Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Blood Bargain by Maria Lima


Can Keira find a way to save the man she loves?

Keira Kelly is still going through her change.  She still does not know what power she will have when she completes it.  She figures shapeshifting since that is what all of her brothers have.  However, lately she keeps hearing someone calling her name when no one is around. Is it a new power or something more sinister?

Adam Walker is a vampire who moved to the small Texas town to be closer to Keira.  The two are co-habitating at his ranch but something isn't quite right.  Adam is stumbling lately as well as waking up later and later everyday.  He is also abstaining from drinking blood and it is slowly killing him.

Meanwhile, a group of teenagers are missing as well as a local ranch hand.  Keira and her brother Tucker do some of their own searching to see if the supernatural is involved. While they don't find the teenagers, they do find something else.  What they find changes Keira's life forever.  But while they are searching, Adam slips into a coma. 

BLOOD BARGAIN is an action-packed supernatural mystery that had me up late turning the pages.  Keira Kelly is a natural at kicking butt and I look forward to the next installment, BLOOD KIN.  It is a thrilling series with a lot of surprises.  I love it!
 
*Courtesy of RJ

Monday, November 30, 2009

Dying Scream by Mary Burton


Adrianna Barrington is ready to move on with her life.  Three years ago her husband Craig and her were hit by a drunk driver.  Adrianna miscarried and Craig was brain dead.  Deep in a coma, Adrianna worked hard for years to pay his nursing care fees.  The doctors thought he would live for at least 20 years, but he passed away nine months ago unexpectedly.

Now, Adrianna is selling the land and home of Craig's family.  The buyer has one stipulation: remove the family graveyard.  Adrianna agrees, but when they begin the excavation, two unknown bodies are unearthed, believed murdered.

Gage Hudson used to date Adrianna years ago when she and Craig had broken up one summer.  But as a police detective, his hours are unusual and he and Adrianna couldn't make it work.  She went back to Craig.  But the missing girls whose cases he has worked for years has always stuck with him.  The common demonitator? Craig Thornton.  Gage believes Craig is the killer and wants to prove it once and for all.

Something sinister is happening lately though.  Adrianna gets an Anniversary Card from Craig on their would-be third anniversary, someone sends her a card of his Armani cologne, and sends her white roses at her work.  She feels stalked and losing her mind.  She knows Craig is dead.  But when another body shows up killed in the same pattern, the stakes are raised.  Did she know Craig as well as she thought she did? It appears someone is protecting Craig or protecting Andrea.  Gage feels that Andrea may be in trouble and as their passion is renewed, the shadows creep closer.

DYING SCREAM is an edge-of-your-seat thriller! The plot twists, turns, and spirals out of control, the killer known only to the author.  It all comes together in a mind-numbing shock that had my head connecting the puzzle pieces and nodding as I finally understood.  If your looking for a thriller with some drama and an added touch of romance, look no further. DYING SCREAM is top-notch!!

Sunday, November 29, 2009

3 Pack ARC Give Away

Moriarty's follow-up to book-group favorite The Center of Everything again explores a tense, fragile mother-daughter relationship, this time finding sharper edges where personal history and parenting meet. Now a junior high school English teacher married to a college professor, Leigh has spent much of her adult life trying to distance herself from her dysfunctional childhood. Raising their two children in a small, safe Kansas town not far from where Leigh and her troubled sister, Pam, were raised by their single mother, Leigh finds her good fortune still somewhat empty. Daughter Kara, 18 and a high school senior, is distant; sensitive younger son Justin is unpopular; Leigh can't seem to reach either—Kara in particular sees Leigh (rightly) as self-absorbed. When Kara accidentally hits and kills another high school girl with the family's car, Leigh is forced to confront her troubled relationship with her daughter, her resentment toward her husband (who understands Kara better) and her long-buried angst about her own neglectful mother.


Jamal Hassim is a respected Air Force major. Ahn, his brilliant Philippine wife, is a leading scientist at the Centers for Disease Control. For years they've operated a successful Islamic charity in partnership with the U.S. AID program. But when the NSA accidentally picks up a suspicious phone call, the true purpose behind their charitable work takes on a sinister and deadly cast. Are the Hassim's using tax dollars to finance a devastating terrorist attack on U.S. soil? Or are they well intentioned aid workers whose private words have been misunderstood? The FBI sends Conner Skilling, an experienced cooperating witness domiciled in East Asia to find out. On the remote South Pacific island of Vanuatu, Skilling uses his considerable skills as a retired con man to orchestrate a series of taped conversations in an effort to probe the Hassim's motives. But is this taped evidence trustworthy, or just a ruse to deflect attention from a more dangerous plot? A series of spellbinding clues based on fact and fiction reveal a criminal conspiracy that includes an internationally famous businessman with a taste for danger, a phony sheik, hundreds of stolen surface to air missiles, pump and dump stock fraud on Wall Street, a rouge detective from Brooklyn, and a trail of betrayal and deceit that reaches into the uppermost sanctums of the Justice Department. Inspired by the true exploits of a financial criminal turned informant, this action-packed legal thriller takes readers on a wild ride through board rooms in Australia, plantations on forgotten Pacific isles, and into a New York City courtroom in pursuit of the shocking truth.



Casting Off:

1. Ending a knitted work.
2. Releasing lines holding a boat to its mooring.
3. Letting go...


On a tiny island off the west coast of Ireland, the fishermen's handmade sweaters tell a story. Each is unique-feelings stitched into rows, memories into patterns.

It is here that Rebecca Moray comes to research a book on Irish knitting. With her daughter, Rowan, accompanying her, she hopes to lose herself in the history of the island and forget her own painful past. Soon, the townsfolk's warm embrace wraps Rebecca and Rowan in a world of friendship, laughter, and love.

And it is here that young Rowan befriends Sean Morahan, a cantankerous old fisherman, despite his attempts to scare her off. As Rebecca watches her daughter interact with Morahan, she recognizes in his eyes a look that speaks of a dark knowledge not unlike her own. And when current storms threaten to resurrect old ones, Morahan and Rebecca find themselves on a collision course-with Rowan caught between them-each buffeted by waves of regret and recrimination. Only by walking headfirst into the winds will they find the faith to forgive without forgetting...and reach the shore.

Three gently read ARCS going to ONE Winner!

USA Only.

Leave a comment with your email for one entry.

Blog about this (Leave the link) for an extra entry.

Winner will be announced on December 18th.

The Phoenix Charm by Helen Scott Taylor


Cordelia is the Pisky Wise Woman and since the King is away for a few days, she's been left in charge.  While alone, she spends time looking into her divination bowl and spies upon Michael doing erotic things with other women.  She yearns for him but cannot act upon her desires.  She is half water nymph and her allure is dangerous. 

Michael is fairy and his rakish charm and handsome looks are widely known by the women folk.  His recent companion, Nightshade, is a Nightstalker aka Vampire.  Though they may share a blood bond, Michael wishes it to go no further to Nightshades dismay.  What Michael would really like to do is get a peek under Cordelia's high buttoned long dresses. 

When a portal to the Underworld is  unexpectedly opened, the guardians blame Cordelia and Michael and take the King's son Finian as part of the bargain to seal it.  Michael and Cordelia, her cat familiar Tamsy, her son and Nightshade start a trek to the Underworld to beg favor of Finian's release.  Along the way, Michael is given the Phoenix Dagger from his father Troy, who says he will need it to free Finian. 

The council denies Michael's request for Finian's release, so he offers his life for Finian's.  Michael's curse is the Phoenix Charm.  He cannot die.  If he is stabbed with the Phoenix dagger, than the Phoenix dagger can bring him back to life if he is grounded in the living world.  They work out a plan among them, and Michael must bond with Cordelia so he can return to the living after he frees Finian.  The problem arises when, after Michael gives Cordelia his mind, body, and soul, she only gives him her body.  Her soul and mind are already bonded to her familiar Tamsy.  Hopefully that will be enough, but even the greatest of plans can run afoul.

THE PHOENIX CHARM is a romantic fantasy of epic proportions.  Ms. Taylor does a remarkable job of world building.  Her attention to detail had me entranced.  The sizzling passion between Michael and Cordelia, along with the jealously of Nightshade had me up late turning the pages breathless to see what would happen next.  Romantic Fantasy at it's best!

Friday, November 27, 2009

ARC Winner

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of the twin arc pack of Katie MacAlister books! It's the most wonderful and busy time of year!

The winner is Patti !! Congratulations.  In the event Patti doesn't respond to email within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.  Hopefully, I will get another give-away up yet this weekend, so check back soon!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone :)

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Honest Scrap Award



I received this great and unique award from Emerald. If you get the chance, visit her fabulous blog. It's really terrific!  Thanks for thinking of me for this Emerald, very generous and kind of you!!

How it works is you have to list ten things about yourself then pass it on to ten other blogs.

1.  I have two teenagers, a boy and a girl, and no grey hair yet, but I know it's coming!
2.  My left pinkie is crooked from being frostbitten when I was two.
3. I can type 144 words per minute. Yeah, I'm pretty proud of that one.
4. I can take dictation with good old fashioned shorthand.  It's a lost art these days.
5. Mark Twain (Samuel Clemans) is in my family tree. Way way back there!
6. I've never seen the ocean, but I plan to someday. I hope!
7. Quirky fact! I like green olives and chocolate ice cream - Together!
8. I hate horror movies.
9. In the holiday season, I detest pumpkin anything! I love apple pie though :D
10. I am addicted to Supernatural. Love Dean and Sam!!

Now to nominate ten blogs for this nifty award!


  1. Live, Learn, Love
  2. The Book Reader
  3. So Many Books, So Little Time
  4. Royal Reviews
  5. Tynga's Urban Fantasy Reviews
  6. Enroute to Life
  7. Melissa's Bookshelf
  8. Literary Escapism
  9. Bookluver-Carol's Reviews
  10. Starting Fresh




Winner - Dark Stranger

Dark Stranger by Susan Sizemore: The winner is CrystalGB!!  Congratulations.  In the event Crystal doesn't reply to email within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Much thanks to the publisher for allowing me to host this giveaway.

Monday, November 23, 2009

PUYBM Tour: Tales for Delicious Girls by Barbara Knobova


Daring
Enchanting
Loving
Inspiring
Captivating
Intriguing
Outgoing
Unique
Sophisticated

TALES FOR DELICIOUS GIRLS is a compilation of about fifty short stories about beautiful, strong, intelligent, independent and sexy women.  There's always the almost in all of our lives, but we grow as we mature and make decisions that are more suitable to our lives.

It's about accepting ourselves for who we are; inner and outer beauty.  To accept our faults and embrace our strengths to lead a fulfilling and rewarding life.  There are several stories, ok most of them, about men.  How men come and go through our lives while we are chasing that perfect life we envision.  Some are sad and some will have you laughing until you cry.  There are some that will have you nodding your head in agreement, and others having you gasping in shock.  I think my favorite story in the book though is about THE DOG.  The man can't accept that the DOG is at home and thus, his domain and the man must come in second.  The man is not number one and it really irritates him to no end.  I laughed so hard I cried.

The stories reflect how some women adapt to the lifestyle of the man, and they are no happier for it.  But once they accept themselves for the delicious girls they are, they can take control of their life and make changes that suit them; make society accept you for who you are and not who you think you need to be.

"Delicious girls don't cry. Ever. Because they know it's useless anyway."  Direct quote from the beginning of the book that really has an impact.  Women are doers, its a fact.  This book is an inspiration to women; married or single.  Entertaining, but nonetheless, various views of delicious girls that will inspire you.

About the Author:

Barbora Knobova is a writer, relationship coach and expert in Delicious Life. A world traveler, she is one of those rare world citizens who live everywhere and nowhere. Barbora is a firm believer in female friendship, loyalty and bonding. She writes hilarious, sharp-witted, caustically apt, ironic, moving, true books for strong, independent, smart, fearless women. Barbora has also written several self-improvement books and teaches women about the importance of self-love in relationships and life in general. 


Barbara Knobova's Website is here.

Thank you to Pump Up Your Book Promotion for my review copy.

Scorched: The Dark Forgotten by Sharon Ashwood



He wants to help her; it's in his blood.  But if he succeeds, he won't be human anymore. Does he dare to weigh the consequences?

Conall Macmillan is an ex-detective whom is half-demon.  His demon qualities earn him a trip to the Castle, a doorway to a labyrinth of supernatural beings who have been there for centuries.  The Castle won't hold him though, as one of his demonic qualities is turning to dust, which can easily be maneuvered through the door cracks.

Constance has been living in the Castle almost for as long as she can remember.  The guards brought her there when she was rising from her grave.  She has never truly Turned into a Vampire because she has never tasted human blood.  But when the guards kidnap her son, she'll do anything to get him back, even find away out so she can fully realize her powers.

When Conall accidentally stumbles into Constance in one of the dark corridors of the Castle, he is instantly captivated with her beauty.  He's never wanted a relationship before, but Constance makes him begin to hope.  He agrees to help retrieve her son, and the two are soon looking forward to each other's visits while he comes up with a plan.  What he doesn't tell Constance is that each time he leaves the Castle, and returns, he loses more of his humanity.  He will soon be completely demon and afraid he will be no good for her, but if he doesn't, Constance will her lose her son.

SCORCHED, THE DARK FORGOTTEN is a dark labyrinth of mystery, romance, deceit and paranormal entities with a shining bright light at the end of the corridor.  The hope is what will have you cheering for Mac and Constance even if their outlook appears dim.  SCORCHED, THE DARK FORGOTTEN is a  fast-paced urban fantasy that will keep you up long into the night.  Hanging with the supernatural never felt so good!


*courtesy of RJ 

Friday, November 20, 2009

Sins of the Flesh Winners

Winners have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.  And the winners of Sins of the Flesh are

  1. Pixie13
  2. cait045
  3. Patti
  4. Jane
  5. Dawn M
Congratulations!!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

TOUR: Dark Stranger by Susan Sizemore w/ Give Away!


I'll be honest, this is the first book I've read by Ms. Sizemore so I have no idea about her Prime series.  With that said, DARK STRANGER is the first in an exciting new series, the Vampire Book Club.  Whose in the club? From what I can understand, the characters of her previous books in the Prime series.

This story takes place many many years into the future of the Primes.  There are aliens, space crafts, and many worlds.  When human diplomat Zoe Pappas is negotiating with the alien Asi for an alliance for her Empire, the Hajim attack.  The Hajim are the enemie of everybody, or so it seems.

Zoe is disguised as a Navy Lieutenant and is taken with all the other prisoners to a POW Camp deep underground.  Not only are their POW humans, but other races as well, and they don't all get along.  In fact, one of the races eats humans for breakfast! Who can sleep at night knowing that's down the hall?

The General of the POW Camp is Matthias "Doc" Raven, who has his own set of rules for the camp.  Number one is no escaping.  Zoe must find a way to survive in the dark camp, keep her secret, and fight her attraction to the Prime Doc.  But soon, the two can't seem to stay away from one another, and when Zoe's secret is revealed, Doc feels he isn't good enough for her and pushes her away.  It may mean his death, but he refuses to put her or the Empire in jeapardy because his heart is breaking. 

Sizemore's world building is phenomenal! The characters of Zoe and Doc are passionate, but yet realistic.  Very sexy scenes! The intensity in the camp will have you wanting to bite your nails until the climatic end.  This may be my first Sizemore novel, but it won't be my last.  A very unique setting that has set the scene for more. 

www.susansizemore.com
Dark Stranger (Chapters 1 - 3)

The publisher is allowing me to give away one copy of DARK STRANGER to one lucky USA Winner!

Please leave a comment, with your email no later than November 23rd.   Winner announced the 24th

More Famous Winners

I had two no responses on How to Be Famous by Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt.   So randomizer has chosen two new winners and they are :  STACIE and G.G.

Congratulations!! Once again, you have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.