An epic story of romance and science fiction that is out of this world.
I won some of A. M. Hargrove’s books on her blog a while back. I am so glad that I got the first three books in this series. I wanted to read one, review one, read another, review another, but I couldn’t quit. I must go on! So I read them all, except for the newly released ReEmergent, which I will be reading very soon. Follow fundinmental for the upcoming reviews of the rest of the series.
Beginnings, the Prequel Novella for the Guardians of Vesturon and Survival, Book I of the Guardians of Vesturon are free. Grab your copies and dive into the wonderful world of A M Hargrove.
A M Hargrove is offering the rest of the series for the giveaway at the end of the post.
There is another giveaway going for Tragically Flawed. Scroll down to the end of the post for the link.
Maddie awoke to a winter wonderland in the Smoky Mountains. She made snow angels, feeling like she was in heaven. She knew she needed to head down the trail, so she packed up and began walking. She saw the tracks in the snow and thought it was lucky for her that she wasn’t all alone in the forest. Until she met HIM.
My mother had died in car accident when I was 11. My father and I were close and we loved to hike the Smoky Mountain Trails. He taught me everything I would need to know to survive in the wild. While still in high school, my father died of a heart attack. Now I was truly alone.
I wanted to go to a college that was close to the Smoky Mountain trails that I loved so much. My first day at college, I was happy when Cat and I hit it off so quickly. I thought how lucky I was that Cat loved hiking too. But Cat was going home for Christmas, so I would be backpacking alone for New Years.
Darryl had come to the Smoky Mountains to hunt and it wasn’t four legged prey he was after. 
It was Maddie’s bad luck to meet him on the trail.
Because of a lax moment, I had been caught off guard. I fought to pull myself together and control my wild thoughts. If I was to survive, I would have to use everything I knew.
He had laughed as he tortured me. How could someone be so evil? The pain overwhelmed me and I grew weaker by the second. I knew my time was running out. I couldn’t take much more. If I was going to make a move, it would have to be now.
I knew I was going over the cliff. I couldn’t save myself. I knew I would not survive.
The lights woke me. Am I in heaven?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“There are many things that are possible, if you only believe.”
A beautiful cover that quickly drew me into Maddie’s story of love, romance, tragedy and SURVIVAL.
All I have to see is serial killer and I will pick up the book. I knew this was going to be so much more than that. I couldn’t see how it would get to the sci-fi part, but Anne Hargrove’s writing made the story flow smoothly and seem so real, that I couldn’t put the book down.
If there are aliens, they would have to be so much more advanced than us. Who is to say what is out there. The Universe is a large place. Why are we so arrogant to think we are the only ones?
I can’t begin to describe the brutality of the attack on Maddie and the subsequent torture. Her strength and determination are qualities to be admired and Anne does a fantastic job in describing the scenes in detail. I can only think that it was her will to live that kept her alive long enough for a chance encounter to save her.
I know the answer to the mystery of her rescuer is coming and I am very curious.
I was so involved in the story, I couldn’t take the time to make notes.
As I try to put myself in her place, I can’t help but hope I would respond as well as she did.
Vesturions: “We are the peacekeepers of the universe, not the destroyers.”
To understand how the Vesturions fall in love so quickly, I must explain. Vesturions bond to their soul-mate and it is for life. It is a physical thing and it consumes them. They have a high regard and reverence for their mate. To a human it would seem they are overly possessive and that could cause many problems. I chuckle as I think about the things in store for a man of Vesturon who dares to fall in love with a human, especially one as strong and independent as Maddie.
A M Hargrove’s description of Maddie dancing made me think of Elaine on Friends. I could picture it in my mind as I laughed. The book contains a lot of humor and it is woven into the story so well it seems as if I am a part of it, laughing along with the characters.
Maddie tries to explain our sayings and slang to the Vesturions:
animal that ate the bird – cat that swallowed the canary
cow in a glass store – bull in a china shop
feel like we are heading into the wolves – being fed to the wolves
When I got to the last page, the last paragraph, the last sentence, the last word, I couldn’t stop. This book has an awesome cliffhanger. I HAD to know what would happen. So I grabbed the next book and jumped right in. And the next book.
Again I would like to thank Anne Hargrove for the giveaway that brought Survival and the Guardians of Vesturon to me!
5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn’t do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase. Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodgeball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head. Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what lap top out the window. She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone and hit #4 on her speed dial.
Boss: Hello
A.M.: Boss, is that you?
Boss: Why yes, A. M., who else would be answering my phone?
A.M.: Er… right. Well, I’m calling to let you know you can pick up my luxury Ford Focus at Starbucks near the interstate.
Boss: Why ever would I want to do that?
A.M.: Because I quit!
A.M. hit the end button and speed dialed her husband.
A.M.: Hi hubs, can you pick me up at Starbucks?
Hubs: Sure… Having some car trouble?
A.M.: Not at all. I don’t have a car to have trouble with because I just quit my job.
Hubs: WHAT?!
A.M.: It’s time for a new career and I am going to be a very famous novelist.
So began A. M. Hargrove’s career as an author of self-published books. Her books include the Young Adult/New Adult series, The Guardians of Vesturon (Survival, Resurrection, Determinant and the novella Beginnings) and the Adult novels Dark Waltz (A Praestani Novel) and Edge of Disaster. (It didn’t happen exactly like that, but you get the idea!)
Stalk A M Hargrove
To purchase your copy of any of A.M.Hargrove’s books, simply click on the cover below.
To see my 5 STAR review and to enter the fantastic Giveaway for an Ipad mini and an original necklace designed like the one Shan gave Riviera in Tragically Flawed, go HERE.
My Review for Edge of Disaster
~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
A M Hargrove has the first two books, Beginninngs and Survival free. She is offering for the giveaway the rest of The Guardians of Vesturon Series – Resurrection, Determinant and ReEmergent. Giveaway is International. Entry is easy peasy. Simple leave your email and answer the question:
Do you believe in Aliens?
Giveaway ends November 4, 2013.
WINNER!! The winner is Georgiann.
Congratulations and happy reading. I hope you enjoy the Survival Series as much as I did!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn’t do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase. Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodgeball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head. Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what lap top out the window. She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone and hit #4 on her speed dial.
