TinasBookReviews

Before I go to Sleep by S.J Watson

2012-02-29T12:07:00.002-05:00

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J Watson

Feb 7, 2012 (Paperback) by Harper

Paperback, 368 Pages

Review Copy

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story.......Welcome to Christine’s life.

Review

In this intense page turner, we meet Christine, a middle aged woman who awakens one morning to discover that the man beside her is a stranger....she's embarrassed, frightened and confused by why a college aged gal like her self would go home with such an older man.....but then Christine sees her wedding band and then sees herself in the mirror....

Its not everyday one wakes up and forgets their entire life, its not often that you have no memory of the man you married or the life you shared together, you also cant understand why this man Ben, the only person in your life creeps you out and sends shivers down your spine or the fact that making love to him (on the nights he attempts) almost feels like rape. This and other things are just the tip of the iceberg in Christine's daily life. As she wakes every morning forgetting who she is due to head trauma caused by an attack years ago, every morning is a shock, every morning is a heartbreak, every morning is an adventure into the unknown.

Between a cascade of photos, Ben's soft reassurance and the Doctor who is helping her piece together her life by using a daily journal, Christine desperately tries to gain control over her memories. Slowly and piece by piece the journal begins to ignite sparks in her brain and as memories begin to surface and flashbacks become real, Christine discovers the horrifying truths of her past, the people who surround her and the shocking events that lead to her injury.

Stop everything your doing and go read this book.....its ridiculously good. Without going into detail because even a little information will ruin the ride for readers, I can tell you the plot had me spinning with anticipation and every possible outcome that could of happened in this book crossed my mind...except of course for what finally happened, which chilled me to the bone. Creepy, scary, thrilling and excellent are the words I would use to describe this book. Watson's writing was truly enthralling as he cast me into this simple yet complex story....one that ranks as my best read this year....actually its by far one of the best thrillers I've read.

The worst thing about this book is the fact that Ill never experience it again, Ill never have my jaw hit the floor or feel the goosebumps riddle my entire body when the final page is turned. Be prepared to walk into brilliant madness.......Watson is an author to watch!!

Rating

Before I go to Sleep is recommended to adult readers and contains: Violence, suspense, drug and alcohol use, strong language, graphic sexuality including sexual dialog and situations.

PS- Because Im a reviewer (its seriously a whole world of our own) I tend to picture character faces vividly- whether its by my imagination or actors...during this entire book I kept seeing Diane Lanes face as Christine...here's hoping they make this book movie and Diane gets the part!!!

5/5- Thriller-Suspense

Thanks to Harper and TLC Book Tours for review copy

Link to Buy: Before I Go to Sleep: A Novel

Shelf Cravings {44}

2012-02-28T10:31:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Shelf Cravings, a weekly dish on all things book! New releases, coming soon, just discovered and the lastest Indie. This week Im excited for.....

Coming Soon

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

June 5, 2012 by Henry and Holt

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near-impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one unlikely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life– a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha… and the secrets of her heart.

The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood

March 20, 2012 by Random House

The Bellwether Revivals opens and closes with bodies. The story of whose bodies and how they come to be spread about an elegant house on the river near Cambridge is told by Oscar, a young, bright working class man who has fallen in love with an upper-class Cambridge student, Iris, and thereby become entangled with a group of close friends, led by Iris's charismatic, brilliant, possibly dangerous brother. For Eden Bellwether believes he can heal -- and perhaps more -- through the power of music.

In this masterful debut, we too are seduced by this gilded group of young people, entranced by Eden's powerful personality and his obvious talent as a musician, and caught off guard by the strangeness of Iris and Eden's parents. And we find ourselves utterly unsure as to whether Eden Bellweather is a saviour or a villain, and whether Oscar will be able to solve this mystery in time to save himself, if not everyone else.

Crimson Sunrise by J.A Saare

June 18, 2012 by Wildrose Press

After eradicating the obstacles between them, Emma Johnson and Caleb Blackney are ready to embrace their future together. They have a lot of decisions to make. There is the issue of Emma's fae heritage, her choice to become a werewolf or remain human, and Caleb's refusal to partake in anything that could cause harm to his mate.

When Caleb's sister goes missing, personal issues are forced aside, and he and Emma are faced with a past threat that has come knocking at their door. As the search for Sammie reveals plans far more sinister than they ever could have imagined, Emma and Caleb will face their fears, confront their enemies, and unite their families to stand against an evil that won't stop until vengeance is served.

Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

July 10, 2012 by MTV Books

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever. But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business--until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers--and the consequences could be deadly.

Just Discovered/New Releases

The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice

Feb 14, 2012 by Knopf Publishing

A young reporter on assignment from the San Francisco Observer. . . an older woman, welcoming him into her magnificent, historic family home that he has been sent to write about and that she must sell with some urgency . . . A chance encounter between two unlikely people . . . an idyllic night—shattered by horrific unimaginable violence. . .The young man inexplicably attacked—bitten—by a beast he cannot see in the rural darkness . . . A violent episode that sets in motion a terrifying yet seductive transformation as the young man, caught between ecstasy and horror, between embracing who he is evolving into and fearing who—what—he will become, soon experiences the thrill of the wolf gift.

The Lost Daughter by Lucy FerrissFeb 7, 2012 by Berkley

Brooke O’Connor — elegant, self-possessed, and kind — has a happy marriage and a deeply loved young daughter. So her adamant refusal to have a second child confounds her husband, Sean. When Brooke’s high school boyfriend Alex — now divorced and mourning the death of his young son — unexpectedly resurfaces, Sean begins to suspect an affair.

For fifteen years Brooke has kept a shameful secret from everyone she loves. Only Alex knows the truth that drove them apart. His reappearance now threatens the life she has so carefully constructed and fortified by denial. With her marriage — and her emotional equilibrium — at stake, Brooke must confront what she has been unwilling to face for so long. But the truth is not what Brooke believes it to be.

So Im chewing my fingers off in nerve worthy wait for Shadow and Bone....and I cant wait to read J.A Saare's book - I know its out of my genre, but I read Crimson Moon (first book) and adored it, so I will be finishing this series and breaking my no PNR rule for you Ms. J.A!! All of these look so delish....and the covers scream read me....which one are you excited for?

Have you read Crimson Moon- it was fabulous....

Guest Post w/RaeAnne Thayne & Win Woodrose Mountain

2012-02-27T22:28:00.000-05:00

Today on Chatting with Authors, Im thrilled to welcome RaeAnne Thayne to the blog! She will be discussing her writing inspirations and giving away one of her books!

What inspires me?

by RaeAnne Thayne

I just finished my 40th book last month. That number still astonishes me! Regardless of the varied conflicts, characters and plots, I have discovered a common theme that runs through each book. My core story is that we’re all here on earth to learn how to take care of each other.

Caretakers come in so many different forms. Grandparents raising their grandchildren, wives helping husbands through chemotherapy, mothers racing from soccer games to gymnastics class to the piano lessons.

In WOODROSE MOUNTAIN (April 2012, HQN), that lesson in caring comes to my heroine, Evie Blanchard. Still grieving after the death of her adopted special needs child, Evie has created a new life for herself in Hope’s Crossing, Colorado, the fictional town I first introduced in BLACKBERRY SUMMER (June 2011, HQN).

Evie has walked away from her life as a pediatric rehab therapist and is perfectly happy working in a bead store and selling her jewelry creations at summer bead fairs. But when business mogul Brodie Thorne pleads for her help in the recovery of his brain-injured daughter Taryn (injured in a car accident in BLACKBERRY SUMMER) Evie feels obligated by her friendship to Taryn’s grandmother to overcome her own reluctance and offer what assistance she can. She doesn’t want to allow herself to care for Taryn – or Brodie! – but in the process of helping this courageous girl recover from her severe injuries, Evie is astonished to discover healing and hope within herself.

I loved writing WOODROSE MOUNTAIN. Probably more than in any of my other forty books, I relied very heavily on my own experience while writing about Taryn, Evie and Brodie. You see, I’m a caretaker as well, to my 14-year-old son who has severe disabilities. He was born the very week I sold my fifth book and I’ve walked two sometimes disparate journeys in that time – parenting a child with special needs and writing happily-ever-after romance novels.

I leaned heavily on my own world view while writing WOODROSE MOUNTAIN. Wheelchair vans, lift systems, even seizure protocol are all things I’m knowledgeable about. I also know very well how vital good therapists can be in the rehab process – and also how important a strong, supportive community can be for those who struggle with challenges.

As the parent of a child with special needs, the key lesson I’ve learned is the inherent goodness of most people. We have been embraced and supported by our community from the day he was born. Even strangers often reach out to us. I’m always having people stop me in the grocery store when I’m juggling both a cart and a wheelchair to ask if they can help me (I always appreciate the offer but I’m an old pro at pushing a wheelchair with one hand and pulling a cart with the other! The trick is not to try this at a crowded Walmart on a Saturday afternoon LOL!).

The overriding message I hope readers take from WOODROSE MOUNTAIN is that even when life seems difficult and entirely too hard, moments of grace and beauty can be found in abundance!

Thank you Rae for stopping by today! I have a profound respect for parents who care for special needs children. Ive seen first hand the dedication, hard work and heartbreak that go's with it. Congrats on your new book and wishing you the best!!

Giveaway

Today I have one brand new copy of Woodrose Mountain to giveaway to a reader at TBR's. To enter please just leave a comment and a way to get in touch (email, link to profile) Winner will drawn March 14, 2012.

Evie Blanchard was at the top of her field in the city of angels. But when an emotional year forces her to walk away from her job as a physical therapist, she moves from Los Angeles to Hope’s Crossing seeking a quieter life. So the last thing she needs is to get involved with the handsome, arrogant Brodie Thorne and his injured daughter, Taryn.

A self-made man and single dad, Brodie will do anything to get Taryn the rehabilitation she needs…even if it means convincing Evie to move in with them. And despite her vow to keep an emotional distance, Evie can’t help but be moved by Taryn’s spirit, or Brodie’s determination to win her help—and her heart. With laughter, courage and more than a little help from the kindhearted people of Hope’s Crossing, Taryn may get the healing she deserves—and Evie and Brodie might just find a love they never knew could exist.

The Saturday Spotlight with Youseph Tanha & Giveaway

2012-02-25T11:41:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature devoted to Indie and Debut authors. This week I have the pleasure of introducing readers to:

YOUSEPH TANHA
~Author of All that Matters~

The Trouble with Writing

Youseph Tanha- 2011

Hello book reading people of the Internet! My name is Youseph Tanha, (pronounced U-sef Tan-Ha) and I live in the capital city of Juneau, Alaska. I am very grateful to Tina for giving me this opportunity to address all of her readers. This is a big deal for someone like me who has just published his first book.

Writing does not come easily to me. I am a child of the eighties who was diagnosed with Dyslexia at the age of nine. It was a time when Dyslexia meant to people of authority that you were mentally slower than everyone else and that you would be lucky if you could read by the time you finished with grade school. “The world needs janitors.” my third grade teacher would say to me.

School was crummy for me in that respect. My science and math skills scored at or above my peers. My only problem was that the letters and numbers on a piece of paper always looked like they were jumping and twisting around. This made reading next to impossible. I used to come home from school, pull out my homework and work on it until bed time and I still would not be done with it!

When I was diagnosed with Dyslexia, I went through a process of finding corrective eye lenses that would keep everything on the page steady for me, but by the age of 9 I had already picked up several bad habits that make writing very difficult for me even today. For example, I always get my “There”s and “Their”s mixed up, along with my “to”s, “two”s, and “too”s. “Where”s, “were”s, “we’re”s, and “your”s and “you’re”s. I know these differences come easily to most people, but I always have to check on them to make sure I am using the right ones.

Reading is still difficult for me, but over the years I have gotten better at it. I still can’t read a book as fast as the people around me, but that does not stop me. The only way I can improve is to keep reading and writing. It’s not only something I enjoy but I also look at it as practice to improve my skills.

There is a story about Oscar Wilde that I have seen floating around the Internets for a while. The story goes that he once included with a manuscript he was delivering to his publishers a compliment slip in which he had scribbled the injunction: “I’ll leave you to tidy up the woulds, wills and shalls, thats and whiches.” It is encouraging to me that such a master of language as Oscar Wilde, also needed some help form time to time. The thought of that leaves me feeling hopeful for the future.

Thanks for stopping by today Youseph and sharing that personal yet heartfelt bit about yourself. Your third grade teacher sounds like a lovely woman.....(not).....Thanks goodness that comment didn't prevent you from becoming a writer. Best of luck to you and your future writing career.

GIVEAWAY

Today thanks to Youseph, I have three Ebooks (version of your choice) to giveaway. To enter please just leave a comment. Winner will be drawn March 3, 2011

All that Matters by Youseph Tanha

Ethan Wright is just like any other high school kid that is one day lucky enough to meet the girl of his dreams. Throughout the course of high school the young couple learn to cope with incredibly difficult odds to discover all that matters.’All That Matters’ is a novella about love and life and all that the heart can endure. With memorable characters and a deep story you will find it difficult to put this book down.

Find out more about the author on the WEB

Oppression for 99 Cents on Kindle and Nook!

2012-02-23T22:21:00.000-05:00

Oppression by Jessica Therrien

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

Grab your copy of Oppression today for 99 Cents!! On Kindle and Nook, this is only for a limited time!

Barnes & Noble Nook .99 Cents:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oppressi...

Mini's- Featuring Real Marriage by Mark&Grace Driscoll

2012-02-23T10:36:00.000-05:00

~In where I get out a few thoughts on a bundle of books I have read~

Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll

February 3, 2012 by Thomas Nelson

Hardcover, 249 Pages

Review Copy

Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife, Grace, talk about sex and marriage in down-to-earth terms, hitting issues other Christian books won't. They share practical help and hope with people just like them--who entered marriage a complete mess, or who are planning to be married someday and want to avoid some sticky pitfalls.

Warning: This review contains topics of a sexual nature! Rated- PG-13.

Review

I think what I appreciated the most from this book was the introduction and the Driscoll's honesty. A majority of couples, including Christian couples, do have sex before marriage and this is the first book I've seen speak openly about the baggage associated with bringing past sexual encounters before being Christians into a new relationship as Christian people. It was refreshing to see a pastor, a very well known and popular pastor at that, and his wife Grace talk about the ups and downs and really messed up phases of their marriage and the things they did with God's help to fix it. I loved too that they didn't sugar-coat the problems into something that others couldn't relate to, these were real, hard and difficult things to move past, yet they both gave encouragement and guidelines while admitting the sin troubling them both, without resorting to infidelity or sexual addiction problems that would have destroyed the marriage.

Most of the marriage books and sermons Ive read/listened too, skirt around sexual issues Christians struggle with or say ludicrous things that make sexuality awkward. The worst sermon I heard at a mega church in my area, stated that (the pastor said this) in Christian marriage the only acceptable sex act was missionary style sex without foreplay, otherwise we were running the risk of desecrating our bodies and knocking on Hells gates.......WHAT!? This guy needed a fish thrown at him, missionary style sex only......pffftttt....I left the church looked at my husband and told him we were headed straight for Hell.......

Thank goodness Mark and Grace took a chance and said it was ok to do all the stuff we (married-couples) are already doing, because guess what?? Sex is awesome and in a committed marriage you should have as much great sex as possible with lots and lots of play time. And this book doesn't shy away from the graphic stuff...Oral sex its in there, Anal sex, yup they went there.....Role playing, sex toys, masturbation...by golly its alllllllll in there!!!

Of course that's not what the entire book is about, they use Biblical guidelines on all the sex stuff and they also share opinions on what their against like pornography and birth control options and they focus on building a close friendship with your spouse addressing issues that may be hindering your marriage.

While I don't think this book will whip your marriage into the BEST MARRIAGE EVER.....it can serve as a great tool to help anyone out there struggling in a marriage or someone who is thinking about getting married. Real Marriage is a refreshing read about couples in an imperfect world, opening the eyes to what the Bible actually says about sex.

Rating

Recommended to adult readers. Real Marriage explains itself in the title. Contains topics on sexuality (graphic sexuality) and married life with a Christian world aspect.

4/5- Nonfiction

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for Review Copy

**That clip was from a snippet of questions asked during the sermons which inspired the Driscoll's book**

Life, In Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson

May 10, 2010 by Multnomath Books

Paperback, 240 Pages

Borrowed/Library

Kristen Anderson, a seventeen year old who's life up to that point had been riddled with death and sexual assault, felt hopeless. In despair, grounded and in trouble at home and mostly just confused by life, Kristen decides one night to end her life.

Choice of death: By Train.

As Kristen lays down in front of those tracks, faces away from an on-coming freight train, she describes in detail the moments before she thought her life would end, of the train hitting her, chopping her legs off and left to die bleeding.

But Kristen did not die that night, she lived to share her story and as we walk through the pain of her loss, the emotional trauma she endures after and the physical pain of her recovery, as a reader you cant help but feel the sorrow, yet the hope Kristen's story signifies. Kristen has gone on to counsel other teens who are suicidal, patients who are in mental hospitals and has the desire to reach out to those in need. I was truly moved by her story, courage and her new found faith in God to overcome.

4/5- Inspy-Memoir

Night of the Living Dead Christian by Matt Mikalatos

September 16, 2011 by Saltwater

Paperback, 288 Pages

Review Copy

Out of control desires and beastly behavior combine in this story of a quirky yet hungry Werewolf who wants nothing more than to control the monster within him.

This was odd to say the least. At times funny and certainly outside of the box when comparing Christian faith analogies, I thought NOTLDC offered a fun and entertaining look at the daily struggles we face in faith and walking the Christian walk. I know a lot of Inspy readers will cringe at this novel, due to its werewolf, zombie and monster characters, but seriously its all just in fun. Because Im a big vampire and fantasy genre reader I understood the points Mikalatos was trying to make using each monster to pinpoint specific sin.

I think this would be a great novel for people looking for something non-preachy and fun.

3/5- Inspy-Nonfiction-Humor
Thanks to Saltwater for Review Copy

CFBA-Book Spotlight- Into the Free

2012-02-22T21:00:00.000-05:00

This week the CFBA is spotlighting the book:

Into the Free Julie Cantrell

Febuarty 1, 2012 by David C. Cook

Paperback, 400 Pages

Just a girl. The only one strong enough to break the cycle. In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a “nothing mama,” she struggles to find a place where she really belongs.For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key which unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse. Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can Millie finally make her way into the free?

Grab a Kindle Copy today for 2.39!!

Chatting with Authors featuring Rachel Coker

2012-02-22T04:00:00.000-05:00

This week I have the pleasure introducing Rachel Coker, a lovely sixteen year old YA Inspy debut-author of the book Interrupted to the blog.

Hi Rachel, welcome to TBR's- to start please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi, my name is Rachel Coker and I’m sixteen years old. Oh, and I’m a writer. (That seems kind of important to mention) If you met me in real life, hopefully you’d think I was funny and nice, but you’d also realize that I am opinionated and free spirited. I write a lot, and take pictures, and have epic dreams that I always forget to record, which is a shame because I’d probably make a lot of money selling the plots to movie producers.

What inspired you to write your debut Interrupted?

When I was thirteen or so, I had an uncle pass away from a brain tumor. It had a really profound effect on me, watching my two cousins go through the loss of a parent. For almost a year, I had this concept in my head for a story about a girl whose mother dies of the same reasons. I knew that she would respond with a lot of the same emotions I felt: anger, confusion, and regret. But I wanted her to grow stronger in the end because of it, just like I did. So even though Allie’s story is way different than mine, I guess it was sort of autobiographical in a way.

How does it feel to be a published author at such a young age?

It’s overwhelming and it’s stressful and it’s so, so wonderful. All of the support I’ve been given has been amazing. Before I started my blog and my story got out there, I had no idea how many other teenagers there are like me out in the world. Hearing from other young people who dream of being published has not only made me realize how blessed I am, but inspired me to continue writing and work even harder.

That is awesome...its wonderful to see young authors writing for young readers. How do think YA readers will respond to your novel?

Well, hopefully most of them will like it. I just pray that there is something in there that the reader can connect to, and that he or she can grow closer to God because of it.

Now some fun questions:

If you could pick a song that fit the mood of your book, what would it be and why?

Wow, that’s a hard question. There is a piano piece entitled “The Heart Asks Pleasure First” from a movie called “The Piano” that fits Interrupted well, I think. In the book, Allie is obsessed with the poetry of Emily Dickinson, and “The heart asks pleasure first” is one of the last poems she reads her mother before she passes away. It was ironic when I found the song with such a haunting melody and similar title, because it fits the book so, so well. Go and listen to it while you’re reading Interrupted. I swear it will sound like a soundtrack.

What are you reading right now?

I just checked out from the library Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” due to my cousin’s recommendation. Then I’ll probably re-read “Gone With the Wind” for the millionth time.

Its pretty bad that out of all the books Ive read, Gone with the Wind is one I haven't gotten to yet.....(Gasp!) I have seen the movie though, does that count?

On the topic of movies, what was the last great movie you saw?

Hmm, hard because there aren’t too many great movies I’ve seen lately. Usually I see one great movie a year, and then all others pale in comparison. But I just saw “A Beautiful Mind” the other night and it made me tear up a little. The acting was brilliant.

Oh I agree, Russell Crow was amazing in that movie. Before you go Can you share any future projects with us?

I just submitted the manuscript to my next book to Zondervan. It’s not a sequel, but I think it’s an equally meaningful story. Hopefully, it’ll be signed and due for release soon!

Thanks so much Rachel for stopping by today. Touching the hearts of teens with moving story's gets you an A+! Wishing you the best of luck with your novel and tons of success in your writing career.

Rachel's Novel just released from Zondervan, grab your copy today!

Interrupted by Rachel Coker

February 14, 2012 by Zondervan

Can love really heal all things? If Sam Carroll hadn't shown up, she might have been able to get to her mother in time. Instead, Allie Everly finds herself at a funeral, mourning the loss of her beloved mother. She is dealt another blow when, a few hours later, she is sent from Tennessee to Maine to become the daughter of Miss Beatrice Lovell, a prim woman with a faith Allie cannot accept.

Poetry and letters written to her mother become the only things keeping Allie's heart from hardening completely. But then Sam arrives for the summer, and with him comes many confusing emotions, both toward him and the people around her. As World War II looms, Allie will be forced to decide whether hanging on to the past is worth losing her chance to be loved.

Find out more about Rachel on Goodreads~Web

Shelf Cravings {43}

2012-02-21T01:00:00.000-05:00

Its time for Shelf Cravings, a weekly dish on all things book! New Releases, coming soon, just discovered and the latest Indie! This week Im excited for:

Coming Soon

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

September 18, 2012 by HarperCollins

Eva and Addie live in a world where everyone is born with two souls, but where only the dominant one is allowed to survive childhood. Fifteen years old, and closer even than twins, the girls are keeping Eva, the ‘second soul’, a secret. They know that it’s forbidden to be hybrid, but how could they ever be apart?

When a dramatic event reveals what really happens to hybrids if they are discovered, Eva and Addie face a dangerous fight for survival, neither wanting to be the one left behind…

Um excuse me but that cover is awesome....took me a bit to see it but when I did, how cool!!

Oppression by Jessica Therrien

Febuary 28, 2012 by Zova

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater

September 18, 2012 by Scholastic

Filled with mystery, romance, and the supernatural, The Raven Boysintroduces readers to Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III and Blue Sargent. Gansey has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on the hunt to find Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend has it that the first person to find him will be granted a wish—either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart.

Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there—known as Raven Boys—can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his Raven Boy friends come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But she was wrong

The Telling by Mike Duran

May 15, 2012 by Strang

Zeph Walker has been blessed with an uncanny ability to sound souls"--"to intuit people's deepest sins and secrets. He calls it the Telling, but he has abandoned the gift to his unbelief and despair...until two detectives escort him to the county morgue, asking him to explain" his own murder."

Just Discovered

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

June 22, 2010 by Henry and Holt

Sometime in the future, a lonely, windswept island is populated solely by women. Among these women is a group of teenaged Trackers—expert equestrians and archers—whose job is to protect their shores from the enemy. The enemy, they’ve been told, is men. When these girls come upon a partially buried home from the distant past, they are fascinated by the strange objects—high-heeled shoes, teen magazines, make-up—found there. What are they to make of these mysterious things? And what does it mean for their strict society where friendship is forbidden and rules must be obeyed—at all costs?

Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner

May 17, 2011 by Dial Press

Vaclav and Lena, both the children of Russian émigrés, are at the same time from radically different worlds. While Vaclav's burgeoning love of performing magic is indulged by hard-working parents pursuing the American dream, troubled orphan Lena is caught in a domestic situation no child should suffer through. Taken in as one of her own by Vaclav's big-hearted mother, Lena might finally be able to blossom; in the naive young magician's eyes, she is destined to be his "faithful assistant"...but after a horrific discovery, the two are ripped apart without even a goodbye. Years later, they meet again. But will their past once more conspire to keep them apart

So first off, Im thinking this lot of books is the best Shelf Cravings EVER! While I know Maggie's book will get lots of hype or a mixed reaction due to the whole blogger/author thing, Ill be reading it for sure!!

I cant wait to read Nomansland (where have I been-just ordered my copy) and Whats Left of Me looks pretty good. The Telling by -out of the box Inspy author- Mike Duran promises to be different and Im always up for a good Greek Mytho, needless to say Im reading all of these!!

Which one sounds good to you?

Graphic by The Unread Reader

The Saturday Spotlight with Bonnie Ferrante & Giveaway

2012-02-18T10:23:00.000-05:00

Welcome to The Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature focusing on Indie and Debut authors. This week I have the pleasure introducing readers to:

BONNIE FERRANTE
~Author of Ya Novel, Dawn's End~

Days of Darkness

by Bonnie Ferrante -2012

As autumn leaves turn red, orange, and gold, night comes earlier. After the long days of summer, sunlight until after 10:00 pm in the evening, it comes as a shock to see twilight creeping over the trees as I do the supper dishes. The absence of light affects us as much as the dreaded drop in temperature. We are diurnal creatures; night is for sleeping or clustering around the fire. Our primal brains carry the residue of generations hunted by creatures of the night. The fear of darkness appears in childhood as the need for a night-light or a check through the closet. Add to that the modern fear of dark alleys in big cities, and night is the time when scary things go bump.

Dawn's End taps into this apprehension of growing darkness and fear of things in the night. What if the balance of light and dark was broken?

This theme mirrors the internal darkness experience by Nicole, a recent high school graduate. Her planned summer of joy has become a journey into inner darkness. The deepest betrayal has left her jaded, depressed, and listless. But, night also brings dreams. They can be nightmares or they can be wondrous visions. Not everything dark is evil. When a dark man enters Nicole's dreams and then her life, her world is turned upside-down in more ways than one.

Dawn's End is not the kind of novel that has a young woman chased through a darkened gymnasium by a crazed killer with an butcher knife, but it does make you periodically tense with fear. I hope, however, that it also makes you think about balance in our lives, no matter what our age. We all need a healthy mixture of hope and realism, trust and caution, courage and dependency. Nicole's inner and outer journeys are fraught with danger, exotic characters, acts of bravery, and humour. She might not start out as someone we admire but, by the end, we would all want her beside us on any journey through the darkness. (Actually, I've always loved dark gymnasiums and the way my squeaky shoes echo.)

Sounds like Dawn's End is a true experience into the unknown. Ive always loved a good psychological thriller. Thanks Bonnie for stopping by today and best of luck with your YA series!!

GIVEAWAY

Today Bonnie is giving away one Ebook Copy of her book Dawn's End. To enter please just leave a comment. Winner will be drawn Feb 26, 2012.

Dawn's End by Bonnie Ferrante

May 30, 2011 by Novel Publishing

Betrayed by her fiancé, Nicole Newman has put her love life on hold. She loses herself in fantasy, becoming isolated and despondent. When a voice from the woods identifies himself as the man of her dreams and asks for her help, Nicole is unsure whether he is stalking her or about to take her on the adventure of a lifetime. Who, or what, is this mysterious being?

Dawn’s End, a place of simplicity and goodness, is being overcome by a gruesome darkness. Possessing bits of information, Nicole and the dark man know only that they must complete their quest before Nightfall becomes permanent. How far can she trust this not-quite-human? Can they save a world, possibly two, when Nicole isn’t sure she can save herself?

Find out more about Bonnie on the Web~Blog

The Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy

2012-02-17T10:29:00.000-05:00

The Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy

January 24, 2012 by Mira

Paperback, 400 Pages

Review Copy

For generations, Aurelia was the crowning glory of more than three thousand acres of Iowa farmland and golden cornfields. The estate was a monument to matriarch Lavinia Hathaway's dream to elevate the family name - no matter what relative or stranger she had to destroy in the process. It was a desperation that wrought the downfall of the Hathaways - and the once prosperous farm. Now the last inhabitant of the decaying old home has died - alone. None of the surviving members of the Hathaway family want anything to do with the farm, the land, or the memories. Especially Meredith Pincetti. Now living in New York City, for seventeen years Lavinia's youngest grandchild has tried to forget everything about her family and her past. But with the receipt of a pleading letter, Meredith is again thrust into conflict with the legacy that destroyed her family's once-great name. Back at Aurelia, Meredith must confront the rise and fall of the Hathaway family... and her own part in their mottled history.

Thoughts

The Legacy of Eden offers a detailed look into the life of the Hathaway family- a once prestigious clan held in high regard within their community who succumb to ruin. Secrets, misspent wealth and loss riddle the family's destruction and define the younger generation. One of them being Meredith Pincetti who travels back to Aurelia and shares the story of her family...the one she knows of and the one her dead relatives bring forth.

Jumping into Eden held much promise in the first 100 pages, I felt the writers voice was unique and the story layered with many deep levels had the opportunity to stand out in its genre. In the beginning I really loved how Davy introduced us to the family...even the dead ones.....giving it an almost Gothic like feel and setting the tone for a great saga-story. Unfortunately though, I lost my connection to the book half way through and really struggled to finish. Let me say first that Davy is a gifted writer and I know people out there will enjoy her drawn out prose, however for me the hardest part was the pacing, I felt that I slogged through the last half of the book and even with the exquisite style of writing the characters failed to engage or provoke any emotion for me as a reader.

Rating

Recommended to readers who enjoy long family saga's. Contains: Mild language and violence.

Im also rating this book on a scale due to the writing being so unique, in that regard I would give this a 4/5 for writing alone, a 2/5 for the story itself with an overall 3/5.

3/5- Contemporary

Thanks to Mira for Review Copy

Guest Post with Anne Clinard Barnhill and Giveaway

2012-02-16T22:24:00.000-05:00

Im so happy to have Anne Clinard Barnhill- author of At the Mercy of the Queen here today for a guest post. Anne will be sharing some thoughts on Anne Shelton.

Though I am fascinated with the characters in AT THE MERCY OF THE QUEEN, particularly Lady Margaret (Madge) Shelton, I am also intrigued with the character of her mother, Lady Anne Shelton. Lady Anne is the former Anne Boleyn, sister to Sir Thomas Boleyn, who is father to the infamous Queen Anne. Since these are ancestors of mine, according to the family genealogy (and who knows how accurate that is!) I find them of utmost interest, especially since my name is also Anne-with-an-E, spelled just like theirs.

Lady Anne married Sir John Shelton and bore him nine or ten children, the number varying depending on which source is used. She took care of Elizabeth, Henry and Anne's baby girl, until Queen Anne was executed. It took several months after the execution for Henry to remember to place someone from a more favorable family with the child. Sir John is said to have insisted the toddler eat with all the full courses of food a child of her status would require. Of course, a little one could not eat such rich food and Elizabeth's nurse, Lady Bryant, complained about this practice.

Lady Anne also had the unfortunate responsibility of looking after the Lady Mary, formerly Princess Mary, daughter of Henry and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Lady Mary was not thrilled to have been demoted to the status of a bastard and to have lost her place in the succession. She was not a happy camper.

Lady Anne seems to have been a strong woman, adapting to the changes happening around her and keeping her equilibrium. I would very much like to write about her life, including parts about her later life, when Elizabeth was a young girl. Elizabeth often sought refuge at Shelton Hall where there is a pew in the chapel with her name on it. It seems Lady Anne was able to protect Elizabeth and allow her to keep her Protestant services in far-away Norfolk while Elizabeth's half-sister, Mary, ruled the land and returned England to Catholicism.

My hope is that I can create a riveting enough plot around her life that my editor will give me the go-ahead. Any woman who can birth that many children and live to a ripe old age in Tudor England deserves my attention.

Thank you Anne for sharing those thoughts with us, I know personally I loved your book and found your attention to detail riveting. I think Anne and Mary are fascinating characters from history.

GIVEAWAY

Today I have one paperback copy of At the Mercy of the Queen to giveaway to a readers at TBR's. To enter please just leave a comment with a link to profile or email. Winner will be drawn March 1, 2012.

A sweeping tale of sexual seduction and intrigue at the court of Henry VIII, At the Mercy of the Queen is a rich and dramatic debut historical about Madge Shelton, cousin and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.

At the innocent age of fifteen, Lady Margaret Shelton arrives at the court of Henry VIII and quickly becomes the confidante of her cousin, Queen Anne Boleyn. But she soon finds herself drawn into the perilous web of Anne’s ambition. Desperate to hold onto the king’s waning affection, Anne schemes to have him take her guileless young cousin as mistress, ensuring her husband’s new paramour will owe her loyalty to the queen. But Margaret has fallen deeply in love with a handsome young courtier. She is faced with a terrible dilemma: give herself to the king and betray the love of her life or refuse to become his mistress and jeopardize the life of her cousin, Queen Anne.

Night Swim by Jessica Keener

2012-02-16T12:07:00.001-05:00

Night Swim by Jessica Keener

January 10, 2012 by Fiction Studio

Paperback, 279 Pages

Review Copy

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Kunitz lives in a posh, suburban world of 1970 Boston. From the outside, her parents’ lifestyle appears enviable – a world defined by cocktail parties, expensive cars, and live-in maids to care for their children – but inside their five-bedroom house, all is not well for the Kunitz family. Coming home from school, Sarah finds her well-dressed, pill-popping mother lying disheveled on their living room couch. At night, to escape their parents’ arguments, Sarah and her oldest brother, Peter, find solace in music, while her two younger brothers retreat to their rooms and imaginary lives. Any vestige of decorum and stability drains away when their mother dies in a car crash one terrible winter day. Soon after, their father, a self-absorbed, bombastic professor begins an affair with a younger colleague. Sarah, aggrieved, dives into two summer romances that lead to unforeseen consequences.

Review

All family's are unique, all have secrets and many have problems. Sarah's is no different, while their problems are escalated with alcoholism, the family dwells in comfort, living in their nice home and fountain of money, they keep things pretty low key...at least to anyone looking in that is.

Inside the walls of the home lives a father who is over the top, loud and controlling and a mother who is distant, stoned and breezy, live in maids who fill in for said debilitated mother and children who all retreat into personal solace. But even with its ups and downs, the family works, the kids are used to the fights, the outbursts and the drinking and have their own private way of dealing with things, from music to hiding the children find structure in the daily routines of life and the caregivers who are always there.......until Sarah's mother dies in a car accident.

What is left is a depressed, lonely man who finds comfort in a woman who wears too much lipstick, younger brothers who have emotional problems and an older brother who leaves as soon as he can. Sarah is lonely and misses her mother, even as flighty as she was, she was always a constant in Sarah's life. Surrounded by a world of men, Sophie travels her teen years alone and makes some normal and unhealthy choices in her life. Without parents or any adult shaping her choices, Sarah is left to clean up her own messes. Heart breaking to say they least, but surprisingly through it all Sarah shapes herself into becoming a healthy well rounded adult.

When I starred Night Swim the first few chapters told me I was diving into a slow paced family contemporary piece, riddled with alcoholic parents, confused adolescence and the typical family drama associated with these issues.......what really wound up happening though was an amazingly written story featuring a cast of highly developed characters and a fascinating MC, Sarah. Even with its dysfunction and tragedy surrounding the family, the issues never became overboard or took away from the coming-of age story it presented.

Sarah shares her story through a flashback and I never missed being in Sarah's present or getting the details of her future, traveling her teen years and watching her transform into a young woman was enough to anchor me to the book. I felt almost like I wanted to be a mother to her, talk to her about love and relationships, shield her from the mistakes I saw her making.....yet at the same time I saw the same teenage girl in her that I saw in myself. Swim with Sarah into a river of childhood, loss and the coming of age discovery's of a young woman, encapsulating the inevitable choices in sexuality that come to us all....the mistakes and memories that define us and make for truly great stories.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction, although this book centers around a 16/17 year old teens journey, it was written for adult readers.

Rating

Night Swim is recommended to adult readers and contains language, sexual situations, alcoholism, racial commentary and mild violence.

4/5- Contemporary

A very special thanks Jessica Keener for review copy and Tlc Tours

Chatting with Authors Featuring J.A Belfield

2012-02-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today on Chatting with Authors, I have the pleasure welcoming J.A Belfield author of Instinct ~a paranormal werewolf romance~to Tinasbookreviews.

Hi J.A welcome to the blog, to start please tell us about yourself.

Um … Hi, I’m J.A. Belfield and I hear voices in my head …. Just kidding. Though I am J.A. Belfield, and I seem to be best known as the author of The Holloway Pack Stories. At my little table in my kitchen in Solihull, England, I weave my tales of love and werewolves. I live with my family: Mr B & the Mini-Me’s, a handful of cats and a dog who’s a little confused about her origins thanks to said cats. When I’m not writing, I’m walking, and blogging, and reading … and we shan’t mention the looming big 4 0 that’s ‘supposed’ to be happening for me this year. ;o)

Ok we will not talk about the big 4-0 if we can talk about your new book instead!

What inspired you to write Instinct?

It was either Darkness & Light: A Holloway Pack Story #1, or Sean & Jem: the main characters of Darkness & Light. The inspiration for The Holloway Pack Stories certainly began with Darkness & Light due to Sean’s nagging insistence inside my head for his story to be told.

In Instinct, readers will get a chance to discover Sean & Jem’s history. Instinct wasn’t written—as some prequels are—to fill in backstory required for readers to understand the story of Jem & Sean in its entirety; Instinct was written simply because I believed it would be a lot of fun to do so—it was total self-indulgence for me to spend a little time inside the mind of Sean Holloway. My editor liking it was simply a bonus.

Have you always been interested in the paranormal world?

As far as reading/writing is concerned? Or in general?

In general, I've always had a fascination with werewolves. And my dreams/daydreams have always involved acts being performed that are beyond human capabilities.

But reading-wise, nope: I used to read primarily horrors, thrillers and mysteries, from authors such as James Herbert, James Patterson, Val McDermid, Sidney Sheldon … but now my reading habits have slowly changed and it feels weird if I read a non-paranormal book.

I never got into paranormal stuff when I was younger, I mean unless you count Stephen King......and after seeing Silver Bullet at the age of 10, I think I was left with scars on my brain for life!!!! Preachers who are werewolves= scary as you know what! SERIOUSLY dad what were you thinking letting me watch that??????

And now that were talking movies.....

If Instinct were a movie, who would play your main character and why?

Cripes! This is possibly the biggest stumper of a question you could ask, hehehe.

I do get asked this a fair bit, though … and my answer is always that I don’t know. Because when I write—when I read, too—I connect far less with the physical aspects of a character than I do with their ‘presence’. It’s them in their entirety that captures me, that I see moving about within the virtual movie in my mind. Very often, when reading, I can reach the end of a book and if asked for a character description, I’d possibly not be able to tell you.

I have, however, had one or two suggestions for actors from readers for Sean Holloway. David Boreanaz is one of them. I’m not so sure about him—but it goes without saying that every reader will see the same character differently. Another one I've had suggested is Josh Hartnett. Now him, I could go for … as Sean, that is ::cough::

LOL- I wont tell anyone your totally crushing on Josh Hartnett!! Ill take David any day thank you very much! I think Ive been in love with him since he was Angel on Buffy.....I remember when I was 21 I framed a picture of him and had it on my desk at work.........ROFL, that's so something a 21 year old would do...right? RIGHT?

Can you recommend two of your favorite Werewolf books?

Due to the fact that I’m actually not that widely read in werewolf books, I’m going to chicken out of this question and twist it around. Instead, I’ll let you in on my favorite werewolf characters.

Top of my list: Clayton Danvers from Kelley Armstrong’s books. Number two is Samuel from the Mercy Thompson series.

Its pretty bad that Im not familiar with these characters.....as far as wolves go off the top of my head I can think of Sam from Shiver and Jacob from Twilight....(someone slap me)

What’s playing on your iPod right now?

Um … I don’t have one. O_o Did I mention I’m a complete technophobe? Even my mobile phone looks like something dug out of a time capsule from a century ago. I do have a playlist on my laptop, though. I’ll let you in on the first three tracks on there: Kings of Leon’s Closer; The Kooks’ Naïve; and Adele’s Make You Feel My Love.

No iPod!? What!? Well at least your an Adele fan, that's all that matters......

What’s on the horizon for J.A. Belfield?

Well, more Holloway Pack Stories, of course. ;o)

Eternal (sequel to Instinct) will be available July 2nd 2012; the long-awaited Blue Moon: A Holloway Pack Story #2 is finally coming December 3rd 2012; Caged: A Holloway Pack Story #3 is already written and awaiting a round of edits & beta-reading before I ship it off to my editor … then I intend to write another three full length novels in the series to follow on from that one. On top of those, I’m currently writing a short story for an anthology, I've started a Holloway Pack YA short story, I’d quite like to try my hand this year at my very first YA novel and … who knows what else will attack my subconscious and catch my attention? Just know I have a lot of plans to fulfill.......Thank you so much to Tina for having me here today. It’s been an absolute pleasure.

And thank you J.A for stopping by, having a chat with me and giving us a look at your new book! I know I cant wait to check it out!!

~INSTINCT by J.A Belfield~

Werewolf Sean Holloway treats the village marketplace like a sexual buffet, though his charm does little to win over his latest entr e of choice. Whether because of Jem Stonehouse's unique scent, her headstrong nonchalance, or the fact he is forbidden to see her by his pack's rules, Sean wants her.When Jem is nothing but flippant toward his advances, he pursues her with vigour, stealing moments alone with her without a libido-driven agenda.

The new and heady experience for him drives their relationship beyond romantic interest, and straight toward love.That is, until Jem learns the truth about Sean's heritage. Knowledge of the existence of werewolves leads to only one outcome: death.In this prequel to Darkness & Light, we are taken back in time, to the very beginning of Jem and Sean's love-across-the-centuries relationship.Did it end there? Or did Sean defy his own pack to save the woman he loves?

Find out more about about the author on the Web~Goodreads~Facebook and Twitter

David B Photo courtesy of Fox

Shelf Cravings {42} Favorite Romance Books!

2012-02-14T09:49:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Shelf Cravings, Valentines Day special! This week Im doing things a little different. With it being Valentines day I thought I would share a few of my absolute favorite love story's.......so hold onto your hearts and be prepared to swoon...or cry!

Everyone already knows the classics, from Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth to Noah and Alley....here are some you may not of heard...ok you probably already heard of them, but they are my favorite modern day love stories.....from the heart touching to the heart breaking....

The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Oh Henry and Claire how you riveted my soul with your twisted, chaotic, desperate love. I swooned, I gasped, I cried....A LOT!

The River of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergren

Could there be anything more romantic then traveling back to the 14th Century, finding the man of your dreams, speaking in Italian and loving that man so much your willing to give up toilets??? Hmmm dont think so....go meet Gabi and Marcello and be prepared to fall in love with the Dark Ages.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Who is like Bella and Edward? Talk about a couple who created their own genre. Geez!!!

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

This book is filled with so much love...it could possibly make your heart explode. And not to mention an entire box of tissue while you sob buckets!! Michael and Angel will tear your heart out.......

White by Ted Dekker

A mortal (Thomas) falls for a Scab (Chelsea) ...... a woman with a scabby flesh disease...you would have to read it to understand.... they reek of so much love our mortal has to bang his head against walls just to knock himself out.

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

Want to meet the two most messed up people ever....take a trip with Elv and Lorry, goodnight if any two people could be more wrong for each other its these two. Through the drugs, the destruction, the toxic waste- they have a connection that haunted me for weeks!!!

April and Oliver by Tess Callahan

An epic story of child girl and boy friends who grow up.......Oliver loves April...April does everything to destroy her life....Oliver surprises us with his nontraditional romantic outcome. A quiet, sad little love story.

Are feeling all swoony now? You should be!! If you haven't read White, The Story Sisters or April and Oliver, you should hit the links and add these to your Valentine's Check out!!!

Have a Lovely Day Friends!

Tempest by Julie Cross

2012-02-13T11:18:00.002-05:00

Tempest by Julie Cross

January 17, 2012 by St. Martins

Hardcover, 334 Pages

Review Copy

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun. That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him. Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

Review

Meet Jackson an over the top good looking, well educated guy who not only lines his pocket with an endless supply of cash, but can also quote Shakespeare melting the knees of any doe eyed girl around him {lets pause here while I say: can someone please pinch me, while I go ga-ga all over this too good to be true YA man-boy}.......but despite all that gene pool goodness, Jackson has a big secret, one he's been hiding from his father and everyone around him..... he can time jump.

Being a time jumper has its ups and downs, Jackson fights seasons of loneliness due to not being able to share his secret and depression over the loss of his sister, but mostly he finds everything super cool and once he finds a friend (super smart science guy sidekick) to confide in and a super fun cute girlfriend, the loneliness lessens and him and sci-fi guy begin travel experiments to test how far Jackson's ability can go. What Jackson doesn't know is that with each jump and suspension into time he attracts the attention of the EOT's (Enemies of Time) who want to use Jackson and bring about the end of the WORLD as we know it with complete EOT domination!!!! When the EOT finally catch up with him, Jackson's girlfriend Holly pays the ultimate price and forces Jackson to make his first full travel, skipping the jump completely and literally landing into a new time or what Jackson calls home base.

All alone now and with no way to get back to his current time, Jackson is desperate to find Holly and save her from that fateful day, deciding the best way to that is by integrating himself back into her world, only problem is, Holly doesn't know Jackson in this time and he will have to make her fall in love with him all over again...while of course hiding out from bad guys, explaining to people who know him why he looks older and avoid running into his 17 year old self.......

So who didn't get a review copy for this one? I think Tempest generated the biggest ARC promotion Ive seen, with its huge giveaways at blogs, Goodreads and Librarything, it would have been hard to miss its hyped up status months before it even hit the book store. Truth is the book felt like a movie script- aka Jumper-and perhaps was written purely for the visual screen, not saying this a bad thing and Im sure it will be a great movie once its produced, but I normally avoid these type of trendy mass market consumption style books. Surprisingly though even with its tad cliche of evil villain time jumpers, reading this story was pure entertainment, it was fast moving, had nonstop action and romance with a whole new way to look at a love triangle (a girl in love with the same guy in two different times....without knowing it.....that's a new one even for me) in the end Tempest was fun and Im glad I spent the few hours I did reading it.

Rating

Tempest is recommended to mature teens (over 16) and contains: Violence, murder, graphic language, and sexual situations.

4/5- YA-Time Travel/Sci-fi

Thanks to St. Martins for ARC and giveaway here at the blog!

**Want to listen to a clip on Audio of Tempest? You can listen to and Check it out HERE!

The Saturday Spotlight Featuring T.P Boje &Giveaway!

2012-02-11T09:25:00.000-05:00

Welcome to The Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature that shines the light on Indie and debut authors. This week I have the pleasure introducing author:

~T.P BOJE~
Author of The Afterlife Series

Have you ever wondered where you go when you die?

Haven’t we all at some point? I used to do it a lot as a kid. Is heaven for real and what is it going to be like once I get there? What kind of a body will I have? What will I look like? Will all of my family come with me? Will I meet my grandmother there?

When I was a child I remember reading Astrid Lindgren’s “The Brothers Lionheart”. To those who don’t know it, it is a book about two brothers that both die and goes to the country Nangijala, a land in "the campfires and storytelling days". Here the brothers experience great adventures. Together with a resistance group they lead the struggle against the evil Tengil, who rules with the aid of the fearsome fire-breathing dragon Katla. It is really a very beautiful book and I remember how it made me look upon death in a totally different way. Like it could actually be a new adventure.

As I grew up I never thought much about life after death and if there really was one or not. I was busy living my life and thinking about my life here on earth. But then one day not many months ago a thought just popped into my head. What if we have to go to school when we die?

As it so often happens, the thought wouldn't go away again once it had come into my head, and I started playing with the idea. If it is true that we leave our bodies here on earth, then we must have some new body on the other side, right? And it would probably take some time to get used to that new body. And how about going through walls and doors and stuff? I mean if we become spirits then we would have to learn how to do all those things, right? And what about flying? That is not something that comes to us easily. We would have to practice first, right? And someone would have to teach us. So eventually I started imagining this school that we all had to graduate from in order to be let into heaven, and soon Meghan popped into my head and started walking around on that school - that just had to be run by angels. She soon made some friends and fell in love (as it often happens when you are sixteen). And that was when the problems began. Because the boy was still human, living on earth, so how could they ever be together?

That was when I realized that a book-series was born. And just like the book “The Brothers Lionheart” from my childhood, it was about how dying is only the beginning of the next great adventure.

That's pretty cool how authors all seem to describe the same type of feeling when creating a story. How awesome that you took that question and turned it into a book! Thanks for stopping by the blog today and best of luck to your Afterlife series.

GIVEAWAY

Today thanks to Ms. Boje, I have one paperback and one Ebook copy of Beyond, the first book in the Afterlife series to giveaway to two readers here at TinaReviews. To enter please just leave a comment....and a link to your email or profile page. Winner will be drawn Feb 25, 2012.

Have you ever wondered where you go when you die?

Meghan is 16 when it happens to her. She wakes up on a flying steamboat on her way to a school run by Angels in a white marble castle. She meets Mick who helps her through a difficult time in a different world filled with heavenly magic. One day she finds a mirror in the cellar of the school and goes through it. She ends up back on earth where she meets Jason. But Jason is in danger and Meghan knows something important.Soon she will have to choose between the two worlds. The one she belongs to now, and the one she left.

Find out more about the author and her YA series at Goodreads~Web

Mini Reviews~Featuring Dearly Departed by Lia Harel

2012-02-10T11:30:00.001-05:00

~Mini Reviews- where I get out a few thoughts on a bundle of books Ive read~

Dearly Departed by Lia Harel

October 18, 2011 by Del Ray

Review Copy

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses. But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

Give me a good zombie story and Im all over it, give me Dearly Departed and Im running away as fast as I can....mostly Im running from the Super Volcano, the floods because of global warming, the nuclear war, the disease thats wiping everyone out or mutating them into zombies or the monstrous disasters that have my head spinning because guess what, this story starts after all this has happened. With the overload of backdrop information I kind of felt tossed into a hurricane with no plot.

Perhaps the hardest aspect was suspending disbelief that human beings would still be alive after all this...or that Conservative extremists took over the world (LOL-seriously?) or that a world of advanced technology still exists after those catastrophic devastation's but lost all capabilities of creating modern clothing and had to revert back to the Victorian ages....or that the main character was a handsome (HANDSOME) zombie!

Needless to say a plate full of too much selection overwhelming the pallet.

While DD was a tad promising in originality, I found the mixture of so many genres take away from what could of been a great story.

2/5- YA- Zombies, Dystopian, Apocalyptic, Steampunk, Paranormal Romance, Sci-Fi

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Feb 8, 2012 by Grand Central Publishing

Review Copy

So I made it half-way and I could not finish this one. The entire feel of the words trying to be very deep with its twisty set-up threw me from the get go and I just couldn't get into this book. I found myself constantly trying to do other things while I attempted to read Pure and realized despite its unique premise it was not my type of book. You know how some authors jive with you and some don't, this is my second attempt at a Baggott novel and I have a feeling her writing style is just not for me.....

While I didn't enjoy this novel, Im sure others out there will love this, due to its beautiful cover, hype status and some stellar reviews, Pure for sure has an audience....

DNF/5- YA-Dystopian

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

November 15, 2011 by McElderry

Review Copy

I feel right in the middle with Derting's The Pledge. I found the concept of language and the Tower of Babel theme to be a true book definer...however that's really the only thing that stood out for me in this story. Im a character driven type of gal and I had no shred of connection to anyone in this book. The prologue confused me and never tied to the end of book and even the romance between Max and Charlie which was promising at first just fell flat...it made no sense to the story and wound up being left undeveloped, for a relationship that was driving the plot for a third of the book....Im left wondering why? Im actually left with too many questions, not enough resolutions and stumped by most of the characters.

2/5- YA-Dystopian- (Fantasy?)

Chatting with Authors featuring Amy Lignor

2012-02-09T16:19:00.000-05:00

Today I'm excited to welcome author Amy Lignor to the blog to talk about her writing journey.

Believe it or not, my writing journey began at the age of twelve when my parents, sister and I went on vacation to Cape Cod and stayed with friends of my mom’s. This was one of those vacations where Folsom Prison would've seemed like paradise. The little ladies we stayed with had a house where, once their cat went “nightsie,” all lights, talking, TV - everything had to stop - so as not to disturb the kitty. These ladies would take us into town (driving three miles an hour the whole way, and blaring their horn at pedestrians in the crosswalk), while my sister and I were locked in the back of the station wagon with faces pressed up against the glass. Drivers going by must have thought we were puppies going to get fixed, considering the looks of pure desperation we had on our faces. Because TV was unavailable, I began to write. It was a fairly large book for a kid called, My Life: A Comedy and a Tragedy.

In my freshman year of high school, a writing assignment came along from our history teacher about Nicholas & Alexandra. I was the only one who wrote about Rasputin (who actually appears in one of my Tallent & Lowery adventure novels). The teacher loved it and told me to become a writer. She was so cute. Four-foot-two, hair that hung to the floor and a voice that was louder than Lady Ga Ga stuck in a blender.

I went on to write my first YA novel (Mind Made), after I brought a stunning little girl into the world named Shelby. One day we went to the ‘grand opening’ of an Inn located in my very small hometown. I picked up a coffee table book and pages began to fall out of it. Seeing as how this place looked like it would charge guests a million dollars to stay there, I figured I’d just destroyed some priceless work of art.

When I reached down to pick up one of the photographs, it was of a girl standing outside the Inn back in the early 1900’s. The tagline read, The Connecticut Home for Imbeciles, and she was leaning against a road sign that read, ‘Dip.’ That girl looked up at me with eyes that literally said “Run!” and very soon after, my daughter and I fled. I went back to my historical routes and delved into a subject that hadn't been touched on before concerning a woman by the name of Paulita Maxwell who was said to have been the mother of Billy the Kid’s son. I moved to New Mexico to research the project and my book, Heart of a Legend, was born.

I love putting puzzles together from history with my Tallent & Lowery series. With the first book, 13, I had to find a way to link the NYPL with Jack the Ripper, Loch Ness, and the King Arthur legend - which was a whole lot of fun. When my father was taken away from us far too soon I began thinking about angels, and what life was like ‘up there’ versus down here. Would an angel/warrior ‘team’ be able to survive humanity, fight for them, and stay together all at the same time? The Angel Chronicles answers that question. So, in the end, I guess I owe my writing to a cat who had to go “nightsie.”

Wow Amy sounds like a fun...ER...sometimes creepy road to publishing!! Thanks for being on the blog today and Congrats on the series, Im looking forward to checking out Until Next Time!

Find out more about Amy and The Angel Chronicles at Goodreads and on the web!

What Happened to Hannah by Mary Kay McComas

2012-02-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

What Happened to Hannah

by Mary Kay McComas

Paperback, 352 Pages

February 7, 2012 by William Morrow

Review Copy/TLC Tours

As a teenager, Hannah Benson ran away from home in order to save herself. Now, twenty years later, the past comes calling and delivers life-changing news: her mother and sister have passed away, leaving Hannah the guardian of her fifteen-year-old niece.

Returning home to bitter memories and devastating secrets, Hannah must overcome her painful past to pave a future with her niece, the last best chance at a family for both of them. She begins to create a new, happier life with her niece and rekindles a relationship with Grady Steadman, one of the few people she’s ever called a friend. But she can’t forget what she cannot forgive, or lay to rest those ghosts that will not die. Will love and trust—and the truth—give her the strength to stand her ground and fight for what she deserves?

Thoughts

When I started Hannah's story I was prepared to dive into a world of deep secrets and perhaps a deep look into the aftermath of domestic and child abuse, although McComa's story touches on these issues the novel even with its serious matter (the abuse was bad-just not the focus) wound up being a light read, full of humor, romance and second chances. I think the book tried in places to bring serious thought with the use of childhood flashbacks and the mystery of why Hannah ran away from her home, leaving the town to suspect she was killed by her father, but even with those elements, I couldn't see it as a deep serious novel.

More often than not I found myself laughing at the relationship between Hannah and Grady and enjoying the chemistry they had, despite Grady's irksome behavior midway through the book, by the end he makes full circle winning Hannah's heart.

To me this felt like a summer read, for anyone who is looking for a book in this type of venue I would defiantly recommend!

Rating

What Happened to Hannah is recommended to adult readers and contains: Violence, strong language, sexuality and child abuse.

3/5- Women's Contemporary

Thanks to publisher and TLC tours for review copy

Shelf Cravings {41}

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Shelf Cravings, a weekly dish all about books. Coming soon, new releases, just discovered and on the Nook, this week Im excited for:

Coming Soon~

Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan

Spring 2012 by Thomas Nelson

"You probably want to hear about Jennifer and the demons and how I played chicken with a freight train and—oh yeah—the weird murder and how I found out about it—you're definitely going to want to hear about that. But first, I have to tell you about the stupidest thing I ever did"

Sam Hopkins is bored with his status as a preacher's kid. So when a group of guys notorious for being in trouble offers him friendship, he accepts. Before long, he has several new skills—including hot-wiring cars. At school, there's an eccentric loner named Jennifer. When Sam defends her from being bullied, she begins to seek him out as her only friend. Her ramblings often seem illogical . . . but then start to contain grains of truth. One leads Sam to discover that one of his new friends has been killed. And then she tells him, "I'm looking for the devil." Sam doesn't know what that means, but he knows it's a matter of life and death that he figure it out. Everyone else thinks Jennifer is suffering from schizophrenia. But Sam is starting to wonder if there could be something prophetic in her words. Discovering the truth is going to be both crazy and dangerous.

Rebel Heart~Dust Lands #2 by Moira Young

October 30 2012 by Margaret K. McElderry

The Tonton have been defeated. Lugh has been rescued. The heartstone has brought Saba and Jack together.

Now, Saba and her family head west to meet him and start a new life. All should be well. But shadows of the dead are stalking Saba. And another kind of shadow is creeping over the dustlands. Then a messenger shows up.....With news of Jack.

Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig

April 24, 2012 by Angry Robot

Miriam Black knows when you will die. She’s foreseen hundreds of car crashes, heart attacks, strokes, and suicides.

But when Miriam hitches a ride with Louis Darling and shakes his hand, she sees that in thirty days Louis will be murdered while he calls her name. Louis will die because he met her, and she will be the next victim. No matter what she does she can’t save Louis. But if she wants to stay alive, she’ll have to try.

The Queens Vow by C.W Gortner

June 12, 2012 by Ballantine Books

No one believed I was destined for greatness.

So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens—the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world. Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she and her brother are taken from their mother’s home to live under the watchful eye of their half-brother, King Enrique, and his sultry, conniving queen. There, Isabella is thrust into danger when she becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot to dethrone Enrique. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, torn between loyalties, until at age seventeen she suddenly finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man she loves yet who is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragon. As they unite their two realms under “one crown, one country, one faith,” Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war, a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, one that will test all of Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny.

Just Discovered~

All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield

June 27, 2011 by Text

Mim knows what she wants, and where she wants to go — anywhere but home, stuck in the suburbs with her mother who won't get off the couch, and two brothers in prison. She's set herself rules to live by, but she's starting to break them. Now Mim has to retrieve a lost package for her mother. Does this make her a drug runner? Why is a monster dog called Gargoyle hidden in the back shed?

And Jordan, the boy she sent Valentines to for years, why is he now suddenly a creep? How come there's a huge gap between her and her best friend, Tahnee? And who is the mysterious girl next door who moans at night? Over the nine days before her seventeenth birthday, Mim's life turns upside down. She has problems, and she's determined to solve them herself. But in the end, she works out who her people are, and the same things look entirely different.

Four Houses by Victoria Scott

July 1, 2011 -Kindle

Indie Pick~

The door in front of me is the ugliest shade of plum I've ever seen. It's a prune Grandma would eat, a raisin on its last leg, a swollen bruise in the most inconvenient of places. The waiting is the worst part, wondering who will open the door. But this time the waiting is killing me, tearing me down piece by piece and devouring me with its insatiable jaws. I bite my lip and raise my hand to knock. A young girl faced with four choices, must make a decision that will forever haunt her.

Check out the goodies this week!!! Lets talk about me and all the excitement Im feeling over Dustlands. Blood Red Road was a fantastic read (well audio) that I listened to over the summer, I CANNOT wait to continue with the story in Rebel Heart. And can someone pinch me, the covers for Blackbirds and A Queens Vow are gorgeous! Plenty of fun reading ahead. From the creepy to the prestigious, I cant wait......

Happy Reading friends, until next week then........but not without leaving you my new favorite song...

Button Created by The Unread Reader~

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

2012-02-06T09:25:00.005-05:00

Review brought to you by: Featured Reviewer~Tonya

The Flight of Gemma Hardy

by Margot Livesey

January 24, 2012 by HarperCollins

Hardcover, 464 Pages
Review Copy

When her widower father drowns at sea, Gemma Hardy is taken from her native Iceland to Scotland to live with her kind uncle and his family. But the death of her doting guardian leaves Gemma under the care of her resentful aunt, and it soon becomes clear that she is nothing more than an unwelcome guest at Yew House. When she receives a scholarship to a private school, ten-year-old Gemma believes she's found the perfect solution and eagerly sets out again to a new home. However, at Claypoole she finds herself treated as an unpaid servant. To Gemma's delight, the school goes bankrupt, and she takes a job as an au pair on the Orkney Islands. The remote Blackbird Hall belongs to Mr. Sinclair, a London businessman; his eight-year-old niece is Gemma's charge. Even before their first meeting, Gemma is, like everyone on the island, intrigued by Mr. Sinclair. Rich (by Gemma's standards), single, flying in from London when he pleases, Hugh Sinclair fills the house with life. An unlikely couple, the two are drawn to each other, but Gemma's biggest trial is about to begin: a journey of passion and betrayal, redemption and discovery, that will lead her to a life of which she's never dreamed.

Thoughts

Margot Livesey is brilliant! Gemma Hardy will worm her way in your heart and she will become forever a part of you. How can you not love a young girl who's only blood relative passes away and is mistreated and sent to live at a school as a "working girl". But as much as I would have given attitude and felt sorry for myself, Gemma rises above and ends up getting a job as an au pair. Gemma has such a way about her that you can't put the book down for two seconds, you want her to find someone to love and someone that loves her. You want her to go to school and be successful. Gemma doesn't give up.

There are a couple of romances, so to speak in here.. Which one will it be? The rich sophisticated Mr. Sinclair, uncle to the young girl Emma is an au pair to. Or will it be Archie, the one that found Gemma when she was almost dead? Or maybe it will be neither!

One of my favorite things in a book is that they discuss books and have just a general love of learning and reading. What could be more spectacular I ask? Margot Livesey is a wonderful storyteller, bringing a bit of her experiences into a wonderfully crafted story that can be passed from one person to the next. This would make an excellent book club read.

To talk about the title; The Flight of Gemma Hardy. She herself wants to fly, just like the birds she so often reads about and loves. What a coincidence that she is flying when the story comes to a conclusion!

Read this story -- you won't be sorry!

Grade- A+

The Saturday Spotlight w/Rachel Van Dyken & Giveaway!

2012-02-04T09:23:00.003-05:00

Welcome to The Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature that shines the light on Indie and debut authors. This week I have the pleasure introducing readers to:

RACHEL VAN DYKEN
~Author of The Ugly Duckling Debutante~

Hi Rachel! Welcome to the blog, lets just dive in and discuss your novel!!!

What inspired you to write The Ugly Duckling Debutante?

I've always written contemporary romance but my heart has always been owned by Regency and historical. I remember sitting at school one day (I was a school counselor at the time), I had just had a discussion with a few jr high girls about self esteem and was getting frustrated because they were beautiful girls believing the lie that they weren't attractive b/c they didn't meet a certain standard. As I sat in class after our meeting my mind began working...haha.... I wrote the first two chapters that day at work during my break. A regency romance based off the old fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling," naturally I added my own twists and I know that some who read it wonder how the girl believed herself to be ugly that whole time, but if you know something to be true your entire life, it takes more than a few people telling you otherwise for you to start to believe them. It was such a fun story to write, and the next two books in the series have been just as fun!

Did you have to do any traveling or major research to write your novel?

OH my goodness! I DID so much research! I have an entire binder for my regency romance research as well as several books on language back then! I carry everything with me when I go to Starbucks to write, and it looks like I'm getting ready to write a research paper!

What authors or books have inspired you?

I love Julia Quinn. When it comes to historical romance, she's brilliant! I also really appreciate Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.

If you could pick a song that encapsulated The Ugly DD, what would it be and why?

hmm probably Christina Perri "A Thousand Years," I say that because the love between Nicolas and Sara is so strong once she accepts herself and once he also learns to love selflessly.

Can you share any future plans with us?

OF COURSE! I just released my sequel to Ugly D. its entitled "The Seduction of Sebastian St. James," and picks up where Ugly Duckling leaves off. I'm currently writing the third book in the series "The Redemption of Lord Rawlings," and have two more books coming out this spring! I've been busy writing and reading- trying to get the books out before they burn my brain.

**Awesome! Thanks for stopping by today Rachel, Im looking forward to reading Ugly D and wish you the best of luck with the series....and ps- Ive got to say I adore the cover of the book, so pretty!!

Author Bio:

Rachel Van Dyken is a Graduate of Northwest Nazarene University, with a degree in Social Sciences with an emphasis in industrial psychology and a minor in Spanish. She is also a Post Graduate of California Coast University receiving a MBA with an emphasis in Human Resource Management. She resides in Nampa, Idaho and counsels children. Starbucks is a daily must, spiders make her scream, and she loves chocolate but is allergic, of course. Nate, her husband makes her laugh so hard she cries and they share their Pacific Northwest home with a very loud snoring boxer named Sir Winston Churchill.

Rachel loves to read almost as much as she loves to write. Although she loves to write contemporary romance, her heart will always be with historical and regency romances. Glittering balls and dangerous rakes hold her captivated like chocolate and Starbucks.

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Rachel today I have one Ebook copy of The Ugly Duckling Debutante to give away to readers. To enter please just leave a comment with link to email or profile page. Winner will be drawn 2/18/12.

The Ugly Duckling Debutante
by Rachel Van Dyken

September 26th 2011 by Astraea Press

Since childhood Sara has lived with the reality of being ugly. Something her awful family never ceased to remind her. After her sisters run off to Gretna Green, she's left with one choice--go to London and take their place for a Season. It's up to her to marry well and save her family from financial ruin. A distant aunt decides it's in her best interest to sponsor Sara for the season and help her snag a husband by any means possible. Nicholas Devons, Earl of Renwick, is a retired rake and consequently bored with life. He's given up beautiful women and carnal pleasures. Desperation makes him decide to give his massive fortune away and marry the first country girl he sees. Lucky for Sara she's that girl. Unlucky for Nicholas, he's to be her new tutor in the ways of the ton. Two waltzes, one masquerade, a violent carriage ride, and two duckless ponds later.... and all that's left is a fun twist on one of the oldest stories ever told.

Find out more about Rachel on the Web~Goodreads

Organization Giveaway One~ YA Books!

2012-02-03T11:50:00.003-05:00

So my first organizing adventure is over and believe it or not I had a basket of books in my kitchen!! Half got sent to the library and the rest are boxed up ready to be passed along to you....the readers. Up for grabs this month is a box including:

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker
Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams
Lie by Caroline Brock
The Transformation of Things by Jillian Cantor
Bitter Melon by Cara Chow
Shimmer by Alyson Noel

These are all very gently used paperback review and ARC editions. Two winners will be chosen on March 1, 2012 and can each pick three books. Giveaway is open to US residents. To enter please just leave a comment, linking to your profile page or email. As usual following is always appreciated but not required.

Giveaway~ The Next Door Boys by Jolene Perry

2012-02-03T11:29:00.002-05:00

Today I have one brand new paperback copy of:

The Next Door Boys by Jolene b. Perry

October 4, 2011 by Cedar For

Paperback, 272 Pages

With her body still recovering from last year's cancer treatments, Leigh Tressman is determined to be independent. Despite the interference from her overprotective brother, physical frustrations, and spiritual dilemmas— not to mention the ever expanding line of young men ready to fall in love with her— Leigh discovers what it actually means to stand on her own and learns that love can be found in unexpected but delightful places.

To Enter please just leave a comment with your email or link to profile page. This giveaway is open to everyone. Winner will be drawn Feb 20, 2011.

Thanks!!