THE OPTIMISTIC PESSIMIST

A Lush Budget ProductionTales of a Ravenous Reader: Made of AWESOME!: The Hunger Games Nail Polish

2012-01-25T15:45:00.000-05:00

My Friend Nancy is sooooo on top of things look at what she found.... Check out her post!!
A Lush Budget ProductionTales of a Ravenous Reader: Made of AWESOME!: The Hunger Games Nail Polish:

Jan252012

Made of AWESOME!: The Hunger Games Nail Polish

Posted by The Ravenous Reader at 9:08 AM

Dress Me Up: District 8, Textiles

Fois Gras: District 10, Livestock

Fast Track: District 6, Transportation

Hook and Line: District 4, Fishing

Stone Cold: District 2, Masonry

Smoke and Ashes: District 12, Coal Mining

Agro: District 11, Agriculture

Mahogany Magic: District 7, Lumber

Harvest Moon: District 9, Grain

Riveting: District 3, Technology/Mechanics

Electrify: District 5, Power

Luxe and Lush: District 1/The Capitol, Luxury

Are these the shades that you expected to see from the collaboration? Do you think it is missing anything or are you surprised by any of the shades? Sound off below!

The shades will be available in March. $5.99 each at sallybeauty.com.

Labels: Made of Awesome, The Hunger Games

Waiting on Wednesday, CROSS MY HEART by Sasha Gould

2012-01-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

03/13/12
CROSS MY HEART
by Sasha Gould
ISBN-13: 978-0385741507
Delacorte BYR
Amazon, B&N, Goodreads
---------------
Venice, 1585.

When 16-year-old Laura della Scala learns that her older sister, Beatrice, has drowned, she is given no time to grieve. Instead, Laura's father removes her from the convent where he forcibly sent her years earlier and orders her to marry Beatrice's fiancé, a repulsive old merchant named Vincenzo. Panicked, Laura betrays a powerful man to earn her way into the Segreta, a shadowy society of women who deal in only one currency—secrets. The Segreta seems like the answer to Laura's prayers. The day after she joins their ranks, Vincenzo is publicly humiliated and conveniently exiled. Soon, however, Laura begins to suspect that her sister's death was not a tragic accident but a cold-blooded murder—one that might involve the Segreta and the women she has come to trust.

The cover for Cross My Heart caught my eye and after reading the description I was more than intrigued!
This is my Waiting on Wednesday what is yours??

Incarnate Trailer

2012-01-20T21:26:00.002-05:00

Watch "INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows -- Book Trailer" on YouTube

Here is the awesomely cool trailer from Harper Teen!~! I am really looking forward to reading Incarnate.
"I will not be just a Butterfly!"

Waiting on Wednesday, The Savage Grace by Bree Despain

2012-01-18T05:26:00.022-05:00

03/13/12
THE SAVAGE GRACE
The Dark Devine, Book Three
by Bree Despain
ISBN-13: 978-1606842218
EgmontUSA
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads
------------
A troubled soul. An impossible choice. A final battle.

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders.

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.

I almost forgot about this series! I very much enjoyed the first two, and now that I have had mu memory jogged I am anxiously awaiting the last book in the series.

Waiting on Wednesday, HARBINGER by Sara Etienne

2012-01-11T15:56:00.003-05:00

02/02/12
HARBINGER
by Sara Etienne
ISBN-13: 978-0399256684
Putnam Juvenile
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads
----------
Faye’s connected to him, craves him, but can she trust him?

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn’t expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she’s going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she’s come home. She’s even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she’s the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can’t trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her—and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller...

First off I have such cover love, I think it looks like an old tarot card.
Harbinger has a very interesting premise. I look forward to reading it and finding out what is with the "her only comfort comes from the bones of dead animals" Gives me the shivers..... eerie to say the least! It sounds like it may be a book that you read with the lights on.
Here is the trailer!~!

Review: Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

2012-01-10T15:39:00.003-05:00

Summary from GoodReads

Masque of the Red Death

Hardcover, 320 pages

Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by HarperCollins Children's Books @GreenwillowBook

ISBN 0062107798 (ISBN13: 9780062107794)

by Bethany Griffin (Goodreads Author)

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her...

I start off buy saying WOW, Masque of the Red Death is a Beautifully written story of horrific times.

Ms Griffin has penned an engrossing new telling of Poe's tale. Doing so in such a lyrical and tightly written manner that I am left wanting more NOW!~!~!

I found Araby to be an interesting protagonist, while she is young she has endured a lot in her years: the death of her brother; the loss of her parents attention; heartbreaking loneliness; and the fall of the world as she knew it. With April the Prince's niece, she finds a new world of fantasy, dresses, makeup, and a way to forget and not feel for a while. This new world is the Debauchery club. There she meets a mysterious tattooed boy named Will she is instantly drawn to and who isn't as heartless as he initially seems. She also meets Aprils brother, a poet loving black sheep of the family Elliott, who runs the Debauchery club and can give her the numbness that she so longs for.

Relationships are forged with such care that I was totally immersed in this world the author has created. Ms Griffin did a wonderful job world building making it very easy to picture the devastating effects that are brought on by the dreadful plague that was unleashed on this world. Thanks to the Prince who controls everything, only the rich can afford the precious masks that may help them to survive. Arabys father a scientist and inventor seems to be the only hope in the bleak world in which they are forced to live.

The story that ensues is one that is filled with love, friendship, trust, betrayal, choices and hope. There are so many twists and turns you may need to wear a seat belt when reading it ... I'm just saying :)

I absolutely adored Masque of the Red Death and whole heartily give it 5 Stars...

The ending left me breathless and certainly pining for the rest of the story, I will be waiting anxiously for the next installment in the series.
A special thank you to Nancy the Ravenous Reader for the loan :)

Cover reveal of Cassandra Clare's 'City of Lost Souls' - USATODAY.com

2012-01-04T19:49:00.003-05:00

How Exciting~!~ I adore this series and can not wait to find out what happens next!
Cover reveal of Cassandra Clare's 'City of Lost Souls' - USATODAY.com
By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

CAPTION

A new year means a new adventure for Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters.The author continues her YA sci-fi/fantasy series The Mortal Instruments with the fifth book, City of Lost Souls, and here is the exclusive reveal of the cover for the novel that's hitting stores and e-readers May 8.
Clare has found a fervent fan base for the literary world she's created, with more than 5.5 million copies in print of her books. City of Fallen Angels, last year's fourth installment in the Mortal Instruments series that follows the relationship between heroes Clary and Jace, rose to No. 2 on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list. And Clockwork Prince, the second in Clare's The Infernal Devices prequel series that was released last month, is currently at No. 38 on the list.
May is a while away, though, so for now check out this exclusive prologue from City of Lost Souls to whet your appetite:
Simon stood and stared numbly at the front door of his house.
He'd never known another home. This was the place his parents had brought him home to when he was born. He had grown up within the walls of the Brooklyn row house. He'd played on the street under the leafy shade of the trees in the summer, and had made improvised sleds out of garbage can lids in the winter. In this house his whole family had sat shivah after his father had died. Here he had kissed Clary for the first time.
He had never imagined a day when the door of the house would be closed to him. The last time he had seen his mother, she had called him a monster and prayed at him that he would go away. He had made her forget that he was a vampire, using glamour, but he had not known how long the glamour would last. As he stood in the cold autumn air, staring in front of him, he knew it had not lasted long enough.
The door was covered with signs—Stars of David splashed on in paint, the incised shape of the symbol for Chai, life. Tefillin were bound to the doorknob and knocker. A hamesh, the Hand of God, covered the peephole.
Numbly he put his hand to the metal mezuzah affixed to the right side of the doorway. He saw the smoke rise from the place where his hand touched the holy object, but he felt nothing. No pain. Only a terrible empty blankness, rising slowly into a cold rage.
He kicked the bottom of the door and heard the echo through the house. "Mom!" he shouted. "Mom, it's me!"
There was no reply—only the sound of the bolts being turned on the door. His sensitized hearing had recognized his mother's footsteps, her breathing, but she said nothing. He could smell acrid fear and panic even through the wood. "Mom!" His voice broke. "Mom, this is ridiculous! Let me in! It's me, Simon!"
The door juddered, as if she had kicked it. "Go away!" Her voice was rough, unrecognizable with terror. "Murderer!"
"I don't kill people." Simon leaned his head against the door. He knew he could probably kick it down, but what would be the point? "I told you. I drink animal blood."
He heard her whisper, softly, several words in Hebrew. "You killed my son," she said. "You killed him and put a monster in his place."
"I am your son—"
"You wear his face and speak with his voice, but you are not him! You're not Simon!" Her voice rose to almost a scream. "Get away from my house before I kill you, monster!"
"Becky," he said. His face was wet; he put his hands up to touch it, and they came away stained: His tears were bloody. "What have you told Becky?"
"Stay away from your sister." Simon heard a clattering from inside the house, as if something had been knocked over.
"Mom," he said again, but this time his voice wouldn't rise. It came out as a hoarse whisper. His hand had begun to throb. "I need to know—is Becky there? Mom, open the door. Please—"
"Stay away from Becky!" She was backing away from the door; he could hear it. Then came the unmistakeable squeal of the kitchen door swinging open, the creak of the linoleum as she walked on it. The sound of a drawer being opened. Suddenly he imagined his mother grabbing for one of the knives.
Before I kill you, monster.
The thought rocked him back on his heels. If she struck out at him, the Mark would rise. It would destroy her as it had destroyed Lilith.
He dropped his hand and backed up slowly, stumbling down the steps and across the sidewalk, fetching up against the trunk of one of the big trees that shaded the block. He stood where he was, staring at the front door of his house, marked and disfigured with the symbols of his mother's hate for him.
No, he reminded himself. She didn't hate him. She thought he was dead. What she hated was something that didn't exist. I am not what she says I am.
He didn't know how long he would have stood there, staring, if his phone hadn't begun to ring, vibrating his coat pocket.
He reached for it reflexively, noticing that the pattern from the front of the mezuzah—interlocked Stars of David—was burned into the palm of his hand. He switched hands and put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"
"Simon?" It was Clary. She sounded breathless. "Where are you?"
"Home," he said, and paused. "My mother's house," he amended. His voice sounded hollow and distant to his own ears. "Why aren't you back at the Institute? Is everyone all right?"
"That's just it," she said. "Just after you left, Maryse came back down from the roof where Jace was supposed to be waiting. There was no one there."
Simon moved. Without quite realizing he was doing it, like a mechanical doll, he began walking up the street, toward the subway station. "What do you mean, there was no one there?"
"Jace was gone," she said, and he could hear the strain in her voice. "And so was Sebastian."
Simon stopped in the shadow of a bare-branched tree. "But he was dead. He's dead, Clary—"
"Then you tell me why he isn't there, because he isn't," she said, her voice finally breaking. "There's nothing up there but a lot of blood and broken glass. They're both gone, Simon. Jace is gone. . . ."

January 2012 Series Release Calendar

2012-01-01T03:00:00.001-05:00

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Rocky Mountain Haven by Vivian Arend (#2 in Six Pack Ranch)

Dark God's Glory by John Brown (#3 in Dark God)

Unwholly by Neal Shusterman (#2 in Unwind)

A Grid of Murder by Casey Mayes (#3 in Casey Mayes Mysteries )

A Stickier Situation by Kiki Swinson (#2 in Sticky Situation)

Buttercup Place by Heather M J L Watson (#3 in Legendary Sidhe Saga)

Cold Steel by Kate Elliott (#3 in Spiritwalker Trilogy)

Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke (#3 in Abandoned at the Altar)

The Winding Road by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (#34 in Morland Dynasty)

The Way Between the Worlds by Alys Clare (#4 in Aelf Fen)

Midnight Reckoning by Kendra Leigh Castle (#2 in Dark Dynasties)

Thyme Running Out by Panama Oxridge (#2 in Tartan of Thyme)

School. Hasn't This Gone on Long Enough? by Jim Benton (#1 in Dear Dumb Diary Year Two)

Unhallowed Ground by Melvin Starr (#4 in Hugh de Singleton Surgeon Chronicles)

The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren (#5 in Deep Haven)

The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson (#1 in Life at Kingston High)

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (#2 in Goddess Test)

Queen Without A Crown by Fiona Buckley (#9 in Ursula Blanchard)

Injustice For All by Robin Caroll (#1 in Justice Seekers)

The Captive Heart by Dale Cramer (#2 in Daughters of Caleb Bender)

A Darkly Hidden Truth by Donna Fletcher Crow (#2 in Monastery Murder)

Rat Poison by Margaret Duffy (#15 in Ingrid Langley and Patrick Gillard)

Jay : Ninja of Lightning by Greg Farshtey (#2 in Lego Ninjago)

A Dead Red Oleander by R P Dahlke (#3 in The Lalla Bains Mystery Series )

Blindside by Ed Gorman (#3 in Dev Conrad)

The Book of Names by David Michael Slater (#5 in Sacred)

What's with the Drama? by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (#2 in Glossy Girls)

Asylum by K A Tucker (#2 in Causal Enchantment )

Sanctuary Cove by Rochelle Alers (#1 in Cavanaugh Island)

Claim the Night by Rachel Lee (#1 in Claiming)

Already Freakn' Mated by Eve Langlais (#3 in Freakn' Shifters )

Into His Private Domain by Janice Maynard (#1 in Men of Wolff Mountain)

Claimed by a Cowboy by Tanya Michaels (#1 in Hill Country Heroes)

The Reluctant Princess by Raye Morgan (#4 in Lost Princes of Ambria)

The Phoenix by Rhonda Nelson (#10 in Men Out of Uniform)

Destroyer of Cities by Christian Cameron (#5 in Tyrant)

The Beloved of Isis by Christian Jacq (#4 in Mozart)

The Bourne Upset by Eric Van Lustbader (#6 in Jason Bourne)

The Kyoto Man by D Harlan Wilson (#3 in Scikungfi Trilogy)

Silver-Tongued Devil by Jaye Wells (#4 in Sabina Kane)

Dead Case in Deadwood by Ann Charles (#3 in Deadwood Mystery)

Doubleborn by Toby Forward (#3 in Flaxfield Quartet)

The Body in the Fog by Cora Harrison (#5 in London Murder Mysteries)

Oopsy Daisy by Lauren Myracle (#3 in Flower Power)

Mother Love by Maureen Carter (#2 in Sarah Quinn)

You Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog by J. R. Rain (#2 in Elvis Mystery)

Where Wildflowers Bloom by Ann Shorey (#1 in Sisters at Heart)

Guilty by Association by Pat Simmons (#1 in Jamieson Legacy)

The Mystery in Venice by Geronimo Stilton (#48 in Geronimo Stilton)

A Demon Does It Better by Linda Randall Wisdom (#2 in Demons)

Changeling Dawn by Dani Harper (#3 in Changeling)

House of Doors by Chaz Brenchley (#2 in Keys to D'Esperance)

Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot (#1 in Westward Winds)

The Superstar Sister by Lexi Connor (#7 in B Magical)

Rose's Pledge by Dianna Crawford, Sally Laity (#1 in Harwood House Trilogy)

The Evil That Men Do by Jeanne M Dams (#11 in Dorothy Martin)

Cole : Ninja of Earth by Greg Farshtey (#1 in Lego Ninjago)

The Timekeeper by Alexandra Monir (#2 in Timeless )

Don't Scream! by R L Stine (#5 in Goosebumps Horrorland : Hall of Horrors)

Dual Abduction by Eve Langlais (#3 in Alien Abduction )

Eagle Strike Graphic Novel by Anthony Horowitz (#4 in Alex Rider - Graphic Novel)

The Mad Mask by Barry Lyga (#2 in Archvillain)

Mommy in the Making by Victoria Pade (#14 in Northbridge Nuptuals)

The Secret Heiress by Terri Reed (#2 in Protection Specialists)

The Horns of Golgotterath by R Scott Bakker (#3 in The Aspect-Emperor)

Firethorn by Ronie Kendig (#4 in Discarded Heroes)

Showoff by Gordon Korman (#4 in Griffin Bing)

Consume by Shelly Crane (#2 in Devoured )

Forever and a Day by Delilah Marvelle (#1 in Rumor)

Tibo's Beginning by Stormy Glenn, Lynn Hagen (#3 in Phoenix Rising )

The Cowboy's Secret Son by Trish Milburn (#1 in Teagues of Texas)

Tomorrow's Sun by Becky Melby (#1 in Lost Sanctuary)

A Little Harmless Fascination by Melissa Schroeder (#8 in Harmless)

Death Does Not Wait by Niles Rader (#6 in Rice Brothers)

The Red Queen by Isobelle Carmody (#7 in Obernewtyn Chronicles)

Monday, January 02, 2012

Immortal War by Justin Somper (#6 in Vampirates)

Twin Spins by Sienna Mercer (#9 in My Sister the Vampire)

Private: #1 Suspect by Maxine Paetro, James Patterson (#3 in Private)

Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan (#2 in Immortal Beloved)

The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher (#1 in Stoney Ridge Seasons)

My Best Friend is a Werewolf by Kailin Gow (#2 in Harold the Kung Fu Kid)

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Whispers in the Dark by Maya Banks (#4 in The Kelly Series)

Dylan by C H Admirand (#2 in Secret Life of Cowboys)

Raven Cursed by Faith Hunter (#4 in Jane Yellowrock)

Sins of the Demon by Diana Rowland (#4 in Kara Gillian)

Twice Fallen by Emma Wildes (#2 in Ladies in Waiting)

Initiation by Jessixxca Burkxxhart (#13 in Canterwood Crest)

All That Bleeds by Kimberly Frost (#1 in Etherlin)

King of the Isles by Debbie Mazzuca (#3 in Lord of The Isles)

Dreaming Awake by Gwen Hayes (#2 in Falling Under)

Wild Cat by Jennifer Ashley (#3 in Shifters Unbound)

The Bride Wore Black Leather by Simon R Green (#12 in Nightside)

Labyrinth by Alex Archer (#34 in Rogue Angel)

Locked and Loaded by Alexis Grant (#2 in Men of Delta Force)

Stalker in the Shadows by Camy Tang (#3 in Deadly Intent)

Shock of War by Larry Bond, Jim DeFelice (#3 in Red Dragon Rising )

It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake (#1 in Wishcraft Mystery)

Gift of Magic by Lynn Kurland (#6 in Novel of the Nine Kingdoms)

Breakdown by Sara Paretsky (#15 in V.I. Warshawski)

If Fried Chicken Could Fly by Paige Shelton (#1 in Gram's Cooking School Mystery)

Threads of Hope by Andrea Boeshaar (#1 in Fabric of Time)

Mad about the Earl by Christina Brooke (#2 in Ministry of Marriage)

An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette (#1 in Key West Food Critic Mystery)

Cotton's Law by Phil Dunlap (#2 in Sheriff Cotton Burke)

The Nanny Bombshell by Michelle Celmer (#23 in Billionaires and Babies)

Love Lifted Me by Sara Evans, Rachel Hauck (#3 in Songbird )

Skirmish by Michelle West (#4 in House Wars)

Between Their Worlds by Barb Hendee (#10 in Noble Dead)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (#1 in Lunar Chronicles)

Halo: Primordium by Greg Bear (#2 in Forerunner Saga)

Gun Games by Faye Kellerman (#20 in Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus)

Sisterhood of Dune by Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert (#1 in Schools of Dune )

Born of Ashes by Caris Roane (#4 in World of Ascension)

Catch of the Day by LuAnn McLane (#2 in Cricket Creek)

A Deadly Shade by Lila Dare (#3 in Southern Beauty Shop Mystery)

Hard Target by Howard Gordon (#2 in Gideon Davis)

The Duchess Diaries by Jillian Hunter (#3 in Bridal Pleasures)

Killer Crullers by Jessica Beck (#6 in Donut Shop Mystery)

The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith (#2 in Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case)

Plan Bee by Hannah Reed (#3 in Queen Bee mystery)

On Lavendar Lane by JoAnn Ross (#3 in Shelter Bay)

Colorado Dawn by Kaki Warner (#2 in Runaway Brides)

Haven's Blight by James Axler (#102 in Deathlands)

The Daemon Prism by Carol Berg (#3 in Collegia Magica)

Red Templar by Paul Christopher (#6 in Templar)

Flashfire by Deborah Cooke (#8 in Dragonfire )

The Cowboy Tutor by Linda Ford (#1 in Three Brides for Three Cowboys)

Smooth Play by Regina Hart (#2 in Brooklyn Monarchs trilogy)

Inferno by J A Johnstone (#12 in Loner)

Devon's Pair by Jayne Rylon (#4 in Powertools)

The Hunter by John Lescroart (#3 in Wyatt Hunt)

Stay at Home Dead by Jeffrey Allen (#1 in Deuce Winters Mysteries )

Wolf's Edge by W D Gagliani (#4 in Nick Lupo)

A Secret Birthright by Olivia Gates (#24 in Billionaires and Babies)

Alienation by J S Lewis (#2 in C.H.A.O.S)

The Whites of Their Eyes by Andrew Clements (#3 in Keepers of the School)

Cobra Gamble by Timothy Zahn (#3 in Cobra War)

The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter (#2 in Big Sky Romance)

A Devil is Waiting by Jack Higgins (#19 in Sean Dillon)

A Soldier's Secret by Linda Style (#25 in Suddenly A Parent)

Cell 8 by Borge Hellstrom, Anders Roslund (#4 in Ewert Grens)

The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller by Alice Kimberly (#6 in Haunted Bookshop)

Charmfall by Chloe Neill (#3 in Dark Elite)

Wild Wild Death by Casey Daniels (#8 in Pepper Martin Mystery)

Heart of Atlantis by Alyssa Day (#10 in Warriors of Poseidon)

One Perfect Shot by Steven F Havill (#18 in Undersheriff Bill Gastner)

Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy (#5 in White House Chef Mystery)

Mr. Monk on Patrol by Lee Goldberg (#13 in Monk)

Destiny by Carly Phillips (#2 in Serendipity)

Winter Promise by Martha Rogers (#3 in Seasons of the Heart)

Hold Me If You Can by Stephanie Rowe (#3 in Soulfire )

Cowboy Conspiracy by Joanna Wayne (#5 in Sons of Troy Ledger)

A Charitable Body by Robert Barnard (#9 in Charlie Peace)

Everneath by Brodi Ashton (#1 in Everneath)

The Cat Sitter's Pajamas by Blaize Clement (#7 in Dixie Hemingway Mysteries)

Winterling by Sarah Prineas (#1 in Winterling)

Nate by Delores Fossen (#3 in Lawmen of Silver Creek Ranch)

Sunrise with a Notorious Lord by Alexandra Hawkins (#4 in Lords of Vice)

Hammer Down by Moira Rogers (#2 in Children of the Undying )

Seven Princes by John R. Fultz (#1 in Books of the Shaper )

The Darkening Field by William Ryan (#2 in Captain Alexei Dimitrevich Korolev)

Double Feature by Julia DeVillers, Jennifer Roy (#2 in Trading Faces)

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Ice Force by Matt Lynn (#4 in Death Force)

Spring by Rod Rees (#2 in Demi-monde)

The Lewis Man by Peter May (#2 in Lewis Trilogy)

Goldilocks and the Pea by Katie Dale (#2 in Fairy Tale Twists)

Stripy by Pippa Funnell (#17 in Tilly's Pony Tails)

Spirit of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst (#3 in Wolf Chronicles)

Keira by Daisy Meadows (#30 in Rainbow Magic)

Temple of the Gods by Andy McDermott (#8 in Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase)

The Big Bad Werewolf by Katie Dale (#1 in Fairy Tale Twists)

Run by James A Moore (#2 in Subject Seven)

Mine To Hold by Shayla Black (#6 in Wicked Lovers)

The Mattress House by Paulus Hochgatterer (#2 in Kovacs & Horn)

Hit Squad by Sophie McKenzie (#6 in Medusa Project)

Dead of Night by Barbara Nadel (#14 in Cetin Ikmen)

Shadow of the Hawk by Curtis Jobling (#3 in Wereworld)

The Trader's Sister by Anna Jacobs (#2 in Trader)

Fated by Sarah Alderson (#1 in Fated )

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Deadly Campaign by Alan Orloff (#2 in Last Laff Mystery)

Bald Eagle by Lynn Hagen (#7 in Zeus's Pack )

Fangtastic by Lucienne Diver (#3 in Vamped)

The Fires of New Sun by Michael Kinch (#2 in Blending Time)

Death by Killer Mop Doll by Lois Winston (#2 in Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery)

Monday, January 09, 2012

Sight by Kailin Gow (#5 in Wicked Woods)

Chain Reaction by Zoe Archer (#2 in 8th Wing )

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Lothaire by Kresley Cole (#12 in The Immortals After Dark )

The Fathomless Fire by Thomas Wharton (#2 in Perilous Realm)

Taken by Robert Crais (#13 in Elvis Cole, #4 in Joe Pike, )

Vulture Peak by John Burdett (#5 in Sonchai Jitpleecheep)

Get Money by Meesha Mink (#2 in Real Wifeys)

A Path to Coldness of Heart by Glen Cook (#3 in Dread Empire - Sequels)

Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George (#18 in Inspector Lynley)

Brendan Buckley's Sixth-Grade Experiment by Sundee T Frazier (#2 in Brendan Buckley)

Long Time Dead by Sarah Pinborough (#17 in Torchwood)

The Men Who Sold The World by Guy Adams (#18 in Torchwood)

Letters to Missy Violet by Barbara Hathaway (#2 in Missy Violet)

Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt (#1 in Save the Pearls)

Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (#2 in Jessica)

First Born by James Goss (#16 in Torchwood)

Copper Beach by Jayne Ann Krentz (#1 in Dark Legacy)

Gideon's Corpse by Lincoln Child, Douglas Preston (#2 in Gideon Crew)

The Web Weaver by Sam Siciliano (#2 in Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges (#1 in Katerina Trilogy)

The Jaguar by T Jefferson Parker (#5 in Charlie Hood)

Dark Mercy by Lori Armstrong (#3 in Mercy Gunderson)

A Million Suns by Beth Revis (#2 in Across the Universe )

Forever My Baby by Jeff Rivera (#2 in Forever)

Of Limited Loyalty by Michael A. Stackpole (#2 in Crown Colonies)

The Retribution by Val McDermid (#7 in Tony Hill / Carol Jordan)

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Scattering Like Light by S C Ransom (#3 in Small Blue Thing)

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths (#3 in Ruth Galloway Mystery)

Finding a Balance by Charlie Richards (#5 in Wolves of Stone Ridge )

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Keeping Kylen by Amber Kell (#11 in Moon Pack)

Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Shorter Irish Male by Joseph O'Connor (#5 in Irish Male trilogy)

Stella Batts Needs a New Name by Courtney Sheinmel (#1 in Stella Batts)

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The Rope by Nevada Barr (#17 in Anna Pigeon)

Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell (#6 in Saxon Chronicles)

Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card (#12 in Ender)

Cold Comfort by Quentin Bates (#2 in Gunnhilder Mystery)

The Asylum by L. J. Smith (#5 in The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries)

Fire and Ice by Lee Goldberg, Jude Hardin (#8 in Dead Man)

Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh (#2 in Nevermore)

Sunny by Tracy Brown (#2 in White Lines)

Dark Victory by Michele Lang (#2 in Lady Lazarus)

The Look of Love by Mary Jane Clark (#2 in Wedding Cake Mystery)

Reefs and Shoals by Dewey Lambdin (#18 in Alan Lewrie)

Bloody Claws by Winter Pennington (#2 in Rosso Lussuria Vampire)

Gone West by Carola Dunn (#20 in Daisy Dalrymple)

Vanishing Acts by Leslie Margolis (#2 in Maggie Brooklyn Mystery)

The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell (#10 in Kathleen Mallory)

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (#2 in Unearthly)

A Neverwinter Novella, Part IV by Rosemary Jones (#4 in Cold Steel and Secrets)

Something Wikkid This Way Comes by Nicole Peeler (#5.5 in Jane True)

Wrath of Kerberos by Jonathan Oliver (#1 in Twilight of Kerberos)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Nightmare by Stephen Leather (#3 in Jack Nightingale)

Death of an Empire by M K Hume (#2 in Merlin)

The Istanbul Puzzle by Laurence O'Bryan (#1 in Sean Chancellor and Isabel Sharp)

Got Issues? by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (#1 in Glossy Girls)

The Truth by Julia Karr (#2 in XVI)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Horizon by Sophie Littlefield (#3 in Aftertime)

Life Eternal by Yvonne Woon (#2 in Dead Beautiful)

Pink Smog by Francesca Lia Block (#9 in Weetzie Bat)

Four Below by Peter Helton (#2 in Inspector Liam McLusky)

Jackson Hole Valentine by Cindy Kirk (#5 in Rx for Love)

His Duty to Protect by Lindsay McKenna (#3 in Black Jaguar Squadron)

Darker After Midnight by Lara Adrian (#10 in Midnight Breed)

Mesmerize by Artist Arthur (#5 in Mystyx)

The Return of Bowie Bravo by Christine Rimmer (#20 in Bravo Family Ties)

Second Chance Match by Arlene James (#5 in Chatam House)

Choose Me by Jo Leigh (#1 in It's Trading Men!)

A Match Made by Cupid by Tracy Madison (#2 in Foster Brothers)

Ravished by the Rake by Louise Allen (#1 in Danger & Desire)

Stealing Magic by Marianne Malone (#2 in Sixty-Eight Rooms)

Daughter of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo (#1 in Centauriad)

Book Girl and the Corrupted Angel by Mizuki Nomura (#4 in Book Girl)

Boneyards by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (#3 in Diving Universe)

A Devil Named Desire by Terri Garey (#2 in Devil's Bargain)

All I Did Was Shoot My Man by Walter Mosley (#4 in Leonid McGill)

Havoc by Jeff Sampson (#2 in Deviants)

Edge of Midnight by Leslie Tentler (#3 in Chasing Evil Trilogy)

A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries (#5 in Hellions of Halstead Hall)

The Pretender by Kathleen Creighton (#2 in Scandals of Sierra Malone)

Pineapple Grenade by Tim Dorsey (#15 in Serge Storms)

Vampire Dawn by J. R. Rain (#5 in Vampire for Hire)

Lone Wolfe by Kate Hewitt (#11 in Bad Blood / Notorious Wolfes)

Never Say Genius by Dan Gutman (#2 in Genius Files)

Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate (#3.5 in Fallen)

Claimed by a Vampire by Rachel Lee (#2 in Claiming)

Hometown Hearts by Jillian Hart (#6 in Granger Family Ranch)

The Last Cahill Cowboy by Jenna Kernan (#1 in Cahill Cowboys)

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Lilah May's Manic Days by Vanessa Curtis (#1 in Lilah May)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Stuck on Me by Hilary Freeman (#2 in Camden Town Tales)

Monday, January 30, 2012

The War of the Dragon Lady by John Wilcox (#8 in Simon Fonthill)

Maxwell's Crossing by M J Trow (#17 in Peter Maxwell)

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Destiny and Deception by Shannon Delany (#4 in 13 to Life)

Ghost Spin by Chris Moriarty (#3 in Spin)

Boston Cream by Howard Shrier (#3 in Jonah Geller)

Boca Daze by Steven M Forman (#3 in Boca)

File M for Murder by Miranda James (#3 in Cat in the Stacks Mystery)

Last Man Standing by Cindy Gerard (#7 in Black Ops, Inc.)

The Golden Scales by Parker Bilal (#1 in Makana Mystery)

Lenobia's Vow by Kristin Cast, P C Cast (#2 in House of Night Novellas)

The Mountain of Gold by J D Davies (#2 in Matthew Quinton Journals)

Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux (#2 in Zombie )

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (#1 in Newsoul)

If You See Her by Shiloh Walker (#2 in The Ash Trilogy)

Those Who Love Night by Wessel Ebersohn (#5 in Yudel Gordon)

She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath (#1 in Lost Lords of Pembrook)

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale (#2 in Austenland)

Burned by J F Lewis (#4 in Void City)

Greatshadow by James Maxey (#1 in Dragon Apocalypse)

Sweet Stuff by Donna Kauffman (#2 in Cupcake Club)

Black Site by Dalton Fury (#1 in Delta Force)

When Darkness Hungers by J K Beck (#5 in Shadow Keepers)

Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones (#3 in Charley Davidson)

thanks to fictfact for the awesome job

Wrong Side of Dead by Kelly Meding (#4 in Dreg City)

The Great Game by Lavie Tidhar (#3 in Bookman Histories)

Secrets of An Accidental Duchess by Jennifer Haymore (#2 in Donovan)

Operation Sea Ghost by Mack Maloney (#3 in Pirate Hunters)

His Dark Bond by Anne Marsh (#2 in Fallen Angels)

Control Point by Myke Cole (#1 in Shadow Ops)

Buffalo Soldiers by J R Roberts (#362 in Gunsmith)

$10,000 in Small, Unmarked Puzzles by Parnell Hall (#13 in Puzzle Lady)

The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae by Stephanie Laurens (#20 in The Cynster Series)

Death Screams by Tamara Rose Blodgett (#3 in Death)

Seduction by Brenda Joyce (#1 in Spymaster's Men)

Embrace Me at Dawn by Shayla Black (#7 in Doomsday Brethren)

A Life of Joy by Amy Clipston (#4 in Kauffman Amish Bakery)

Shadow's Stand by Sarah McCarty (#5 in Hell's Eight Erotic Adventures)

A Parliament of Spies by Cassandra Clark (#4 in Abbess of Meaux Mystery)

The Dragon Stone by Beth Barany (#2 in Henrietta The Dragon Slayer)

Princess Charming by Nicole Jordan (#1 in Legendary Lovers)

Next of Kin by Sharon Sala (#1 in Rebel Ridge)

Raylan by Elmore Leonard (#3 in Raylan Givens)

A Seductive Kiss by Francis Ray (#5 in Grayson Friends)

Waiting on Wednesday: THE THORN AND THE BLOSSOM: A Two-Sided Love Story by Theodora Goss

2011-12-29T02:52:00.000-05:00

01/17/12

THE THORN AND THE BLOSSOM: A Two-Sided Love Story

by Theodora Goss, Illustrator Scott McKowen

ISBN-13: 978-15945515

Quirk Books

Amazon, B&N, Goodreads

------

One enchanting romance. Two lovers keeping secrets. And a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever.

When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she didn’t know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he didn’t know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself . . .

The Thorn and the Blossom is a remarkable literary artifact: You can open the book in either direction to decide whether you’ll first read Brendan’s, or Evelyn’s account of the mysterious love affair. Choose a side, read it like a regular novel—and when you get to the end, you’ll find yourself at a whole new beginning.

What an interesting premise... you have to read it twice to get the whole story :) I am intrigued.

Waiting on Wednesday, CINDER Lunar Chronicles Book One by Marissa Meyer

2011-12-14T08:44:00.002-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday:

by Marissa Meyer

ISBN-13: 978-0312641894
Feiwel &Friends
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads
------------------------

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling.

When I first heard that there was going to be a book about a cyborg... I was a little skeptical, but after reading the synopsis I am on board baby!!

That is my WOW what is yours.

I am sorry for my lack of posting *see slackerpalosa post* but am trying to get back in to the habit. So please bare with me.

Awesome Exciting News from JR Ward And Cover Reveal for Lover Reborn

2011-10-21T20:38:00.002-04:00

I am so very excited to find out that Tohrments book is one step closer to being in my hot little hands!!!!!

From the Warden's Facebook page......

Tohr's draft is finally done! He came in at a WHOPPING 754 manuscript pages, a total of 176,937 words AND he's going to expand as I go through him the next two times soooooo we could be looking at a Rehv length (Avenged is the longest book in the series so far.) So... man, I'm wrung out- time to go for a run to work out the kinks!

By: J.R. Ward
You must follow The WARDen on facebook if you are a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood

and on Goodreads they also have the cover for the paperback copy.

Which do you like better???

Waiting on Wednesday: Archon: The Books of Raziel

2011-10-12T23:56:00.001-04:00

I have to say that the cover for Archon has me very intrigued, as do the mixed reviews. It seems that you will either love it or hate it. Interesting mix of the Vatican, mental institution, and a Teen Academy. To me it sounds like a mix of House of Night & Blue Bloods. Archon has me smitten enough to made me want to read it even with the mixed reviews.

Goodreads synopsis:

Archon: The Books of Raziel

by Sabrina Benulis (Goodreads Author)
Angela Mathers is plagued by visions of angels, supernatural creatures who haunt her thoughts by day and seduce her dreams by night. Newly released from a mental institution where she was locked away for two years, she hopes that her time at the Vatican’s university, the West Wood Academy, will give her a chance at a normal life. Unlike ordinary humans, Angela is a blood head — a freak, a monster, the possible fulfillment of a terrifying prophecy of overwhelming death and destruction. Only in Luz, the Vatican’s wondrous enclave, are blood heads accepted and encouraged to discover what kind of powers or special abilities they might possess.

But within West Wood, a secret coven plots, and demons and angels roam the streets searching for the key to open Raziel’s book — a secret tome from a lost archangel. Some are determined to destroy Raziel, while others, like the beautiful Supernal Israfel, one of the highest of the high, wish to free him. And when the Archon — the human chosen to possess the spirit of a dead angel — rises as foretold, they will control the supernatural universe.

Torn between mortal love and angelic obsession, Angela holds the key to Heaven and Hell — and both will stop at nothing to possess her.

Hardcover, 368 pages

Expected publication: December 27th 2011 by HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN 0062069403 (ISBN13: 9780062069405)

October New Release Calendar

2011-10-09T23:57:00.002-04:00

Wow, I just finished looking at all the new series releases for the Month of October

I am really looking forward to quite a few. I have marked the ones I can not wait to get my hands on. I would love to hear what books are your Oct favorites. :0)

Saturday, October 01, 2011

The Revelation is Love by Barbara Cartland (#7 in Pink)

Night of the Living Dogs by Trina Robbins (#3 in Chicagoland Detective Agency)

Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes (#1 in Windham Sisters)

Prague Fatale by Philip Kerr (#8 in Bernard Gunther)

A Marriage for Meghan by Mary Ellis (#2 in Wayne County)

Bandit's Hope by Marcia Gruver (#2 in Backwoods Brides)

Lock-in by Jonathan Mary-Todd (#11 in Night Fall)

Dangerous Mercy by Kathy Herman (#3 in Secrets of Roux River Bayou)

Secretly Sam by Heather Killough-Walden (#2 in October Trilogy)

Last Desserts by Megan Atwood (#8 in Night Fall)

Cosmic Forces by Gregory Lamberson (#3 in Jake Helman Files)

Awakening: Anthem of the Immortals by C.B. Logan (#3 in The Awakening Trilogy)

The Unlucky Lottery by Håkan Nesser (#6 in Inspector Van Veeteren)

Savage Rage by Brent Pilkey (#2 in Rage)

Take Me Home Tonight by Elle Kennedy (#2 in Welcome to Paradise)

Retribution by Steve Stanton (#2 in Bloodlight Chronicles)

Perfect Strangers by Gem Sivad (#2 in Eclipse Heat)

Dead Eagles by Phil Ward (#2 in Raiding Forces)

Wild Horses by Linda Byler (#1 in Sadie's Montana)

Torn Apart by Peter Corris (#35 in Cliff Hardy)

Grievous Angel by Quintin Jardine (#21 in Skinner)

Why I Quit Zombie School by R L Stine (#4 in Goosebumps Horrorland : Hall of Horrors)

The Cross by Scott Mariani (#2 in Vampire Federation)

Alibi II by Teri Woods (#2 in Alibi)

A Time for Peace by Barbara Cameron (#3 in Quilts of Lancaster County)

The Lady's Maid by Susan Page Davis (#1 in Prairie Dreams)

Death at Christy Burke's by Anne Emery (#6 in Monty Collins)

The Late Bus by Rick Jasper (#10 in Night Fall)

The Prank by Ashley Rae Harris (#12 in Night Fall)

The Vampire in the Iron Mask by J. R. Rain (#3 in Spinoza)

Foul by Paul Hoblin (#7 in Night Fall)

The Combination by Elias Carr (#9 in Night Fall)

Lethal Remedy by Richard L Mabry (#4 in Prescription for Trouble)

A Deadly Injustice by Ian Morson (#2 in Nick Zuliani)

Full Moon Bites by Jaden Sinclair (#9 in Shifter)

Webs of Fate by Darlene Quinn (#3 in Webs)

The Crimson Shard by Teresa Flavin (#2 in Blackhope Enigma)

Judging Jager by Amber Kell (#10 in Moon Pack)

Highland Sanctuary by Jennifer Hudson Taylor (#2 in Highland)

Blood Daughters by Marcos M Villatoro (#4 in Romilia Chacon)

Dark Lake by Louise Gaylord (#4 in Allie Armington Mystery)

Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer (#2 in Big Sky)

Darn Good Cowboy Christmas by Carolyn Brown (#3 in Spikes & Spurs)

Alex's Secret by Lynn Hagen (#21 in Brac Pack)

The Chocolate Meltdown by Lexi Connor (#5 in B Magical)

Romero by Elizabeth Reyes (#4 in The Moreno Brothers)

Deep Cover by Peter Turnbull (#2 in Harry Vicary)

The Goblin King by Shona Husk (#2 in Goblin King, Shadowlands)

Steampunk Widow and More by Phoebe Matthews (#3 in Wicked Good )

Count It All Joy by Ashea Goldson (#2 in Joy)

Angel Fire by L A Weatherly (#2 in Angels Trilogy)

Desired: A Novel of Samson and Delilah by Ginger Garrett (#2 in Lost Loves of the Bible)

Sunday, October 02, 2011

The White Assassin by Hilary Wagner (#2 in Nightshade Chronicles)

The Case of the Diamond Dog Collar by Martha Freeman (#2 in First Kids Mystery)

Monday, October 03, 2011

Palace of the Damned by Darren Shan (#3 in Saga of Larten Crepsley)

Her Knight in Dusty BDU's by Cooper McKenzie (#2 in Men Out of Uniform )

Third Starlighter by Bryan Davis (#2 in Tales of Starlight)

MVP Reloaded by Jihad (#2 in MVP)

The Scent of Seduction by Trina Lane (#1 in Phantom River )

Black Diamond by John F Dobbyn (#3 in Michael Knight)

Bayou's End by Lynn Lorenz (#2 in Rougaroux Social Club )

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Belong To Me by Shayla Black (#5 in Wicked Lovers)

"Ascension" in Angels of Darkness by Meljean Brook (#12 in The Guardians)

A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber (#1 in Stephanie Harrington)

Forbidden Embers by Tessa Adams (#3 in Dragon's Heat)

The Sleeper's Moon by Jon Berkeley (#2 in Bell Hoot Fables)

Eve by Anna Carey (#1 in Eve Trilogy)

India Black and the Widow of Windsor by Carol K Carr (#2 in Madam of Espionage)

The More the Terrier by Linda O. Johnston (#2 in Pet Rescue Mystery)

Ballistic by Mark Greaney (#3 in Court Gentry)

Visions of Skyfire by Regan Hastings (#2 in Awakening)

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (#2 in Heroes of Olympus)

Stolen Souls by Stuart Neville (#3 in Jack Lennon Investigation)

A Touch of Scarlet by Liz Talley (#22 in Hometown U.S.A)

The Best American Mystery Stories 2011 by Harlan Coben (#19 in Best American Mystery Stories)

Stranger, Seducer, Protector by Joanna Wayne (#5 in ShiVers)

Wolf at the Door by MaryJanice Davidson (#7 in Wyndham Werewolves)

Frail by Joan Frances Turner (#2 in Dust)

Much Ado About Vampires by Katie MacAlister (#12 in Dark One)

His Destiny by Diana Cosby (#4 in MacGruder)

Sweet Revenge by Christy Reece (#2 in Last Chance Rescue Trilogy 3)

How to Party with a Killer Vampire by Penny Warner (#4 in Party-Planning Mystery)

A Touch of Crimson by Sylvia Day (#1 in Renegade Angels)

Flipped Out by Jennie Bentley (#5 in Do-It-Yourself Mystery)

Infidel by Kameron Hurley (#2 in Nyx)

Blood Persuasion by Janet Mullany (#2 in Immortal Jane Austen )

The Surgeon's Surprise Twins by Jacqueline Diamond (#6 in Safe Harbor Medical)

Off the Clock by Donna Alward (#1 in First Responders )

The Sacred Band by David Anthony Durham (#3 in Acacia)

Inferno's Kiss by Monica Burns (#3 in The Order of the Sicari)

The Chocolate Castle Clue by JoAnna Carl (#11 in Chocoholic Mysteries)

Vamparazzi by Laura Resnick (#4 in Esther Diamond)

Home for the Holidays by Heather Vogel Frederick (#5 in Mother-Daughter Book Club)

Darkfall by Janice Hardy (#3 in Healing Wars)

In Memories We Fear by Barb Hendee (#4 in Vampire Memories)

Angels of Darkness by Nalini Singh (#7 in Guild Hunter)

The Texan's Bride by Linda Warren (#2 in Hardin Boys)

All That Remains by Janice Kay Johnson (#49 in Count on a Cop)

Murder of a Creped Suzette by Denise Swanson (#14 in Scumble River Mysteries)

Autumn Song by Martha Rogers (#2 in Seasons of the Heart)

Werewolf in the North Woods by Vicki Lewis Thompson (#2 in Wild About You )

Classified by Debra Webb (#1 in Colby Agency: Secrets)

Murder Unleashed by Rita Mae Brown (#2 in Mags & Baxter)

Marrying the Major by Victoria Bylin (#4 in Women of Swan's Nest)

Unrevealed by Laurel Dewey (#5 in Jane Perry)

Eversong by Eden Bradley (#4 in Midnight Playground)

Under the Midnight Sun by Vivian Arend (#6 in Granite Lake Wolves)

Seduced by the Highlander by Julianne MacLean (#3 in Highlanders Trilogy)

Stay Hungry by Lorie O'Clare (#3 in Bounty Hunter)

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (#3 in Hush)

The Mark of the Golden Dragon: Being an Account of the Continuing Adventures of Jacky Faber, Wending Her Way Back from Botany Bay by L. A. Meyer (#9 in Bloody Jack Adventures)

Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray (#2 in Cleopatra's Daughter)

Blood Eternal by Marie Treanor (#3 in Awakened By Blood)

Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis (#2 in Animal)

The Fine Art of Murder by Donald Bain (#37 in Murder, She Wrote (with Jessica Fletcher))

It Happened on a Train by Mac Barnett (#3 in Brixton Brothers)

Skeleton Letters by Laura Childs (#9 in Scrapbooking Mysteries)

Crossfire by J A Johnstone (#11 in Loner)

Enslaved by a Viking by Delilah Devlin (#2 in New Icelandic Chronicles)

The Vengeful Dead by J N Duncan (#2 in Deadworld)

Shock Wave by John Sandford (#5 in Virgil Flowers)

Serpent's Kiss by Thea Harrison (#3 in Elder Races)

Waking Hours by Pete Nelson, Lis Wiehl (#1 in The East Salem Trilogy )

Firestorm by Taylor Anderson (#6 in Destroyermen)

Better Off Undead by D. D. Barant (#4 in Bloodhound Files)

The Accidental Courtesan by Cheryl Ann Smith (#2 in School for Courtesans)

Irredeemable Vol 7 by Mark Waid (#7 in Irredeemable )

Changes by Mercedes Lackey (#3 in Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles)

The Ares Decision by Robert Ludlum, Kyle Mills (#9 in Covert-One)

Headstone by Ken Bruen (#9 in Jack Taylor)

Knight Everlasting by Jackie Ivie (#7 in Clans)

Chosen by Fate by Virna DePaul (#2 in Para-Ops)

Maggie's Journey by Lena Nelson Dooley (#1 in McKenna's Daughter's)

The Fourth Labyrinth by Christopher Golden (#1 in Uncharted)

For Their Baby by Kathleen O'Brien (#63 in Nine Months Later)

Billionaire's Jet Set Babies by Catherine Mann (#20 in Billionaires and Babies)

Haunting Embrace by Erin Quinn (#4 in Haunting)

Tall, Dark, Texas Ranger by Patricia Thayer (#3 in Quilt Shop in Kerry Springs)

Rancher and Protector by Pamela Britton (#1 in Men of the West)

The Killing Season by Priscilla Royal (#8 in Medieval Mystery)

A Cowboy to Marry by Cathy Gillen Thacker (#3 in Texas Legacies : The McCabes)

A Bride Unveiled by Jillian Hunter (#2 in Bridal Pleasures)

Slow Ride by Erin McCarthy (#5 in Fast Track)

Ready for King's Seduction by Maureen Child (#9 in Kings of California)

Dragons of the Watch by Donita K Paul (#3 in Valley of the Dragons)

Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos (#3 in Cornelia Brown)

Night Moves by Stephanie Tyler (#4 in Shadow Force)

Blood Lite III: Tasts Funny by Kevin J. Anderson (#3 in Bloodlite )

Millionaire Playboy, Maverick Heiress by Robyn Grady (#3 in Texas Cattleman's Club : The Showdown)

The Sandburg Connection by Mark de Castrique (#3 in Sam Blackman Mystery)

The Twilight of Lake Woebegotten by Harrison Geillor (#2 in Woebegotton)

The Lost Stories by John Flanagan (#11 in Ranger's Apprentice)

Dead Mann Walking by Stefan Petrucha (#1 in Hessius Mann)

The Captain's Mission by Debby Giusti (#2 in Military Investigations)

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

The Ninth Day by Jamie Freveletti (#3 in Emma Caldridge)

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Diamonds and Doom by Marcus Sedgwick (#6 in Raven Mysteries)

Scarlett by Claire Lorrimer (#1 in Women of Fire Trilogy)

How to Steal a Dragon's Sword by Cressida Cowell (#10 in How to Train Your Dragon)

I Am Grimalkin by Joseph Delaney (#2 in Spook's Stories)

Friday, October 07, 2011

Heirs of the Blade by Adrian Tchaikovsky (#7 in Shadows of the Apt)

Muddle Earth Too by Chris Riddell, Paul Stewart (#2 in Muddle Earth)

Saturday, October 08, 2011

Dead by Any Other Name by Sebastian Stuart (#2 in Janet's Planet Mystery)

Imlay's Curse by Stormy Glenn, Lynn Hagen (#3 in Lady Blue Crew )

Mind Over Monsters by Jennifer Harlow (#1 in F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigations )

Sunday, October 09, 2011

The Elevator Mechanic by Serena Yates (#1 in Workplace Encounters)

Twilight Fulfilled by Maggie Shayne (#20 in Wings in the Night)

Monday, October 10, 2011

Killer Kool by Marty Ambrose (#4 in Mango Bay Mystery)

Falke's Captive by Anna Leigh Keaton, Madison Layle (#2 in Puma Nights)

Perfectly Flawed by Shirley Marks (#2 in Gentleman of Worth)

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Phobos by Steve Alten (#3 in Domain)

The Goblin War by Hilari Bell (#3 in Goblin Wood)

This Is Life by Seth Harwood (#3 in Jack Palms Mystery)

Troubled Bones by Jeri Westerson (#4 in Crispin Guest Medieval Noir)

Vanishing Acts by Phillip Margolin, Ami Margolin Rome (#1 in Madison Kincaid Mystery)

The Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge (#3 in Queng Ho)

Unforsaken by Sophie Littlefield (#2 in Banished)

Carnelians by Catherine Asaro (#12 in Skolian Empire)

As the Pig Turns by M. C. Beaton (#22 in Agatha Raisin)

Frost by Wendy Delsol (#2 in Stork)

Knit Together by Love by Rachel Herron (#3 in Cypress Hollow)

Snuff by Terry Pratchett (#38 in Discworld)

A Dublin Student Doctor by Patrick Taylor (#6 in Irish Country)

The Dark Commands by Richard Morgan (#2 in Land Fit for Heroes)

The Death Cure by James Dashner (#3 in Maze Runner)

Awake at Dawn by C C Hunter (#2 in Shadow Falls)

Rise of the Governor by Jay R Bonansinga, Robert Kirkman (#15 in Walking Dead)

The Dark at the End by F Paul Wilson (#15 in Repairman Jack)

The Blood Red Indian Summer by David Handler (#8 in Berger and Mitry)

The Dragon Turn: His Fifth Case by Shane Peacock (#5 in Boy Sherlock Holmes)

Hurt Machine by Reed Farrel Coleman (#7 in Moe Prager)

Devoted by Hilary Duff (#2 in Elixir)

Eyes to See by Joseph Nassise (#1 in Jeremiah Hunt Chronicles)

Bad Moon by Todd Ritter (#2 in Kat Campbell )

The Gravedigger's Ball by Solomon Jones (#2 in Coletti)

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Talker's Graduation by Amy Lane (#3 in Talker)

Bad Moon Rising by Ed Gorman (#9 in Sam McCain)

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Cam Jansen and the Graduation Day Mystery by David A Adler (#31 in Cam Jansen)

Friday, October 14, 2011

Divide & Conquer by Abigail Roux, Madeleine Urban (#4 in Cut & Run)

Damaged by Melody Carlson (#3 in Secrets (Carlson))

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Follow the Money by Peter Corris (#36 in Cliff Hardy)

Eisfeuer by Kathy Felsing (#1 in G.E.N. Bloods )

Christian's Menance by Lynn Hagen (#1 in Christian's Coven)

Monday, October 17, 2011

The Last Ship by Bill Cameron (#3.5 in Skin Kadash )

The Fire Wars by Kailin Gow (#1 in Fire Wars)

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Bonnie by Iris Johansen (#3 in Eve, Quinn and Bonnie)

A Simple Winter by Rosalind Lauer (#1 in Seasons of Lancaster)

The Viper by Monica McCarty (#4 in The Highland Guard Series)

Danny by Kate Hoffmann (#17 in Mighty Quinns)

Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (#6 in Dexter)

Shadow's Stand by Sarah McCarty (#5 in Hell's Eight Erotic Adventures)

Heart of a Killer by Jaci Burton (#1 in The Killer )

High-Risk Reunion by Gail Barrett (#1 in Stealth Knights)

The Man with the Money by Lynn Raye Harris (#9 in Bad Blood / Notorious Wolfes)

Moon Run by Joely Skye (#3 in Wolf Town Trilogy )

Sleigh Bells for Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad (#18 in Dry Creek)

Missing Mother-To-Be by Elle Kennedy (#5 in Kelley Legacy)

Royally Claimed by Marie Donovan (#2 in Real Prince)

The Detachment by Barry Eisler (#7 in John Rain)

A Coulter's Christmas Proposal by Lois Faye Dyer (#3 in Big Sky Brothers)

Ashes of a Black Frost by Chris Evans (#3 in Iron Elves)

Chi's Sweet Home, volume 7 by Konami Kanata (#7 in Chi's Sweet Home )

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl (#3 in Beautiful Creatures )

Seduced in Scotland by Karen Hawkins (#4 in Hurst Amulet)

Swear by Nina Malkin (#2 in Swoon)

The Loner's Thanksgiving Wish by Roxanne Rustand (#5 in Rocky Mountain Heirs)

Case of Desire by Jacquelin Thomas (#4 in Hopewell General)

The Lone Rancher by Carol Finch (#1 in Cahill Cowboys)

W.W.A.D. (What Would Audrey Do?) by Kailin Gow (#2 in Fashion Fables)

Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey (#6 in Five Hundred Kingdoms)

Seizure by Kathy Reichs (#2 in Virals)

The Shattered Vine by Laura Anne Gilman (#3 in Vineart War)

Aloha from Hell by Richard Kadrey (#3 in Sandman Slim)

A Bravo Homecoming by Christine Rimmer (#19 in Bravo Family Ties)

Cowboy's Triplet Trouble by Carla Cassidy (#2 in Top Secret Deliveries)

Dark Sins and Desert Sands by Stephanie Draven (#5 in Mythica)

Enchanted by Blood by Laurie London (#2.5 in Sweetblood)

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves by Matthew Reilly (#5 in Shane Schofield)

The Red Wolf by Kailin Gow (#2 in Wolf Fey of the Frost)

Strange Fate by L. J. Smith (#10 in Night World)

Friday, October 21, 2011

Promise Keeper by Mary Fremont Schoenecker (#3 in Maine Shore Chronicles)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Adwaka's Blade by Stormy Glenn, Lynn Hagen (#4 in Lady Blue Crew )

Monday, October 24, 2011

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt (#3 in Maiden Lane)

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Jewel of the Kalderash by Marie Rutkoski (#3 in Kronos Chronicles)

Shattered by Robin Wasserman (#2 in Cold Awakening)

Twelve Drummers Drumming by C C Benison (#1 in Father Christmas Mystery)

Phantom by L. J. Smith (#1 in The Vampire Diaries: The Hunters)

Scotched by Kaitlyn Dunnett (#5 in Liss MacCrimmon Mystery)

Against the Storm by Kat Martin (#4 in Raines brothers)

The Real Werewives of Vampire County by Alexandra Ivy (#8.5 in The Guardians of Eternity)

Hide From Evil by Jami Alden (#2 in Trilogy )

Angel Town by Lilith Saintcrow (#6 in Jill Kismet)

Daring by Mike Shepherd (#9 in Kris Longknife)

Cloudburst by V. C. Andrews (#2 in Storms)

If You Hear Her by Shiloh Walker (#1 in The Ash Trilogy)

Love in Flames by N J Walters (#3 in Spells, Secrets, and Seductions)

Warrior Rising by Linda Howard, Linda Jones (#2 in Vampire)

Frozen by Robin Wasserman (#1 in Cold Awakening)

Torn by Robin Wasserman (#3 in Cold Awakening)

Destined by Kristin Cast, P C Cast (#10 in House of Night)

A Killer's Christmas in Wales by Elizabeth J Duncan (#3 in Penny Brannigan Mystery)

Eternal Night by Guillermo del Toro (#3 in Strain Trilogy)

In Close by Brenda Novak (#2 in Bulletproof )

Adam by Jacquelyn Frank (#6 in The Nightwalkers)

Guardian of the Green Hill by Laura L Sullivan (#2 in Green Hill)

Under the Skin by Vicki Lane (#1 in Full Circle Farm Mysteries)

The Sinner by Margaret Mallory (#2 in Return of the Highlanders)

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (#1 in 1Q84)

Extinction Agenda by Marcus Pelegrimas (#6 in Skinners)

Beauty Dates The Beast by Jessica Sims (#1 in Midnight Liaisons )

Black Thunder by Aimée Thurlo, David Thurlo (#17 in Ella Clah )

Crave by Melissa Darnell (#1 in Clann)

Alexis and the Perfect Recipe by Coco Simon (#5 in Cupcake Diaries)

Fenrir by M D Lachlan (#2 in Craw Trilogy)

Ecstasy Untamed by Pamela Palmer (#6 in Feral Warriors)

Spice and Wolf #5 by Isuna Hasekura (#5 in Spice and Wolf)

Claimed by Rebecca Zanetti (#2 in Dark Protectors)

Never Love a Highlander by Maya Banks (#3 in Highlander)

Darkness Rising by Keri Arthur (#2 in Dark Angels)

Zombie Mommy by M T Anderson, Kurt Cyrus (#5 in A Pals in Peril Tale)

Master of the House of Darts by Aliette de Bodard (#3 in Obsidian and Blood Trilogy)

Sunrise On Cedar Key by Terri Dulong (#4 in Cedar Keys )

Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Andersen (#3 in Royal House of Shadows)

The Clone Redemption by Steven L Kent (#7 in Clone)

"Home for the Holidays" in The Bite Before Christmas by Jeaniene Frost (#6.5 in Night Huntress)

Two Guns for Vengeance by J R Roberts (#359 in Gunsmith)

Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr (#16 in Virgin River)

Dangerous Master by Tawny Taylor (#3 in Masters of Desire)

Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl (#3 in Donovan Brothers Brewery)

A Crimson Warning by Tasha Alexander (#6 in Emily Ashton)

Holly Lane by Toni Blake (#4 in Destiny)

A Winter Scandal by Candace Camp (#1 in Legend of St. Dwynwen)

Too Wicked to Wed by Cara Elliott (#1 in Lords of Midnight)

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa (#6 in Iron Fey)

"The Gift" in The Bite Before Christmas by Lynsay Sands (#17 in Argeneau Vampires)

A Christmas Homecoming by Anne Perry (#9 in Christmas novellas)

The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams (#1 in McKenzie Lewis )

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Slash and Burn by Colin Cotterill (#8 in Dr. Siri Paiboun)

The Case of the Mysterious Voice by John R Erickson (#63 in Hank the Cowdog)

Kingdom of Gods by N. K. Jemisin (#3 in Inheritance Trilogy)

Muse by Rebecca Lim (#3 in Mercy)

The Song of Unmaking by D Barkley Briggs (#3 in Legends of Karac Tor)

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Sully by Lynn Hagen (#6 in Zeus's Pack )

Monday, October 31, 2011 Happy Halloween!!!

Hell and Gone by Duane Swierczynski (#2 in Charlie Hardie)

The Curse of Four by Caitlin Kittredge (#5 in Black London)

Great Hexpectations by H P Mallory (#3 in Dulcie O'Neil)

Back-Slash by Bill Kitson (#5 in DI Mike Nash)

The Sleeping Partner by Madeleine E. Robins (#3 in Sarah Tolerance)

Bitterblue Cover Reveal!~!

2011-10-06T17:07:00.002-04:00

Publishers Weekly Keys to the Kingdom?

This is the article from Publishers Weekly... or use the link at top of page to view on PW site.

Thanks to Matali for alerting everyone on Twitter!

The Keys to the Kingdom?

By Sue Corbett
Oct 06, 2011

The cover to Kristin Cashore’s eagerly awaited third novel is royal blue – fitting since the title character has blue in her name and is the king’s daughter. But, oooh. What’s with those keys: one gold, one silver, one bronze?

“I was thrilled when I saw the keys and that they look a little like weapons,” Cashore told PW in a phone interview. “It’s absolutely the best icon for this book, although I better not say more about that. I love all the covers but this one is my favorite.”

Dial will publish Bitterblue, a companion to Cashore’s bestsellers Graceling (Harcourt, 2008) and Fire (Dial, 2009) on May 1, 2012 but this first look at the cover ought to tantalize her many fans.

Kristin Cashore. Photo: Laura Evans.

The novel, which has an announced first printing of 200,000 copies and clocks in at a hefty 576 pages, picks up eight years after Graceling,with Bitterblue now 18 and the reigning queen of Monsea. Cashore says the story constitutes more of a companion than a strict sequel. Graceling fans, however, will likely be thrilled to learn that the heroine of that book – the different-colored-eyed Katsa – returns in Bitterblue, as does her lover, Po.

Other characters from Graceling appear, too, most notably (and unavoidably, since he is Bitterblue’s father), the nefarious King Leck, the only character who appears in both Graceling and Fire.

For Cashore, the completion of her third novel allows her to take a deep breath – of relief. “Fire was such an emotionally hard book for me to write that when I started Bitterblue I vowed to write something light and fun,” Cashore said. “I was well into it before I had the realization that if light and fun is what you’re after you probably shouldn’t have a main character whose father murdered her mother.”

Indeed, nothing about the process of completing Bitterblue turned out to be light or fun. The first draft took nearly three years to write, and was met with a long revision letter from her editor, Kathy Dawson.

“There was one line [in Dawson’s editorial letter] that nearly caused me to panic, but turned out to be exactly the right piece of advice,” Cashore recalled. “[Kathy] wrote, ‘Would you ever consider starting from scratch?’ And that was what I needed to do. I needed to start over now that I knew exactly where the story was going. The plot didn’t change dramatically but the way everything came together did.”

Cashore certainly is her own tough act to follow. Graceling found a place on three Best Books lists in 2008; Fire received six starred reviews, including one from PW.

“With every book she writes, Kristin becomes a more accomplished writer,” says Dawson, who acquired and published Graceling while at Harcourt, and is now associate publisher and editorial director for fiction at Dial. “For this one, she learned all about codes and ciphers. She even hired a linguist to create an entire language! It felt like a long waiting period, but Bitterblue was worth every single minute.”

Slacker-Palooza 2011

2011-08-07T19:31:00.011-04:00

I have been a horrible slacker this summer....
Have you ever just had the blogger in you sucked out??
Well, I started a new job, went to NY... Worked some more
Went to New Orleans... Worked some more, well you get the idea.

Yes I have a job LOL but that pic was just to funny not to use.
So between the HEAT, working everyday but Monday,

traveling, and getting caught up with the yard work, I really just haven't had it in me to blog. So to make it up to myself and anyone else who checks into my little world. I will be hosting some give-away's in the near future. I do hope that this will be the end of SLACKER-PALOOZA 2011, but we shall see. I am off tomorrow and will be dropping my car to get an an alignment, having just purchasing 4 new gold filled tires *they must be gold the cost enough*, mowing the yard, and helping my neighbor fix my roof. Then I am hoping for some porch time with Sookie and Eric :o) Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris.
Hope to see you soon... seriously
signed your slacker,
Linda~

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendra Blake first Chapter!~! So excited

2011-06-13T12:01:00.008-04:00

Here

Mon
Jun 13 2011 11:30am

Review: Graveminder by Melissa Marr

2011-05-31T13:11:00.018-04:00

Review of Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Graveminder

Descriptionfrom Goodreads.

With Graveminder, Melissa Marr, the bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series, delivers her first novel for an adult audience—a captivating story of the living, the dead and a curse that binds them to two special families.

In the town of Claysville, Maylene Barrow bears a duty to the newly departed that keeps all she knows and loves safe. At each funeral she performs the same unusual ritual: Three sips from a silver flask followed by the words, "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."

Now Maylene is dead, and her granddaughter Rebekkah must go back to the place—and the man—she left a decade ago. But she soon discovers that Maylene was murdered—and that there was good reason for her odd traditions: Beneath placid Claysville lies a shadowy land from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron Montgomery, can set things right once the dead begin to walk.

Suddenly Rebekkah is struggling with more than just her grief—she’s forced to deal with a centuries-old bargain, dark secrets, a complicated romance and a frightening responsibility: to stop a monster and put the dead to rest where they belong.

Here I go.... Wow Melissa Marr has stunned me again with her wonderful wording and her vivid imagination, she has blown me away. I am in love with the strange little town of Claysville and it's inhabitants, Like:

Maylene the Gravemider, who starts out the story with her rounds at Sweetrest Cemetery. You will get a tiny crumb of the fact that there is something different about Claysville, and there is a secret bargain. The phrase "Sleep well, and stay where I put you." is Genius, it caught my imagination as soon as Maylene first utters it.

Rebekkah who has been running away her entire life from the only place and the only man who made her fell like she was home.

Byron, Rebakkah's many times ex-boyfriend who is determined NOT to fall back into his old habit of always being there for her, and who has recently returned to town.

When Rebakkah gets the message that her Grandmother is dead she has no idea what a hornets nest she is about to step into, or the fact that the dead are walking and it is now her responsibility to put them where they belong. Thank goodness when Rebakkah was a child she paid attention to all the rituals Maylene did when she would help her grandma make her rounds, not really wondering why, it's just the way it was.

I love that Maylene and Byron's father tried to protect Rebakkah and Byron from their destiny as long as they could. And that you get the slow unraveling of family secrets and the choices that were made along the way.

Who else but Melissa Marr could not only have me wanting to get to know a character that does very bad things, but also have me wanting to take care of her and root for her to get a little.... ummm...Closure with her own past.

I found myself totally engrossed in the mixing of times and perceptions of the residence of the shadowy world that abides under Claysville, and was left wanting to know more of Charles and his strange realm.

It is very hard not to give away the twists and turns that you are guided thru in Graveminder, but needless to say I loved everyone of them.. I give Graveminder 5
outta 5 stars, Tis Awesomeness!!

If you have not already read her Wicked Lovely series Get to it! It is a MUST read.
On a side note I got my copy of Graveminder from Bookperks and it came with a spiffy flask that I got signed by Melissa Marr.. how freaking cool is that. ooh ooh and I got an awesome GM Toe-tag signed too...

Review: Minder (A Ganzfield Novel) by Kate Kaynak

2011-05-13T16:03:00.006-04:00

Minder by Kate Kaynak
First in the Minder Series

Amazon Description
Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place.

Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control. A stray thought can burn a building to the ground. And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey--especially once she meets the man of her dreams..

When I was thinking of reading Minder, I went to the author site and took a look at the Book Trailer.. I have to say please don't judge a book by it's trailer :) OK book==> Bad Trailer. I liked the music I liked the description.. but not the cartoon. Seriously Lame.

Minder is a very interesting premise for a story it is kind of high school clicks mingled with -x men.

The first part of the story is the world building, then she introduces the romance element, then lastly suspense and intrigue. I enjoyed the psychological thriller part of the book. But each part was very compartmentalized.

Maddie is a normal 16 year old girl until she is attacked ... that is when she finds out that she is special and has powers she never could have imagined.. She is what they call at Ganzfield a Minder (she can read others thoughts and.. well you will find out). There are other groups: Charms, ( who can push others to do what they want) and Sparks, (they have the ability to control fire).. well you get the idea. While the premise is very good and I did like the story, the repetitive themes put me off (the instant love for instance) . How many times can you read the same *jist of* I love you so much but we just met, the connection...
I liked Minder enough to give Adversary the Second Book a try.
The Third in the Series is Legacy, and the forth book in the Series is ACCUSED.

Even though I was not crazy about Minder I give it 2 stars Worth the Read.

Waititng on Wednesday Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

2011-05-11T00:01:00.003-04:00

Jill over at Breaking the Spine started and I found it on the Ravenous Reader blog. I agree it is a great idea. This blog post is to alert those that visit about "the" book that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.
Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

Haunting Violet is my Wating on Wednesday ... What is yours?

Review Lover Unleashed by JR Ward

2011-05-10T17:33:00.004-04:00

Good Reads Description:
Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, warrior cloth as her brother: A fighter by nature, and a maverick when it comes to the traditional role of Chosen females, there is no place for her on the Far Side… and no role for her on the front lines of the war, either.

When she suffers a paralyzing injury, human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello is called in to treat her as only he can- and he soon gets sucked into her dangerous, secret world. Although he never before believed in things that go bump in the night- like vampires- he finds himself more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks both his body and his soul.

As the two find so much more than an erotic connection, the human and vampire worlds collide … just as a centuries old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in deadly jeopardy.

Her I go short and sweet:

Ohhhh My Where to Begin........ I have to say I love love love The Black Dagger Brotherhood books. When I read Vishious's story (Lover Unbound ) (Black Dagger Brotherhood #5) when I got to the end it was a WTF moment!~! *insert evil skunk eye and point it at the Warden*

As much as I was looking forward to a new BDB I am thrilled to say We have been given Vishious 2.0 *insert happy face here*

There was some V-uch moments color me happy... there was some tragic Quay action going on too. And I was soooo right about Butch being....... *insert gag in to mouth* But as I like to keep my reviews spoiler free .. which is killing me right now cauz I reallly want to spill some.. but I digress..

I very much enjoyed getting to read Payne and Manny's Love story but was seriously happy To have much of the story intertwined with the other brothers. Especially so much focusing on Jane and Vichous. We not only get to have some major insight to the past that Payne and Vichous lived, but also got to meet some new characters. The Bad ass Group known as Xcor and his Band of Bastards, ggggaaaadamn these are some serirous bad boys. I am looking forward to getting to see what trouble the new bad boys in town are going to trhough in to next few books. I was hoping to get to "meet" Mhurder but he was nowhere to be found.

All in all I was thrilled with Lover Unleashed, I got just what I wanted MORE... More Manny, Payne, Vichous, Jane, Butch, Marissa, Blay, Saxton, Quinn, Wrath, George, Beth... sigh.. I got MORE... did ya hear me... So I give Lover Unleashed 5 outta 5 Tis Awesomeness!~!~!