Reading With Monie

Feature & Follow #1

2012-01-26T21:36:00.000-06:00

This is my very first meme ever so I hope I'm doing this right!!
For more information on how you can participate click on the button above.

This week's question
Q: Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?

A: Classics! I read to be entertained and I've found that the classics are just too stuffy and hard to get through. I like my books to take me away to another world not to make me concentrate on understanding what the heck they are saying!

Review: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

2012-01-26T13:54:00.002-06:00

Poppy Wyatt is in big, big trouble. In the melee of a fire alarm going off during a hotel conference she’s somehow lost her engagement ring which is a treasured family heirloom. As she steps outside to get better cell reception phone is snatched right out of her hands. On the bright side, as she’s pacing in the hotel lobby she spies a cell phone in the trash can and snatches it right up. Taking the saying finder’s keepers to heart Poppy quickly gives everyone the new number out to all her contacts.

When the calls start coming in Poppy learns that the phone belongs to the former PA of businessman Sam Roxton who after much negotiation allows Poppy to keep the phone until she can replace hers. As part of the agreement Poppy has to forward all Sam’s emails but curiosity gets the better of her and she starts reading all the messages. When she decides to “help” Sam out by replying to important work issues, the craziness begins.

I completely enjoyed reading I’ve Got Your Number but I have to say, if you’ve read any of the Shopaholic books by Kinsella you’ve basically read this one. Poppy is the same character as Becky Bloomwood and Sam is the same as Luke Brandon and the ending was pretty predictable. One thing that set this book apart from that series was the use of footnotes. Poppy’s fiancé Magnus and his family come from a family of academics and Poppy feels inferior to them so she uses footnotes in the story to seem smarter. They are at times informative, cute, funny or snarky and add just the extra touch this book needed to make it a winner. I highly recommend this one for all chick-lit readers.

Win Kill Shot (Mitch Rapp #12) by Vince Flynn

2012-01-25T20:36:00.000-06:00

#1 INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR VINCE FLYNN DELIVERS THE YOUNG, HUNGRY, AND LETHAL MITCH RAPP AT THE ONSET OF HIS CAREER AS A CIA SUPERAGENT.

In the year since the CIA trained and then unleashed him, Mitch Rapp has been steadily working his way through a list of men, bullet by bullet. With each swift and untraceable kill, the tangled network of monsters responsible for the slaughter of 270 civilians in the Pan Am Lockerbie attack become increasingly aware that someone is hunting them. Rapp is given his next target, and finds the man asleep in his bed in Paris. In the split second it takes the bullet to leave Rapp’s silenced pistol, the trap is sprung and he finds himself in the fight of his life.

The next morning, nine bodies are discovered in one of Paris’s finest hotels—among them the Libyan oil minister. Back in Washington the finger-pointing begins in earnest as no one wants any part in what has become an international crisis and potential embarrassment for the CIA. Rapp’s handlers have only one choice—deny any responsibility for the incident and pray that their newest secret weapon stays that way.

Rapp must avoid capture or die quietly. One person in the group, however, is not prone to leaving such important things to chance. Rapp has become a liability, and Stan Hurley will not allow Rapp to be taken alive by the French authorities, even if it means killing him. Operating on his own and outside the control of his handlers, it will soon become clear that nothing is more dangerous than a wounded and cornered Mitch Rapp.

In Flynn’s newest page-turner, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been as Mitch Rapp embarks on the journey that will turn him into America’s most deadly asset. The nonstop action in this shockingly realistic political thriller will keep your pulse pounding till the very end.

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Review: The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells

2012-01-25T01:55:00.006-06:00

Half vampire, half mage Sabina Kane was raised by her grandmother who just happens to be the leader of the Dominae council which controls all vamps. Recently Sabina learned that her grandmother was actually trying to kill her so she flees to the east coast. Sabina learned that she has a twin sister there, Maisie who was raised as a mage. In the middle of learning to use and control her mage powers Sabina steps right into a heap of trouble when she's out for a midnight snack. And on top of that, things are looking more and more like war with the Dominae is inevitable and Sabina suddenly becomes the target of someone who will stop at nothing to see her dead.

The Mage in Black is book two of the Sabina Kane series. I really didn't remember much about book one in the series, Red-Headed Stepchild, so I went back and read my review to refresh my memory before starting this book. I gave book one a glowing five star review and was disappointed that I couldn't give this one the same.

Sabina was too stereotypically vampy in this one. She was tough and kick ass in the first book but in this one she ran across one obstacle after another. Plus being an assassin it doesn't make any sense that she would regret a killing to the point where she pukes just remembering it just because the kill was done using her newly forming magic. It just didn't mesh with the character I remember.

Another disappointment with this book was Sabina's demon familiar, Giguhl. In book one he was wise cracking and loved the home shopping network. In this one he's kind of whiny, strains his groin and falls sappily in love. Nothing seemed to work together as well as it did in the first one.

I'm hoping the next book in the series, Green-Eyed Demon pulls it all back together otherwise I'll be quitting this series. I liked the book but I'll hold off my recommendation until I read the third book in the series.

Review: Blank Slate Kate by Heather Wardell

2012-01-24T13:00:00.001-06:00

Read an Excerpt Author's Website
Seventeen year old Kate Anderson wakes up one morning and finds herself naked and in bed with a stranger. But wait... something is seriously wrong here... who is that adult staring back at her in the mirror? Somehow Kate woke up missing the last fifteen years of her life and she's now a thirty-two year old woman with no idea what made her lose her memory. With the help of Jake, the guy whose bed she woke up in, Kate tries to find out who she really is all the while wondering if she lost those years for a reason.
Ack!! There are so many things I want to say and describe about this book but I can't without giving away any spoilers. All I can really say is that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and stayed up late more than once anxious to find out what and why Kate forgot about her past. This is my first Wardell book and I will definitely be reading more by this author. This is a must read for all romance lovers.

Excerpt: Blank Slate Kate by Heather Wardell

2012-01-24T01:19:00.000-06:00

Blank Slate Kate by Heather Wardell

Waking up with a strange man is scary. Realizing you lost fifteen years of your life overnight? That's terrifying. With her memories from seventeen to thirty-two gone, Kate has no idea who she is and where she belongs. As she begins to fall for the man who found her, she wonders if she forgot those years for a reason. Should she keep trying to retrieve her original self, or start a new life?

Excerpt

Chapter One

My mouth tastes awful, like a thousand people have used it as an ashtray and garbage can. As I try to work up enough spit to swallow, my head begins to pound and my stomach churns. The flu's been going around my high school and I must have caught it. I want to yell for Mom but my throat's too dry, so I force my sleep-sticky eyes open so I can get out of bed.

Horror fills me, shocking the sick feelings away.

I'm not in my bed. I'm in a strange bed facing a sleeping guy. A guy I don't know. An old guy.

I can't breathe. Did I lose my virginity to him last night? I was going to wait until I got married. What happened? How did I end up here?

I scrabble backward and half-fall out of the bed, but before I can run away dizziness sweeps me and I throw up on the worn rug between my feet.

The guy blinks and sits up. "Kate? You okay?"

I stare at him. Kate? It doesn't feel right. I'm...

I don't know. I'm not getting Kate back as my name. I'm not getting anything else back either. My mind is blank.

I don't know who I am.

I'm in a strange man's bedroom, with no idea who I am.

The shock twists my stomach beyond what I can stand, and as I bend over to puke again I realize, as if everything else weren't bad enough, that I'm naked. I don't worry about anything but barfing for the next few unpleasant seconds, but when I'm done I wrap my arms around my body to hide myself and take a quick peek at the guy.

He's out of bed now, fortunately wearing boxer shorts. I do not want my first sight of a guy's thing to be like this. Still, he's mostly naked, so I look away again as he says, "You're not okay. Geez, you must have drunk even more than I thought. I'll get you a glass of water."

He doesn't seem mad that I threw up on his floor, and I'd love some water, but I can't get past what he said. I was drinking? "I'm seventeen," I snap at him. "I don't drink."

His mouth falls open. "You're..."

We had sex. His horror tells me so. I can't believe I did it. I did it and I don't even remember it. "Yeah. You had sex with a minor. And if I was drinking, you made me do it. You're a rapist. And a..." I can't think of a word for 'making people drink' so I say, "You're a bad man."

"Kate, I didn't--"

"I'm not Kate!" My shriek hurts my own ears and reawakens my headache, and it makes him stumble back a few steps. "I don't know who I am but I'm not Kate. Stop calling me that!"

"You're... you don't..." He trails off and rubs a hand over his stubbled chin.

I had sex, drunk sex, sex I don't remember, with an actual man, one old enough to need a daily shave. My stomach flips over again and I give a nasty burp but don't throw up. One good thing today, at least.

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Then his eyes flicker down my body.

"Hey!" I grab a pillow and hold it to cover myself.

He blushes. "I... sorry. Look, I'm just totally confused." Another long deep breath, then he says, "Okay. Your name is not Kate. You're seventeen, and you don't drink. Have I got it right?"

I'm confused too. I'm a good girl. My mother always says I'm perfect. How did I end up here? "Yeah. That's right."

He rubs his chin again. "Look. I think we need to talk, okay? But we should both get dressed."

He's pretty cute, if you like older men, so it would be easier to talk to him if I couldn't see his naked chest and legs and the bulge of his-- "Yeah," I say, quickly pulling my eyes back to his face. "Yeah, we should."

He takes a step toward me and I flinch. "Oh, sorry. I was just going to grab some clothes from the dresser." He points.

I step aside, turning to keep the pillow between my body and his eyes, and watch him dig through a few messy drawers.

"Okay," he says once he's gathered his clothes and moved a safe distance from me. "You get dressed and come meet me in the living room. Just outside the door. I'll make some coffee. Do you like coffee?"

I shake my head. "My mother says it'll stunt my growth so I've never had it."

He blinks, once, like he's startled, then says, "I'll make hot chocolate. Does that work?"

Despite how weird everything is I have to smile a little at his clear concern for me. "Yeah. That'd be great."

"I'll see you in the living room. Take your time."

He leaves, closing the door behind him.

I drop the pillow then drop onto the bed. I don't want to go to the living room and talk to the man who took advantage of me last night.

He must have had sex with me. Why else would I be naked? I don't hurt down there, though, and my friend Chloe was in pain for days after her first time, so maybe he didn't.

I hate that I don't know.

I glance around, looking for another way out, and see a glass balcony door behind broken blinds. Unfortunately, a closer look shows that we're way high up, so jumping off the balcony isn't a good plan.

I stand to the side of the door so nobody can see my nakedness and peer out and down. I don't recognize the busy city street below. Where am I?

Giving up on escaping, I begin to look for my clothes. I can't find anything that belongs to me, although there's a beige bra, with matching panties hanging out of a pair of jeans, and a gray sweater and gray socks scattered around the room. It's the only stuff I can find amid the mess that doesn't seem like his, so I gather everything into a pile then reach for the bra.

A movement across the room startles me until I realize a mirror on the wall opposite the bed is reflecting my own movement.

A mirror. Maybe I can see what's wrong with my head. It still really hurts, right at the top. He didn't hit me, did he?

I move closer, but stop well before I can check my head.

Who the hell is that?

The girl in the reflection looks like my older exhausted sister. If I had a sister. Her hair's shorter than I've ever had mine, and dark brown where mine is blonde. Her eyes are the same blue as mine but there are wrinkles around them, not big ones but definite creases, and wrinkles around her mouth too. Laugh lines, I think they call them. Well, I'm not laughing.

I raise my hands to my face, confused and terrified, and she does the same.

My eyes slide down the reflection's body, taking in her shape. It's like I've melted somehow. Everything's a little lower and wider than it should be. I didn't even bother with a bra sometimes and this body definitely needs one, and probably a heavy-duty one to boot. The reflection isn't fat, not really, but it's got a squishy stomach and bulgy hips...

And a tattoo.

It's cute, actually, five happy-looking little yellow cartoon ducks marching along in a neat row around the top of her right thigh.

I look down. The same tattoo is on my right thigh.

I can't get my head around it, but this is my body. It has to be. Every movement I make is duplicated by the girl, the woman, in the mirror, and this tattoo is definitely on my leg. Unless someone's playing a really elaborate and well-planned trick on me this is my body.

But how did I age this much overnight?

I swallow and again notice the awful taste in my mouth, now even worse because I threw up. Clearly I had a rough night, so maybe I'm just really tired. Everything's sagging because I'm exhausted. That could happen, right?

Probably not. And even if it could, there's still the tattoo.

The man put it on me as a joke?

I scratch at a duck but nothing comes off. It looks real.

Trying so hard to understand what's going on makes my head hurt even more, so I stop trying. I'll get dressed, go out there, and make that man tell me what's going on.

*****

The living room is the kind of mess that always makes my mother yell "Clean up your room!" except for one corner, where metal tools are precisely arranged along a pegboard on the wall and a huge something stands nearly to the ceiling under a black cloth.

"What's that?"

The guy, standing by the window, turns to face me and sees where I'm pointing. "A sculpture. I'm an artist."

As he's wearing a t-shirt with a faded Toronto Hogs hockey team logo and ripped jeans, I assume he's not a good artist, but I say, "Cool," anyhow because I don't want to make him angry at me. I need to know what's going on.

I take a breath to start asking questions, but he says, "Your hot chocolate's here. And I made toast too. In case you're hungry."

Since I emptied my stomach in dramatic fashion, I am hungry. Then I remember. "I didn't clean your rug. I'm sorry, I'll--"

He shakes his head. "Sit down. The carpet's old and cruddy anyhow. I'll throw it out later. Drink your hot chocolate. Then we'll talk."

I sink onto the grungy couch and he takes an armchair across from me. I hold my warm mug and realize that I don't want to talk. Things are too weird for this to be a simple misunderstanding or some kind of prank, and I'm afraid to find out what's going on. Something must be: I'm wearing clothes that I don't recognize but which fit me perfectly, my hair's shorter and darker than yesterday even though I've always loved being blonde and having long hair, and I have a tattoo of ducks when my favorite animal is... um...

"Eagle!"

He blinks. "Pardon?"

I shake my head, feeling silly. "Nothing. Sorry. Just remembered something."

He sets down his mug. "What was it?"

I shrug. "I couldn't remember my favorite animal for a second then it came to me. No big deal."

He nods slowly, as if this is deep and meaningful. "What else do you remember? About last night, and me... and you."

I take a long sip of my hot chocolate and it wakes up my stomach. "Can I have some toast?"

"Of course." He pushes the plate across the coffee table.

I take a slice and try to eat it with some sort of control but the moment the bread crunches in my mouth I'm so hungry I could eat the plate too. I put away the toast in no time, then another piece, but when I reach for a third he says, "That's probably enough for now. Since you were sick."

I'm about to protest when my stomach protests instead and I realize he's probably right. "Okay. But I'll want more later."

"Fine." He gives me a smile, friendly but somehow wary too. "So, what do you remember?"

I lick my lips. "Waking up with you."

He shifts in his chair, and I'm sure we're both thinking the same thing. Me exploding naked from his bed then puking on his floor. "Okay. And before that?"

I stare at the toast, thinking. I remember Mrs. Sosa announcing a math test and everyone groaning. "I was at school yesterday. I was there, then somehow I'm here. It's blank in the middle, like how I felt when I had my tonsils out two years ago. But I knew what happened to the time then. I don't know how I got here."

Panic's rising in me and he must see it because he says soothingly, "It's okay. Don't worry, we'll figure it out. Do you know where you live?"

I take a deep breath and try to calm down. I don't know my address at first, but then it comes to me. "3278 West Maple Avenue, apartment 213. We've lived there all my life."

He clears his throat. "That's the low-rise condo building at West Maple and King Street, right?"

"Yup."

He looks like he's filtering a million things to say and coming up with nothing good.

"What?"

"God, I wish Hannah were here," he mutters under his breath.

"Who's Hannah?" Renewed horror hits me. "You're not married, are you? I didn't... sleep with..."

"We didn't have sex," he says, leaning toward me. "I swear to you, we didn't. I wouldn't do that. You were in a fight outside the bar where I work, drunk and freaking out, and in the end I brought you here."

He seems sincere about the sex thing, and I should be relieved but now I have more worries. I was fighting outside a bar? My mother's going to kill me. "I don't drink, I told you."

"Yeah, you did." He sighs. "Look, we'll get back to that. I have to tell you something."

I wait, nervousness flooding me.

"That condo building burned down three years ago."

I stare at him. "Of course it didn't. I live there. With my parents and my little brother Ethan. Why would you say that? Are you trying to scare me?" More than you already have?

He looks as scared as I feel. "Do you know what day it is?"

Finally, something I can answer without any trouble. "My friend Chloe's birthday was yesterday," I say. "So today is March twentieth. Wednesday."

I'm relieved to remember but he looks even more scared. "What year?"

"1996. Duh."

His hand covers his mouth but I can see the horror in his eyes.

When he doesn't speak, I do. "What's the problem?"

He clears his throat. "It's... um. No, it's not. That's not the date."

"Of course it is," I say, but the back of my mind doubts my own words. Something's very wrong here, and I've known that since I woke up in his bed.

He clears his throat again. "It's March fourth today. Friday."

I've gone back in time? No, that can't be. I look down at my hands, which are perfectly manicured instead of my usual bitten-nail look and seem to belong to someone much older than seventeen, and a horrible possibility hits me. It can't be, but... "What year?" I manage to whisper.

He leans back in his chair. "2011."

And don't miss the free ebook from Heather Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many. Get your free copy now through January 27th here.

Review: Honey Badger Don't Care: Randall's Guide to Crazy, Nastyass Animals by Randall

2012-01-23T12:36:00.001-06:00

So, if you're one of the few people who haven't yet seen the hilarious YouTube video The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger, I'll give you a moment to watch the video below (NSFW):

Are you done laughing? Now pick up this book and laugh again. Honey Badger Don't Care features the same snarky and witty commentary on eleven animals some of which are scary, nastyass animals like the Aye-Aye (that name alone is enough to scare me, and the Opossum (a.k.a. gargoyley hellcat) and some are super cute like the Pink Fairy Armadillo (an outrageously shelly survivor).

Throughout the whole book Randall combines interesting educational facts with his hilarious commentary. And through it all you can hear Randall's voice as you're reading along. I highly recommend this one for teens and above who love a good laugh since there is some colorful language in the book.

Review: The Ocean and the Hourglass by Dan O'Brien

2012-01-20T11:33:00.000-06:00

Life has been hard on Nicholas Miles. His father left him and his mother when he was younger and his mother uses alcohol to deny that reality. Added to that, he’s bullied at school because he loves to get lost in his reading adventures. One morning when three bullies confront him and tear up one of his favorite comic book, Nicholas runs away to the library. The librarian immediately realizes what happened and shares something special with him; a book and an hourglass. Together they transport Nicholas to the land of his comic book hero and the adventure begins.

If you loved the movie The Neverending Story you will love The Ocean and the Hourglass. Nicholas goes on an epic adventure with the book guiding his way. The world and characters that O’Brien brings to life is amazing and vivid. The only reason I didn’t give the book five stars was because of the ending. The fantasy portion of the story was wrapped up nicely and the reality portion of the story had the beginnings of a wrap up but I wish I knew more of what happened to Nicholas once he got back. Other than that this is a perfect adventure for YA readers or anyone who loves a great fantasy read.

Hell's Corner by David Baldacci

2012-01-19T14:06:00.002-06:00

UPDATED: January 24, 2012

John Carr, aka Oliver Stone-once the most skilled assassin his country ever had-stands in Lafayette Park in front of the White House, perhaps for the last time. The president has personally requested that Stone serve his country again on a high-risk, covert mission. Though he's fought for decades to leave his past career behind, Stone has no choice but to say yes.

Then Stone's mission changes drastically before it even begins. It's the night of a state dinner honoring the British prime minister. As he watches the prime minister's motorcade leave the White House that evening, a bomb is detonated in Lafayette Park, an apparent terrorist attack against both leaders. It's in the chaotic aftermath that Stone takes on a new, more urgent assignment: find those responsible for the bombing.

British MI-6 agent Mary Chapman becomes Stone's partner in the search for the unknown attackers. But their opponents are elusive, capable, and increasingly lethal; worst of all, it seems that the park bombing may just have been the opening salvo in their plan. With nowhere else to turn, Stone enlists the help of the only people he knows he can trust: the Camel Club. Yet that may be a big mistake.

In the shadowy worlds of politics and intelligence, there is no one you can really trust. Nothing is really what it seems to be. And Hell's Corner truly lives up to its name. This may be Oliver Stone's and the Camel Club's last stand.

DNF: Books I Did Not Finish in 2012

2012-01-19T13:31:00.001-06:00

Hopefuly this list will be very small. I usually try to keep reading even if I the book doesn't grab me right off because something about the book interested me enough for me to pick it up in the first place but if I just can't get through it I'll post it here.

If you've read anything on this list I'd love for you to let me know if you finished the book and what you thought of it.

Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb by Kirsten Miller

I put this one down about 5 chapters in. I read book 1, Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City, back in 2008 and remember loving it but I guess my tastes have changed in the past few years. I haven't been picking up as many juvenile or YA books as I used to. The stories just aren't believable and I have a hard time getting into them.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

2012-01-18T16:08:00.000-06:00

In the distant future all teens must make a life changing choice when they turn sixteen. Society is now divided into five groups called factions. There are Abnegation (selfless) , which Beatrice Prior and her brother Caleb grew up in, Candor (honest), Dauntless (brave), Amity ( peaceful) and Erudite (intelligent). They are then initiated into their groups and taught all the rules of their faction all in effort to become the “perfect society”.

But Beatrice is one of only a few who don’t have a clear faction after taking the required aptitude tests. People like her are called Divergent and being Divergent is extremely dangerous so much so that she has to keep the results secret and choose a faction anyway. Shunning her family Beatrice chooses another faction, renames herself Tris and begins the long and hard initiation. But things in this so called perfect society aren’t what they seem and being Divergent means Tris can see past what the leaders want everyone to see and with the help of another Divergent she wants to make things right for her and family.

Divergent was another book that fell victim to the “Too much hype” curse. So many times I’ll read a book that has many, many positive reviews that claim the book was amazing while I struggle to get through it. People compared Divergent to The Hunger Games which I had just finished so I thought I would give it a try.

First off the story was just not too interesting. Without revealing any spoilers, while Tris is being initiated and trained she begins to hear rumors that two factions are gearing up to start war on another faction. On top of this she is trying to hide the fact that she is Divergent but there’s just not enough action to keep me entertained.

Secondly the story is just not believable enough for me. There is no way that society can be divided into just five groups. If this were realistic the factionless (people who don’t fit into any faction) would be the majority not the factions. Plus I’m supposed to believe that this perfect society relies on 16 and 18 year olds are going to lead the training and security of the faction. Where are all the adults?

Honestly if I was reading this one instead of listening to it on audio I would have given up but since it was audio I hung in to the end. Towards the last 1/3 of the book the pace picked up and I started to enjoy the book more but I was still disappointed that it didn’t live up to the hype. I would recommend this one for sci-fi fans as a library read or audio book.

Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2012-01-17T17:21:00.000-06:00

Amazon Product Description:
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

My Review:
So by now I'm sure that everyone has either read or at least heard of The Hunger Games. I actually read the book in May 2010 and just finished listening to the audio book this month for my book club but never reviewed it. I absolutely adored The Hunger Games. The way that Katniss progresses from thinking she would never survive the games to dominating them is told so well and at such a fast pace that even though I read the book once before I was on the edge of my seat again. This is a must read if you love sci-fi/dystopian novels. I cannot wait to see the movie which will be out March 23, 2012!!

Review: Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls by Victoria Laurie

2012-01-12T17:30:00.001-06:00

Ghost Hunter M.J. Holliday and her team have gone from the frying pan, in their last adventure, to the fire during their latest assignment for their reality TV show Ghoul Getters. They are investigating Dunlow Castle which is known to be haunted by a malevolent phantom that guards a hidden stash of gold. On their first foray into the castle their producer, Gopher, comes up missing and if they phantom has his way Gopher is gone forever.

With each new book in in this series I have been just a little more disappointed than the last book. Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls is book 5 in the series that started off so fun. In the beginning it had me eagerly awaiting the next release but now I’m to the point that I’m thinking of giving up on the series completely. M.J,’s assistant Gilley was such a whiny, petulant, brat in this book that each time he threw a fit I wanted to throw the book in the trash. Ugh! Additionally this book was pretty much a repeat of the last book with just a different location. Overall it ended well but I’m seriously thinking about whether I want to read the next book up, Ghoul Interrupted. I’m on the fence about recommending this one so I’ll just say if you’re a fan of paranormal romance this one might be for you if you start with book 1 in the series.

Epic Kindle Giveaway from authors Scott Nicholson, J.R. Rain, Aiden James, H.T. Night

2012-01-11T00:01:00.029-06:00

Want to win a Kindle Fire? Authors Aiden James, Scott Nicholson, J. R. Rain, and H.T. Night are teaming up Jan. 11-13 to give away $1,000 in prizes, including four Kindle Fires, $200 in Amazon gift cards, and
45 free Kindle books.

There are four ways to enter during Jan. 11-13:

Share this blog post on social media using the Share This link at the end of this post and include the #epickindlegiveaway hashtag. Once you share the post leave the link to your share in the comments section here on this post.
Follow the authors on Facebook (J.R. Rain, H.T. Night, Aiden James, and Scott Nicholson) and look for "Click to share" posts
Follow Ereader News Today on Facebook and click to share their free book bundles
Go to their free books on Amazon, click "like" and then "share" each book on Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtags “free for #kindle” and “#epickindlegiveaway”

TODAY’S FREE KINDLE BOOKS

Scott Nicholson

The Red Church (supernatural thriller) Amazon US Amazon UK;
As I Die Lying (psychological thriller) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Creative Spirit (haunted house thriller) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Disintegration (suspense thriller) Amazon US AmazonUK;
The Harvest (technothriller) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Zombie Bits (zombie stories) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Transparent Lovers (paranormal mystery) Amazon US Amazon UK

H.T. Night

A Boy's Life (Young Adult) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Boy Meets Girl (Young Adult) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Everlasting Love (Poetry) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Getting Yours (Romantic Comedy) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Paranormal Love Stories (Vampire/Werewolf Love Story) Amazon US Amazon UK;
The Werewolf Whisperer (Vampire Romance) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Vampire Love Story (Vampire Romance) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Winning Sarah’s Heart: Back to School (YA Romance) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Winning Sarah’s Heart: Boys Being boys (YA Romance) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Vampires and Werewolves Beginnings (Vampire Romance) Amazon US

J.R. Rain
ARTHUR - A modern-day spiritual adventure Amazon US Amazon UK;
BLACK RAIN: 15 Short Stories Amazon US Amazon UK;
CURSED - Supernatural horror thriller Amazon US Amazon UK;
DARK QUESTS: Two Adventure Screenplays Amazon US AmazonUK;
ELVIS HAS NOT LEFT THE BUILDING - A murder mystery Amazon US Amazon UK;
GHOST COLLEGE - A supernatural mystery Amazon US Amazon UK;
THE LOST ARK - An adventure novel Amazon US;
THE VAMPIRE WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO -mystery novella Amazon US Amazon UK

Aiden James
Aiden James Vampires (Vampire adventure) Amazon US AmazonUK;
Cursed Immortals (Supernatural Thriller/Vampires) Amazon US Amazon UK;
The Vampires’ Birthright (Vampire adventure) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Cades Cove (Horror/Mystery) Amazon US Amazon UK;
Vampire Twist (Vampire adventure/Mystery) Amazon US Amazon UK

If one of the four authors hits #1 on the Kindle Free list, they will give away another Kindle Fire. If at any time during the event, the four authors hold all the Top 10 slots on the Kindle Free list, they will give away a sixth kindle. The bonus Kindle winners will be selected using the #epickindlegiveaway hashtags on Facebook and Twitter.

The Facebook and Twitter hashtags must accompany a link to one of the free books, a participating book blog, or the contest home page at http://epickindlegiveaway.blogspot.com/ or it won’t count as a valid entry. Thanks, good luck, and enjoy the free books!

Review: Naked Heat by Richard Castle

2012-01-10T17:15:00.000-06:00

When Detective Nikki Heat gets called to her most recent crime scene she gets two surprises. The victim is the despised gossip columnist, Cassidy Towne and who should happen to be sitting in Cassidy’s kitchen? None other the Jameson Rook, the journalist who was shadowing Nikki and her team and who also happened to be the one that used to steam up Nikki’s sheets. Once again they team up and try to solve Cassidy’s murder and there are plenty of suspects to choose from.

Naked Heat is a book within a TV series. The hit ABC show, Castle, is about Detective Kate Beckett and author Richard Castle and within the series Castle is releasing his books that are written based on Beckett. Characters within Naked Heat mirror the characters on the show which makes this read a lot of fun. Read my review of book one in the series, Naked Heat, here. I recommend this for all suspense lovers even if you haven’t read book one in the series or don’t watch the TV show.

Enter to win an Apple iPad 2 or Kindle Fire from Rafflecopter

2012-01-10T10:06:00.004-06:00

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Real Vampires Don't Wear Size Six by Gerry Bartlett

2012-01-09T13:55:00.000-06:00

Now that Glory St. Clair has finally rid herself of the demon that inhabited her body she hopes that life will return to normal. No such luck. The Austin Vampire Council just stuck her with a newly turned vampire. She has to show the young college student the ropes but Penny is a super genius who thinks she knows it all and can do it all herself.

In the middle of dealing with the headstrong new vamp, two demons show up and as punishment for Valdez using his demon powers the demons demand that Glory collects souls for Lucifer. They tempt her into working for the devil by promising to make Glory a size six and allow her to see her reflection which she hasn’t seen in over 400 years.

As much as she’d love to be a size six again Glory turns them down but agrees to collect one soul to get Valdez out of trouble. As Glory works on a plan to collect that soul she gets a visit from Lucifer himself that shakes her to the core.

Real Vampires Don't Wear Size Six is book seven in the Glory St. Clair series and if the next book in the series doesn’t wow me like the first few books did I’ll be giving up on this series. The storyline didn’t make very much sense to me. I don’t understand why Glory has to collect souls when it was Valdez who used his powers. Yes there is an explanation about how the demon who possessed her talked about how strong Glory was and that made Lucifer want to recruit her but it just didn’t go over well with me. Also Glory and her constant man jumping is getting very tiresome. She swears she’s Blade’s girl but then lets Valdez and Ray kiss and put their hands all over her. I enjoyed the book overall and recommend this series to anyone who loves paranormal romance but I hope that Real Vampires Hate Skinny Jeans, out in April, can save it for me.

Review: The Road to Nowhere by Lee Argus

2012-01-05T16:16:00.004-06:00

A man wakes up in a hospital and he knows nothing. Not his name, not how he got there and not even where he is. As he stumbles out of the hospital he realizes one thing. Everyone is missing. But there is something even scarier lurking in the dark and it's coming after him.

The Road to Nowhere is part one of a two part series. It's kind of a combination of the movie I Am Legend and the TV show The Walking Dead and I really enjoyed the mix. The only thing that kept this book from being 5 starts was the fact that the creatures went from being anonymous zombie/vampire type monsters to being called Kuru with no explanation. It made me think I skipped something and had to re-read quite a ways back just to be sure I didn't. Also the relationship between the John Doe and the two girls he runs across is a little too fake. I mean how realistic is it that they will be wearing make up when they think they are the only ones alive in the city and they are fighting just to scavenge food and supplies and battling illness. Looking good will be the last thing on my agenda when the apocalypse comes.

Still, I recommend this one for urban fantasy readers and look forward to the 2nd part in the series, Chance Escape, due out at the end of January.

Books I've Read in 2012

2012-01-01T14:14:00.009-06:00

Here's what I've read so far:

January

11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King
By a Thread by Jennifer Estep
Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich
The Road To Nowhere by Lee Argus
The Cypress House by Michael Koryta
Real Vampires Don't Wear Size Six by Gerry Bartlett
Naked Heat by Richard Castle
Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls by Victoria Laurie
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (re-read for book club)
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Ocean and The Hourglass by Dan O'Brien
Blank Slate Kate by Heather Wardell
Honey Badger Don't Care: Randalls Guide to Crazy, Nastyass Animals by Randall
The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells
I've Got Your Number: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella

Here's what I read in previous years:
2011
2010
2009
2008

Review: 11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King

2012-01-01T13:52:00.001-06:00

One afternoon Jake Epping receives a frantic call from his friend Al Templeton, who owns Al's Diner. Jake rushes to the diner and finds Al has changed literally overnight. In less than 24 hours Al has aged and lost a tremendous amount of weight. Sadly Al also shared the news that he has cancer. Dumbstruck by this Jake is reeling. But that's not all. Al confesses the reason for his changes. In the storeroom of the diner there is a portal to 1958.

Every visit through the portal lasts only two minutes in present time no matter how much time you spend in 1958 and each time you go back, the past resets to the same place and time so you end up repeating history. But you can also change it and that's what Al was trying to do. He wanted to prevent the assassination of JFK but the cancer diagnosis forced him back to 2011. Now it's up to Jake to head back to 1958 and change our history forever.

11/22/63 is an outstanding book!! I was mesmerized by Jake's adventures in the past and I had to stop myself from jumping to the end so I can find out if Jake was successful or not and what the present was like if he was. I was hanging on every word and could not get through the book fast enough. Being written by Stephen King, I kept expecting a horror element to pop up but the book is in no way horror. It's part sci-fi, part romance and part suspense. I highly recommend this one for all readers.

My Favorite Series in 2011

2011-12-29T03:58:00.111-06:00

When I was preparing yesterday's post I realized that I would have to create this post otherwise one series would have dominated my Top Reads in 2011 so I'm highlighting that series here today.

This year I read Tangled Threads (review) and Spider's Revenge and am currently reading an ARC of By a Thread. Spider's Bite (review), Web of Lies (review) and Venom were all read in 2010.

I'm telling you guys this series is AWESOME!! If you love urban fantasy these books are for you. I fell in love with Estep's Big Time series which are hokey romance books about superheros but this series is way different. It's really dak and sometimes gory but it's suprisingly well done. Our heroine, Gin Blanco, is a retired assassin but that doesn't mean she doesn't kill anymore. You have to trust me on this one and READ THIS SERIES!! I cannot get enough and promise that if you love urban fantasy you will too.

Here are all the series books I read this year in no particular order.

· Stone Barrington by Stuart Woods

o #21 Son of Stone

· Glory St. Claire by Gerry Bartlett

o #6 Real Vampires Have More to Love

· Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

o #6 Mini Shopaholic

· Tracers by Laura Griffin

o #5 Snapped

· The Bride Series by Catherine Coulter

o #11 Prince of Ravenscar

· The Rasner Effect by Mark Rosendorf

o #3 Rasner's Revenge

· Myron Bolitar by Harlan Coben

o #10 Live Wire

· Mickey Bolitar by Harlan Coben

o #1 Shelter

· In Death by J.D. Robb

o #33 Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb

o #42 Chaos in Death

· Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

o #2 Dragonfly in Amber

o #3 Voyager

o #4 Drums of Autumn

o #5 The Fiery Cross

o #6 An Echo in the Bone

o #7 A Breath of Snow and Ashes

· Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich

o #16 Sizzling Sixteen

o #17 Smokin' Seventeen

· Undead by MaryJanice Davidson

o #10 Undead and Undermined

· The Mermaid by MaryJanice Davidson

o #3 Fish Out of Water

· The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

o #4 Extras

· Dirty Business by Rosemary Harris

o #1 Pushing Up Daisies

· Candy Shop Mysteries by Sammi Carter

o #5 Sucker Punch

· Southern Witch by Kimberly Frost

o #3 Halfway Hexed

· Bigtime by Jennifer Estep

o #3 Jinx

o A Karma Girl Christmas (short story)

· Mythos Academy by Jennifer Estep

o #1 Touch of Frost

o Halloween Frost (short story)

· Cotton Malone by Steve Berry

o #6 The Emperor's Tomb

· Pine Cove by Christopher Moore

o #3 The Stupidest Angel

· Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton

o #22 V Is For Vengeance

· Fever by Karen Marie Moning

o #5 Shadow Fever

· Ghost Hunter by Victoria Laurie

o #3 Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun

o #4 Ghouls Gone Wild

· Izzy Spellman Mysteries by Lisa Lutz

o #1 The Spellman Files

My Top Six Reads of 2011

2011-12-28T15:55:00.001-06:00

Recently a few friends have asked me to recommend a good book or what my favorite book was this year so I thought I would share my Top Six reads of 2011. Have you read any of these? Have I enticed you to pick one up?

6. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

Why I Loved It: Even though this series is 22 books in this story is fresh and exciting. I'm sticking with this series to the end!

5. The Madonnas of Echo Park: A Novel by Brando Skyhorse

Why I Loved It: I grew up in Los Angeles and The Madonnas brought back memories of my old friends and parts of town that I haven't thought of in years.

4. Soul Trapper by F. J. Lennon

Why I Loved It: Soul Trapper was a refreshing, new (to me) take on the Urban Fantasy genre and the hero wasn't Mr. Perfect. His flaws made him real and I loved that.

3. One Second After by William R. Forstchen

Why I Loved It: This could totally happen! It was eerie how easy we could be incapacitated by something so simple.

2. Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz + David Hayward

Why I Loved It: OMG! This book was seriously laugh-out-loud funny. The interaction between Lisa and David is almost funnier than the story itself. Definitely a must read.

1. The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey

Why I loved it: I DEVOURED The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes in less than 24 hours!! It grabbed me from page one and I just could not put it down. Awesome suspense thriller.

Review: Racing the Devil by Jaden Terrell

2011-12-26T19:31:00.002-06:00

When private investigator Jared McKean wakes up from a one-night stand he's got one more problem than he went to bed with. Besides having a best friend with AIDS, being fired from the Nashville PD Homicide department and still being in love with his ex-wife he's now being framed for murder. Once he makes bail he has to track down the real murderer while the body count keeps rising and deal with his own family drama.

Racing the Devil is book one in the new Jared McKean series and it's a fairly good series start. The characters are real and I was pulled in from the opening scene. I was fully engaged in the story and loved the ending but some of the story line was a little bit forced as if Terrell meant to go in a different direction and changed his mind but not the details. Overall I recommend this one for anyone who loves a good suspense thriller and look forward to book two which will be out August 2012.

Book Release: Creative Spirit by Scott Nicholson

2011-12-06T17:18:00.000-06:00

"Scott Nicholson is a writer who always surprises and always entertains."- Jonathan Maberry, Dust & Decay

CREATIVE SPIRIT
A paranormal thriller by Scott Nicholson

After parapsychologist Anna Galloway is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she has a recurring dream in which she sees her own ghost at Korban Manor. She’s compelled to visit the historic estate to face her destiny and the fate of her soul.

Sculptor Mason Jackson has come to the manor to make a final, all-or-nothing attempt at success before giving up his dreams. When he becomes obsessed with carving Ephram Korban's form out of wood, he is swept into a destructive frenzy that even Anna can’t pull him from.

The manor itself has secrets, with fires that blaze constantly in the hearths, portraits of Korban in every room, and deceptive mirrors on the walls. With an October blue moon looming, both the living and the dead learn the true power of their dreams.

View or sample Creative Spirit at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Kobo, Smashwords, BN.com, or Goodreads. Look for Liquid Fear and Chronic Fear from Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer imprint.

--------------
CREATIVE SPIRIT is Scott Nicholson’s revised edition of the 2004 U.S. paperback THE MANOR. Scott is Kindle bestselling author of 12 novels, including THE RED CHURCH, DISINTEGRATION, LIQUID FEAR, and SPEED DATING WITH THE DEAD. Connect with Scott on Facebook, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Twitter, blogspot, website or Amazon page

Guest Post: A King's Take on Technology and Twentieth Century Culture by Emily Matthews

2011-12-01T09:25:00.001-06:00

Escapism is normally conceived of as the inveterate and purposefully diversion of the mind to fantasy as entertainment, fantasy as an escape valve from conventions and current reality. That said, fantasy fiction, especially horror, is one genre of literature that cheerfully capitalizes on the thirst among American readers to get out of their heads and become enmeshed in a narrative that is bigger, stranger, and more unpredictable than their routinized lives. Wages are depressed in the United States, Republicans want to eradicate labor unions in certain states, and the US is fervently struggling to get its economic house in order. These are not new problems. So, what has been the one constant throughout it all? Why, the constant reader, of course.

Horror writer Stephen King has dubbed his most dedicated readers his "constant readers" amidst commercial (and some) critical success. Stephen King began writing novels seriously in the mid to late 1970's - a time in the United States' history that saw a President who betrayed the trust of a nation alongside widespread disaffection with the gone-too-late Vietnam War. The wars have continued in different guises, and the corruption in politics is perhaps more widespread than it has ever been. The American people have tacitly recognized all of this, and either become politically involved (rare), or else become indifferent to the dances of politics, in which case they look for a new fix. The King is here to serve.

Stephen King in many ways is an exemplar of escapist literature - a species of writing that is entertaining to the core and unapologetically tosses any component of the craft that is not plot overboard. The Running Man was called pure plot. Interestingly, this plot was about a nation gone from bad to worse, in which squalor-bound citizens where instructed to hunt down their fellow man for monetary compensation as part of a hit game show. Does that sound like "America's Most Wanted" or "COPS" to you? It sure does to me.

Within both the long form of the novel and the short form of the short story, Stephen King is at home trenchantly creating plots that rivet the reader, allowing her respite from her daily troubles or routines, and subtly fastening a parallel between one set of disturbances and idiosyncrasies in the fictional world and those of the one we physically inhabit everyday. For example, Stephen King's 1978 post-apocalyptic work, The Stand, is not only considered one of his best by critics, and one of his most entertaining by "constant readers," but it seamlessly envisions a world that is corrupted by plague, greed, violence, and technology.

In Stephen King's world, violence and technology often go hand-in-hand. The Stand sees two factions of the remaining human race - good and evil essentially - battling in Las Vegas, a veritable seat of greed and technology gone mad. In a truly brilliant set of creative circumstances, Stephen King shows how good-hearted people can be corrupted by the wiles of technology, and how violence is often times the go-to solution that humans conjure up to solve their problems. The book culminates with a nuclear bomb explosion in Las Vegas - a.k.a., Sin City - that strangely ameliorates the problems of one set of people, and basically blows the other set of people (i.e., the bad folks) to smithereens.

In a similar vein, the 1987 horror novel by King, The Tommyknockers, takes some cues from H.P. Lovecraft's The Colours Out of Space. Both King's novel and Lovecraft's short story focus on what happens when a foreign agent - in King's case, technology, and in Lovecraft's, a meteorite - comes to inhabit earth and wreak devastation on its citizens. Within the ethos of The Tommyknockers, King's citizens - good people in the beginning - have their characters slowly eroded by the advanced technological culture of Altair 4 (the name of the alien faction) as it creeps into a sleepy, rural Maine town. King seems to suggest here that an over-reliance on technological "advancements" might perhaps lead to a period of intellectual apathy ("oh, I can just google that"), moral depravity, and disinterest in one's fellow man. For me, that comes pretty close to encapsulating what a zombie would look like - an automaton that takes his cue from the news and latest gadgets instead of the wisdom of his own heart.

The Stand and The Tommyknockers show the author at his most deft and metaphorically intense when dealing with technology in the long form of a novel, but King can also play it straightforward when dealing with the fantastical and escapist horror fiction. An archetypal example of this is his 1989 short story, “Home Delivery.” This is one that King himself might call "a screamer" perhaps - denoting a story that is just plain fun, without overarching analogical interpretations, flowery language, or conventional devices that make a story seem "literary.” “Home Delivery” is, indeed, a ton of fun to volitionally get yourself lost in, and squarely falls into the escapist domain of literary treats.

The tale is told mainly in hindsight from the perspective of Maddie, a timid, pregnant Maine woman who is forced to take a stand against zombie invaders from outer space, as her life and her baby's life are at stake. That's the story on the level of superficial plot; on another level, even when King is apparently not trying to critique culture, the story makes some far-flung references to international diplomacy falling to pieces in a crisis situation, technologically created holes in the ozone layer, and the limitations of man-made devices in relation to the supreme forces of nature. Conclusively, “Home Delivery” shows that even when King doesn't intentionally set his sights on skewering technology, and warning of its implications, those facets comes out in his writing somehow.

Whether the writing is intentionally metaphorical or not, whether it was written a few years ago or decades in the past, Stephen King's horror writing is doggedly concerned with keeping the reader entertained at all costs while subtly conveying some of his grievances to the reader. The above examples of King's horror writing are fundamentally grounded in the escapist tradition, as it fits the essential criterion: take the reader out of his normal routine and surroundings and into a different, preferably fantastical, landscape.

True, by that criterion one could also argue that romance novels, like those churned out yearly by Danielle Steel are also part and parcel of the escapist tradition. One could even argue that popular science fiction or espionage thrillers (a la John Le Carre) are equally entitled to be marketed as escapist. The reason romance, science fiction, and espionage novels fall well short of horror's top spot as escapist literature is because each, to one degree or another, is more firmly grounded in conventional, day-to-day reality.

Consider the science fiction novel which generally asks what might happen if a tiny tweak were to melt its way into the future, affecting our theoretical manner and style of viewing reality in the figurative tomorrow. Now consider Espionage novels written by John Le Carre or Shane Stevens, writters who stress only a minor tinkering to current international relations that, nonetheless, have profound (and thrilling!) consequences in the narrative's reality. Clearly, these two examples are not as profoundly escapist as the ilk of horror presented by Stephen King.

Unlike Crichton or Le Carre, King makes the point of severing most ties to reality, to transport the reader and entertain her. Sometimes King accomplishes this feat through zombies, sometimes through talismanic devices, and other times by distortions in the manic imaginations and primal fear of his characters. What makes King's writing truly brilliant though is the way he often interweaves this thrilling horror and escapism to current technological and moral problems that face people as they attempt to navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

Emily Matthews is currently applying to masters degree programs across the U.S., and loves to read about new research into health care, gender issues, and literature. She lives and writes in Seattle, Washington. Vist her site at http://www.mastersdegree.net/blog/

Review: Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben

2011-10-21T15:59:00.000-05:00

When a medical researcher unexpectedly commits suicide his partner, Dr. Riker, shares his suspicion that it was actually a murder with his close friend, journalist Sara Lowell. What comes to light is that Dr. Riker’s clinic has found a cure for AIDS and now someone is also murdering the cured patients one by one. Scariest of all is that Sara’s husband, NBA star Michael Silverman has just been diagnosed as HIV positive and has been admitted to Dr. Riker’s clinic. Will the murder be caught before it’s too late for them all?

Harlan Coben is one of my all-time favorite authors. I’ve read every single book in his Myron Bolitar series and I thought I had read all of his stand alones but Miracle Cure was actually his second novel published in 1990 and reissued this year.

It goes to show how much an author grows in writing over the years because Miracle Cure isn’t up to par with most of Coben’s current books. There are glimpses of his genius in the bread crumbs he leaves throughout the book, the number of characters and the twitsted ending but overall it’s just not one of his best books. I recommend this one as a library read if you love Harlan Coben or suspense thrillers.

Review: Robopocalypse: A Novel by Daniel H. Wilson

2011-09-11T14:11:00.000-05:00

During an artificial intelligence test a computer program named Archos becomes aware of itself and assumes control of all computers and robots in the not so distant future. So begins the robot war that almost entirely destroys the human race. But all hope is not lost. After several years of fighting the war is over and a cube documenting the rise and fall of Archos is found. The story that unfolds are recorded bits of history from several different sources. Overheard conversations, surveillance recordings, journal entires and more tell the story from beginning to end by people both young and old from all over the world.

Robopocalypse became another victim of over-hype. So many of my friends were reading, loving and talking about this book that I expected too much from the story. Don't get me wrong, it was a good book but I think I was expecting more action and fighting (think Terminator). Even though there were bits and pieces of action dispersed throughout the book the story was too flat to get a higher rating.

Another disappointment was the ending. From the opening sequence you already know that the humans prevail but the way that Archos was defeated was a huge let down. I expected a way better ending and as the pages dwindled down I knew it wasn't coming. The one glimmer of hope was a cliff hanger at the every end. If there is a sequel I'm sure I'll read it but I do hope the story improves. Rumors are that the book is being made into a movie by Steven Spielberg and I know I'll be in line to see it. I recommend this one as a library read if you are a big sci-fi fan.

Review: Snapped by Laura Griffin

2011-09-07T22:46:00.000-05:00

Hoping to earn a promotion from receptionist to a PR rep with the private crime lab Delphi Center, Sophie Barrett heads to the local college campus to register for a couple of classes. But once there she steps right into the middle of a madman's rampage. Pinned down by the sniper for what seems like hours Sophie watches a pregnant woman die right in front of her and she is wrecked with survivor's guilt.

Enter homicide detective Jonah Macon. Already attracted to Sophie from an earlier encounter the last thing he needs right now is to get involved with one of the witnesses to the horrible crime. But as the investigation continues it quickly becomes apparent the sniper didn't just randomly start shooting students. He had a clear target and Sophie may hold the key to figuring it all out. Can Jonah keep Sophie alive while they follow the leads to the real bad guy?

Laura Griffin sure knows how to weave a perfect romantic suspense. You have a great suspense story with lots of mystery and you have a hot and steamy romance all which is just the thing to keep the pages quickly turning.

Years ago I devoured any romantic suspense book I could get my hands on but over the last few years I've almost stopped reading the genre completely. The stories became too predictable and you always knew there would be a happily ever after. But Laura's books are different. Sure the guy always gets the girl in the end but the story lines are always strong enough with incredibly real characters and filled with enough intrigue to keep her romantic suspense books on my must read list. Snapped is Book 5 in the Tracer series but it definitely stands alone.

Review: Making Waves by Tawna Fenske

2011-08-06T10:02:00.004-05:00

When Juli Flynn is left in charge of spreading her Uncle Frank's ashes in the oceans of the Virgin Islands, she can't think of anything worse. She's a true landlubber that gets deathly sea sick. Pressured into getting it done by her mother Juli bravely heads out to fulfill Uncle Frank's wishes.

On the island of St. John Juli meets Alex Bradshaw. After winning an impromptu game of The Newlywed Game with Alex Juli is hoping to get to know Alex a little better. But Alex has other plans. He's on St. John with 3 of his former co-workers all of whom were fired after years of loyal service to Kranston Shipping Enterprises.

Alex and his ragtag group of so-called pirates have a plan to get their revenge on Kranston but when Juli accidentally gets thrown into the mix all hell breaks loose.

Making Waves was a light and breezy romance with a pirate twist. I enjoyed the situations the gang gets into and found the ending hilarious. Cody, the 6' 5" 275 pound lovable airhead is my favorite character. This is a must read for anyone who loves beach read romances with a guaranteed happy ending.

Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

2011-06-29T03:13:00.000-05:00

Coming from a small town in Louisiana to a boarding school in London to complete her senior year, Rory Deveaux definitely feels out of place in her new school but she quickly becomes friends with her roommate and things start to look up. That is until a Jack the Ripper copy cat keeps striking closer and closer to home and on the night of one of the murders Rory comes face to face with the murder but she's the only one who sees him. Will he be coming after her next?

This is my first book by Maureen Johnson. I wasn't even aware that it was a YA novel but that quickly became clear with it's predictability. That aside it really had enough suspense and intrigue to make it a quick enjoyable read. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves suspense with a light sprinkling of paranormal. I will be looking forward to reading the next book in this Shades of London Trilogy.

Win an audiobook and iPod from Author Marcus Sakey

2011-05-25T19:26:00.003-05:00

To celebrate the June 9th release of his new book, The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes, Marcus Sakey is giving away the audiobook version of The Amateurs (read my review) — along with an iPod to play it on. Sounds good right?

To enter, just send proof of purchase (the confirmation email will work fine) to preorder@marcussakey.com and you’ll automatically be entered in the drawing.

The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes confirms Marcus Sakey’s
place as one of our best storytellers. A terrific read.
—Michael Connelly

Part dazzling California noir, part dark American road trip,
part psychological thriller—and entirely ingenious.
—Gillian Flynn

Sakey writes like a dream, creates characters exactly like
people you know, and above all keeps you turning pages.
—Lee Child

While this is not a full review I do have to share that I DEVOURED The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes in less than 24 hours!! The book grabs a hold of you from the very first page and I couldn't put it down until I was done. I stayed up until about 4:00am reading it then slept for maybe 3 hours, woke up and finished the book. It was that aswesome!!! A must read for all thriller & suspense lovers.

Review: Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz + David Hayward

2011-04-03T23:07:00.000-05:00

For Lacey Hansen getting out of the small town she lives in is easier said then done. She lives in her childhood home with her brother Paul and together they grow marijuana in the basement. As she's throwing out the trash late one night Lacey hears a large swarm of flies and wanders over to investigate what she thinks might be a deer. Turns out its a headless body. Unable to call the cops because of their side business Lacey and Paul devise their own solution to the problem but that just sends them on an unbelievably wild adventure.

This book was a collaboration between Best Selling author Lisa Lutz and her ex-boyfriend David Hayward. Their interaction is just as much a part of the novel as the storyline itself. They each take turns writing a chapter and at the end of each one there are messages to each other that are freaking hilarious!! There are also footnotes written by the reading author throughout the book that are laugh out loud funny. Don't even get me started on chapter 14, PURE GENIUS!! I highly recommend this book if you love comedy mixed in with murder, blackmail, drug dealing and other bad deeds.

Review: Journal of a UFO Investigator by David Halperin

2011-03-27T22:35:00.000-05:00

In 1966 sixteen-year old Danny Shapiro's world becomes too difficult to bear. His mother is terminally ill and his father is angry and doesn't understand him. On top of the stress at home his best friend Jeff has moved on to other friends and the girl he likes moves away. To cope with his troubles he immerses himself into the world of UFO investigation and creates a new reality that he documents in his Journal of a UFO Investigator.

The majority of the book is told through the journal and Danny takes us on a wild, adventurous and sometimes mind-blowing ride.

I'm really on the fence about this one. It was a great story but it was so bizarre and jumpy that I almost gave up on it halfway through. I still can't get a good grasp on why I liked it because even all the way to the end I kept thinking, 'Why am I still reading this?' The book has a 5-star rating on Amazon so I'm sure there was just something I couldn't see past. I would recommend this for anyone who loves sci-fi with an intellectual twist.

Review: The Madonnas of Echo Park: A Novel by Brando Skyhorse

2011-03-20T14:24:00.000-05:00

The Madonnas of Echo Park is a novel that gives us a glimpse into the lives of several Mexican Americans that live in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles from the 80's to now. Each chapter is told by a different character yet they all weave together throughout the whole book.

The book starts with an Authors Note that tells the reader the reason behind the book. During a classroom dance party Brando Skyhorse snubs a classmate named Aurora Esperanza and after thinking it over he feels remorse and he's ready to apologize but Aurora doesn't return to school. The book ends up being Brando's way to apologize to her 25 years later. (There is an interesting fact about the Author's Note but I'll leave that out to avoid any potential spoilers.)

I really found this book very intriguing. Initially the way the POV changed with each character was a bit disorienting but knowing that was coming I was quickly able to adapt and sort out who was who. The way the characters intertwine in and out of each others lives kept me glued to the book. Being a Mexican American myself I could totally picture the characters as if they were family and friends. It was also very interesting seeing how the different characters perceived each other. For instance one character Juan saw Duchess as a chubby plain girl with mushroom hair but Angie saw Duchess as a beautiful fashionista that she aspired to be just like. I recommend this book to anyone who loves urban fiction.

Review: Rasner's Revenge by Mark Rosendorf

2011-03-16T20:51:00.000-05:00

Now that fifteen-year old Clara Blue has finally escaped the living hell that was the Brookhill Children's Psychiatric residence she has two goals. One is to control her own small band of mercenaries and the other is to break her informally adopted father Rick Rasner from the military asylum he's been placed into by his nemesis General Straker.

With only the help of a computer hacker and a few other teens that escaped Brookhill with her Clara is desperate enough to hire the one person who might be able to break Rick out. Unfortunately that turns out to be Jake Scarberry. The mercenary who has already tried to kill Rick twice. Together they form a tentative alliance but almost every single one of the ragtag group has an ulterior motive and Rick is growing more desperate with each minute he spends incarcerated.

Agh!! This is one seriously whacked out adventure. I love the action and the twists and turns throughout the entire book. It's hard to even figure out who is a good guy and who is a bad guy. Is it possible to write a book with no hero? Nothing about this book or even whole trilogy for that matter is predictable. If you love action similar to Jason Bourne or Mitch Rapp with a darker twist than this book and this series is for you.

Be sure to start out with The Rasner Effect and Without Hesitation since this is definitely not a stand alone read.

Review: Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep

2011-02-26T20:14:00.000-06:00

Now that assassin Gin Blanco is semi-retired the only killing she's doing is taking out her nemesis Mab Monroe's henchmen. She's leaving a trail of dead bodies marked by her own spider rune long enough for Mab to hire another assassin, Elektra LaFleur, to take out the Spider. But that's not Elektra's only target. She's looking for the Spider, Gin and Detective Bria Coolidge. Since few know Gin and the Spider are one in the same she's got three names on her list and while she's busy tracking the Spider, Gin has plenty of time to make things a lot more difficult for the deadly assassin.

But that's not the only thing tricky thing about this whole situation. Bria has no idea that Gin is her sister and she has no clue that the woman she returned to Ashland to find is an assassin, which goes against everything she stands for as a cop. Figuring out how she's going to tell Bria that she's really her long lost sister is not Gin's only dilemma. She is growing closer to Owen Grayson. As her feelings for him increase so does the feeling that he's going to wake up and realize he can't fall in love with an assassin. The struggle to deal with these feelings may be just as hard for Gin as facing Mab and Elektra.

Once again I was immediately sucked into Estep's writing. She had a grip on me right from page one. I love that Gin is finally maturing into her dual Elemental magic at the same time as she's able to open up her heart to the new feelings within her.

Another small but fun part of reading this series is how Estep weaves in characters from her debut Big Time series (more great reads). It blends her two totally different worlds and helps make the read more interesting. I am a dedicated fan of Jennifer Estep and devour everything she writes. Up next will be Touch of Frost, a young adult urban fantasy out this August then another delicious installment of the Elemental Assassin series with Spider's Revenge in September. All Estep's books are must reads, go and get 'em!!

Review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

2011-02-24T19:36:00.000-06:00

In the magical world that Deborah Harkness creates there are witches, vampires and daemons that exist unbeknownst to us. When Diana Bishop was young she lost her parents and she turned her back on anything to do with magic. Now she's a scholar researching old manuscripts at Oxford's Bodleian Library.

During one session she calls up a manuscript that has a strange power. She instantly knows that it's bewitched and somehow resists the pull of the magic within. After she returns the book she notices that over the next few days there is a sudden increase in the number of magical creatures in the library and the general area. This is a concern because whenever a large number of magical creatures gather the chances of humans noticing something strange increases.

One of these magical creatures is Matthew Clairmont, a centuries old vampire. Matthew has a growing interest in Diana and takes it upon himself to protect her from the increasingly agitated creatures. It seems that the mysterious manuscript, Ashmole 742, has long been sought after by witches, vampires and daemons alike. The book holds secrets that can shift the power balance in our world.

Now together Diana and Matthew have to figure out how to call up the book again while avoiding those who want Diana for the power she has over the book. But as they grow closer they are thumbing their noses at the Congregation, the nine members (3 of each species) that rule the magical world because of the rule that forbids creatures of different species from mating. Will the pair avoid trouble and find the answers they are looking for before war breaks out between those willing to defend them and those that support the Congregation?

Phew, I think that is the longest synopsis I have ever written on my blog but this book is a whopping 579 pages and it's jammed packed with history and back story that was essential to a believable storyline.

A Discovery of Witches had a bit of a slow start but once I got about a third of the way through the book the pace picked up and the storyline got a lot more interesting. I love the way Harkness created such an authentic world for her characters. I was a little disappointed by the romance between Diana and Matthew. I understand that to a vampire that was born in 537 time is measured differently but the lack of progress in the relationship was a bit of a downer for me.

When I started A Discovery of Witches I had no idea that this was the beginning of a series. As I got down to the last few pages I started getting that feeling that there weren't enough pages left to get me to a satisfactory ending and sure enough there is a huge cliff hanger at the end but I was far from disappointed by the ending. I cannot wait for the next book and recommend this read for anyone who loves intrigue and paranormal suspense.

Guest Post: “After Dark” Book Review by Kenji Crosland of TeachStreet

2011-01-31T17:58:00.000-06:00

Four Stars

This is a guest post by Kenji Crosland of TeachStreet. TeachStreet is an online community dedicated to providing local and online classes, from classes on fitness to the language arts.

After having lived in Tokyo for five years, a question that I’d often get and always found difficult to answer was: “What’s Tokyo Like?” Try as I might, I never could really come up with a good answer. Tokyo’s a huge city and one district is so different from the next that I have always found it difficult to provide an adequate answer. After reading Haruki Murakami’s latest novel “After Dark,” I almost feel tempted to tell people, “Have you ever heard of ‘After Dark’. Read that and you’ll know what Tokyo is like.”

In the opening paragraph, Murakami describes the city as a “a single gigantic creature—or more like a single collective entity created by many intertwining organisms. Countless arteries stretch to the ends of its elusive body, circulating a continuous supply of fresh blood cells, sending out new data and collecting the old, sending out new consumables and collecting the old, sending out new contradictions and collecting the old. To the rhythm of its pulsing, all parts of the body flicker and flare up and squirm.”

Murakami then flashes a montage of vivid images, of “teenage girls with brilliant bleached hair, healthy legs thrusting out from microminiskirts” and “dark-suited men racing across diagonal
crossings for the last trains to the suburbs”. We’re pulled along at an incredible pace until, suddenly we find ourselves in a Denny’s, where two of the main characters, Mari and Takahashi, first meet.

The characters in After Dark are vivid and real, but not quite of this world, like photographs with the colors turned up too bright. There’s Kaoru, a former woman pro-wrestler with a dyed-blond crew cut who manages a love hotel, there’s the Japanese salaryman who happens to like beating up chinese prostitutes. There’s Eri Asai, a beautiful young model who falls into a mysterious sleep one day and can’t be awoken. There’s Mari, Eri’s studious and bespectacled sister, who became an insomniac the very time Eri started sleeping. Finally, there is “The Man With No Facem” a character whose motives we never really understand and who always makes the reader feel uneasy any time he steps into the scene. Even though we probably haven’t, we feel as though we have met all of these characters before. I suspect that some of us have even met “The Man With No Face” somewhere in our dreams.

Like the “intertwining organism” that is Tokyo, the book has several plots, although it’s hard to say which plot is the main one. Sometimes it feels as though the plots are only there as a way for us to get to know the characters better. Although the plot line of the Chinese mafia chasing down the evil salaryman who beat up their girl is interesting, what is more interesting is to see Mari and Takahashi get caught up in it, and in the process get to know each other better.

Overall, “After Dark” is a pretty good read. One which, as a former Tokyo resident was full of many “Aha!” moments. It doesn’t quite reach the sublime levels of his epic Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World but it serves as a great introduction to Murakami’s wonderful body of work and a definitive answer to the question: “What’s Tokyo Like?” http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelrogers/2692043315/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Message from Author Lisa Dale

2011-01-30T17:56:00.000-06:00

Dear Readers,

I’ve started a Facebook page. And because I believe in being a good hostess, I’m giving away some great prizes to book-loving friends who come hang out with me!

Contest ends Feb 1. Win:

1. $50 Amazon Gift Card!

2. One signed copy of It Happened One Night

3. One signed copy of Simple Wishes

Here’s how to join the fun!

1. Join my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Dale/158780257466338

2. Tell two of your friends about my new page (by posting a link to it on their walls or sending an email/message).

3. Send an email to Lee@AuthorSoundRelations.com stating the names of the two people you shared my page with. Subject Line: Lisa Dale Contest!

That’s it!

(For those of you who aren’t on Facebook, don’t fret! Even if you're not on Facebook, you can still email two friends about my regular Web site (http://lisadalebooks.com/). That counts too!)

THE PRIZE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON FEBRUARY 2 (so be sure to enter ASAP).

Sending you warmest wishes,

Lisa Dale

Slow Dancing on Price's Pier, Spring 2011

www.LisaDaleBooks.com

Review: Halfway Hexed by Kimberly Frost

2011-01-30T17:43:00.001-06:00

After her heroics while saving the town in Would-Be Witch and Barely Bewitched you'd think that the residents of Duvall, Texas would be honoring Tammy Jo Trask. But no, sadly they're trying to expel the demons out of her by kidnapping her and praying for her. When she finally escapes from those religious nuts she winds up being picked up again by another kidnapper. One whose plans are a bit more sinister than praying the evil out of her.

Once again Tammy Jo makes a quick escape but now she has to deal with the president of The World Association of Magic who has come to town with a group of witches to question Tammy Jo and Bryn Lyons. Bryn is the one wizard who Tammy Jo is forbidden to have anything to do with because of a long ago family prophecy but he is also the wizard who is a perfect match Tammy Jo. When the two get together not only do the sparks fly but the magic that flows between them makes them both more powerful.

Now with more enemies than she can handle Tammy Jo is on the run to save herself, a mysterious woman trapped inside a cameo and once again, the town of Duvall.

Tammy Jo is such a lovable character. She is funny, brave and adorably clumsy all at once. Her antics would definitely be cheesy and unbelievable for another character but they are perfectly suited for Tammy Jo making this light paranormal series a must read. I highly recommend reading books one and two in the series first because Halfway Hexed is not a stand-alone read. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series because this one has a definite cliff hanging ending!

Books I've Read in 2011

2011-01-10T20:14:00.049-06:00

Even though life is really hectic now adays and I'm not blogging much I'm still going to try to keep my books read in 2011 list current. Here's what I've read so far:

Jan

Soul Trapper by F.J. Lennon
The Dallas Women's Guide to Gold-Digging with Pride by J.C. Conklin
Sucker Punch by Sammi Carter
Halfway Hexed by Kimberly Frost

Feb

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep

Mar

Rasner's Revenge by Mark Rosendorf
The Madonnas of Echo Park: A Novel by Brando Skyhorse
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella (audio)
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz (re-read on audio)
Journal of a UFO Investigator by David Halperin

Apr

Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz + David Hayward
The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey
Shadow Fever by Karen Marie Moning

May

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
One Second After by William R. Forstchen
Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin
Jinx by Jennifer Estep
Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun by Victoria Laurie

Jun

Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb
Live Wire by Harlan Coben
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper, Cecil Murphey
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry

Jul

Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris
The Professor and the Housekeeper by Yoko Ogawa
Making Waves by Tawna Fenske
Shelter by Harlan Coben
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Aug

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
Fish Out of Water by MaryJanice Davidson
The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman
Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Sep

Undead and Undermined by MaryJanice Davidson
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
Snapped by Laura Griffin
Prince of Ravenscar by Catherine Coulter

Oct

Ghouls Gone Wild by Victoria Laurie
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben
Son of Stone by Stuart Woods
Real Vampires Have More to Love by Gerry Bartlett
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Spider's Revenge by Jeniffer Estep

Nov

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
A Karma Girl Christmas by Jennifer Estep
Just One Of The Guys by Kristan Higgins
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
Halloween Frost by Jennifer Estep in the Entangled Anthology
V Is For Vengeance by Sue Grafton

Dec

The Stupidest Angel By Christopher Moore
Chaos in Death by J.D. Robb in The Unquiet Anthology
Zero Day by David Baldacci
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
Racing The Devil by Jaden Terrell

Previous Reads:
2010
2009
2008

Review: Soul Trapper by F. J. Lennon

2010-12-30T12:02:00.002-06:00

When 27 year old Kane Pryce was only 7 years old his father disappeared under mysterious circumstances. He was part of a team working on a secret project when his lab was destroyed. Now years later an old friend of his father’s has turned up and leads Kane to the discovery of the Soul Trap, the secret project his father was working on. The SoulTrap allows Kane to trap ghosts, enter the trap and set the souls free to move on to their proper place in the afterlife.

Now actively working as a soul trapper Kane runs across the soul of a little boy who has been waiting in a church for his mother’s return for over 50 years. When his investigation leads him to an elderly philanthropist in Las Vegas something is nagging at Kane and he becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to the boy and his mother. But when the truth is revealed Kane may just be the next soul on its way to the after life.

I really enjoyed Soul Trapper. It was a quick and mesmerizing read. Its part suspense thriller, part urban fantasy and I love the mix of these two genres. Kane is not your typical hero. He drinks, he treats women bad and he is on the verge of getting thrown in jail but you can’t help but fall in love with him when he decides to help the boy. I highly recommend this read for anyone who loves suspense books and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Review: Sending Rupert Home by Tracy Fabre

2010-10-21T23:11:00.000-05:00

Leanne Kendrick has turned down the womanizing English Lit professor, Rupert Arbery, countless times. She secretly has her eye on the photography instructor Noah Jaynes. Noah on the other hand doesn't have the guts to ask her out. He was hurt by his former wife who cheated on him countless times before her death. But even if he did, Leanne would turn him down too. Ten years ago Leanne was humiliated in front of her friends and family the night before her wedding when her ex decided that the easiest way to dump her was to bring a hooker to the rehearsal dinner.

One afternoon Noah comes into the library where Leanne works and asks her for help with a difficult microfilm reader. While getting Noah situated Rupert happens upon the pair and tells them he needs their help with a special project. Mystified they agree and Rupert runs off again.

What they learn the next day rocks them to the core. Rupert died the day before he approached them in the library. Beyond shocked they aren't expecting Rupert to show up again but when he does he explains that he needs their help to move on. Noah and Leanne embark on the mission with very little help from Rupert. The more the work together the more sparks fly but can they each overcome their own insecurities to find true love?

Sending Rupert Home was one of those reads that had me cheering as I turned the pages. I got so engrossed in the love lives of Noah and Leanne that I was flipping the pages late into the night. The book is a little bit mystery and a lot romance and Fabre weaves it all together in a very enjoyable read. I just wished there was a little more to Rupert's final task. It was a little bit anticlimactic but I understand that the story's focus was more on Noah and Leanne than Rupert so it's forgivable. This is a recommended read for anyone who loves contemporary romance.

Review: Me, Myself and Why? by MaryJanice Davidson

2010-10-03T21:34:00.001-05:00

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Sweet and innocent with a twist of girl-next-door, Cadence Jones is not your typical girl and certainly not your typical FBI agent. Just ask her sisters, Shiro and Adrienne. (Wait. . .best if you don’t ask Adrienne anything.) But it’s her special “talent” which makes Cadence so valuable to the FBI and it never comes in more handy than when she and her partner, George, get tagged to bring down the Threefer Killer. A serial killer who inexplicably likes to kill in threes, leave behind inexplicable newspaper clippings, and not one shred of decent forensic evidence, soon starts leaving messages that seem to be just for Cadence and her sisters. Could it be that this killer knows all about Cadence’s special “talent”? In the meantime, love blooms in the most unexpected place when Cadence meets her best friend’s gorgeous brother who is in town visiting—and she discovers that he knows her secret too! When attraction burns hot between them her best friend isn’t thrilled with the romantic development and this time Cadence just might agree!

MY REVIEW:
I was so disappointed in this book. I am a HUGE fan of everything else MaryJanice has written including the YA series she writes with her husband but this one is too confusing and disjointed to be good.

I get that it's somewhat choppy because of Cadence's Multiple Personality Disorder but besides those shifts in the middle of sentences the storyline jumps all over the place too and it was disorienting. I found myself having to re-read several pages to understand what just happened.

In addition I felt that it was just too predictable. I figured out the ending way to soon and I'm sad to say this one is not something I could recommend.

Guest Post by Linda Weaver Clark - Romance VS Mystery!

2010-08-30T03:35:00.008-05:00

Romance VS Mystery!

I have written five historical romance novels but have changed to mystery. The writing process between romance and mystery is quite a change with a completely different mind set. It’s so different from telling a love story. With romance, you plan out the plot around the meeting of a couple. As you write, you develop some sort of charisma between the characters, making the reader feel excited that one day they're going to hit it off and fall in love. You, as the reader, know what the outcome will be. But with a mystery, the reader is in the dark. The author has to come up with a plot that no one knows about until towards the end of the story and hope they haven’t figured it out. In a mystery, you may or may not allow your reader to know who the bad guys are, according to whether it’s just a mystery or mystery suspense. Do you know the difference between a mystery and a mystery suspense novel? In a mystery, when a knock is heard at the door, the reader doesn't know who's behind it. With mystery suspense, the reader knows who's behind the door and yells to the heroine, "Don't open the door!"

Anasazi Intrigue is the first book in a mystery adventure series called “The Adventures of John and Julia Evans.” It’s about a devastating flood that takes out several homes in a small town, the importance of preserving ancient artifacts, and a few puzzling and mysterious events. Julia is a reporter, and when she finds out about a possible poison spill that kills some fish and neighbor's pets, she has a feeling that something isn’t quite right. Before she realizes what is happening, Julia finds out that this incident is much bigger and more dangerous than she thought. With dead fish, a devastating flood, and miscreants chasing John and Julia, they have their hands full.

Artifact theft is a very intriguing subject. That’s why I call it the Intrigue series. In my research, I found that archaeological thievery is becoming more and more of a problem every year. Did you know that looting is only second to selling illegal drugs? While researching the second book in this series, Mayan Intrigue, my eyes were opened to the problems they have in southern Mexico. When an ancient ruin is discovered, it doesn’t take long for thieves to take it apart. The reason why is because the Mayas used astrological alignments when planning their city. Looters have learned the layout of the Mayan cities so they know where to dig. With this knowledge, they can loot a sacred temple in a few days. I also found that artifact theft in Mexico has been taken over by drug dealers from Columbia. In other words, since organized crime has taken over, there is also an increase of violence.

Mayan Intrigue will be released on August 30th and I’m having a week long celebration with a book give-away at my Blog at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com. Mayan Intrigue is about the discovery of a priceless artifact that puts Julia’s life in great danger. While on assignment for the newspaper, John and Julia try to enjoy a romantic vacation among the Mayan ruins, but when Julia accidentally comes upon a couple suspicious men exchanging an item, she quickly turns and leaves but it’s too late. Before John and Julia realize what's going on, they find themselves running for their lives through the jungles of the Yucatan. To read an excerpt from each of my books, you can visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.

Guest Review: A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

2010-08-05T21:52:00.000-05:00

Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms is considered by many critics to be Hemingway’s finest work and the definitive novel about World War I. The novel tells the story of Frederic Henry, a young American ambulance driver for the Italian army, as he wanders aimlessly and emotionlessly through the horrors of the war. His life finds sudden meaning as he meets and falls in love with (against his best inclinations) Catherine Barkley, a British volunteer nurse. What follows is an exceptional love story, indictment of war, and contemplation of tragedy, both personal and on a much greater scale, that leads to a swift and devastating conclusion.

Hemingway’s prose is of particular note as he hones his trademark style with brief, direct, and grammatically simple sentences. He gives the reader enough to imagine the events depicted for his or herself, not lingering too long on one scene nor expending ink on descriptive words, and allows Frederic, the narrator, to give off an air of detachment from the carnage surrounding him. The narrator’s succinct observations say so much with so little, and that is where Hemingway’s mastery of the English language can be found.

The author also portrays and comments on human existence in a way fitting of his prose, leaving the reader plenty of food for thought with a lot, lot more grey than black and white. Frederic and his affair with Catherine is simultaneously emotionally confused and infinitely endearing; war is atrocious but some good does come from it, such as the chance meeting of Frederic and Catherine and the bonds men form in times of intense distress; and the novel’s abrupt and brutal finale may be interpreted as demoralizing, thankful, resigned, or some combination of the three plus a plethora of other unmentioned adjectives.

What is truly amazing about A Farewell to Arms is that Hemingway wrote this semi-autobiographical account of his war experience only ten years after the fact, when he was less than 30 years old. Even in the midst of his exceptional canon, this early work stands out among all that came after it.

Joseph Gustav is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on online degrees from accredited colleges for Guide to Online Schools.

Review: Undead and Unfinished by MaryJanice Davidson

2010-08-01T11:53:00.000-05:00

When Betsy gets into a huge fight with her husband Sinclair she decides to make a deal with her step-sister Laura's Mom, the devil. Betsy agrees to accompany Laura on a trip to hell. When the duo gets there they learn the truth. The devil thinks it's time for Laura to embrace her darker side and learn how to travel to any time or place at will so that she can successfully run Hell when the devil retires. But they don't end up traveling to a random time or show up in places that are key to the very future Betsy is now living. Can they make it back without changing their lives as they know it?

Even thought the Queen Betsy series is one of my favorites, I'll be the first to admit that the series was getting stale (read my review of book eight Undead and Unwelcome). But with Undead and Unfinished MaryJanice Davidson really shook things up. And don't get me started on the ending. Before reading the book I read a blog post by MJ who explained that everything will be all right in the end. Together, that little tidbit and this book's ending has me over the top anxious for the next book. I totally understand the negative reviews of this book but if you're a fan of this series, Unfinished is a MUST READ!

Review: One Season of Sunshine by Julia London

2010-07-25T23:15:00.000-05:00

On the verge of accepting a marriage proposal, Jane Aaron has lots of unanswered questions about her birth that plague her thoughts. It's now to the point that she risks losing her boyfriend and hurting her adopted family by leaving the life she's always know to find answers in the small Texas town where she was born.
Taking a summer job as nanny for Asher Price, a handsome and rich widow, Jane hardly has time to breathe let alone research her birth. But in between dealing with a bed-wetting five year old and a surly pre-teen Jane feels herself falling for Asher and as she slowly uncovers the truth behind her birth she just might wish she never started looking.

One Season of Sunshine was an excellent read. It's covers some pretty deep topics to be more than just a typical romance book. The children were endearing even with their problems and I was rooting for Jane from the opening chapter. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves contemporary romances.

Review: Unspeakable by Laura Griffin

2010-07-18T12:19:00.000-05:00

Elaina McCord’s father practically invented FBI profiling so when Elaina followed in his footsteps she had some pretty big shoes to fill. Plus being a girl in the male dominated field didn't help her chances either. When Elaina finally gets her very first solo case she knows that she's going to have to work extra hard to prove her worth. But in the small beach town of Lito, Texas the local police have the same macho mentality. The only one to trust in Elaina's skills is true-crime writer Troy Stockton and the last thing Elaina needs is a distraction but Troy is hard to resist.

When Elaina finally figures out what the killer is doing no one at the FBI believes her and she's booted off the case. Now she has no choice but to turn to Troy. If she can only figure out if he's using her for the story or his feelings are genuine.

I can't quite put my finger on why but Unspeakable didn't quite live up to the greatness of the other three books by Laura that I've read. Elaina wasn't as likable as her other heroine's and the relationship with Troy just didn't have the heat the other books did. That being said it was still a great read. The killer was always one step ahead and once I knew who it was I could trace the clues back to the very beginning of the book. I recommend Unspeakable for anyone who loves romantic suspense and highly recommend all of Laura's books.

My previous reviews of Laura's books:

Guest Post: Helen of Troy by Margaret George Reviewed by Alexis Bonari

2010-07-16T22:14:00.005-05:00

Margaret George’s Helen of Troy closely follows the story laid down by the original Iliad. Helen is born the daughter of King Tyndareus and Queen Leda, but her true father is the god Zeus who seduced or raped — we are never sure which—her mother in the form of a swan. As she grows to young adulthood, it becomes clear that Helen is unnaturally beautiful. When her early marriage to Agamemnon lacks passion, she soon falls for the handsome Trojan prince Paris. They run away together, leaving behind her husband, daughter, and her war-hungry brother-in-law. When Agamemnon was chosen as her husband, a pact was made among the other suitors that they would go to war against any man who stole Helen from her husband. Thus, her infidelity started what would become the 20 yearlong Trojan War.

While well written, I only give this book four out of five stars. The reason: Helen of Troy fails to live up to the extremely high standard set by George’s previous novels. Granted, the subject matter she chose to work with was quite difficult to manage. The story presented in the Iliad does little to shed light on Helen’s early life or her personality.

Also, George attempts to make Helen into a likeable, modern woman—a difficult proposition for a character whose infidelity leads her to abandon her 6 year-old daughter and to thousands of deaths including those of her brother, lover, and niece.

The scenery is rich, but the dialogue is somewhat contrived or stilted in certain parts. We never really get to fully understand how being the most beautiful woman in the world affects Helen as a person. It’s clear she’s ambivalent concerning the subject, but we never are never fully given insight into why.

True to her usual style, George follows the life of a single historical notable. What sets this novel apart from her previous work is the fact that Helen of Troy is, arguably, a fictional character. While the Trojan War has been proven to be quite real, it was more likely fought for economic gain than for the love of the Zeus’ mortal daughter.

George handles the departure from reality well. It would be easy to lapse into a completely mythical world when the original Iliad is so heavily laced with the doings of gods and goddesses. While she makes it clear that the deities do in fact exist and have their own motives for interfering in the lives of mortals, she doesn’t rely on them as a means to prop up her work. Primarily, this book is meant to be about the lives and choices of human. In this endeavor, it is a success.

Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at onlinedegrees.org, researching areas of online colleges. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Guest Post: Ladders by Scott Nicholson

2010-07-15T22:08:00.004-05:00

Every writer is climbing a ladder, and there are only two directions.

Some writers believe they are in competition with other writers, and that they must kick, claw, slap, and tickle their way to the top. They think they must displace people who are reaching for the same rung, and that those below them must be left far behind. For them, writing success is a blood sport, and up there in the clouds lays a heap of golden rewards. The rewards are sweeter to them knowing others have failed.

Others are just putting their virginal fingers on the first rung, testing its strength, wondering how they will measure up. They might look into those lofty stratospheres and gauge the distance. Some will let go before they put boot to wood, or else take a springing, desperate leap for a rung beyond their grasp. A few will stand at the bottom with chainsaws, hoping to topple the entire structure because they either have no faith in themselves or or their bitterness takes its turn.

However, writers aren’t climbing the same ladder and don’t have to fight each other to climb. Because there is no ladder waiting. Each writer has to build one and lean it against her own clouds.

The ladder is built of dreams.
The clouds are readers.
A nice, soft, welcoming destination.
Without readers, the ladders have nothing to hold themselves in the air, nor any reason to ascend.

Thanks for being heavenly.

-----------------

Scott Nicholson is the author of 10 novels, four story collections, six screenplays, and four comic-book series. He works as a journalist and freelance editor in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. His Web site has articles, writing excerpts, and multimedia files to enjoy.

Review: Insatiable by Meg Cabot

2010-07-07T21:16:00.000-05:00

Meena Harper, who was known as You're Gonna Die Girl in high school, has a gift or curse depending on who you ask. She has the ability to take one look at a person and know if they're going to die soon.

Now all grown up Meena has her eye on a promotion to become the head writer of the popular soap, Insatiable. But her bosses have something else in mind. They've promoted Meena's nemesis, Shoshana who has a bright idea to copy a rival soap and bring a vampire into the storyline.

Then something unexpected happens. Meena meets a real life prince and she has a wonderful idea. She's going to put her own twist on the storyline. She's going to introduce a vampire hunting prince to Insatiable. But there's just one catch. The prince, Lucien, is a real vampire and Meena falls head over heels in love. Now she's caught in the middle of a vampire war and an ancient society of vampire hunters. Will she make it out alive or will she see something she never has before... her own death?

I have a couple of Meg's books on my bookshelf but this is the first one I've read and I absolutely loved it. The were so many characters that were vital to the plot and they were all fabulously written. The best part of reading this one was the ending. It wasn't at all predictable and I loved the way the ending was completely satisfying yet left enough of a cliff hanger to keep me hoping that Insatiable is the start of a new series. I highly recommend this one if you love paranormal romances.

Review: Sweet Misfortune by Kevin Alan Milne

2010-06-24T22:48:00.003-05:00

After a terrible tragedy left Sophie an orphan at age 9 she always had trouble connecting in relationships. However a surprisingly fun blind date with Garrett slowly had her opening up to him but just days before their wedding, Garrett tucked tail and ran for the hills leaving Sophie devastated.

After picking herself up and dusting herself off Sophie creates Misfortune Cookies in Garrett's honor which become a best seller in her chocolate shop. They're fortune cookies with a twist. A delicious cookie dipped in bitter chocolate with not-so-good luck fortunes such as "The one you love is closer than you think. If you were smart, you'd start running."

Just when life starts looking brighter, Garrett walks back into her shop. He wants a chance to explain why he ran off but Sophie is having none of it. After much badgering, Sophie agrees to one date if at least 100 people respond to an ad that states, "Wanted: Happiness." and with Sophie judging what is true happiness from the responses it's going to be tough for Garrett to break down the wall Sophie built around her heart.

Aww, Sweet Misfortune actually made me cry! It was surprising that a male author could stir up such emotion in genre that female authors usually dominate. The only reason I couldn't give the book 5 stars is that it was just a little too predictable but it was still a "sweet" love story that I zoomed through in two days. I highly recommend this one for anyone who loves a good contemporary romance.

Review: Play Dead by Ryan Brown

2010-06-23T22:47:00.001-05:00

When the Killington Jackrabbits are one win away from being district champions, their biggest rival, the Elmwood Badgers, decides to tip the scales in their favor by jumping the jackrabbits quarterback, Cole Logan and chopping off a few fingers. This doesn't stop Cole though. It just makes him that much more determined to play.

When the badgers learn that Cole is still going to play they take things a step further and set up a road block meant to keep the jackrabbits from making it to their game. But things go horribly wrong and the bus plunges off a bridge into the river. With a bus full of boys in full gear there's no escaping from tiny bus windows and everyone except the coach who was not wearing pads and Cole who was not on the bus, are killed.

Seeking revenge himself, Cole turns to his neighbor Black Mona who has the ability to raise the dead. But when you raise the dead with revenge in mind things go horribly wrong. The undead Jackrabbits have to finish what the Badgers started within 2 days or they can never move on. You'd think that with a team of Zombies it would be easy to defeat the rival team but when your opponents are pumped full of illegal steroids, think again.

I'm very much on the fence with this one. It was a pretty cool story but it was so full of clichés. The handsome quarter back from the wrong side of the tracks, the rich obnoxious rival, the coach with a hot daughter that hates football and the small town sheriff that gives the good guys breaks. But accepting that this is a zombie story and not classic literature it is a pretty fun read. I recommend this one for anyone who wants a quick break from reality.

Review: Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

2010-05-30T13:44:00.001-05:00

After her mentor Fletcher was killed in book one, Spider's Bite, Gin Blanco retired from her life as an assassin. Bored to the point of tears things liven up for Gin when two thugs try to rob her BBQ restaurant. It turns out that one of the creeps is the son of a high powered attorney who will stop at nothing to ensure Gin drops the charges against his son.

Then to make matters worse, the very next day a customer is shot at inside the restaurant. Voilet Fox came to the Pork Pit looking for the Tin Man, Gin's former mentor. Since so few people knew about Fletcher this raises a red flag that has Gin more than curious to find out why and you know what they say about curiosity.

With each Jennifer Estep book I read I'm more in awe of her writing. She always has fresh storylines with well developed characters. The dual plot lines are each tied up nicely in the end yet we're left with a delicious cliff hanger that will have me first in line to read the third book in the series, Venom. Web of Lies will stand alone but I highly recommend reading Spider's Bite first to get the full effect of the awesomeness of Estep's genius. This is a must read for anyone who loves urban fantasy.

Review: Revenge Served Cold by Jackie Fullerton

2010-05-24T22:46:00.031-05:00

After a drink with an old college buddy, Elliot Spence is run down and killed by a hit-and-run driver. His wife Kathy is framed for the murder but since she was drunk and passed out at home alone the cops don't believe her. Now it's up to law student Anne Marshall and her father's ghost to help clear Kathy's name. That is if they can do it before Anne herself is murdered.

Revenge Served Cold has a really great premise but the writing just doesn't live up to the mystery. The story is really not believable especially when it comes to the cops. Yes all the evidence does point to Kathy but that's no reason to conveniently forget to canvas the neighborhood which of course leads them to miss the real murderer's visit to take Kathy's car and kill Elliot. OKAY?? .... And there's plenty more unbelievable situations which forces me to give this one two stars when it had so much promise.

Challenge Complete!

2010-05-23T22:41:00.016-05:00

This challenge was to read a minimum of 10 books first published in 2010 and I actually completed it without noticing back in April. Now it's one down, nine to go. I'll continue the list through the end of the year.

Spider's Bite: An Elemental Assassin Book - Jennifer Estep
The Templar Cross - Paul Christopher
The Last Surgeon - Michael Palmer
Burn - Ted Dekker & Erin Healy
Without Hesitation - Mark Rosendorf
Switch - Megan Hart
Stop Me - Richard Jay Parker
The Cougar Club - Susan McBride
My Soul to Save - Rachel Vincent
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart - Beth Pattillo
Flirting with Forever - Gwyn Cready
Blood Oath - Christopher Farnsworth
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter - Seth Grahame-Smith
The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters - Barbara Silkstone
The Spellmans Strike Again - Lisa Lutz
Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks - Cara Lockwood
Injustice For All - Scott Pratt
Imperial Bedrooms - Bret Easton Ellis
Revenge Served Cold - Jackie Fullerton
Web of Lies - Jennifer Estep
Room - Emma Donoghue
Deliver us From Evil - David Baldacci
Play Dead - Ryan Brown
Sweet Misfortune - Kevin Alvan Milne
Insatiable - Meg Cabot
One Season of Sunshine - Julia London
Unspeakable - Laura Griffin
Inside Out: A Novel - Barry Eisler
Undead and Unfinished - MaryJanice Davidson
I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore
The Moses Stone - James Becker
Caught - Harlan Coben
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - Stephenie Meyer
Werewolf Smackdown - Mario Acevedo
Play Dead - Harlan Coben
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
Me, Myself and Why? - MaryJanice Davidson
Deeply, Desperately: A Lucy Valentine Novel - Heather Webber

Review: Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis

2010-05-23T22:34:00.000-05:00

I enthusiastically selected this book from the Amazon Vine program solely because Bret Easton Ellis wrote it. Glamorama is one of my favorite books to reread but sadly Imperial Bedrooms doesn't live up to any of Bret's previous works. While I was reading the book I kept thinking to myself, "Maybe I just don't get it." but once I finished the book I read other reviews and realized that it wasn't just me. For a story that picks up 25 years later I was hoping for more closure from the characters. Instead the book is just a sad, predictable snooze fest. I wouldn't recommend this one even as a library read.

Blog Tour and giveaway: Days of PREY featuring John Sandford's amazing series

2010-05-10T00:00:00.012-05:00

WINNER: Darby

John Sandford's website
In order to celebrate the May 18th release of Storm Prey, the 20th novel in the Lucas Davenport series by John Sandford I have been given the chance to read and review number 12 in the series, Chosen Prey originally released in May 2002. Here's a quick questionnaire the publisher put together to give you a little teaser about Sandford's books.

What is Lucas doing when he first appears in the book? Lucas is sitting with a woman in the window seat of a cafe musing about the dreary weather they've been experiencing in Minneapolis. They're two weeks away from Spring and it seems like they haven't seen the sun in months.
Lucas’s occupation or professional role? Minneapolis Deputy Police Chief
Lucas’s personal status (single, dating, married): Lucas is dating the woman he was in the cafe with, Weather Karkinnen. He was previously engaged to Weather but that ended when she was taken hostage by a crazed biker in one of Lucas' earlier cases.
Lucas Davenport is a known clothes-horse; did you notice any special fashion references? In Chosen Prey the fashion emphasis was more on the killer than Lucas. He had an obsession with expensive clothes that he couldn't easily afford but most of his kills had enough cash or jewelry that he could pawn to keep him in fancy duds for a while.
What was the crime/case being solved? When the body of a woman who disappeared 18 months ago is found, a connection is made to several cases of nude drawings mailed to women who swear they've never posed nude. The investigation leads to the discovery of a mass grave and the media dubbing the killer "The Gravedigger".
Does the title of your book relate to the crime? The title Chosen Prey has ties to the crime because all the victims are chosen because of their looks and lifestyle. They are all petite blondes involved in the arts. Who was your favorite supporting character, good or evil? My favorite supporting character is Marcy Sherril, the homicide detective nicknamed Titsy. She was shot in a previous book and is itching to get back to work. In Chosen Prey she tentatively returns to work to coordinate the investigation from behind a desk. What was your favorite scene or quote? My favorite scene is when a potential victim convinces Lucas to let her be bait. Lucas reluctantly agrees and gets way more than he bargained for from the so called victim. Finally, how do you envision Lucas Davenport? If he were to be portrayed in a movie, what celebrity would play him? This is a real tough one. He's described as a large, heavy shouldered, dark complected man with blue eyes and I can't think of anyone that fits that bill. He's also described as having a scar that runs down his forehead, across an eyebrow and across his cheek so this craggy look reminds of me of a young Clint Eastwood. He just needs a deep tan but I lack the Photoshop skills so use your imagination. LOL

LATE BREAKING ADDITION: I think a young Paul Newman would also work.

Before I discovered the endless availability of books through online trading I was better able to keep up with my favorite series books so I have actually read up to book 10 in the series. Reading Chosen Prey was like catching up with an old friend and I can't wait to read #11 and #s 13-20!

Read an excerpt of Chosen Prey and be sure to visit the Official Tour Page the visit all the tour stops.

For your chance to win one copy of Chosen Prey plus an ARC of Storm prey, visit the Sandford's website using the link above and tell one thing that interested you about the website or books. Please be sure to include your email address in your comment or profile.

For extra entries, Tweet this giveaway using the "ShareThis" gadget at the end of this post or your own message and leave me the link to your tweet in a separate comment. Tweet entries can be done once a day.

This giveaway is open until the tour end date of May 18th and is open to US residents aged 18 and over only. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email or a new winner will be selected.

Giveaway: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

2010-05-09T21:00:00.006-05:00

WINNERS: Amanda and Cheryl

Here's a sneak peak at the new
Bonus Chapter

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

THE HOST debuted at #1 on The New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list and remained there for more than a year. Meyer’s first adult novel was not only a huge commercial success with more than 2 million copies sold, it also brought a whole new audience of readers to Stephenie Meyer. Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST, appeals to rabid Twilight Saga fans and readers of classic literary suspense alike.

Movie rights to THE HOST have been optioned by Nick Wechsler and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz, the team that produced the film of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Andrew Niccol of Gattaca and The Truman Show will write the script and direct.

For your chance to win one of two copies of this book, tell me the name of your favorite Science Fiction title. Please be sure to include your email address in your comment if it's not in your profile.

For extra entries, Tweet this giveaway using the "ShareThis" gadget at the end of this post or your own message and leave me the link to your tweet in a separate comment. Tweet entries can be done once a day.

This giveaway is open until May 17th and is open to residents of the US and Canada only, no PO boxes. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email or a new winner will be selected.

Review: Injustice For All by Scott Pratt

2010-05-07T19:58:00.001-05:00

During one horrible court session prosecutor Joe Dillard watches as his best friend, lawyer Ray Miller, commit suicide after a failed attempt at murdering the presiding judge. Then just a short while later Judge Green is found murdered and the clues all point to Ray’s son Tommy as the murderer.

Now Joe is drawn into the middle of the investigation and he’s either going to clear his Ray’s son or be the one to prove he’s guilty.

How refreshing! A truly great suspense thriller. No under developed characters, jumbled storylines or extra fluff to be found. This is pure page-turning suspense that reminds me a lot of one of my favorite suspense authors, Steve Berry. Injustice For All is the third book in the Joe Dillard series yet stands alone as I have not read the previous two books. I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves thrillers.

Review: Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks by Cara Lockwood

2010-05-04T23:49:00.000-05:00

Rachel Farnsworth's husband goes missing at the worst time. It's her son's 1st birthday and Rachel just witnessed Cassidy breathing fire. But that's not the only bad news. It turns out her missing husband was taken over by a demon, 5 years ago! So that makes Cassidy half demon and it's a bitter pill for Rachel to swallow.

With the help of fallen angel/bounty hunter Sam, Rachel is on her deadbeat demon husband's trail but he's been keeping a thousand-year-old secret so Sam and Rachel are not the only ones on the hunt.

This book was a fast, fun read. Rachel is a gold mine of wit and sass all rolled up into a Texas firecracker. Plus there are plenty of well developed secondary characters that make this book a laugh riot. There are two "watcher angels" that taunt each other relentlessly. Another fallen angel named Azazel that fancies himself a ladies man, an immortal bad girl named Casiphia that holds a grudge against Sam when she should be thanking him and many, many more.

Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks is book two in the Devil Went Down to Dogwood (Rachel's hometown) series but it definitely stands alone as I have not yet read the first book, Every Demon Has His Day, but I will be fixing that soon. I recommend this one for anyone who loves light paranormals.

Review: The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz

2010-05-01T23:22:00.002-05:00

In this fourth and final installment in the Spellman series, Izzy Spellman is right smack in the middle of some of her wackiest adventures yet. Because her mom still holds Prom Night 1994 over her she has to agree to go on 20 blind dates with a different lawyer each time. This is because her mom cannot stand her dating Connor, otherwise known as ex-boyfriend #12. Her best friend Morty calls weekly from Florida with nothing but gripes. One of her cases involves her hiring her good friend Len, to pose as a spy posing as a butler and this causes trouble for Len at home. Her sister Rae takes on a cause to "Free Schmidt" who she believes has been wrongly imprisoned and later Izzy takes up her own case of wrongful imprisonment. Hardware and light fixtures are disappearing daily from the Spellman home and last but not least Izzy is diligently working to catch the competition, the dishonest PI Rick Harkey, breaking the law or at a minimum something bad enough to get his PI license yanked.

If you've read the previous three books in this series you'll know that this is nothing but business as usual for Izzy.

As always, Izzy gets through her adventures while making me crack up on almost every page. Her family is just so wild and Lutz does such an awesome job with her character development that I could totally picture each and every one of them. Izzy is witty and always quick to deliver a snarky comment. Even though there seems to be a million different storylines it magically works into one great read that you should not miss.

I can't tell you how much I love this series and was shocked to learn this was the end of it. I could totally see this one becoming a long running series that I would never tire of. I'm going to miss the Spellmans tremendously but the series was wrapped with a satisfying end and I'm sure that Lutz will follow this series with something just as good.

Giveaway: The Galilean Secret by Evan Drake Howard

2010-04-29T22:22:00.001-05:00

WINNER PENDING

The Galilean Website

The Galilean Secret is a new thriller that combines Da Vinci Code-style intrigue with a fresh perspective on the teachings of Jesus such as millions of readers embraced in The Shack. Publishers Weekly calls it "...unique and fascinating..."

The relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene has long fascinated scholars and intrigued nearly all believers. What was the nature of their relationship and how has it influenced Christianity since the first millennium? With compelling storytelling in the style of Dan Brown coupled with years of exhaustive study, Evan Drake Howard has created a magisterial novel that asks, and attempts to illuminate, enduring questions on the nature of love.

In first-century Jerusalem, the faithful Judith finds herself caught in a web of romantic betrayal and intrigue. She must reconcile her faith with her conflicting feelings for two brothers, one the Zealot Dismas and his brother, the sensitive merchant Gabriel. A letter written by an insightful Galilean rabbi changes their lives forever and sets each on a new path of discovery, humanity and love.

In modern-day Israel, amidst the war-torn countryside, Karim, a young Palestinian, finds himself with a similar struggle. Caught between his brother’s relentless ambition for martyrdom and his powerful love for a woman he cannot have, his life seems an endless journey of rage and despair. Until one day, while seeking refuge in the long-forgotten caves of Qumran, he discovers a crumbling scroll with a mysterious text. Still legible after two millennia, Karim reads a message that indeed changes his life forever. But will the cost be worth his newfound knowledge?

Evan Drake Howard holds a master of divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a doctorate in theology from Boston University. He pastors Community Church of Providence in Rhode Island, where he lives with his wife and two sons.

For your chance to win one of five copies of this book, visit the book's website using the link above and tell one thing that interested you about the website or book. Please be sure to include your email address in your comment or profile.

For extra entries, Tweet this giveaway using the "ShareThis" gadget at the end of this post or your own message and leave me the link to your tweet in a separate comment. Tweet entries can be done once a day.

This giveaway is open until May 10th and is open to US residents aged 18 and over only. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email or a new winner will be selected.

Review: The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters by Barbara Silkstone

2010-04-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

Real Estate broker Alice Harte has got her hands full. In the mall parking lot on her way to buy a jar of wrinkle cream, she gets accosted by a thug named Marc Hare who she dubs "Sunglasses". Marc believes his brother, Jug, was murdered (by beheading) by Alice's boss, Leslie Archer.

Just when she's decided to quit working for Archer, even though she knows he will sue her for breach of contract, she's forced to stay on and gather evidence against him for Sunglasses.

To escape the madness and alleviate some of the stress Alice searches a home swap website with dreams of finding a quaint cottage in England to runaway to. What she finds is her very own Prince Charming. But little does she know Nigel Channing is nothing but a lying cheater who will take her further down the rabbit hole.

With a title like The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters you know this has got to be on kooky adventure and boy was it. Poor Alice went through a roller coaster of emotions all in one book. She's thrown into one maddening situation after another but strangely they are all very realistic and hilarious at the same time.

This book was laugh out loud funny and a quick read. I highly recommend it for anyone who would love a quirky take on a classic tale.

Giveaway: 100 Brochures from Brochures Printing Online

2010-04-19T23:22:00.003-05:00

WINNER: Terri

It's time for another great giveaway from my awesome blog sponsors. I can't praise them enough. Besides the fact that they are very generous with their giveaways they always provide great quality products, excellent customer service and an incredibly fast turn around time. What more could you ask for from a printing company?

For this giveaway one winner receive 100 double sided, 4 color, 8.5 x 11 brochures in their choice of folds: half fold, tri-fold/letter fold, Z-fold, accordion or roll fold (see samples using this link). The paper is high quality 100 lb gloss text paper and the winner will receive FREE UPS Ground Shipping.

The brochures are great for all kinds of business promotion but immediately the first thing I thought about when I was offered this giveaway was a wedding program. How beautiful would that be and with the traditional wedding month, June, just around the corner this is the perfect time for this fun giveaway.

For your chance to win just let me know how you would use the brochures if you were selected as the winner. Please be sure to include your email address in your comment or profile.

For extra entries, Tweet this giveaway using the "ShareThis" gadget at the end of this post or your own message and leave me the link to your tweet in a separate comment. Tweet entries can be done once a day.

This giveaway is open until April 28th and is open to US residents aged 18 and over only. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email or a new winner will be selected.

Review: Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

2010-04-19T16:40:00.000-05:00

Since 1867 Nathaniel Cade has been the ultimate secret weapon in service of The President of the United States. He is a vampire sent on special missions in the care of a handler. When his latest handler's cancer comes back Cade is assigned a new handler.

Twenty-five year old Zach Barrows successfully helped the current president win his senate race and delivered 3 states during the presidential campaign. Cocky and sure of himself he has no clue what his next assignment will be. The shock of meeting Cade is enough for him to wet his pants.

But soon the pair have a new assignment and it's one that includes reanimated soldiers who are almost impossible to kill...again.

Wowee! This was a non-stop page turner. The premise is awesome. A presidential vampire that goes on secret missions to save the world. Genius! Zach is funny and loveable all at once and Cade is just like an onion with layer upon layer of mystery to be unraveled.

Part paranormal and part suspense thriller, Blood Oath is the beginning of what I feel will be a long series of books featuring Cade and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a great action book.

Review: Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready

2010-04-16T19:15:00.000-05:00

Famed 17th century painter Peter Lely is sent from his cozy existence in the Afterlife to deal with a pesky problem back in the London of 1673. There he is to intercept the person who unlawfully traveled back in time to dig for details on the life of another great painter, Anthony Van Dyck. Prior to the intervention, Campbell Stratford had learned enough salacious details about Van Dyck to write an embarrassingly accurate “fictography” that scandalized the Executive Guild into sending Peter back in time.

While purchasing an obscure book to be used as research for her own book, art historian Cam Stratford was accidently whisked through time to 1673. Intent on getting the goods on Van Dyck she spends some time with Peter Lely. During their brief encounter Cam thinks she hit a gold mine of information but when she returns to the present she realizes that her project was sabotaged by Peter and to get even she turns her book into an expose on Peter’s life ignites his anger… and his passion.

First of all DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT Google Peter Lely before reading this book. Or even after if you can help yourself, LOL. The Peter in the book is dashing and good-looking and the Peter on Google is let’s just say “not so much”. Pushing that out of my mind I say Flirting with Forever is a cute time travel romance.

I really enjoyed the romance but the time travel and the Executive Guild aspects of the story are a bit jumbled. There’s no back story or “this is how it works” instruction so I kind of felt a little lost for some of the beginning. Once I finished the book I even went back and re-read the beginning so it made more sense and as a result I give this one 3 stars. If there was just a teeny bit more explanation I would have given the book 5 stars because it’s a really fun romp through time with a believable happy ending.

Giveaway: Win a book from the experts at Snubbr.com

2010-04-15T17:14:00.002-05:00

WINNER: Nanci in Pennsylvania

Visit Snubbr.com for gift ideas and recommendations

Q. What the heck is Snubbr.com?

A. Snubbr recommends products you'll love from consumer electronics to gift ideas. They're like Yahoo Answers for shopping advice. Let's say you want to buy a new digital camera. Instead of spending hours reading reviews, you can just ask our experts, and They'll recommend the best cameras for you. They'll do all the research and work, saving you time and stress.

For your chance to win one of the five historical fiction books listed here simply visit this page on Snubbr and tell me which one you would like to win.

For an extra entry simply ask the experts a question and post the link to your question in a comment. Easy right?

Giveaway open to US and Canada only. Please, no PO Boxes. Winner will be selected April 25th and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email. Please be sure to leave me an email address in your comment if it's not in your profile or your post using anonymous.

Review: Murder Has a Sweet Tooth by Miranda Bliss

2010-04-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

Book five of the Cooking Class Mystery series has Annie in the middle of a murder investigation at the same time as planning her wedding.

When her fiancé Jim's cousin Alex gets arrested for a murder he didn't commit Jim and Alex don't even have to ask. Annie gladly puts aside her wedding planning to help Alex out. By throwing herself right into the middle of the investigation, Annie's best friend Eve takes over as wedding planner and Eve has big plans for including her dog Doctor Masakazu in the ceremony and making the wedding as over the top as it can be.

I think it's awesome that there is no beating around the bush about why Annie is investigating this murder. In most cozies there's always someone asking the lead character not to poke her nose into the investigation and to leave it to the cops but of course they never listen and solve the murder, putting themselves in danger.

With Murder Has a Sweet Tooth, Annie prides herself as an investigator who has already solved 4 crimes and who everyone turns to when Alex is arrested. For that alone I love this book. Throw in Eve who wants to have her dog as ring boy and wants to wear a dress flashier than a Vegas costume and you have a perfectly hilarious cozy mystery where you're guaranteed that Annie is going to get her man (or woman), save Alex and pull off the perfect wedding to the man of her dreams. I highly recommend this series for anyone who loves cozy mysteries.

Review: Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo

2010-04-05T02:30:00.000-05:00

On her own and taking care of her little sister from the age of 18, Claire Prescott has never been one to believe in fairy tales. Yet when she has to present a paper at a Pride and Prejudice seminar as an emergency substitution for her sister, Claire finds her self caught up in the beauty of Oxford. And when handsome and aristocratic James walks into the room she feels an immediate spark. She slowly begins to think that for once the fairy tale can be hers... if she can overlook the fact that she has a negligent, sports nut of a boyfriend back at home in the states.

To complicate matters further, she meets a dotty older woman who invites her back to her storybook cottage. There Harriet swears Claire to secrecy and shows her a partial manuscript First Impressions by Jane Austen which was later re-written as Price and Prejudice. In First Impressions, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy's relationship has a very different outcome. Due to this fact there is more than one person out to keep Claire and Harriet apart.

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is a sweet romantic tale. It was kind of like reading two books in one. You have Claire and her relationships with James, her boyfriend Neil and her sister plus you have the additional story within a story regarding First Impressions. I really enjoyed the way the two weave together in one delightful read. I recommend this one to anyone who loves contemporary fiction or is a Jane Austen fan.

Exciting Announcement - Please join me at I Just Finished.com

2010-04-05T00:01:00.027-05:00

Last October I started working part time for the website I Just Finished.com as a media liaison and review coordinator. My responsibilities include booking authors for the weekly Coffee with an Author interviews and week long Q&A sessions called Featured Author. I also request review books from publishers and distribute them to our Featured Reviewers in exchange for a review. It has been fun working with the IJF team and I've made many more contacts in the publishing industry plus I've interacted with a ton of great authors.

Today, Monday April 5th is the 2 year anniversary of I Just Finished and to celebrate we have a fresh, new design and format. During this re-launch we also have two weeks of Special Guests on Coffee with an Author. Here is the line up:

One hour live interview - call in number (646) 716-9724
4/5 at 10:00am CST - Stephanie Cowell
4/12 at 10:00am CST - Paul West

Half hour pre-recorded interviews

4/6 - Jim Butcher

4/7 - Kim Harrison

4/8 - Marcus Sakey

4/9 - MaryJanice Davidson

4/10 - Laura Childs

4/13 - Steve Berry

4/14 - Victoria Laurie

4/15 - JoAnna Carl

4/16 - Candace Havens

We have a lot more content to add in the next few weeks including the ability to discuss books with other readers. I hope you will join us in the celebration relaunch, register as a user and keep checking back to see the changes we're making!

Once you start submitting reviews to I Just Finished, you'll be invited become a Featured Reviewer which gives you access to our review inventory where you can select free books to review for I Just Finished.

If there is a book you would like to add a review to and it's not on the site yet, please add the title and ISBN below and we'll add the book within a few hours.

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Giveaway: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith on Unabridged Audio

2010-04-02T07:25:00.002-05:00

WINNERS PENDING

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Listen to an Excerpt

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Join the Undead Book Club

To enter to win one of three copies, tell me the name of the book you are most looking forward to reading from the list found on the Undead Book Club Facebook page. The list can be found on the left hand side under the profile photo.

For extra entries Tweet about the giveaway using the "ShareThis" link at the end of this post or Tweet your own message. Twitter entries can be done once a day, just be sure to leave me the link to your Tweet each time you do.

Giveaway open to US and Canada only. Please, no PO Boxes. Winners will be selected April 20th and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email. Please be sure to leave me an email address in your comment if it's not in your profile or your post using anonymous.

Review: My Soul To Save by Rachel Vincent

2010-04-01T08:21:00.000-05:00

In book two of the Soul Screamers series (excluding the short story prequel) Kaylee is learning more about her abilities as a bean sidhe (banshee) from her boyfriend Nash's mom, Harmony. During a concert where they scored back stage passes Kaylee and Nash learn that both of the pop stars they just watched, Addison and Eden, sold their sold to the devil for fame and fortune. When Eden dies on stage, Nash's brother Tod begs them to save Addison. But to save Addison, Kaylee has to make some difficult choices including one that will get her grounded and make it almost impossible for her to help.

I seriously enjoyed this installment more than My Soul to Take. Since now we know exactly how Kaylee's ability works along side Nash's there is more room for drama in the story. I also love the way the relationship between Nash and Kaylee is growing yet still hasn't crossed over into sex like some YA books do which makes me crazy. Also Kaylee learns how to cross over into the Netherworld where this are strange indeed. This is a must read if you love paranormal YA books.

Giveaway: Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow

2010-03-29T20:04:00.001-05:00

WINNER PENDING

In anticipation of the highly-awaited sequel to PRESUMED INNOCENT, INNOCENT, which releases May 4, 2010, Hachette Book Group is generously offering a chance to win one of three copies of Presumed Innocent.

PRESUMED INNOCENT brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of crimes. Prosecutor Rusty Sabich is transformed from accuser to accused when he is handed an explosive case--that of the brutal murder of a woman who happens to be his former lover.

To enter to win one of three copies just comment on any of my book reviews. You get one entry for every meaningful comment but be sure to leave the title of each book you commented on in a separate comment here.

Giveaway open to US and Canada only. Please, no PO Boxes. Winners will be selected April 15th and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email. Please be sure to leave me an email address in your comment if it's not in your profile.