google-site-verification: google935433b691795853.html KRISTY BERRIDGE: 2013-01-20

Saturday 26 January 2013

Australia Day 2013


Well, today is the 26th of January, otherwise known as Australia Day in my country. 
To most Australians this means an opportunity to kick back in a pair of thongs (the shoe variety), fire up the barbecue and down a slab of beer. It also presents us with a public holiday on the first working day back after the weekend and an excuse to eat too much meat and bask in the sun.
I must be European.
At present I'm cowering inside my air conditioned home, ducking and weaving the incoming rays of sunshine determined to stream through my living room windows. My fridge is absent of alcohol because it makes me sweat like a baboon and my hubby is still whingeing that we don't own a barbecue. And, although we do have sausages on the menu tonight, they will be cooked in a casserole, not over an open flame. I won't be listening to Men at Work, ACDC, Jet, Cold Chisel or any other Aussie bands that may instill me with a deep sense of patriotism.
In fact, I'm probably going to kick back on the sofa, watch several episodes of Sons of Anarchy and eat ice-cream until my stomach explodes. 
Am I the only one who doesn't especially care about their country's earmarked day of celebration? Am I the only person who is merely grateful for the extra day off work? Am I about to have my house egged and my windows smashed by fat men in stubbies and dirty blue singlets?
Probably.
Well, cheers to those of you that eat Vegemite, go surfing, barbeque shrimp and scream Oi Oi Oi at the football - I hope you have a fabulous Australia Day. For those of you like me perhaps labelled lazy and decidedly un-Australian, feel free to message me with your planned activities for this long weekend. I'm curious to see how many of you skipped the day of backyard cricket in lieu of something cooler and non-athletic.
Have a good one,

Kristy :)

Friday 25 January 2013

Follow Friday #54


Happy Friday everyone!
Yes, it’s that time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics each week.
Participating is simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you can follow me on Twitter @kristyberridge (actually you don’t have to do this, it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …
Then you must follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/ and Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/ If you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all directions are on their webpages
Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right thing and follow you back!

This week's question: What is the last book that kept you up late into the night just to finish it?

My Answer: The Fifty Shades Series
Honestly, this series really spun me out. I've never read anything quite like it and I just had to know how it would end, if the characters would remain consistent or if everything would change. 
But I lie.
I was as morbidly fascinated with this seemingly taboo subject matter as everyone else.

Thursday 24 January 2013

Book Review: Dead Embers by T.G. Ayer

Dead Embers by the talented author T.G Ayer ... what can I say? 
This secondary novel in the Valkyrie series is packed so full of action and adventure that there's barely a moment's pause. Where other books may accentuate the blossoming love between protagonists or explore the gritty side of crime, T.G Ayer stays right on the money, never losing sight of her plot, it's ever-thickening drama and the overall end game.
Picking up where the first novel left off, we once again follow the action and musings of Bryn Halbrook - recently inducted Valkyrie, skilled fighter, treasure hunter and soldier of the gods.
Bryn is still shadowed by the choices of her last mission, the love of her mortal life Aidan, poisoned by the trickster god Loki and relegated to the depths of Hel. Still expected to requisition the recently deceased from Midguard, and re-establish the warrior ranks in Asgard, Bryn is forced to focus on her latest mission - discovering why the chosen warriors bookmarked to stand in the fight with Odin during the approaching war are plagued with a sticky, black substance stealing the chance of rebirth.
Teamed with this mystery, Bryn is challenged by the trust of her friends, tasked with an aside mission into the dwarf compound to kill the evil queen, cure the sick granddaughter of a dragon shifter while still finding time to lead other Valkyries into battle and find a way to bring Aidan back from Hel and into her arms.
Hands down this sequel excels the first. Why? There was not one moment where dialogue seemed monotonous or pointless. Action was fast-paced and necessitated through carefully constructed piecing in the plot. Answers from the first book were uncovered as well as a few new mysteries added for spice. Above all the characters maintained complete consistency and I found myself drawn to a few of them, wishing I could read their side stories, delve deeper into their pasts and unearth greater content.
All in all this was an exceptionally well written novel with detailed imagery and tempered back story. Without bias I will happily be rating this novel four and a half fangs out of five and look forward to the next chapter in Bryn Halbrook's very coloured unlife.

Synopsis:

Valkyrie-in-training Bryn Halbrook just can't catch a break. With her boyfriend stuck in Hel and the taunting laughter of Loki still ringing in her ears, she struggles to concentrate on her training and duties in Odin's realm. The last thing she expects or wants is more adventure—but then treachery, a shocking abduction and a chilling discovery send her forth on another perilous, globe-hopping mission.
As the ultimate battle, Ragnarok, draws closer, it's a race against time for Bryn, Fenrir and their team to discover who kidnapped her foster brother from the halls of Asgard and what's causing the mysterious deaths of so many of Odin's chosen warriors.
In the exciting sequel to DEAD RADIANCE, Bryn encounters dwarfs and dragons, new friends and old foes—but worst enemy of all may be the person she trusts most!