Friday, March 30, 2012

Congrats - Lots of Winners!

Holy Cow, I have no idea where the time went, but I needed to pick a lot of winners!




Another Piece of my Heart by Jane Green
puttputt (mary ann)
aezeil
Maureen C


Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole
Kathy W



Cruise to Murder and The Riddles of Hillgate by Zoey & Claire Kane
sacredmoon - DeAnna




$15 GC from Amazon or a book of your choice up to $15 from Book Depository.
 oneagai...Katrina

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Matched by Ally Condie


Rating: Great Read

Synopsis: Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

My Review: I think that Ally Condie has an amazing way of describing a world that is in the future. She made me think I was part of that world. I had no problem being right there experiencing everything Cassia was going through.  I loved the Society and how Cassia figured out things she wasn't suppose to. This is a quick read, a great story and was wonderfully written.  I now know why the series is so popular.  I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Update on Cruise to Murder Blog Tour


Update:  I wanted to let you all know that I finished The Riddles of Hillgate.....It was great.  As I said in my review, you don't need to read the first book to read the second book.  Cruise to Murder and The Riddles of Hillgate are great stand-alone books too.  Don't forget the giveaway too!  See the rafflecopter form below.


Have a great day!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana - TLC Book Tours


My Rating:  Great Read, so educational!


Synopsis:  The life Kamila Sidiqi had known changed overnight when the Taliban seized control of the city of Kabul. After receiving a teaching degree during the civil war—a rare achievement for any Afghan woman—Kamila was subsequently banned from school and confined to her home. When her father and brother were forced to flee the city, Kamila became the sole breadwinner for her five siblings. Armed only with grit and determination, she picked up a needle and thread and created a thriving business of her own.
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana tells the incredible true story of this unlikely entrepreneur who mobilized her community under the Taliban. Former ABC News reporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon spent years on the ground reporting Kamila's story, and the result is an unusually intimate and unsanitized look at the daily lives of women in Afghanistan. These women are not victims; they are the glue that holds families together; they are the backbone and the heart of their nation. Afghanistan's future remains uncertain as debates over withdrawal timelines dominate the news.


The Dressmaker of Khair Khana moves beyond the headlines to transport you to an Afghanistan you have never seen before. This is a story of war, but it is also a story of sisterhood and resilience in the face of despair. Kamila Sidiqi's journey will inspire you, but it will also change the way you think about one of the most important political and humanitarian issues of our time.


My Review:  I want to first say, I am so thankful to live in the United States of America. I think books like The Dressmaker of Khair Khana should be required reading for all.  I think it might put a new perspective on our own lives. I can't even imagine what Kamila, her sisters, and other just like them in Afghanistan have been through and continue to go through day after day.  The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is written in a way that doesn't leave much to your imagination.  This is a book that will stay with me for a very long time. I recommend The Dressmaker of Khair Khana to young adults and adults. If you are a teacher, I would suggest that you put The Dressmaker of Khair Khana on your students'  summer reading list.  So much can be learned from this wonderful book.


I am still letting so many differences "sink in."  For example all the rules women must follow: wearing the chadri, not speaking to men, not being allowed to working or go to school, being home by curfew, etc. Also, I can't grasp the thought of the "enemy" roaming my streets and living in fear they may stop me, beat me, toss me in jail, just because I am a female.  Even with all the shocking details of how Kamila and her family (and others just like her) had to live under such stress and fear, I still 100% recommend it to all.


Keep in mind that The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is based on a true story and Kamila continues to help woman all over the world, not just in Afghanistan.  I am just speechless (typeless) on how to explain all the different emotions I had while reading this book.  I am just so thankful that I don't know that "reality" and my own children don't have to live by those restrictions.  My heart just hurts when I think of this.


I am not sure what else I can, except, pick up The Dressmaker of Khair Khana and read it.  You will not be sorry you did.


Meet the Author:  Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is a Fellow and Deputy Director of the Women and Foreign Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2004 she left ABC News to earn her MBA at Harvard, where she began writing about women entrepreneurs in conflict and post-conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Rwanda. Her reporting on entrepreneurs in these countries has been published by the New York Times, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, CNN.com, and the Daily Beast, as well as the World Bank and Harvard Business School. She lives in Los Angeles.


Connect: You can connection with Gayle on her website, Facebook and Twitter.


Purchase It:  You can purchase The Dressmaker of Khair Khana at Amazon ($14.99 hardcopy; Kindle ebook $11.99) and  Barnes & Noble ($12.98 paperback; Nook $11.99).
TLC Book Tour Stops: You can check out all the other reviews on The Dressmaker of Khair Khana below. Thanks to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to be part of such an amazing blog tour.



Wednesday, March 21st: EmSun
Monday, March 26th: Melody & Words
Tuesday, March 27th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Wednesday, March 28th: Knitting and Sundries
Thursday, March 29th: sidewalk shoes
Monday, April 2nd: Book Snob
Tuesday, April 3rd: Brandi Reads
Wednesday, April 4th: A Bookish Affair
Thursday, April 5th: Man of La Book
Monday, April 9th: Book Club Classics!
Tuesday, April 10th: Wordsmithonia
Wednesday, April 11th: A Bookish Way of Life
Thursday, April 12th: Lit and Life
Monday, April 16th: Broken Teepee
Tuesday, April 17th: Library of Clean Reads
Thursday, April 19th: BookNAround

Monday, March 19, 2012

Another Piece of my Heart Update - GIVEAWAY

Great news....yesterday I posted a review about the wonderful book by Jane Green, Another Piece of my Heart.  I found out today, I get to give away not 1 but 2 copies of Another Piece of my Heart!!  How exciting is that.  I am going to make it as easy as I can for you.  Complete the rafflecopter below.

The contest ends March 27th, midnight, EST.

A huge thank you to St. Martin's Press for hosting the give away!  Good Luck


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Another Piece of my Heart

My Rating:  Great book, I really enjoyed it.

Synopsis:  From the New York Times bestselling author of Jemima J, and The Beach House, comes Jane Green’s most emotional and powerful novel yet: a story that explores the complications of a woman marrying into a ready-made family, and the true meaning of motherhood.

Andi has spent much of her adult life looking for the perfect man, and at thirty-seven, she's finally found him. Ethan--divorced with two daughters, Emily and Sophia--is a devoted father and even better husband. Always hoping one day she would be a mother, Andi embraces the girls like they were her own. But in Emily’s eyes, Andi is an obstacle to her father’s love, and Emily will do whatever it takes to break her down. When the dynamics between the two escalate, they threaten everything Andi believes about love, family, and motherhood—leaving both women standing at a crossroad in their lives…and in their hearts.

Another Piece of my Heart is a novel that illuminates the nuances and truths about relationships and is Jane Green at her absolute best.
Note: Above is from Amazon.com

My Review:  I have never read a Jane Green book, but I will be now. I really enjoyed Another Piece of my Heart. I believe Ms. Green did an excellent job with the characters and describing what I think is probably more common than not...the step-parent/step-child relationship. Emily (the step daughter) knows exactly what buttons to push and her Dad always caves. Andi (the stepmom) gets furious every time Ethan (the Dad) excuses Emily's behavior or doesn't follow through with the punishment. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in my own home and not be able to discipline step-children.

I know it happens all the time and there are lots of dynamics in each and every relationship. I saw my brother go through a similar situation with his stepson. I alway gave him so much credit for keeping his cool and handling the situation. In Another Piece of my Heart, it is very clear how the situation has come about and how all parties are struggling through it. Andi is very caring and loving to Emily, but gets very upset at Ethan for allowing Emily to continue to self destruct and coming between them.

There are also so many other stories going on in the book. Andi's attempt to become pregnant, Sophia (the other step daughter) trying to be the best all the time in order to save Andi and Ehtan's relationship, Janice (the girls mother) dealing with alcoholism, new love, rekindling old love, and so much more.

I found Another Piece of my Heart to be a quick read. As you know by now, I am a slow reader (and work has been taking up too much of "my" time for the past several months) but I was able to read this book fairly fast. The chapters are perfect length (not too short and not too long) and I was left always wanting to read just one more chapter (and staying up too late)!

I recommend you check out Jane Green's latest book, Another Piece of my Heart. I will be checking out her other books (many more than the 2 listed above). I am so happy when I find a new author!!



Meet the Author: Jane Green is the author of twelve bestselling novels, dealing with real women, real life, and all the things in-between, with her trademark wisdom, wit and warmth. She contributes to various publications, both online and print, including Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, and assorted Anthologies. Passionate about both food and the home, most weekends see her cooking up a storm in her home in Westport, Connecticut, where she lives by the beach with her husband and their many children.

Buy It!: You can purchase Another Piece of my Heart on Amazon for approximately $17 (kindle ebook $12.99).

Connect: You can connect with author, Jane Green on Facebook, Twitter or her website.

UPDATE MARCH 19

Giveaway: Great news.  I was told today that I get to host the give away of TWO copies of Another Piece of my Heart.  Complete the rafflecopter by clicking here.  Contest ends March 27th at midnight EST.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Luck 'O the Irish Hop




Romance at Random is having a great giveaway.....(well actually 3 giveaways!)


3 Random Winners will be chosen — to win a $20 Gift Card to shop Barnes & Noble!



All you have to do is complete the Rafflecopter below.  How easy is that? Contest ends 3/31 and winners will be selected by Romance at Random.





a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, March 16, 2012

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop


The Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop will run from March 17th - 22nd.  Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Books Complete Me & Author Cindy Thomas for co-hosting this amazing blog hop. Make sure you stop by one (or all) of their blogs for a complete list of participating blogs (over a 100).

MY GIVEAWAY!
$15 Amazon.com Gift Card!
One lucky winner will be emailed a $15 gift card from Amazon.com.  Open to anyone who can use a gift card sent from Amazon.com.


Alternately if you win and can't use an amazon.com gift card you my choose a book of your choice from The Book Depository (Up to $15).
Free Delivery on all Books at the Book Depository


Just complete the entry form below. Thanks for all your support and have a Sham-Rockin' day (and weekend).

Cruise to Murder Blog Tour

Rating: Great Book


Synopsis:  When The Sunburst, an elite celebrity cruise ship, sets sail to Kinikiwiki Island, trouble follows billionaire Felix Belmont across the high seas. The curiosity of a mother-daughter-duo gets them tangled up in voodoo, murders and an international conspiracy surrounding him. The islanders don't know it, but their lives are all in danger, too... And their only hope is vacationers Zoey and Claire Kane.


My Review: Cruise to Murder is a very witty, fast pace, with a crazy duo type of book. Zoey and Claire are mother and daughter (both in the book and in real life) and make a unique writing team. How fun would it be to write a book with your mom (or daughter)? I would have loved to have done that with my mom. I loved how Zoey and Claire get twisted up with voodoo and a billionaire.  You don't have to read the first book in the series (I started with the Cruise to Murder, the second book), but I do recommend you buy them both. Cruise to Murder stands on its own (boy does it ever!!). I really enjoyed Cruise to Murder....you won't be disappointed with this one.


Rating: Great book (so far)


Synopsis: Zoey Kane is known around Riverside for making bad decisions when it comes to auctions and real estate investments. When her savvy daughter, Claire, learns her most recent purchase is eighty acres on the haunted, desolate side of town, she is simply flabbergasted. Amazement takes over the entire community and beyond, however, when a one-hundred-year-old mansion is discovered deep within trees.

When the Kanes transform Hillgate Manor into a popular hotel, things don’t go according to plan. On top of all the strange noises after midnight, room number 10 becomes notorious for scary happenings, and Gothics replace the swank out-of-towners who head for the hills.

Someone or something doesn’t want it to be a success. Messages on a mirror demanding, “Find more clues, find more clues!” convince the mother and daughter they must solve a string of riddles—that reveal haunting secrets, skeletons and murder—before it’s too late.


My Review: I am still reading The Riddles of Hillgate and am really enjoying it.  Even though I have read the second book in the series (Cruise to Murder) first, it has not taken away anything from The Riddles of Hillgate. They are stand alone books. I think it is more important that you read them both regardless of the order.  The setting of The Riddles of Hillgate pulled me in right away. I think it is an unique setting and allows for the perfect setting of mystery packed with humor!

Buy It: You can purchase both books (ebooks) at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords for the amazingly low price of  $2.99 each.

Giveaway: It's so fun to be able to do a giveaway.  Thanks to Zoey and Claire Kane (authors) and Molly Snow (publisher) for allowing one of you the chance to win both books (e-book format from Smashwords). Fantastic, right? To enter, just complete the rafflecopter form.  Good Luck. Contest ends Sunday, March 25th (midnight EST).


Grand Prize Giveaway: Zoey and Claire (www.zoeyandclaire.blogspot.com) are hosting a grand prize  giveaway of their own on their blog.  It is worth checking it out (I already did!!)


Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Congrats - Trail of the Spellmans


Congratulations to Janet E. the winner of Trail of the Spellmans, Document #5. 
Prize has been confirmed and will be mailed shortly.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support.

If you didn't win, you can purchase Trail of the Spellmans at Barnes & Noble, Amazon or the Book Depository.


Thursday, March 8, 2012

Cruising Attitude - TLC Book Tours + Giveaway


Rating:  A Great Read (4 out 5 stars)


Synopsis:  Flying the not-so-friendly skies...
In her more than fifteen years as an airline flight attendant, Heather Poole has seen it all. She's witnessed all manner of bad behavior at 35,000 feet and knows what it takes for a traveler to become the most hated passenger onboard. She's slept in flight attendant crashpads in "Crew Gardens," Queens—sharing small bedrooms crammed with bunk beds with a parade of attractive women who come and go at all hours, prompting suspicious neighbors to jump to the very worst conclusions. She's watched passengers and coworkers alike escorted off the planes by police. She can tell you why it's a bad idea to fall for a pilot but can be a very good one (in her case) to date a business-class passenger. Heather knows everything about flying in a post-9/11 world—and she knows what goes on behind the scenes, things the passengers would never dream.


Heather's true stories in Cruising Attitude are surprising, hilarious, sometimes outrageously incredible—the very juiciest of "galley gossip" delightfully intermingled with the eye-opening, unforgettable chronicle of her fascinating life in the sky.


My Review:  I really liked Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet. I enjoy reading memoirs that have humor in every chapter. Heather Poole got a lot of laughs and gasps out of me. I so wanted to be a flight attendant (stewardess during my growing up years). I am not really sure what happened to that dream....I am a CPA. How opposite it that. My BFF from high school did grow up to become a flight attendant.  I can't wait to surprise her with a copy of Cruising Attitude


My favorite chapters (I have two that I can't decide which I like better) are Flying Freak Show and I'll Never Quit!!  Flying Freak Show is just too funny.  This chapter goes into a lot of crazy things that people do.  I don't know how Heather and other flight attendants put up with it all. All the celebrities "weird" flying behavior. Heather also discusses how her mother became a flight attendant a few years later and the two would fly/work together. Hilarious!  In I'll Never Quit!! I loved her story of working for Mark Cuban on his private plane. I will just say.....wow! The person Heather encounters with a "gift" and tells her about her future, is something I wish would happen to me.  Any of you with "the gift" out there....contact me.  I want to know more about my future! 


Last Two Sentences:  "I'm still flying-and the stories just keep getting better, like the elderly woman in business class who yelled at me for talking too loudly to another passenger, then asking me to help her get her bra on later in flight, and then-well. You'll have to read about that in the next book!"  YEAH!  Heather has another book coming out - sign me up!  



Meet the Author:  Heather Poole has been published in The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2010. Her regular online column, “Galley Gossip: Confessions from the Jumpseat with Heather Poole,” has received more than two million views and is featured on AOL’s award-winning travel website, Gadling.com.
TLC Book Tours:  Tuesday, March 6th: Broken Teepee
Wednesday, March 7th: Brandi Reads
Thursday, March 8th: Seaside Book Nook
Monday, March 12th: 2 Kids and Tire Book Reviews
Tuesday, March 13th: Walking With Nora
Wednesday, March 14th: BookNAround
Thursday, March 15th: Kritters Ramblings
Tuesday, March 20th: Book Dilettante
Wednesday, March 21st: Helen’s book Blog
Friday, March 30th: Book Club Classics!

Giveaway:  I am giving away one copy of Cruising Attitude.  All you need to you is complete the form below.  You must be a follower of Seaside Book Nook to win.  Contest ends March 15th at midnight (EST). 

Monday, March 5, 2012

Ride With Me & About Last Night (First Sneek Peak) + Giveaway

I am so excited to let you all know about Ride With Me and soon to be released About Last Night by Ruthie Knox. I have Ride With Me on my Kindle and it is next up on my reading list. I wish I could read all day and that I was a fast reader. Unfortunately life gets in the way and I am a slow reader. Good news for me....two hot books that I can't wait to read!

Synopsis: In this fun, scorching-hot eBook original romance by Ruthie Knox, a cross-country bike adventure takes a detour into unexplored passion. As readers will discover, Ride with Me is not about the bike!

When Lexie Marshall places an ad for a cycling companion, she hopes to find someone friendly and fun to cross the TransAmerica Trail with. Instead, she gets Tom Geiger--a lean, sexy loner whose bad attitude threatens to spoil the adventure she's spent years planning.

Roped into the cycling equivalent of a blind date by his sister, Tom doesn't want to ride with a chatty, go-by-the-map kind of woman, and he certainly doesn't want to want her. Too bad the sight of Lexie with a bike between her thighs really turns his crank.

Even Tom's stubborn determination to keep Lexie at a distance can't stop a kiss from leading to endless nights of hotter-than-hot sex. But when the wild ride ends, where will they go next?


Meet the Author:  Ruthie Knox figured out how to walk and read at the same time in the second grade, and she hasn't looked up since. She spent her formative years hiding romance novels in her bedroom closet to avoid the merciless teasing of her brothers and imagining scenarios in which someone who looked remarkably like Daniel Day Lewis recognized her well-hidden sex appeal and rescued her from middle-class Midwestern obscurity. After graduating from Grinnell College with an English and history double major, she earned a Ph.D. in modern British history that she's put to remarkably little use. These days, she writes contemporary romance in which witty, down-to-earth characters find each other irresistible in their pajamas, though she freely admits this has yet to happen to her. Perhaps she needs more exciting pajamas. Ruthie abhors an epilogue and insists a decent romance requires at least three good sex scenes.
This biography was provided by the author or their representative.

A special message from Ruthie Knox (I know, pinch me, right?):
Thanks to Jill for hosting what is the final spot on my blog tour for my debut release, Ride with Me. In the past month or so, I’ve written forty-three guest posts about Ride with Me for other people’s blogs. That’s a lot of yammering! I’m ready to retreat into my Cave of Introversion and not come out for a few months. (Don’t tell my editor. She’ll never allow it.)

Seriously, though, I’ve talked about Ride with Me from as many directions as I could think of. I’ve blogged about camping and biking and adventure and disaster. I’ve praised grouchy heroes and plucky heroines. I’ve written posts about banter and tent sex and getting over my sex-scene-writing embarrassment. I’ve written a couple mini-plays featuring my characters. (For the curious, the full list of stops on my blog tour is here.)

Along the way, I’ve experienced all the crazy ups and downs of my first book release — reviews, sales figures, strangers talking about me on the Internet. So far, so good!

Plus, I now know what it’s like to be published. It’s heady stuff. When I was a newbie writer, I worried about whether I would ever sell my book. After Random House bought it, I worried about whether anyone would like it. Now that people are reading it and liking it, I’ve found new things to worry about — whether anyone will like the next one, whether I’ll ever sell a third, et cetera. Apparently, the supply of authorial worries is endless.

But for the most part, I have better things to do than worry. I’ve met so many neat people this past month — readers, other authors, new friends — and now I have fans to correspond with, a website and Facebook page to keep up to date, more books to write, and pretty soon the launch of a second book to worry about!

The world keeps spinning. I’m going to keep looking forward, bravely marching off into the uncharted (by me) territories of Authorhood.

In that spirit, rather than promoting Ride with Me today, I’m sharing a secret snippet from my next book, About Last Night, which is now available for preorder from Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and will release from Loveswept on June 11.




Synopsis: Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart, eBook original romance from Ruthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, “about last night” is just the beginning.

Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.

Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.

When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?

What People Are Saying . . .

“A page-turner, full of sex, sizzle, and heart.” —Susan Andersen, New York Times best-selling author of Playing Dirty

“Smart and sexy . . . About Last Night is absolutely irresistible.” —Shiloh Walker, author of the Ash Trilogy

“If only all romances were this funny, smart, sexy, and real!” —Isabel Sharpe, Harlequin Blaze

EXCERPT

Setup: This scene is from the first chapter. Our heroine, Cath, is on a train station platform in Greenwich, near London. She’s made a bet with another woman that she can predict the next three people to come up the stairs to the platform. Our hero, Nev—she calls him “City”—is the third arrival.

Cath glanced at the station’s clock and repressed a smile. She only needed one more to complete the hat trick, and you could set your watch by the next guy.

“Tall blond man in an expensive suit, Financial Times under his arm,” she said, then added, “Possibly a cyborg.”

Thirty seconds ticked by, and City rose into view, punctual as ever and way too good looking to be human.

Cath had a soft spot for City. From the moment she’d spotted him waiting for the train to Bank last winter, he’d intrigued her. She’d given him the nickname as a nod to his profession, because everything about him announced he worked in the City of London, the square-mile financial district at the center of the metropolis: the dignified wool overcoat and scarf he’d worn all winter, the shined shoes, the ever-present newspaper. Aristocratically remote, he was Prince Charming in a suit.

Amanda applauded, whether for her or for City, Cath couldn’t tell. She suppressed a triumphant grin and allowed herself a moment to watch him pass. He gave her his usual stiff nod, the greeting they’d long since settled on for their semi-regular encounters.

She’d never heard City talk or seen him crack a smile. He didn’t even fidget, just stood stoically in place until the train pulled up, then stared straight ahead once seated in the car. Cool as a cucumber and veddy, veddy English. At least, that’s how she imagined him when she wrote about him in her journal. She’d bet her next paltry paycheck he had a posh accent, an expensive education, and a boring job moving piles of money around. He was her polar opposite.

Still, she always kept an eye out for him. She saw City two or three mornings a week, either here or at Greenwich Park, where both of them liked to run. In motion, he was a beautiful thing, a Scandinavian god with flushed cheeks. She loved that flash of pink on his face—such an endearing crack in his cool perfection. It made her want to muss his hair and tie his shoelaces together when he wasn’t looking, just to see what would happen.

And now he’d helped her win access to the piece she so badly wanted for the exhibit. You really had to love him.

GIVEAWAY

How about you — have you ever had a crush on a not-quite-stranger who you see on your commute, at the local Starbucks, or the like? One lucky commenter will be randomly chosen to win a digital copy of Ride with Me or a preorder copy of About Last Night — your choice!

To enter the giveaway please follow all of the directions below! Giveaway ends March 13, 2012.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Trail of the Spellmans: Document #5 Giveaway


Rating: A MUST read (5 stars out of 5)!


Synopsis: FOR THE FIRST TIME in Spellman history, Isabel Spellman, PI, might be the most normal member of her family. Mom has taken on an outrageous assortment of extracurricular activities—with no apparent motive. Dad has a secret. Izzy’s brother and sister are at war—for no apparent reason. And her niece keeps saying “banana” even though she hates bananas.


That’s not to say that Izzy isn’t without her own troubles. Her boyfriend, Henry Stone, keeps wanting “to talk,” a prospect Isabel evades by going out with her new drinking buddy, none other than Gertrude Stone, Henry’s mother.


Things aren’t any simpler on the business side of Spellman Investigations. First, Rae is hired to follow a girl, only to fake the surveillance reports. Then a math professor hires Izzy to watch his immaculate apartment while he unravels like a bad formula. And as the questions pile up, Izzy won’t stop hunting for the answers—even when they threaten to shatter both the business and the family.


My Review: You have NO idea how excited I was to review Trail of the Spellmans: Document #5 before it was released.  I was beyond thrilled. If you have ever looked at my favorite books, Lisa Lutz's Spellman Series is included.  I find Isabel extremely funny. Trail of the Spellmans: Document #5 didn't let me down.  I laughed through so much of it. I found it extremely funny what Rae does to Sydney (David's and Maggies daughter) that involves "banana." You will just have to read it....no spoil alert here. Henry's mother and Izzy as drinking partners...can you imagine?  Izzy and Gertrude are so similar, but when Gertrude hooks up with someone from Izzy's past, I couldn't stop laughing. What was happening between Izzy's mom, D, and Grandma Spellman is just too funny for words. I honestly don't know how in the world Lisa comes up with her ideas. 


So, do Henry and Isabel every have "the talk?" Who does Gertrude Stone end up with? What are D and Grandma Spellman up to anyway? What is really in D's crack mix? What is up with "banana?" What is Izzy's mom up to and why is she taking Russian? You will just have to read Trail of the Spellman: Document #5 to find out. 


I also never saw the end coming. What a twist Lisa tossed in. Fabulous! Trail of the Spellman: Document #5 is a MUST read. The book is available now. (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository). If you haven't read any of the Spellman series, I recommend you start at the first book and read them all - they are too good not to.


The Spellman Series:
The Spellman Files (see review here)
Curse of the Spellmans
Revenge of the Spellmans
The Spellmans Strike Again
Trails of the Spellman: Dcoument #5


Meet the Author: Lisa Lutz is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spellman Files, Curse of the Spellmans, Revenge of the Spellmans, The Spellmans Strike Again and Heads you Lose (with David Hayward). Lutz has won the Alex award and has been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. Although she attended UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine, the University of Leeds in England, and San Francisco State University, she still does not have a bachelor's degree. Lisa spent most of the 1990s hopping through a string of low-paying odd jobs while writing and rewriting the screenplay Plan B, a mob comedy. After the film was made in 2000, she vowed she would never write another screenplay. She lives somewhere in the continental United States.
This biography was provided by the author or their representative.

GIveaway: I have one copy of Trails of the Spellmans: Document #5 to give away.  All you need to do is become a follower of this blog and complete the form below.  Easy enough, right? GIveaway ends March 12th at midnight (EST)



Coveted + Excerpt



Release Date: April 24, 2012


Synopsis: SOMETIMES WHAT YOU COVET IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP.


For werewolf Natalya Stravinsky, the supernatural is nothing extraordinary. What does seem strange is that she’s stuck in her hometown of South Toms River, New Jersey, the outcast of her pack, selling antiques to finicky magical creatures. Restless and recovering from her split with gorgeous ex-boyfriend, Thorn, Nat finds comfort in an unusual place: her obsessively collected stash of holiday trinkets. But complications pile up faster than her ornaments when Thorn returns home—and the two discover that the spark between them remains intense.


Before Nat can sort out their relationship, she must face a more immediate and dangerous problem. Her pack is under attack from the savage Long Island werewolves—and Nat is their first target in a turf war. Toss in a handsome wizard vying for her affection, a therapy group for the anxious and enchanted, and the South Toms River pack leader ready to throw her to the wolves, and it’s enough to give anybody a panic attack. With the stakes as high as the full moon, Nat must summon all of her strength to save her pack and, ultimately, herself.

Coveted by Shawntelle Madison (Excerpt)

Friday, March 2, 2012

Overbite by Meg Cabot - TLC Book Tours

Rating: A Good Read (4 stars out 5)
Synopsis: Meena Harper has bitten off more than she can chew . . .
Meena has a special gift, but only now does anyone appreciate it. Her ability to predict how everyone she meets will die has impressed the Palatine Guard—a powerful secret demon-hunting unit of the Vatican—and they’ve hired her to work at their new branch in Lower Manhattan. Sure, Meena’s ex-boyfriend was Lucien Antonescu, son of Dracula. But that was before he (and their relationship) went up in flames, and now she’s sworn off vampires for good—even though she firmly believes that just because they’ve lost their souls, it doesn’t mean they can’t love.


Convincing her new partner, über-demon-hunter Alaric Wulf, that vampires can be redeemed won’t be easy . . . especially when a deadly new threat arises, endangering not only the Palatine, but Meena’s friends and family as well. As she unravels the truth, Meena will find her loyalties tested, her true feelings laid bare . . . and temptations she never even imagined before nearly impossible to resist.
My Review: A book about vampires and demons is not my first choice in a book, however, with Meg Cabot as the author......count me in.  I absolutely love Meg's books.....every single one. Overbite is the no exception. I first read about Meena, Alaric and Lucien in Insatiable. Overbite  picks up where Insatiable left off, but just in case you didn't read Insatiable (yet), no worries, you won't be lost. 

Overbite is a fast moving book that leaves you wanting to more. There were a lot a twists and turns that kept my on my toes. I think Meena's brother Jon, is too funny.  First he has a bro-mance with Alaric and he invents the SuperStaker to impress him. You will have to read the book to find out what happens....no spoil alerts here!  There are a lot of other characters that had me laughing out loud (the nun, Jon's friend, Lucien's cousin and his wife).

We really get to know Lucien in Overbite and how much he loves Meena.  I never saw the end coming.  Meg please let us know if there will be a third book in the series. I for one sure hope so.  I liked Overbite just a tad more than Insatiable, but you won't be disappointed reading either one.

Other Comments: I am a HUGE fan of Meg Cabot. I had the pleasure of meeting her when I lived in Ohio (Books & Co. in Dayton, Ohio). She was so funny and friendly.  She was so gracious to sign ALL my Meg Cabot books and even personalized the Princess Diary series (for my twin daughters who were probably 3 at the time). Meg, any chance you would  consider coming to Western NY? I can't wait for your next book(s)  to be released.



Meet the Author: Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series, The Princess Diaries. She lives in Key West, FL with her husband. Per Amazon.com, Meg wrote: 

"I write! Books for you, your sister, your best friend, your mother . . . . even for men with good taste!
Most of my time is spent over at my website, so be sure to stop by!
UK, New Zealand, and Australia fans, visit http://www.megcabot.co.uk."
I love that....men with good taste. Make sure you check out her website, she posts all sorts of funny there. You can also connect with Meg on FacebookTwitter or her Blog.


TLC Book Tour Stops: You can check out all the other reviews on Overbite below.

Tuesday, February 7th: Reading Lark
Wednesday, February 8th: The Road to Here
Thursday, February 9th: Life In Review
Friday, February 10th: Just Joanna
Monday, February 13th: The Englishist
Tuesday, February 14th: Jenny Love to Read
Monday, February 20th: Book Drunkard
Tuesday, February 21st: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Thursday, February 23rd: girlichef
Friday, February 24th: Chick Lit Reviews and News
Wednesday, February 29th: A Soul Unsung
Thursday, March 1st: Stiletto Storytime
Friday, March 2nd: Peeking Between the Pages
Friday, March 2nd: Seaside Book Nook