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Showing posts from May, 2008

Book Contest

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Book Description : At her friend Ivy's behest, Emily reluctantly agrees to attend a party at the sprawling English country estate of Lord Fortescue, a man she finds as odious as he is powerful. But if Emily is expecting Lord Fortescue to be the greatest of her problems, she is wrong. Her host has also invited Kristiana von Lange, an Austrian countess who was once linked romantically with Emily's fiancé, the debonair Colin Hargreaves. What Emily believes will be a tedious evening turns deadly when Fortescue is found murdered, and his protégé, Robert Brandon—Ivy's husband—is arrested for the crime. Determined to right this terrible wrong and clear Robert's name, Emily begins to dig for answers, a quest that will lead her from London's glittering ballrooms to Vienna's sordid backstreets. Not until she engages a notorious anarchist in a game of wits does the shocking truth begin to emerge: the price of exonerating Robert can be paid only by placing Colin in deadl

Wind Follower

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Although it is not entirely to her liking, grief-stricken Satha, a dark-skinned woman from a poor Theseni clan weds young Loic, the wealthy Doreni son of the king's First Captain. Loic, graced with ability to see into the hearts and minds of others, begins to help Satha overcome her sorrows. Despite coming from different tribes, they begin to forge a life together. But when Satha's own compassion is used against her and a treacherous enemy contrives to dishonor her in Loic's absence, Loic's love turns to anger and disgust. Embittered, Loic must still avenge his honor and Satha's and he sets out on a journey that brings despair as well as spiritual discovery. Battling him are the Arkhai, the spirits of the land who know his quest will lead him toward the God whom they have usurped. After his departure, Satha is kidnapped, sold into slavery and learns, first hand, how cruel the pioneering Angleni tribe can be. Both face great hardship, danger and anguish apart, but wi

Quiver

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Kate McCall's husband dies in an hunting accident. Kate's son, Luke accidentally shots his father with an arrow. As Kate is trying to cope with the loss of her husband and the guilt her son carries, an old friend walks back into her life. Jack is an ex-con. He has a lot of people after him right now, because they think he has lost the heist money. The events that take place will make Kate and her son, Luke's relationship stronger than it has even been in this skillfully plotted strongline of a book called Quiver . I thought Quiver was a good first book for Mr. Peter Leonard . It moved very quickly and easily. The ending was a surprise to me. I enjoyed this fact, when the unexpected happens in a book. It shows that author's writing style to be so amazing that Mr. Leonard can take the reader all the way through a story without the reader knowing or figuring out what is going to happen next. It makes me want to read more novels by this author. If Quiver is any indicatio

Hot to Trot

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Patti North and Dylan Decker used to be married to each other. Dylan cheated on her. Patti’s hot temper can usually be seen in public whenever Dylan is around. Dylan broke her heart once. She is not about to let him do it again. Regrettably Patti needs money to support her house and her horse. Patti ends up applying at DD Technology not knowing the company was co-founded by her ex Dylan. Dylan is the ultimate ladies man with black hair, green eyes and his love for naughty women. It’s been five years since the divorce but Patti can’t stop lusting after Dylan. He vows to not let Patti get away with her temper in public with him again without paying for the consequences. All Patti can think about is having sex with her ex. Dylan requests a second chance with her. Will the second time around be even better or will this relationship end up in flames before it gets started? Hot to Trot started out with a big bang. The chemistry between Patti and Dylan was incredible. Patti and Dylan’s lust f

Creme Brulee Upset

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Mike Tucker has not seen Patrice Wilson ever since she left four years ago for Paris. So it was an enormous surprise when she shows up for his celebration in making partner. Patrice Wilson is now living in Chicago and top chef at Victor’s. She can’t wait to see the look on Mike’s face at the celebration. Mike ends up acting like a jerk at the party. He tells Patrice he doesn’t want her anymore in addition to unintentionally dumping a whole crème brulee cake all over Patrice. Mike’s roommates Randy and Alex could not believe how Mike acted at the surprise celebration that they helped arrange with Patrice. Now Mike will do anything to get Patrice back, his one true love. Patrice may be ready to pardon Mike but her friends won’t let her forgive and forget so soon. Friends like David Welsh, her best friend from high school who is now known as Doctor Delicious the ice cream guru or Bubba Scott, the Bears All Pro defensive end. I have read quite a few books now from The Wild Rose Press. They

Vineyard Mambo

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Anna and Tony brought a farmhouse with tons of acreage that included a vineyard. Nonno, Tony’s grandfather, lives in a cottage on the neighboring property. Diane has been Anna’s best friend for about five years. Diane calls to tell Anna that Marge and Sam Pilchards were found at their home attacked. The police suspect foul play. Sam is in the hospital listed in critical condition. Marge is dead. Anna can’t believe this happened. Murders just don’t happen in Milton Falls. Jack and Kate, another couple in the neighborhood are acting like something is not right with them but what could it be? Every year Milton Falls holds their annual Zucchini Festival. So when it seems like this year’s festivals might be postponed, Anna decides to play detective. She wishes everything would go back to normal. Vineyard Mambo is a must read. Talk about a fun book. The first thing I noticed was the title of each chapter, for example Hot Waffle Kisses or how about Grilled Pizza and Cold Leads. Nonno has a se

Book Contest

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Since I know we all love winning free books. I found this contest at http://www.bookshipper.blogspot.com/ FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY CONTEST I have just finished reading and reviewing this ARC and want to PAY IT FORWARD.... So head on over to http://www.bookshipper.blogspot.com/ for details but hurry as this contest ends Friday, May 30th

The Latest Sunday Salon

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I present to you all another interview for my Sunday Salon. Hope you enjoy it. Just to get you started. Here's a little bit of information about Mr. Lynskey . Author Bio. I've published three novels in the P.I. Frank Johnson series ( THE DIRT-BROWN DERBY, THE BLUE CHEER, and PELHAM FELL HERE ) as well as a short fiction collection ( OUT OF TOWN A FEW DAYS ). THE BLUE CHEER generated positive reviews in prominent print media like PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, BOOKLIST (a starred review), SANDIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, ARIZONA DAILY STAR/TUCSON CITIZEN, THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT, as well as in major such Canadian newspapers as LONDON FREE PRESS and HALIFAX CHRONICLE-HERALD. My creative work has received critical acclaim from such print media venues as ELLERY QUEEN MYSTERY MAGAZINE, BOOKLIST (starred review), PUBLISHERS WEEKLY,LIBRARY JOURNAL, CHOICE, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, ARIZONA DAILYSTAR/TUCSON CITIZEN, HALIFAX CHRONICLE-HERALD (CANADA), LONDONFREE PRESS (CANADA), LANSING STATE JOURNAL, THE VIRGIN

Not in the Flesh

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Searching for truffles in a wood, a man and his dog unearth something far less savory—a human hand. The body, as Chief Inspector Wexford is later informed, has lain buried for 10 years or so, cause of death undetermined. The only clue is a crack in one of the corpse’s ribs.Now Wexford has his work cut out for him. Eighty-five people have disappeared in this part of England over the past decade. He and his team will need to interrogate everyone who lives nearby to see if they can turn up a match for the dead man. Then, in the cellar of a disused cottage nearby, a second body is found. As Wexford painstakingly reveals long-buried secrets, Ruth Rendell proves once again why she has been hailed as our greatest living mystery writer.

Are you Scared to Live?

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A harmless middle-aged recluse, shot to death in her Peak District home. A young mother and two children, their lives snuffed out in a raging house fire. Two murders—one inexplicable, the other unspeakable. As detectives Diane Fry and Ben Cooper investigate, a horrific possibility begins to take shape: What if the two cases are connected? For answers, they must travel far beyond Derbyshire, to the other side of Europe and back.Cooper and Fry are about to step into dangerous and unfamiliar territory, where the criminals they seek wield their influence from far away. Death can be everywhere, even lurking among the crowds in the tourist village of Matlock Bath. Soon they might discover one of the reasons people can be scared to live.

Book Contests

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Ok. So over at http://bookroomreviews.wordpress.com/ . For May's Pay it forward. You get chances to win either Ms. Perfect by Jane Porter or Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer. Head on over to read the details on how to enter to win.
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As a young California girl growing up in a blue collar neighborhood, Taylor Young dreamed of being popular, beautiful, and acquiring a wardrobe to die for. Not to mention marrying a handsome, successful man and living happily ever after in a gorgeous house with three wonderful children. Now, at 36, Taylor has reached the pinnacle of her dreams, but is it all about to unravel? As the new school year approaches, Taylor prepares herself for playing the perfect alpha mom: organizing class activities, fund-raising, and chairing the school auction. But the horror! Her archrival, bohemian mom Marta Zinsser, is named Head Room Mom of Taylor's daughter's fifth grade class. As tensions rise at committee meetings and school activities, the two rivals seem to be destined for a final confrontation. But as Taylor plans her next move, she is floored by a more serious blow at home-her husband has been secretly unemployed for the past six months. With her posh lifestyle crumbling, Taylor stru
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“This intense, marvelously plotted, paced, and characterized story will immediately garner comparisons to Lord of the Flies , or even the long-playing world shifts of Stephen King, with just a dash of X-Men for good measure. A potent mix of action and thoughtfulness—centered around good and evil, courage and cowardice—renders this a tour-de-force that will leave readers dazed, disturbed, and utterly breathless. Grant’s novel is presumably the first in a series, and while many will want to scream when they find out the end is not the end, they’ll be glad there’s more in store.”—Booklist (starred review) Intrigued? I have two Advanced Reader’s Editions of Michael Grant’s Gone to give away to two lucky readers. Than head on over to http://booksandmovies.today.com/2008/05/20/gone-giveaway/ but hurry as this contest will end 12:00 am Pacific Standard Time, Monday, May 26th.

The Fourth Watcher

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Travel writer Poke Rafferty is ready to let go of his Looking for Trouble series of travel books and the dangerous lifestyle that goes with it, and settle down in Bangkok with his fiancée, Rose, and his newly adopted daughter, Miaow. But trouble isn't ready to let go of Poke. Enter the one person Poke least wants to see in the entire world—a person whose emotional hold on Poke is absolute. With him come a box of rubies, a wad of fraudulent identity papers, and—in pursuit of those things—one of the most dangerous gangsters in China. Add to that Rose's innocent involvement in a North Korean counterfeiting operation and an off-the-tracks agent of the American Secret Service who's dying to put Poke behind bars, and Poke and his family find themselves in a complicated and potentially deadly situation. Getting them all out alive will take every skill Poke has. Once again, Hallinan has created a complex, emotionally satisfying thriller with edge-of-your-seat suspense and a cast of

Dead Silver

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Their first appearance in Lone Creek helped garner McMahon the most extraordinary reviews of his career. None other than mystery guru Otto Penzler said: "It is the poignant and knowing prose that elevates this novel to literature. What separates this book from other outstanding crime novels is the moral might of the hero—and he is a hero, just as Philip Marlowe, Lew Archer, Spenser, Harry Bosch, and C. W. Sugrue are. Davoren believes in friendship, his word, honor, and the earth—the bleak but beautiful mountainous west." Dead Silver begins with a distraught call to Hugh Davoren from the daughter of a famous professor when she finds a wooden box containing disturbing photos and an earring that belonged to her stepmother, murdered after protesting the opening of a silver mine. With his trademark descriptions of the well-to-do and the down-and-out, McMahon brings in a cast of colorful characters who support and oppose Hugh and his friend Madbird—plenty of people who may have had

Blue Smoke and Murder

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Jill Breck was just doing her job as a river guide when she saved the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St. Kilda Consulting's premier operators. But when a string of ominous events—including a mysterious fire that kills her great-aunt and a furor in the Western art world raised by a dozen Breck family paintings—culminates in a threat to her life, Jill reluctantly calls in a favor. Zach Balfour works part-time as a consultant for St. Kilda. His expertise is gathering and analyzing information from unlikely and often dangerous sources. Though he's got the skills to be a highly effective bodyguard, being a bullet catcher isn't his preferred way to spend time. Protecting Jill will take him into familiar territory—among a strange, savagely competitive bunch of collectors who'll do anything to stay at the top. But Jill is in deeper waters than she's ever known; as she soon discovers, the perils of running wild rivers are tame compared with the hidden dangers in the high-

Sacrifice

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I got the chance to review this book before it comes out. You can pre -order it May 27, 2008. Let me tell you if you enjoy thrillers mixed with some old fashion horror than you need to do yourself a favor and order Sacrifice by S. J. Bolton. Tora Hamilton and her husband, Duncan are living at Shetland Islands, located in Scotland. Tora is an outsider but Duncan is coming back home to Shetland Islands. Life is good, till Tora goes to bury her horse and instead finds a mutilated woman's body in her own backyard. From this point on things start getting interesting for Tora. The woman has weird foreign symbols carved into her back. As Tora investigates more ino this mystery woman and why she was buried in Tora's backyard. Tora stumbles upon a secret that the people of Shetland Islands have been keeping hidden for centuries. A secret so horrible that you couldn't imagine it even in your wildest of dreams. If it was to be uncovered Shetland Islands would never be the same again

An Spicy Time with Shiela Stewart

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Here's a treat for The Sunday Salon. A interview with Sheila Stewart . I want to thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. Thank you Cheryl for doing this interview. What’s your idea of a relaxing day? Hmmm, relax, what’s that? I rarely ever just relax. This really made me think. LOL I guess I would chose lounging on the sofa and watching movies with my hubby, ordering some take out and not lifting a finger to do any of the dozens of things I do on a regular basis. Can you tell me what it’s like living in Canada? Since it’s the only place I’ve ever lived I’m not sure how to answer this. I love being a Canadian and wouldn’t change it for the world. Where do you draw your inspirations from? Who are your inspirations? Other authors and books inspire me. I love to read, love to watch movies and always feel creative after watching a really good movie. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? And what is the worst? Best advice I ever received would be from my husba

Fighting for Our Freedom

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I want to start off by saying that Never On These Shores is one of those books that maes you glad you read it wondering why you didn't read it sooner. So on that note, here is my review. Enjoy. The year is 1942. The Japanese have invaded Canada and taken over almost all of the West Coast. The Nazis traveled through Mexico and have occupied Texas. Also, the Italians were able to wage a battle from the seas in Cuba to obtain control from Florida to Atlanta. Our troops are stuck in the European countries. The only people left that can help defend the United States are women, young men, and anyone else who were not able to join the military. As if having our enemies in control was not bad enough. The KKK are supporting this take over and trying to rid the United States of all the Blacks, Jews, Asians, etc. Will we once again be able to taste victory or will be have to accept defeat? I hope all these questions and more get answered in Mr. Pastore's other books he has coming out t

A Enlightening Time with Lloyd Lofthouse

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I recently picked up this book not knowing what to expect from it. After reading My Splendid Concubine , I have to say it was outstanding. The writing style of Mr. Lofthouse took me to another place that most people never get to experience. I hope after reading this interview you will consider checking out My Splendid Concubine for yourself. I want to thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. You’re welcome. Explain what a day in the life of an author is like? Each author is different. My wife is also an author. My wife’s day is different from mine and no two days are the same for either of us. My father-in-law is also a published author (but only in China). When he is visiting us in the States, he works endless hours in his room on his Chinese publications. He has published hundreds of articles on astronomy in magazines and newspapers all over China and is a noted expert there on the subject. He even has a star that he discovered named after him. He works all hours wi

Come Along to the Movies

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Admit One: A Journey into Film is Emmett James's story about his childhood and his love of movies. What I really loved about this book was Mr. James's un-censored take on movies, growing up into adult hood, his feels towards a certain actor and life in general. Admit One: A Journey into Film had me laughing at the good times and there were plenty. Like the time when Emmett just knew he was destined to be the next greatest superhero sidekick, or the time he tried to cop a feel with Joanne Hardy, also the time when Emmett was explaining that you can always count on the fact that at all movie set buffets you can find red licorice, and my favorite was his feelings towards a famous trained monkey (actor). Ok, I will give you a clue who it is....yeah right you will just have to read the book for yourself to find out. Admit One: A Journey into Film is one of those rare books that just make you feel good inside. I found myself having a hard time putting this book down. Everytime I

The Lady in Blue

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Description In Los Angeles, Jennifer Narody has been having a series of disturbing dreams involving eerie images of a lady dressed in blue. What she doesn't know is that this same spirit appeared to leaders of the Jumano Native American tribe in New Mexico 362 years earlier, and was linked to a Spanish nun capable of powers of "bilocation," or the ability to be in two places simultaneously. Meanwhile, young journalist Carlos Albert is driven by a blinding snowstorm to the little Spanish town of Ágreda, where he stumbles upon a nearly forgotten seventeenth-century convent founded by this same legendary woman. Intrigued by her rumored powers, he delves into finding out more. These threads, linked by an apparent suicide, eventually lead Carlos to Cardinal Baldi, to an American spy, and ultimately to Los Angeles, where Jennifer Narody unwittingly holds the key to the mystery that the Catholic Church, the U.S. Defense Department, and the journalist are each determined to decip

Assassin

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Description Alex Hawke is back. In this explosive,jaw-tightening follow-up to Ted Bell's ""rich, spellbinding, and absorbing"" (Clive Cussler) debut national bestseller, Hawke, fearless intelligence operative Lord Alexander Hawke matches wits with a cunning and bloodthirsty psychopath in a desperate race to avert an American Armageddon. In an elegant palazzo on the Grand Canal, an American ambassador's tryst turns deadly. In the seamy underbelly of London, a pub-crawling killer is on the loose. And in a storybook chapel nestled in the Cotswolds, a marriage made in heaven turns to hell on earth. Isolated incidents? Or links in a chain of events hurtling towards catastrophe? So begins Assassin, the tour de force thriller that heralds the return of every terrorist's worst nightmare, Alex Hawke. A shadowy figure known as the Dog is believed to be the ruthless terrorist who is systematically and savagely assassinating American diplomats and their families aro

A Wonderful Time with Celia Jade

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I am very excited to be presenting a wonderferful new author to me..... Celia Jade. I got the chance to read her latest book Her Warrior Lord and I have to say it was a winner. Thanks so much for allowing me to conduct this interview. Thank you for requesting this interview, Cheryl. What’s something about you that we’d be surprised to learn? I’m not sure there is anything surprising about me…except that I used to be very conservative and shy during my teenage years and early twenties. I don’t know what happened after that, lol. How do you tackle writer’s block? It sometimes happens when there’s a deadline to meet or a request for a story within a specific genre and theme. I’ll have the story line ready but there will be one scene I just can’t get into…especially if it’s a sensual scene and I’m not ‘in the mood’, lol. So I walk away from it for a few hours or a couple of days and avoid thinking about it. Also, I’ve found reading material of a totally different nature helps. Luckily tho

Theft of the Master

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I got the chance to read this book from Lisa Roe http://onlinepublicist.net/ who has a site dedicated to online bloggers. How cool is that. Check her site out for books you want to read and she will send them to you. The only thing you have to do is review it, like I did. So on that note here is my review. Karl Heinz Fiedler is part of a secretive organization called The New Templars. The group is a privately funded organization dedicated to the preservation of the German cultural heritage. Karl goes to see a man named Herr Brandt, who at one point held a senior position in the SS Administration. The only problem is that there never was a Herr Brandt in the SS Administration. So the question is.... Who is Herr Brandt? Well he must be someone important as Brandt passes on to Fiedler an inventory list that consists of photographs of valuable artifacts and a will that ensures that Brandt's whole collection goes to The New Templars. In the pile of stuff handed to Karl Fiedler is a typ

A Sit Down with..... Charles Atkins M.D.

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For any one who enjoys a good thriller than you need to check out this book. It is called.. The Prodigy by Charles Atkins. James Martin IV was a former child prodigy and talented cellist. He is a resident of an institution for the criminally insane. James was convicted of stalking a female musician and murdering her. Now from the power of money he is released. James is requesting that Dr. Barrett Conyers treat him as her patient. James is not the typical patient Dr. Conyers would take on but there is just something about James that draws her to him. James may be considered a sociopath but there is more than meets the eye with this cellist. James is gearing up for his final duet with... Dr Barrett Conyers. The Prodigy is one of those books that once you start it you can't stop reading it till the end. I enjoyed the twists The Prodigy brought. It has suspense, drama and intrigue. James had a very unique personality about him. He may be a sociopath but he is nothing like you have e