but he sometimes lets his guard down around Anamae. He's got a secret that will surprise you!

Okay, Jax is definitely a new book boyfriend. I mean, for one, he's hot. And second, though his attitude can be off-putting, it also draws you in. Isn't that the case with most to-die-for book boyfriends?

The Girls: Anamae is a girl who basically just wants to go home and have her whole family back again. Her mother went missing when she was little, and then she gets into trouble with The Collective, who do something to her father. Once it becomes apparent that she's going to have to join the fight, she does so with a passion. Then there is Jax. He just has her emotions all over the place. 

At first Anamae is kind of selfish and just looks out for her own interests. But then when she finds out the consequences of her actions, she takes the situation more seriously. I liked when she got into her fighter mentality. I think she's stronger than any of them may know, even herself. And she is one lucky girl to have Jax's attention, especially since it's said that he pays no attention to any other girls.

Lilly is the daughter of the resistance leader. She quickly becomes a good friend to Anamae. She's kind of boy-crazy. She's well versed in medical applications, and is the go-to person when someone is injured.

I loved Lilly! I really want her for my BFF. 



In general, the baddies are The Collective. They influence everything from wars and famines to who rises to political power. Every aspect of life, they've got their fingers in. They control almost all the advanced technology, and anyone who has a piece in their possession (and knows the real use of it) are seen as threats and eliminated. They are ruled by a Council of Patriarchs.

But in FORGET ME NOT, the main baddie is one of the Patriarchs named Manvyke. He's the one who has been behind what's been happening to Anamae. He's using her as a distraction for the Council to set his own plans into motion. He also has some interesting insight into Anamae's mother.



There are some pretty steamy scenes between Anamae and Jax. You may need a fan just to keep cool reading them! 

The thing with Anamae and Jax is that they kind of go back and forth. One moment they're kissing and the next they are fighting. The romance between these two definitely keeps you on your toes.

I also liked that there wasn't an insta-love. The attraction is there right away, and to be honest, I'm not even sure I would say there is a "love." Neither of them say anything about their feelings. It's more like they show each other. In other words, you know that they feel something for each other, but you're kind of left wondering what will happen next between them. And that's something that I really liked about these two.



Now the action is really awesome in FORGET ME NOT. All that advanced technology - from invisibility to disappearing bullet proof shields, and all kinds of other interesting things inbetween. Then there are the fight scenes. So super cool! These fights don't go easy on anyone. The girls get hit just as much as the guys, and vice versa. That was something that I really liked in the fight scenes. And some of the fights are pretty brutal. 



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Thursday, March 06, 2014

4 Sniffs Review: FLAW by Ryan Ringbloom #Giveaway




Title: FLAW
Series: Flaw #1
Author: Ryan Ringbloom
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: BookBaby
ASIN: B00I9MRVDA
Release Date: January 23, 2014
Source: Ryan Ringbloom  Booksniffer Review Tours  Tour Schedule
Links: GoodreadsAmazonBarnes and Noble

What can be said about Josh Brewster? Nothing good, that's for sure. Just ask anyone. They'll be quick to tell you. Josh is a selfish, sweet-talking manipulator who will charm you in a minute, all the while planning his next move. He uses. He leaves. All Josh desires is things that come easy. Why actually work hard for something when you don't have to?

When Josh comes to face to face with a girl who’s doesn’t make anything easy, Josh begins questioning the game he's played so long. He’s suddenly eager to learn how to work for something he never imagined wanting. Can a player really change his ways? Better yet, will his past forgive?

Aidan Turner has had a rough life, a life that has only become harsher as he's gotten older. The scars across his face serve as a constant reminder of the haunting nightmares from his past life. Seeing himself as nothing but a monster, Aidan believes no one will ever be able to look past his flaws.

His reasoning is about to change when his very own beauty comes barreling in, sparking emotions he'd thought he'd never feel. Love sizzles between them, but his friendship with another girl complicates everything, especially after the nature of their friendship becomes confused. Will friendship overshadow his true feelings and ruin both couples’ chances at happiness?




FLAW is the story is four young college students who are flawed, either on the inside or on the outside. It's the story of how these flaws help them and how they hinder them. No one is perfect, everyone has some kind of flaw, no matter who they are, where they come from, and how they live their lives. And FLAW shows us that through the lives of Aidan, Josh, Becca, and Jordyn.

I loved that the story alternated between these four POVs. It's one of my favorite ways that an author could write a story. Multiple POVs show readers a more in-depth look into the lives of the characters. I think that Ringbloom made the right choice to go this route, and did an amazing job in keeping the story flowing.

I also like that we don't really know who's going to end up with who until the second part of the story. One moment it's Aidan and Becca, then it's Becca and Josh, then Aidan and Jordyn, then Josh and Jordyn, and all kinds of inbetween. It keeps readers guessing and engaged in the romance aspect of the story.



The Guys: Aidan has a scar across his cheek that scares most people away. He hides his face behind sunglasses and hoods. While he may look flawed on the outside, he's a beautiful person on the inside. He helps people who are in need of it (the cause behind his scar) and even though he was shown more rejection as a child than was warranted, he is very accepting of people for who they are. He has a very close friendship with Becca, but that may be heading into "something more" and things become a bit confusing when Jordyn enters the picture.

Josh is the opposite of Aidan. He a handsome guy and he could probably get any girl he wanted, except he's a complete jerk once he gets what he wants from them. Josh is a spoiled rich kid who makes his parents do the work he should be doing and takes what they give him without having to do anything to earn it. What goes around, comes around, though. And he learns the pain that he made those girls feel when he falls for Becca.

The Girls: Becca is a little different than most girls. She has pink hair and wears flip flops in the snow. She feels the need to protect Aidan because of how he's been treated in the past. But when she meets Josh and learns about his past with woman, she realizes that she may need some protecting too.

Jordyn is perfection personified. Her hair is perfect, her posture is perfect, she's never late for an engagement. Her obsession with perfection is probably her greatest flaw. Because everything in her life revolves around perfection, she is looking for a flaw in her life. And the flaw she wants in her life is Aidan.



In FLAW, the romances are like a jumbled ball of yarn, very tangled. When you finally think you've figured out who is going to end up with who, it's all tangled up again.

You have Aidan and Becca, then Becca and Josh, then Aidan and Jordyn, then Jordyn and Josh. Then it starts all over again. I'm just glad that it ended up the way I had wanted it to.

I did feel that Aidan and Becca's relationship took a turn for the weird and obsessive, when they tried for something more.

And don't even get me started on Josh. It was pretty funny though when he made moves on Jordyn, not once, but twice. And his past with women has left a long line of very angry women.

I thought that the romance in FLAW was beautiful when they accepted each other for their flaws, heartbreaking when those flaws got in the way, and even funny when those flaws got them in ridiculous and embarrassing situations.



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Monday, March 03, 2014

3.5 Sniffs Review: MEMORIES WITH MAYA by Clyde Dsouza #Giveaway




Title: Memories with Maya
Author: Clyde Dsouza
Genre: Adult, Science Fiction
Publisher: Clyde Dsouza
ASIN: B00BMAQVRS
Release Date: February 27, 2013
Source: Clyde Dsouza  Booksniffer Review Tours ☆ Tour Schedule
Links: GoodreadsAmazonBarnes and NobleThe Book DepositorySmashwords

A story of one man's determination to HACK his destiny, even if it meant challenging Divine Providence...

The story looks at how augmentation technology will affect emotions, intimate human relationships, and our very evolution as a species.

"EMOTIONS ARE LIKE A VIRUS, a common cold...disrupting the flow of logic in the mind." Daniel reminds himself.

Dan's work involves creating commercially viable AR solutions. The recession and an explosion of data-cops is drying out his streams of income.

He turns to close friend, Krish, a researcher in Artificial Intelligence, in the hope that they can come up with ideas for the Entertainment market. His girlfriend, Maya, and her family return to their homeland after her father passes away.

Dan and Maya continue their relationship via Dirrogates (Digital Surrogates), experiencing human touch through haptics. Krish gets a job at the prestigious A.I.R.I. Using AIRI's lab, Krish and Dan, create an advanced visor with Augmented Intelligence built in.

They dub it "Wizer."

A Board member at AIRI sees potential in the Wizer other than what Dan and Krish have in mind.

At a test in a nightclub, things go wrong...

Can the Wizer "insure memories" and be a catalyst to accelerate the journey toward eventual Singularity?

The (subtle) underlying philosophy in the story is about preparing the common man for our eventual Technological Singularity. If the goals of Transhumanism are to be embraced, they need to be explained to everyday people, in everyday language and using everyday settings. Only then can a road-map for Transhumanism be built.

Memories with Maya also poses the question: Can we transcend the Human Lifecycle?

The plausible science in the story details how AR & AI will merge to create Digital Surrogates in our own likeness - our DIRROGATES.




Daniel and his best friend Krish are on the fast track to success with their AI technology working for AIRI, when tragedy strikes one night at a night club during a demo. Maya, Daniels' girlfriend and Krish's sister, is gravely injured in the ensuing chaos. What comes from Maya's accident is a digital surrogate - a Dirrrogate - that brings to life the memory of Maya.

I really liked the story in MEMORIES WITH MAYA. I didn't really understand much of the digi-talk, but the story between the scientific lines was beautiful and thought provoking. The Wizer that Daniel and Krish created was very interesting, and I liked how Dsouza showed how it could be used for better or worse. In science fiction, there are a lot of very advanced technologies that are thought up, but that take us years to actually be able to create.

What Daniel created from his grief over Maya - a Dirrogate - brings to life the memory of the one he lost. In MEMORIES WITH MAYA, Daniel's creation of Maya's Dirrogate raises questions about ethics and religion. Is what he created right or wrong? Is he going mad for wanting such a realistic version of Maya around all the time? Or is he just a grieving man trying to keep the memory of the woman he loved alive? The grief process is different for everyone and Maya's Dirrogate is the manifestation of Daniel's.

MEMORIES WITH MAYA merges the lines between Transhumanist beliefs that technology can make humans a newer and better race and those of other religious beliefs. This thought provoking novel will make you contemplate the lengths we go to to move on, but also remember those we are grieving. It's a very fine line, and sometimes that line can be crossed, where how we grieve moves into the potentially unethical.



The Guy: Daniel is a very smart and versatile person. He's all about doing his own thing and doesn't like committing to any one person in a relationship. Not only does Daniel work on AI with his best friend Krish, but he also does his own version of high-tech DJing in night clubs. He had a casual relationship with Maya, until she moved back to India with her brother Krish. While I was reading, I felt that in some ways, Daniel seemed emotionally stunted. He doesn't show emotion very often and I think that is why it took him so long to commit to Maya. This may also be why he went kind of crazy in his grief, although sometimes genius comes out of crazy. In his work on AI, Daniel is more of the visual and ideas side of the equation, whereas Krish works on a lot of the coding and algorithms.

The Girl: Maya is a girl with dreams of working in classical dance. She's a beautiful girl, and she doesn't give up when others say she can't do something. She just works all the harder. Maya loves Daniel, but for fear of driving him away, she doesn't confess to him how she feels, until he comes to India to work on the Wizer project. She showed the ultimate sacrifice for the man she loved by protecting him while he was unable to do so himself. When I think of Maya, I think of her as a vision. It's hard to explain why I think of her this way, but it's like she's, well, a memory, a vision, being brought to life. And I guess technically in the end, she is.



In MEMORIES WITH MAYA, the villains are the ones responsible for the chaotic events that lead to her death. I won't say who they are, but what happened to cause Maya's death was based in the greed to corrupted men, working with a group of terrorists. They were greedy for money and power, and it didn't matter who had to pay the price for it.



There isn't much in the romance department in MEMORIES WITH MAYA, but it's all very heartbreaking in the end.

Maya and Daniel had a casual relationship going, until she moved back to India. They still had a casual long distance relationship, until Daniel went to India to work on the Wizer project. Things heated back up and Daniel finally committed himself to Maya, but it was all cut short that night at the club.

Their relationship is filled with regrets and missed opportunities. And those are some of the most heartbreaking scenes in the book.

I'm always really excited when the title of the book shows up in the story, and the moment when it does was very bittersweet. Using Maya's Dirrogate, Daniel is making new memories with Maya.


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