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Showing posts from 2009

Here comes The Edge of Forever.

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Michael Hanson is just an average guy. He was getting out of his car to go to the grocery store when he felt a slight tremor beneath his feet. Michael stumbles but doesn’t think anything about the tremor. He is more drawn to the woman in the parking lot. Her name is Cassie McMurphy. Michael feels a strange connection to her. Michael follows Cassie home, where he husband is waiting for her. He is very abusive. Michael rescues Cassie and they run away. While driving, Michael and Cassie experience another tremor. They think it might be an earthquake but it was too small to be one. Michael is excited as he is going on a cross country journey to visit with his two brothers, Stephen and Mark and their families. It isn’t long after the tremors that cites all over the world start reporting abnormities of the extreme kind. Will Michael, Cassie and his brothers survive or will they perish? To find out you will have to check out the next book, The Edge of Forever: Brink of Extinction. Think of th...

Faces in the Pool

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Lovejoy has been released from prison again. When he gets out, he meets Laura Moon. Laura is a millionaire. She proposes a joint union with Lovejoy. She offers him a marriage of convenience in exchange for a cut of her riches. Laura tells Lovejoy that her former husband has gone into hiding. She wants to draw him out Lovejoy agrees, though he suspects something is up. Has Lovejoy gotten in way over his head this time? Faces in the Pool is the latest Lovejoy mystery novel by author, Jonathan Gash. I believe it can be read as a stand alone novel. I thought this book started out good but about midway through the book, I started to lose interest. I did finish the book though. It was a little bit of both the plot as well as the characters. The story jumped around too much for me. Lovejoy seemed very interesting but unfortunately he and I did not make much of a connection. Faces in the Poll is a classic who-dun-it mystery with a few modern twists. Fans of mysteries may enjoy this book.

The Glass Room

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This story spans several decades from the 1920s to the 1990s. Viktor and Liesel Landauer’s marriage is not one based on love. Though, at the beginning Viktor and Liesel may have at one point loved each other. As time passed they fell out of any chance of love. Viktor had a very forward way of thinking. He embraced the future. Liesel was slower to accept it. While trying to figure out what type of house they wanted to built, the Landauer’s met architect, Rainer van Abt. He was big on modern architect. He convinced the Landauer’s of letting him build their house for them. Liesel started to flirt with Rainer and hang out a lot with her very vulgar friend Hana; while Viktor pursued an affair with a woman named Kata. As Viktor and Liesel started to drift apart, things changed with the beginning of World War II. The invading Nazi took possession of the famed “glass house”. The Landauer’s moved away, still believing that one day they would return to their home. While reading The Glass Room I ...

Getting Lucky...Are you?

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Griffin Luckadeau is trying the best he can to raise his five year old daughter, Elizabeth “Lizzy”. Though, it isn’t easy as she has the Luckadeau blood running in her veins. As we all know Luckadeau’s can be very stubborn with a capital ‘S”. Julie Donovan and her daughter, Annie has recently moved to the town of Saint Jo. Julie is the new school teacher. Julie is looking to make a fresh start for her and Annie. Julie may need to re-think her location, when tall, dark and handsome Griffin walks through her door. His daughter Lizzy is in her class. From the first moment Griffin lays eyes on Julie, he is memorized by her beauty. The funny thing is that he doesn’t have a thing for red heads but yet this is one red head that he wants to get to know better. Though, Griffin can’t help but suspect that Julie has an ulterior motive for showing up in Saint Jo. Getting Lucky is the last book in the Lucky trilogy. I am sorry to see this come to an end. I have enjoyed getting to know all of the Lu...

How about some Breakfast in Bed

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Rich Ronaldi is the ultimate hunk. He is tall, dark sexy and Italian. In addition that he is smart. Rich works as a Professor at the college. You would think he had it made. Well you would be wrong. Rich has just been dumped by his girlfriend, Gina. She tells him that he isn’t relationship material and he needs to start cleaning up after himself. Rich takes Gina’s words to heart. He will do anything to get Gina back even…become Mr. Clean. Rebecca “Becca” Larsen gets the shock of her life. She comes home to find a strange man in her house. Becca learns that the man is her good friend. Annabelle’s brother, Rich. Right away, Becca despises Rich. Though, her thoughts of him change slightly when she catches him naked. Rich needs to learn how to cook, clean, and do laundry in a hurry. He convinces Becca to teach him. She agrees but only because she doesn’t really have anything better to do. Will these two end up cooking something special together? The first time I read anything by Robin Kaye...

Reasons

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Delphi Brent is going to spend the summer with The Laughlin’s. They are good, family friends. For some reason though, Delphi and her family have not visited the Laughlin’s for at least nine years. The reason for the sudden decease in visits, Delphi’s parents tell Delphi is because the Laughlin boys were involved in the hit and run that left Delphi in a coma for weeks and the scars on her leg. Even knowing this information, Delphi still wants to spend the summer with the Laughlin’s. Only now, Delphi has a purpose for wanting to visit. She hopes to learn the truth about who was behind the wheel of the car. Delphi develops feelings for Tam, the middle son. Though, she can’t fully give him her heart as he could be the one responsible. What will Delphi do when she learns the truth and will she be able to forgive? I thought this book was a good one. Reasons is a quick read. The characters were engaging. I really got into the story. The location that this story took place in Statler, Colorado...

They are the Faces of the Gone

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A dead body in Newark, New Jersey isn’t very news worthy. Unless you are talking about the discovery of four dead bodies left in a vacant lot…now that is front page news. Carter Ross is an investigative reporter for the Newark Eagle Examiner. When this story lands on Carter’s lap, he figures he will just write the story and be done. Once Carter starts digging, he realizes that there is something bigger then four dead bodies. Besides…what does an exotic dancer, a drug dealer, a hustler, and a momma’ boy all have in common? This is the million dollar question; Carter must find the answer too. Carter will be joined be a unique cast of characters that include…the gay Cuban side kick, the city editor, and the stripper Faces of the Gone is Mr. Brad Parks’s debut novel. He is currently working on Eyes of the Innocent, the next Carter Ross novel. I thought it was bold that Mr. Parks quit his job before getting a book contract. Luckily for him, it paid off as I enjoyed this book. It is going to...

The Girl Made of Cool

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Ridley Richardson has met the most wonderful woman. Her name is Jayne Holly Wyatt. He feels something for her. Though, from the beginning you can tell this is more of a one sided romance. Chet Clifford and Ridley are housemates. They get along as far as housemates go. That is all about to change. Chet has also met the most amazing woman. Yep, you guessed it! It is Jayne. Chet wants to impress her, so he asks his co-worker, Nathan for some help. Jayne is impressed with Chet. The battle is on between Ridley and Chet for Jayne’s heart. Who will win? The layout of the book kind of read like a Broadway script. It was broken up into sections, with the beginning of each section setting up the scene. I thought this approach to telling the story was unique and refreshing. Unfortunately, it distracted me some and made the book not flow as smoothly as I would have liked. In addition that I found the characters did not fully draw me into their world. Aside from these facts, I did think this book ...

Murder on the Cliffs

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Daphne Du Maurier read an article in the newspaper, The Times about an old abbey that is located on the Cornish coast. It dates all the way back to the Charlemagne era. Daphne loves rooting around and learning about the history of old places. She begs her parents to let her stay instead of going with them and trying to find a husband. Her parents agree on one condition…Daphne must stay with an old friend, Ewe Sinclaire. While taking a morning walk, Daphne hears a woman scream. When she arrives at the feet of the young woman is a body. The woman who screamed is named Lianne. Lianne identifies the body as her brother’s fiancée, Victoria Bastion. Though Lianne is glad Victoria is dead, she would not wish it this way. When Daphne meets Lord David Hartley, she becomes intrigued by him. Lord Hartley invites Daphne to stay in the abbey. She can’t pass up the offer. While there, she gets to know the Hartley’s and Victoria. It seems that the Hartley’s have many secrets. Daphne decides to inve...

Nanny Returns

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Everyone’s favorite nanny is back. Nanny Nan and her husband, Ryan have returned to the Big Apple. They have a lot of work ahead of them with many renovations and many improvements to their home. Nan is hoping to get a job soon. Opportunity appears at her door in the form of her former charge…Grayer. He is all grown up now. Grayer. Grayer dislikes Nan for leaving him and his brother. He believes she is just like all the rest of the prior nannies. But can Grayer forgive Nan when he learns the truth. Nan and Grayer will soon realize that they need each other. For anyone who has not read The Nanny Diaries, I suggest you start with that book first before reading Nanny Returns or you will be a bit lost in the beginning. Plus, it will help you become more connected with the characters. As this is what happened to me. I did not read the first book and just jumped into this one. At first, I wasn’t sure about Nan. She seemed like a nice person but one that people take advantage of. I was wrong....

Check out these beautiful wedding rings!

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I know this is out of my normal as far as books go. I just wanted to share, these glorious rings. Plus this rings aren't that badly priced. Check them out here . I have featured a few of the rings that I like.

Shutter Island

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United States Marshal Teddy Daniels lost his wife to a tragic apartment complex fire. The fire was arson. Andrew Laeddis, the man responsible for setting the fire was sent away. That isn’t good enough for Teddy. He hoped to get his revenge. Teddy and his new partner, Chuck are assigned to check out the disappearance of Rachel Solando. She is a patient at the Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane located on Shutter Island. Rachel is very dangerous. She drowned her three children and then propped their dead bodies up at the dinner table. Teddy and Chuck find a note left behind, written by Rachel. It says: The Law of 4 I am 47 They were 80 +You are 3 We are 4 But Who is 67? Teddy asks Dr. Cawley, if there is a sixty-seventh patient at the hospital. He assures Teddy that there isn’t. So then, why does Rachel believe there is and if so…where is patient sixty-seven? Shutter Island is the first novel, I have read by Mr. Lehane but it is not the first movie, I have watched, several of ...

Extra, Extra-Christmas Book Giveaways

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Hello All. Author Linda Weaver Clarke emailed me to share that she has a some books to give away. To enter, go here . Hurry as this giveaway ends December 16th.

London Boulevard

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Mitchell has just spent three years in the slammer for a crime he claims he was not guilty for. Now that Mitchell has been released for good behavior, he plans to make the most of his second chance by turning his life around. Unfortunately, trying to better yourself is hard to do when your only ride are people from your past. Good buddy, Billy Norton is happy to see Mitchell. There is one problem...Billy works for a notorious loan shark by the name of Tommy Logan. Tommy wants Mitchell to work for him. That is the last thing Mitchell wants. Luckily, Mitchell ends up landing a job as a handy man for one time famous actress, Lillian Palmer. From the first moment Mitchell lays eyes on Lillian, he is memorized by her beauty. Lillian is a recluse. She hides out a lot in her bedroom. Though, Mitchell works for Lillian, it is really Jordan, who calls the shots. I really liked Mitchell. He was a bit of a softie but don’t tell him that. When it came to his sister, he is the perfect brother. When...

Luck of the Draw

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The citizens of New York City are not safe. For they have a serial killer on their hands. One that has no rhyme or reason as far as the police can identify. Locking your doors will do you no good. This killer has no remorse. The killer targets everyone from…women to little children. The media is calling the killer…The Daily Killer. Because you never know when your number will be called next. Detective Deke Durgess is feeling the pressure from his boss to solve these murders quickly. Unfortunately, The Daily Killer has been smart and not tripped up once. As the body count piles up, Detective Durgess wonders if he will ever be able to stop the killer. The killer’s luck just may have run out as he makes his first mistake. Andrew J. Cardieri has done a nice job with his first novel. Unlike, Las Vegas you’re your luck can run out; with Luck of the Draw, you can guarantee a good read. Mr. Cardieri brings a fast, pace momentum of adrenaline to the story line with a few twists and sharp turns...

Contest Winners

Hello All. Sorry, I have not been keeping up with my blog or commenting. I was having issues accessing it but quite some time but it seems to be fixed now. I have a bunch of contest winners. All winners expect for Carolsnotebook have been contacted. Please email me ASAP with your mailing address information to clbstitch@yahoo.com and please list the name of the book in the subject line. Thank you Winner of Silk Flowers Never Die Cherdon Winner of My Son, John Bingo Winner of a copy of The Broken Teaglass Madwoman-doing-cartwheels Winner of a copy of Moonbeam Dreams Linda (icbrower40@) Winner of a copy of A Precious Jewel Virginia C Winner of a copy of Colonel Trash Truck Belinda M Winner of a copy of Dust Kaye Winner of a copy of One Holy Night Carolsnotebook (email me)

When She Flew

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Jessica Villareal is a police officer. She enjoys her job, especially when she can help people. Though, she seems to be at a lost when it comes to her daughter, Nina. Jessica is at her wits end. She doesn’t know what to do. Issues between her and her daughter will have to wait. Jessica has a bigger situation on her hands. Someone spotted a little girl wandering. They chased after her, only to discover and she was not alone. Ray, a war bet and his daughter, Melinda “Lindy” have been living off the lands for quite some time. They were happy…till the authorities got involved and separated them. Lindy is currently in the care of Jessica. Lindy and Jessica may be from different worlds but they will learn how much they need each other. It seems that I am in the minority in regards to this book. Most of the reviews I have seen, people really enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same. While I thought the story line had a lot of substance and emotions, it was the characters that I...

Mr. Shivers

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Connelly lost the most precious thing to him…his daughter. Three weeks ago, she was murdered by a drifter. Since that point, Connelly has been following the trail of the vagrant. Connelly won’t give up till he has met his daughter’s murder face to face. He wants to personally kill him for what this man has taken from him. Every town that Connelly stops at, the people there who know Connelly is looking for but they don’t know much about him other than people call him Mr. Shivers. Connelly learns that he isn’t the only one looking for Mr. Shivers. Connelly meets up with the other two men, Reverend Pike and Jakob Hammond. They also lost people dear to them. They men discover that there is more to Mr. Shivers then meets the eye. Mr. Shivers is new author, Robert Jackson Bennett debut novel. I have had my eye on this book, ever since I first saw it a few months ago. It sounded dark and suspenseful. Unfortunately, this time the book looked and sounded better then it actually was. It started ...

The Hole in the Sky

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Many years ago in the land of Muraten, there lived a King and Queen. Queen Rhiana was desperate to know if she would have a baby. She wanted to ensure all would be well, so she went to visit a powerful seer by the name of Zella. Zella promises the Queen that she would give birth to a daughter. She tells the Queen that the best thing would be to marry her daughter off to their enemy of the Rugu tribe. Zella tricked the Queen and put a curse on the Murantens. Present Day. Thirteen year old, Kaela Neuleaf and her cousin Shawn were at home. Shawn had brought, Tiger, the cat in the house. Tiger wasn’t supposed to be in the house as Kaela’s father is allergic. Suddenly, Tiger takes off into Kaela’s father’s home office. Hidden in one of the drawers is an old diary. It belonged to Kaela’s mother. Kaela misses her. Later in Kaela’s bedroom, Shawn and Kaela hear a knocking. It is coming from the closet. Inside the closet is a wizzen by the name of Netri. Netri tells Kaela that she is the chosen...

Are you...Shattered?

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Nine years ago, Kate Grayhawk Pendleton caught her husband with another woman. To get back at him she slept with a stranger. That was then and this is now. Kate’s husband is dead and she is the mother of two nine year old twin boys named, Lucky and Chance. Kate is ready to start a new relationship with Texas Ranger, Jack McKinley. She has had a crush on him for a long time. Wyatt Shaw is the son of D’Amaro, a notorious mob boss. To Wyatt’s surprise, he learns he is Lucky and Chance’s father. How far will Wyatt go to claim his sons? Jack is waiting on his divorce with his wife, Holly to be final. Holly loves Jack and would do anything to keep him, even lie. She did it once before but is Holly willing to tell Jack a secret she has kept from him in order to save their son’s life? Shattered is the first book I have read in the Bitter Creek series. I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It can be read as a stand alone novel. Though, I can assure you that if you hadn’t read the...

The Cost of Dreams

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Fourteen year old, Flora Enriquez and her brothers and sisters flee their home in Central America for the U.S. Their parents were killed during the raid on their village. Flora is not the oldest as her brother, Willie at sixteen is. Though, Flora’s drive and determination makes her way more mature for her age. She consumes the leadership role for her brothers and sisters. Flora and her two brothers cross the border, only to have the authorities arrest Willie and Rubio. Flora escapes unnoticed. Flora meets up with a nice family and is hired to take care of their son. She convinces the family to pay for her schooling as she plans to become a teacher. One day, Flora meets a man by the name of Monte Erickson. She and Monte get married. Just when it seems things are looking up for Flora, bad things happen. Monte’s drug dealing brother, Roy comes looking for Monte. Flora ends up getting shot and Monte leaves her for dead. Will Flora survive or is The Cost of Dreams too high? Gary Stelzer has...

Cherries in Winter

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Suzan Colon went from having take out food whenever she wanted to being laid off and having to pinch every penny she could. Suzan comes upon her grandmother’s old recipe book, filled with tons of delicious foods. Most of the recipes were written my hand. The cook book features recipes like Suzan’s Great-Great-Grandmother Matilde’s Baked Pork Chops with Sauerkraut, Chicken Pie a la Mississippi, Butter Cookies, and Nana’s Lemon Meringue Pie to name a few. Suzan decides that it is time to take a few tips from her grandmother and mother and start learning to cook her own meals. Suzan and her mother journey back in time to 1913. Back to New York; where Suzan’s mother and her family were living. Suzan’s grandmother loved to cook. She even submitted some of her recipes to magazines. Some of them got published. After reminiscing with her mother, Suzan realizes that she is going to be fine. Cherries in Winter is as good as a warm homemade meal. This book fills you up and makes you want more. T...

Life After 187

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Kane Silver grew up being a military brat. His father was Colonel Silver. Colonel Silver was Special Forces. Kane grew up with discipline and a never give up attitude. Kane found and married the perfect woman. She completed him. Kan e was at the store picking up some items, when he got a feeling that something bad about to happen. He rushes home, only to find his wife murdered. The men who did it were just pulling away. Kane takes pursuit. Emotions take over Kane and he takes matters into his own hands. He ends up in prison for his actions. Warden Quentin Bane loves to watch the fights but what he really enjoys is betting on them and winning. Warden doesn’t want to lose. So he decides to groom some of the best fighters he has in is prison. Kane is one of them. The other two are Si’Ling Lee and Valentino Lopez. Something happens and Kane, Si’Ling, and Valentino escape. They end up saving Warden Bane’s life but will Warden Bane send them back to their deaths? I actually really liked this...

Are you Born of Ice?

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Then check out the latest release from Sherrilyn Kenyon. Also you have got to see the book trailer for this book. Link to Official Sherrilyn Kenyon Sites: http://www.livetheleague.com/ http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/ http://www.officialsanctuary.com/

Mrs. Miracle=Lifetime Movie December 5th

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Widowed father, Seth Webster is finding life very difficult raising two twin six year old boys by the names of Judd and Jason. His latest housekeeper, Mrs. Hampton tells Seth that he doesn’t need a housekeeper but a miracle and quits. It has been a week since Mrs. Hampton quit. Seth is desperate. He has called the agency about every day trying to get a replacement. They tell him that no one is available. Someone knocks on the door. Standing on the front porch is a grandma type woman. Her name is Mrs. Merkle. She tells Seth she is from the agency. Reba Maxwell is in charge of the Christmas program this year. She never expected to fall for someone till she spotted Seth. Could this be the year that Judd and Jason get a new mommy? I typically stray from holiday novels. Don’t really know why. I think it is just because the few I remember reading weren’t that good and ever since then I have not read another one till now. I absolutely loved everything about this book, from the characters, sto...

The Silent Gift

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The year is 1930. Mary will never forget the day her extraordinary son, Jack was born. She and her husband, Jerry Sinclair were driving to the hospital to deliver the baby. The roads were slick as it was raining. Jerry lost control of the car. It went off the road and into a lake. Mary ends up giving birth to Jack in the lake. Jack was born completely deaf. He can’t even read lips. Ever since that day, Jerry has become cold and selfish. Mary packs up Jack and they run away. Mary discovers that Jack is very special and has a unique gift. One that utilizes the word of God. Jerry wants his family back. So he goes in search of them and won’t give up till he has found Mary and Jack. I absolutely loved every moment of this book. I had my eyes glued to the pages and a hard grip on the book. Mary and Jack had me from the first chapter. I loved that Mary didn’t just give up, when the times got tough. She fought for her and her son. The best part was that Mary never saw Jack as being a hindrance...

One Holy Night + Giveaway

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The year is 1967. Shepherdsville, Minnesota is where Frank McRae and his family lived. The war in Viet Nam is about to cause a huge rift between Frank and his son, Mike. Mike goes off to war. Back home, Frank has a lot on his mind with worrying about his son and caring for his wife, Maggie. Maggie is fighting her own war. She has cancer. She puts her trust in God. Mike falls in love with a Vietnamese woman named Thi Nhuong. When Mike’s father learns that he is married, he goes into a rage. As if marrying a Vietnamese was bad enough, Thi Nhuong is also a Buddhist. Frank has a big issue with Mike marrying Thi Nhuong. Frank still holds a grudge against the Japanese, from back when he fought in the south Pacific during WWII. Frank receives an upheaval when both Maggie and Mike die. Can Frank forgive and forget when Thi Nhuong shows up at his door step…pregnant. I really liked this book. I almost finished it in one sitting. The characters were engaging and interesting. I felt bad for Frank....

Dying Scream

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Women beware…There is a serial killer on the loose. So far three women have gone missing. There is the aspiring artist, high school senior and the stripper. The authorities have a suspect on their radar. The issue is that this person is suppose to be dead. His name is Craig Thornton. He and his fiancé, Adrianna were to be married but a drunk driver crashed into them, causing Adrianna to lose her baby and sending Craig into a coma that he never woke up from. Now someone is leaving Adrianna a written message. It is signed by Craig. Detective Gage Hudson latest case brings him to the doorstep of his former lover…Adrianna. He and Adrianna used to be a hot item. Detective Gage doesn’t believe Craig is alive but current evidence does have him starting to wonder. Gage will do anything to protect Adrianna, even if it means sacrificing his life. Dying Scream is the third book I have read by this author. While I have enjoyed every book of Mary Burton’s thus far, I didn’t quite like this one as m...

The Hollow

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Abby has just lost her best friend, Kristen. It has been sixty-eight days since Kristen went missing. Rumors are swirling that Kristen killed herself. Abby doesn’t believe that. In fact, she still believes that Kristin is alive somewhere. Her parents are holding a funeral. Have you ever attended a funeral with no body? It is so weird. Abby escapes down into the basement of Kristin’s house. When Kristin and Abby were little, they used to play down in the basement. They would pretend that there was a magical castle in the basement. To Abby’s surprise, she is not alone. A boy by the name of Caspian is also hiding in the basement. There is something different about Caspian. What could he possibly be hiding? Also, can Abby handle the truth about Kristen’s secret life? Jessica Verday gives the tale of Sleepy Hollow, her own unique twist. I thought The Hollow was a good young adult novel. I did get into this book and the characters. I knew there was something different about Caspian but I did...

Wild Blue Under

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In Over Her Head, readers were introduced to Reel Tritone. Well in Judi Fennell’s latest release, readers are again brought back to the magical underwater of mermen and mermaids. This time it is Rod Tritone’s story. Rod’s father is set to retire soon. When this happens, Rod will become the new Mer-King. Unfortunately there is one problem…the council has rules that Rod has to marry. Besides we call now that you can’t rule without a Queen by your side. Rod goes in search for his wife. He trades his fin for a pair of land legs. Valerie Dumere was born from a merman as a father and a human for a mother. This doesn’t matter as Valerie is afraid of the sea. This is a problem when she is slated to become toe new Queen under the sea. When Rod shows up at Valerie’s door, he can’t deny an attraction he feels towards Valerie. Rod doesn’t have much time to convince Valerie that she belongs with him. I like this series. As soon as I start reading, I am instantly transported to the sea. It is almost...

The Swiss Courier

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The year is 1944 in Germany. The Gestapo has recovered from the attempt on Hitler. Joseph Engel is a German physicist. He has been tasked with the role of working on an atomic bomb. Joseph receives a shock. He learns that he was adopted and is really a Jew. Joseph decides to stop working on the bomb and flee Germany for safety to Switzerland. Gabi Mueller is a Swiss-American. She works for the American Office of Strategic Services. If you asked Gabi what she thought of the war, she may not have much to say. She didn’t pay too much concern, till she was tasked with a important mission. She is asked to escort Mr. Engel out of Germany. This mission will not be a easy one. It will call on all of the strength Gabi can muster. I have to admit that I was thoroughly amazed at how much I did enjoy this book. The characters were very well-developed. I wasn’t sure that Gabi could handle the task at hand as she was soft spoken. She surprised me in a good way. Kudos goes out to Joseph. Even after l...

Talking with Susan Berliner + Giveaway

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Settling on Settings by Susan Berliner, author of DUST http://www.susanberliner.com/ Since I write realistic (or urban) fantasies, each of my books contains just one supernatural element. But the novels are set firmly in the real world. I locate them in the northeast because that's the region I'm most familiar with. Since I don't want to be locked into factual details, I make my towns mythical places (but not fantasy worlds inhabited by strange creatures, where everything differs from the norm. No vampires, werewolves, or witches in my landscape). For the setting of DUST, I decided to choose a "Haven" name, figuring it would sound plausible because Connecticut already has so many of them—New Haven, East Haven, West Haven, and North Haven. That's how I came up with "Rock Haven." Even though the town of Rock Haven doesn't exist, it's still a typical northeastern suburb. The condo inhabitants are people we all know; their situations are recogniz...

The Good Plain Cook

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The year is 1926 in Sussex. Kitty Allen was reading the newspaper when she spotted a wanted ad. The ad said…Wanted – Good plain cook to perform domestic duties for artistic household. Room and board included. Broad outlook essential. Kitty has been pondering whether to respond to the ad for several days. She decides to respond. Kitty wasn’t sure what to expect but I can tell you it wasn’t Ellen Steinberg and her daughter, Geenie. Greenie runs around putting holes in walls and pretty much doing whatever she wants. I don’t know what perceived thoughts Londoners have about Americans but if they met Ellen, it would be that we are all crazy. Ellen is eccentric and not just a little. One of her favorite past times is to sun bath in the nude. Ellen’s lover, George Crane is a poet. He loves Ellen but he gets embarrassed easily by Ellen and her antics. Bethan Roberts is a new author to me. I absolutely fell in love with this book. The character that really held a place in my heart wasn’t Kitty ...

Perfect Timing

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Poppy Dunbar is about to get married. She and her friends got out for a ladies night. Poppy tumbles down some stairs and lands practically at the feet of a handsome stranger. His name is Tom. Tom and Poppy feel an instant connection. Tom invites Poppy to meet him at a café. Poppy doesn’t hook up with Tom. Meeting Tom did teach Poppy one thing…that the guy she is about to marry is not for her. She calls off the wedding and moves to London. Poppy has a shocking discovery, involving her family. Poppy moves in with a woman, who she met while catering a party at. Claudia and Poppy don’t hit things off at first. Their other flat mate, Caspar is a brooding type. Poppy lands a job at an antique shop. Her boss Jake tolerates her. Poppy is moving on with her new life. There is just one problem…she still thinks about Tom and what may have been. What happens when Tom and Poppy are given a second chance…it is called Perfect Timing. Author, Jill Mansell does it again with her latest release, Perfect...

Watch out for the Dust!

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Karen McKay lived a nice, quiet life. She has a place in the Rock Haven condos. Most of her neighbors keep to themselves. Karen was unloading groceries when a mysterious dust cloud appears. This dust cloud is not your typical cloud of dust. No this dust comes in the colors of red, green and blue. The dust picks up a collectable of Karen’s and it violently crashes to the floor, shattering in a bunch of little pieces. Karen thinks nothing of the incident…till later that night; she hears one of her neighbor’s dog barking. Karen goes to investigate. She finds her neighbor, Marion lying at the bottom of the stairs…dead. Karen calls her ex-husband, Jerry for help. Soon, other accidental incidents start happening to the other residents of Rock Haven. No one can figure out what is causing all these accidents. The only thing that ties them together is the mysterious dust. Can Karen and Jerry figure out what dust wants before it takes them out for good. I thought the concept for this book was di...

Colonel Trash Truck = giveaway

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Colonel Trash Truck is a fun educational book. This book is geared more towards young children age’s three to six. This book teaches children that it is important to recycle and pick up trash versus littering. The loveable hero in this book is a large, green trash truck named…Colonel Trash Truck. This book is written with simple and easy words. Plus I like that the words are printed in big size. This is nice because when I read with my nephews, they can see and read the words with me. The illustrations were great. They had lots of color. In addition to being fun. I thought that the pictures on the page coordinated well with the story and what was on the page at that moment. If you want to teach your kids how to recycle, then check out Colonel Trash Truck. I am giving away one copy of this book to one of my followers. Open to US and Canada only. Contest ends November 30th.

One Lucky Cowboy

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Slade Luckadeau is the man of the ranch. He likes it that way. He will not see some woman come waltzing in and make herself at home. Slade doesn’t care if his grandmother invited her to work at the ranch. Slade believes that Jane Day is hiding something and he doesn’t like it. Slade can’t get Jane off the property fast enough. Jane Day is on the run for her life. She has no where to go but forward. Just her luck, a nice lady invites Jane to come to the ranch. She can stay in exchange for helping out. From the first moment, Jane and Slade met, they did not hit things off. As time passes, Jane starts to get under Slade’s skin. Will Jane and Slade be a match made in heaven or hell? I liked this book. So far though, Lucky in Love is my favorite. One thing I do have to admit is that all of the Luckadeau men are H-O-T! The chemistry that Slade and Jane started out slow but once it got up to speed…watch out. I like Jane. She is a firecracker. Slade definitely needs someone like Jane to keep h...

Defenders of the Scroll: History, Legend and Lore

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Far, far away is a magical place called Mythos. There lives a king by the name of Mornak. He is also the most powerful wizard. Many years ago, Mythos started getting run over by robbers, murders and thieves. Mornak had an obligation to his people to keep them safe. So he had a huge building built. It is called the Hall of Shadows. It resides in Darkwood or Shadow Wood. The Hall is a prison to keep all the evil. Things have been peaceful since the construction of the Hall. Flash forward to the present. Something strange is happening in Shadow Wood. Mornak sensing that something horrible is about to happen, instructs his daughter, Dara to safe guard a scroll. Her father tells her that if he does not return that Dara is to open the scroll and read the writing on it. Something does happen and Dara calls upon the scroll. What happens next has Dara running for her life from the evil, Shadow Lord. Luckily, Dara won’t be alone. She is joined by a various group of interesting characters like ...

Green Books Campaign-Clean Cures:The Humble Art of Zen-Curing Yourself

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The book I chose to review as part of this Green campaign was Clean Cures:The Humble Art of Zen-Curing Yourself. This book was printed using 100% (post-and pre-consumer) recycled paper and vegetable based inks. No new trees were used. This review is part of the Green Books campaign . Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. Our goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website . My review: Clean Cures: The Humble Art of Zen-Curing Yourself is a very resourceful book to keep on hand. It is filled with lots and lots of helpful tips on how to cure sinus headache...

Green Books Campaign

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This logo was designed courtesy of Susan Newman Green Books campaign: 1 Day, 100 bloggers, 100 green books, 100 reviews On Tuesday, November 10 2009 , 100 bloggers , who review books on regular basis, will simultaneously publish their book review of a "green" book of their choice. This unique campaign, organized by Eco-Libris ( www.ecolibris.net ), aims to encourage both publishers and readers to get greener and make sure books are printed responsibly . In times when global warming and environmental issues are receiving growing public attention, book lovers are not indifferent either. On Tuesday, November 10, 2009 , at 1:00 PM Eastern Time 100 bloggers will take a stand to support books printed in an eco-friendly manner by simultaneously publishing reviews of 100 such books. Organized by Eco-Libris, this campaign is aiming to promote “green” books by reviewing 100 books printed on recycled paper or FSC-certified paper. “Although there's so much hype around e-books, books...

Guest, Mary Balough and giveaway

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MORE THAN ROMANCE I always like to describe myself as a writer of love stories rather than as a writer of romance. The two terms may appear to be more or less synonymous, but I see a definite distinction between them. I believe that love is far more powerful than romance and that we can sell ourselves short as writers if we are content to write romances at the expense of telling true love stories. A great deal, of course, depends upon how those two words are defined.Romance is that wonderful aura that surrounds a couple as they meet (even if they initially feel hostility to each other) and interact and fall in love and finally commit themselves to a life together. It's the growing sense of rightness we feel about the relationship, and the joy we get out of watching the irresistible attraction these two people feel for each other on the journey to their happy ending. It's a powerful reason for reading any book, and when it's well done it can pull us in and leave us thoroughl...