Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!

Review of Silver Knight

2012-01-28T19:24:00.001-06:00

Silver Knight by Caron Rider
Ebook
Publisher: Author
Review Source: Caron Rider
Rating: 4/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

When seventeen-year-old Diana recognizes an elderly priest in a video on YouTube, she realizes that reincarnation is real and that she’s been alive before! Every night in her dreams, she relives her past learning that it’s kill or be killed. Now a bishop at the Vatican whom she saved in another life calls on her once more. She is needed to help defeat evil within the catacombs of Rome. But when she arrives in Rome, she meets Alexander – the man of her dreams! Through the centuries she has loved him…betrayed him...been killed by him. Will she give him another chance or this time will she strike first?

Do you believe in reincarnation? I don't, but I admit it can make for an interesting story. Silver Knight was a fun present day story that took you back to the past several times for a lot of nice historic tidbits as we get a glimpse of each warrior of the lights past lives.

Diana, has lived with nightmares of herself being killed over and over in horrible ways. She never understood why she had these dreams until she recognizes a priest on YouTube that she has seen in one of her dreams. Now she is convinced that she has lived out a life more than once and that killing demons is her job. Compelled to go to New York before heading to Rome, her and her two friends meet up with a few other warriors. Each of these warriors have had some very historical backgrounds.

Alex is a demon from Diana's past, we learn from her dreams that he kills Diana over and over in some horrible ways. He is absolutely ruthless, but he is also in love with Diana. Talk about some big romantic problems. When Diana meets Alex this time he swears he doesn't want to kill her anymore, but she just is not sure he can be trusted.

Even though Diana and Alex are the main characters the other warriors have a lot to do with what is happening, and the author gives them each a chapter so we can get to know them a little bit, there is Helen, David, Sol, and Jarret. Each I am sure we will learn more about as the series grows.

This first book I can tell is the builder for what is to come and because of this at times it feels like I didn't get to know Diana and Alex like I would have liked. Alex, doesn't come into the picture till later in the book, but from the little bit of a cliffhanger ending I know he will be a big piece of the next book.

There was a few things that I didn't really like, and I can't really say what it is without giving away some fun historical tidbits, but I will say it has to do with biblical references. I don't like my bible stories messed with much, but other than that and a few times I got confused with the shifting from present to past life, I enjoyed this book. The one thing I liked most about this book is that it was free of vampires and werewolves! :)

I can't wait to read Silver Demon and find out what will happen with Diana and her friends! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes your history mixed with a bit of fantasy.

Review of The Jerk Magnet

2012-01-27T20:32:00.000-06:00

The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson
Pages: 218
Publisher: Revell
Review source: Donna from Revell
My Rating: 4/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

When Chelsea Martin's future stepmother helps her transform from gawky and geeky into the hottest girl at her new school, Chelsea is pretty sure it's the best thing that ever happened to her. But her hot new look has a downside. She's attracting lots of guys who all have one thing in common: they're jerks. And stealing the attention of all the guys in school doesn't endear her to the girls either.

Chelsea finally finds a true friend in Janelle Parker, and a non-jerk, Nicholas, catches her eye. Janelle keeps telling her to be herself, but Nicholas is the only guy around who doesn't give her a second look. Can Chelsea and Janelle come up with a plan to get his attention? Or will Chelsea's new image ruin everything?

Teen favorite and bestselling author Melody Carlson helps girls uncover the real source of beauty in this true-to-life story of young love, friendship, and being yourself.

The Jerk Magnet was a cute, interesting look at what happens when a young girl goes from a geek to a hotty, and how it changes her life.

Most girls, might say that if they could be as hot as the other girls in school, they wouldn't turn into those mean girls. We think we will be just like we were before, but it doesn't always turn out that way. Chelsea, always thought of herself as a geek, she even thought her and Dracula had something in common, they both hated mirrors. Then her soon to be step-mother helps her transform from a plain Jane to the girl all the guys want to love.

At first Chelsea is very uncomfortable in her new skin, she was never use to guys taking notice, but it doesn't take long for it to start making her feel good. Chelsea didn't realize being pretty would gain the attention of ever teenage jerk around, being pretty does have a downside after all.

The one guy that Chelsea would like to have some attention from though doesn't even act like she exist, so how can she get his attention?

The Jerk Magnet, deals with an issue that a lot of young ladies struggle with as they are growing up. Can your outer beauty, corrupt your inter beauty, or can you still be just as beautiful on the inside as on the outside.

It was a fun, teenage Christian novel and I would recommend it to anyone who has teens.

Tuesday Thrillers

2012-01-24T06:00:00.002-06:00

45 Minutes by Kristen Young
Ebook

blurb:
Beep, Beep, Beep, went the machines, as the prayers of the doctor permeated the hallways. This man that lay before him was dead—flat lined, just 45 minutes ago. And now, by some higher power, he is alive, with no help of modern technology, just prayer.

In this novel, 45 Minutes, you will be taken on a compelling journey of Anthony Michaels’ life, which is oddly typical until he faces an encounter with eternity. See yourself through the eyes of the characters as you read about painful life lessons, true forgiveness, answered prayers and the love of God that conquers all.

“Kristen’s style of writing will capture you and keep you reading as different events take place both spiritually and physically. As you read 45 Minutes, you will see what can possibly happen if we choose to forgive those who have hurt us. You will also see firsthand, that making things right with others before it is too late is a must, no matter what the circumstance.” Author Stephen Lewis

author bio:
Kristen Young was born and raised in a small town in Northern Maine. She has been with her husband, Stephen, for 7 years and they have two little girls, Abigail
and Sydney. Sydney is from Haiti and has been with her family since September 2009. Kristen's entire family is very much involved in their local church. Kristen
completed and graduated from a three-year school of ministry.

Since graduating, Kristen and Stephen both are ordained ministers with Stephen being the Assistant
Pastor at Celebration Center in Fort Fairfield. They both are elders and also leaders of the couples ministry and pre-teen ministry. Life has not come without struggles but God has done some amazing work in Kristen's life. She says she is, "Living proof you can start over and have an AMAZING life, the life you were intended to have."
She knows there is no limit to what God can do with you if you are open. If you just say, "God use me," He will.

Check out my facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/45-Minutes-by-Kristen-Young/191089670964905

Buy it at amazon.com

Review of Deadly Pleasures

2012-01-20T21:00:00.000-06:00

Deadly Pleasures by Mary Firmin
Pages: 305
Publisher: iUniverse
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

Megan Riley has bigger things to worry about than the fact that her neighbor has just been found dead.

Her engagement has just ended, and she is once again on a quest to find Mr. Right-or at least Mr. Right Now. Tired of emotional ties and ready for a new adventure, Megan and her three best friends make a fateful decision. They hire hunky stripper Michael Harrington as their timeshare boytoy-unaware he is the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders. Suddenly, they find themselves involved in a complicated murder investigation led by a handsome detective who is focused only on finding the twisted serial killer before he strikes again. But who will be the next to die? Megan, the hardworking real estate agent; newly divorced Kathleen; Alex, married to a wealthy businessman; or Rachel, the spurned wife of a hot Hollywood screenwriter?

Following her own investigation, Megan takes a wild ride through L.A.'s bondage parlors, hidden sex clubs, and the extravagant lifestyles of the rich and famous; soon she discovers that her quest for adventure has abruptly transformed into a dangerous game of life and death.

This is Mary Firmin's debut novel, and I must say I can't wait to read the next one! It had all the elements of a great murder mystery, it kept me guessing till the very end who the real killer was and I loved it!

Megan Riley's life is a bit of turmoil as she is trying to stay sober, her ex-fiance won't leave her alone, and now woman are being murdered and it hits close to home. Now she gets to add to everything the fact that her friends want to timeshare a man for fun, they figure that men do it all the time so why not them. Megan wasn't real sure that she wanted to but after meeting the handsome detective she really doesn't want to go through with it. Megan is a really strong character, very gutsy and I really liked her. I love strong female characters, especially when there is danger involved. I hate it when they run away screaming, but Megan she was a fighter.

Detective Matt Donovan is just one of those male characters that you take an instant liking too. He is handsome, kind and very determined to find out who is behind the murders. When he meets Megan he can't seem to get her out of his head but he doesn't think he has a chance with a high society lady. Not only does he have to try and solve the bondage murder case but he has to figure out if he can trust Megan or not since a lot of things keep happening to make him wonder about her.

Mary Firmin, does a great job of writing a face-paced murder mystery that makes me think it could be a Desperate House wives episode, even though I have never watched that show. :) I really thought I knew whodonit right up until the end then it was sort of like OH MY! I think I figured it out the same time the detective did! It was great! I love it when I am kept guessing till the end.

Don't let the cover put you off if you are thinking it is some sort of steamy sexy romance novel because it isn't. I actually thought it would be steamy but instead it was light on romance and heavy on mystery and I think it was wrote well enough that even both genders could enjoy it.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in I have a giveaway going of this book here.

Or get it at amazon.com

Guest Post from Ella Davidson

2012-01-12T16:50:00.000-06:00

Most Anticipated Books of 2012

Guest Post: This post was written by couponing website Coupons resident writer, Ella Davidson. Coupons is a site dedicated to sharing couponing information and making a positive charitable impact on the world.

The coming year looks to be an incredible time for all sorts of readers. Take a look at some of these upcoming releases, plan your reading schedule accordingly, and get a leg up on the popular literary world!
The Dream of the Celt (English translation) by Mario Vargas Llosa: Available in Spanish since November of 2010, this historical novel chronicles the life of Irish humanitarian and patriot Sir Roger Casement. The English translation, scheduled to appear this year, promises to be an important and popular title: it is already a bestseller in Spain, and the author was the 2010 Nobel laureate in literature. The book is constructed with journalistic as well as traditionally narrative elements and utilizes a unique structure of alternating chapters focusing on different points in the subject’s life. It has been compared to Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad because of its setting and themes; Conrad himself even makes an appearance in the novel.
Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith: This revelatory biography of Queen Elizabeth II was published on January 10. It represents the culmination of extensive research by the author, utilizing interviews and heretofore-unrevealed documents to construct a detailed portrait that encompasses both the public and private lives of one of the most famous women in the world. American historian Smith has written on other high-profile political figures in the past, including Princess Diana, John and Jacqueline Kennedy, and Bill and Hillary Clinton, and she has been a contributing editor at Vanity Fair since 1996.
The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus: Due for release by Knopf in January 2012, this novel tells the story of a world where the sound of children’s speech has become lethal to adults. It follows the experience of a couple as they grapple with the practical and moral problem of their own daughter’s toxicity, raising a slew of literary questions in the process. According to Tom McCarthy, “The Flame Alphabet drags the contemporary novel—kicking, screaming, and foaming at the mouth—back towards the track it should be following. Ben Marcus makes language as toxic as it is seductive— a virus that comes from much closer to home than we suspected” (http://benmarcus.com/books/the-flame-alphabet-2/). The author’s stories and essays have appeared in Harper’s, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Time, and he is currently an associate professor in the School of Arts at Columbia.
Home by Toni Morrison: This latest work by the legendary Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist tells the story of returning Korean War veteran Frank Money and his struggle to return to life in his racist home nation. It is due for release in May of 2012. Morrison has already provided a taste of the forthcoming novel for anticipatory fans by publicly reading excerpts; her last book, A Mercy, was published in 2008. Now 80, Morrison taught creative writing at Princeton until her retirement in 2006.
The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter: The author of the popular Discworld fantasy series and the award-winning British science fiction writer collaborate on this new sci-fi series, due out in spring of 2012. The books will follow up on ideas first conceived by Pratchett in the 80s, based on quantum theory and a chain of parallel worlds. The Discworld series is known for its comedic tone, and this forthcoming series will certainly display some of Pratchett’s trademark sense of humor. But the involvement of Baxter—an established crafter of hard sci-fi worlds and author of Flood, Ark, and the Time’s Tapestry and Destiny’s Children series—will likely satisfy fans of more serious speculative fiction.
The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson: A political thriller that follows the story of a professional kidnapper in North Korea, this title released on January 10 as well. Reviewers are already praising its wild pacing and its careful, masterful rendering of the hidden world of North Korea. Author Adam Johnson conducted extensive research in the process of writing this book; he is currently an associate professor in creative writing at Stanford University.
2012 is full of highly anticipated releases; sit back and enjoy flipping the pages!

Small Press Blog Hop (March 17-24th)

2012-01-10T19:05:00.000-06:00

I am signing up to participate in the Small Press Blog Hop hosted at http://samsawesomness.blogspot.com/2012/01/small-press-treasures-blog-hop-giveaway.html The blog hop is not until March17-24th, but I wanted to get a post up about it now so that if anyone else might want to participate they can head on over and sign up!!

I have found some really great independent and small press authors and I started helping a few of them with blog tours and other promotional things and I think its a great way to help promote their books.

Some independent or small press authors I know:

Jody Kihara author of White Witch Pond and The Frankincense Trail

Rhiannon Paille author of Flame of Surrender

Lynn Hardy author of Prophecy of the Flames

Ashley Dawn author of Shadows From the Past

Chris Thrall author of Eating Smoke

Mary Firmin author of Deadly Pleasures

This is just to name a few!

Interview with Mary Firmin, author of Deadly Pleasures + giveaway!

2012-01-09T17:31:00.002-06:00

I would like you to welcome author Mary Firmin to my blog. She just recently released her debut novel called Deadly Pleasures. So far it has received some really great reviews and I am in the middle of reading it and I am really liking it.

Blue Ink Reviews called it "Sexy in the City meets James Patterson..."

Clarion Reviews gave it 5 stars saying, "Firmin writes more like a seasoned storyteller than a debut novelist.."

Mary Firmin was raised in Canada and taught dance at the Arthur Murray Studio. She moved to Santa Monica, California, where she married and raised three children. She obtained her real estate license and sold real estate for many years, while also writing a society column. She began writing for enjoyment and joined a writers group. She’s been writing since that time and loving it. Mary belongs to the Palm Springs Writers Guild, Women in Film, Mystery Writers of America, and is a former member of the Southern California Yacht Club. If you would like to know more about what will be coming from this new author you should follow her new blog at http://maryfirmin.blogspot.com.

What made you decide to become a writer?

Mygirlfriend, Kathleen, and I were talking and laughing on her bed. We decided we wanted to be on the JohnnyCarson show. We figured the only way wecould get there is if we wrote a book. So, we signed up for a class at UCLA called “How to Write a BestSeller.” The teacher of this class wasMarjorie Miller. We both really liked Marjoriewho became our mentor. We joined herwriter’s group in Westwood which has produced several published writers. Wenever got on the Johnny Carson show but we fell in love with writing. DeadlyPleasures is my second book. The firstone was Voodoun Fire which I still have in a drawer, I also wrote a screenplay,Rhumba, with a partner but we could never agree. I have written several shortstories. One won first prize at thePSWG. Another won second prize the followingyear.

Do you have any authors that inspire your genre of writing?

My favorite author is Thomas Harris who wroteSilence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and my favorite book, Red Dragon. I love his books because they build suspenseand then thoroughly satisfy you. I alsolike Dan Brown who embraces fact in order to make you believe what he iswriting is true. I also love Lawrence Bloch who is a fabulous mystery writerand unbelievably prolific.

What gave you the idea for Deadly Pleasures?

Years ago, Iheard of a situation where four men had hired a prostitute, paid for herapartment etc, so they could share her favors. I thought about writing that story and creating a murder mystery aroundit. Then, it suddenly dawned on me howmuch more interesting and forbidden it would be if four women did this. Theidea grew from there. Since my husbandand I belonged to a yacht club in Marina del Rey and we lived near Venice Beachit was the most logical, most interesting setting I could come up with. We were weekly visitors to Catalina so itprogressed to Catalina Island.

Do you have a favorite character from your novel?

Yes. I like Megan Riley very much. She is the most like me. I used to sell real estate. I was never thepoor little rich girl like the other girls, and I too am a sober alcoholic butI have been sober a long time.

Are you currently working on a new novel?

Yes, I am writinga book called Deadly Secrets, which is located in a Country Club in the PalmSprings area. Several murders occurwhile Megan Riley is there trying to sell a house that one of her friends,Kathleen, has inherited. Much to MattDonovan’s chagrin, she involves herselfin the crimes and realizes there are many Deadly
Secretssurrounding both the victims and the killer.

You can find Mary Firmin on the web at these different places:

Website: http://maryfirmin.com
Blog: http://maryfirmin.blogspot.com
Twitter: @mary_firmin

You can buy the book at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

____

Mary Firmin has agree to let me giveaway one copy of her book. If you are in the US or Canada you may enter to receive a free print copy, sorry to those that are international.

I will not require that you be follower to my blog, but if you would like to have a extra entry into the giveaway I would like to invite you to follow Mary's blog at http://maryfirmin.blogspot.com. Please fill out the form below to enter.

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Review of Deadtime Stories: Grave Secrets

2012-01-05T15:15:00.000-06:00

Deadtime Stories: Grave Secrets by Annette and Gina Cascone
Pages: 192
Publisher: Starscapes a Tor Book Imprint
Review Source: Starscapes
Rating: 4/5
Reviewed by: Stormi
Age recommendation: 8 and up

Some secrets refuse to stay buried….

Amanda Peterson has a pet cemetery in her backyard. It’s where she’s buried all her family’s dear departed pets, like Ralphie the hamster, Herman the goldfish, and Snitch the canary. But when Amanda and her friends set out to bury a dead squirrel, they accidentally dig up a grave that’s already occupied—and not by a pet. The scary old lady who lives next door has lots of buried secrets. And she’ll do anything to keep them that way….

Deadtime Stories by “Twisted Sisters” Annette Cascone and Gina Cascone—they’ll scare you silly and give you more than goose bumps.

Deadtime stories are filled with mystery, suspense and all the great stuff that makes scary stories for young readers.

I really enjoyed reading Grave Secrets which is the first book of the deadtime stories series. I can't wait to share this story with my 11yr old niece as she has just started getting into these types of stories!

Amanda and her friends dig up more than they bargained for when trying to bury a dead squirrel. Something or someone is haunting Amanda and with each thing that happens its making her more and more scared. He friends think she has fell off the deep end as they don't see or hear the things she is seeing.

Her friend Kevin believes it has something to do with the old lady next door because he is convinced that she bites the heads of rats, and does things to make bad things happen to kids who have lost items in her yard. Amanda lost her bracelet in the old ladies yard and Kevin just knows that is what is happening. He is the real wimp of the whole group, though Laura is not far behind him.

Jarrad is the braver boy of the bunch, but he is mostly all talk. He can say things are real as long as he doesn't see them, but when he sees them, well he is just as chicken as the rest. Together they make for a really fun blend of characters and fun friends.

If you like reading Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine then you will enjoy Deadtime Stories: Grave Secrets. Not only will young readers get a great book to read this series is being published in to films that will go with the stories!

From the press release I was given by Tor Books:

"Each of the DEADTIME STORIES for Kids films will show one of the books being read by a babysitter to her young charges, and Hill & Brand has cast Disney Channel star Jennifer
Stone (Wizards of Waverly Place) in this starring role. Hill & Brand Kids are also pleased to announce that GRAVE SECRETS will feature Academy Award-nominated actress Diane Ladd."

I know I can't wait to see Diane Ladd in Grave Secrets! I can't help it I might be a adult but I still love watching kids movies..lol.

If you like books that give you goosebumps, and cause you to wonder what that noise was while you were reading then you or your young reader in the family will love Deadtime Stories: Grave Secrets.

Sorry there is no post today.

2012-01-03T19:52:00.000-06:00

I believe I have a stomach virus and sitting up for long periods of time is not a good thing. Going to go lay back down. Sorry no post today, and maybe tomorrow to depending on how I feel. I have a review to do but just not in the mood to write it. :(

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2012-01-02T06:00:00.001-06:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Book Journey.

Just finished tonight:

Deattime Stories: Grave Secrets by Annette and Gina Cascone (A spooky middle grade story in the style of goosebumps! I enjoyed it!)

Still reading:

Tooth and Nail by Jennifer Safrey

Under the Moon by Natalie J. Damschroder

So what are you reading?

End of Year Wrap up and IMM!

2011-12-31T21:57:00.000-06:00

Wow, I can't believe that this year is over already, it just seems like just started not that long ago. I remember when I was a kid in school that I thought the year would never end, but now that I am a adult it seems to slip by so quickly.

I would like to thank all my old and new followers that I have on Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my! I am hoping to fill up the new year with lots of great reviews, interviews, guest posts and giveaways! Towards the end of the year I have been a bit neglectful of my blog so that is one of my New Years resolutions is to get more cool content onto my blog!

I have never been a very organized person, I do try but it never seems to work..lol. So this coming year I have decided to put a Books read in 2012 page so I can try to better keep track of what I read so each time I do a review on a book I am going to write it down on that page and hope that I can keep better track of them. :)

Number of Post in 2011: 338
Number of reviews in 2011: 69
Number of movie reviews: 10
Number of monthly page views: on average about 9,946

I gain some reviewers at the latter part of the year and so out of the 69 book reviews. Out of the 69 reviews I believe about 9 were from my new reviewers. I hope to hear a lot more from them this coming year!
_____________

In my mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and is a great way to let people know what cool books you have to review. I got one book at the end of last week or beginning of this week I can't remember but it a cute scary one. :)

Deadtime Stories: Grave Secrets by Annette and Gina Cascone

Some secrets refuse to stay buried….

Amanda Peterson has a pet cemetery in her backyard. It’s where she’s buried all her family’s dear departed pets, like Ralphie the hamster, Herman the goldfish, and Snitch the canary. But when Amanda and her friends set out to bury a dead squirrel, they accidentally dig up a grave that’s already occupied—and not by a pet. The scary old lady who lives next door has lots of buried secrets. And she’ll do anything to keep them that way…..

So far is pretty cute in a creepy scary sort of way. Great for young readers who like books like goosebumps!

Review of Summer Storm

2011-12-29T18:34:00.000-06:00

Summer Storm by Kristina Dunker
Translated by: Margot Dembo
Pages: 139
Publisher:
Review Source: Amazon vine
Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

The day begins innocently enough: Annie and her friends are enjoying a leisurely afternoon of sunbathing when an ominous storm approaches. In the scramble to leave, Annie realizes her cousin Gina is missing. After a fruitless search in the rain, the teens call the police. And as the hours tick by, Annie’s fear for Gina’s safety mounts. How could this have happened? Wasn’t anyone watching her? Didn’t anyone see? The possibilities are too horrific to consider, and Annie turns for support to the friends who were with her and Gina on that fateful afternoon. But as the days pass without a trace of the lost girl, accusations begin to fly between friends, and disturbing information about one of their own comes to light. At first Annie refuses to believe it. But as the evidence begins to mount and the accused does nothing to clarify the situation, Annie realizes the relationships she once held dear are not at all what they seemed. And if a girl can’t trust her best friends…who can she trust?

Not ever read any of Kristina Dunker's novels, I seen this one on amazon vine and thought it sounded interesting. I didn't realize that it was a foreign writer whose work has been translated. Sometimes things get a bit lost in translation, but over all I thought the book was okay.

Things happen in the short novel pretty fast, sort of like the book's title a summer storm. Tension mounts when Gina goes missing. Annie has no clue what happened to her cousin and she soon fills like maybe she doesn't know her best friends like she thought she did. Five teens out in the woods before it all happens, the two boys go off on their own looking for firewood, while the girls stay near the lake. Then Gina gets up to go to the bathroom and never comes back?

I didn't think the novel was long enough to really get to know the characters involved in the story to really care what happened. That is what happens a lot of times when a novel is so short, there is not a enough character depth.

Also, you have to remember that this is a novel first written in Germany. They are a lot more relaxed on foul language than the US, so if you are in the US you might find the frequent foul language a little bit unbearable. It wasn't the highlight of the book for me as I don't really care for a lot of foul language when I am reading.

Over all, it was a okay novel and if you think it sounds interesting give it a try, but I am not really going to put in on my recommend list.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T18:08:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! Ho ho ho! :)

What were your favorite books read in 2011?

2011-12-23T13:57:00.000-06:00

As 2011 comes to a close with only a little over a week left I thought it would be fun to see what some of your favorite reads of 2011 where. They don't have to be published in 2011, but read in 2011.

So many great books out this year and I really didn't get a chance to read half of them..lol. The life of the book obsessed though we never get to read them all. I tried to keep track this year so I would be able to say these are my favorites, but I am so bad with list I start them and never keep up with them.

Not in any certain order: (linked to Amazon so you can check them out if you haven't heard of them) I listed the month they came out as well and surprisingly they all came out in 2011!

1) The Samaritan by Steven Besecker - This was probably my favorite Thriller read of this year. (June)

2) How To Flirt With a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper - I love this series! (February)

3) The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper - These both came out at the beginning of the year and are so fun to read! (March)

4) Bleeding Hearts by Alyxandra Harvey - Just finished this one, its the newest installment of the Drake Chronicles which is my favorite series! (December)

5) Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey - What can I say I like this author! This is her non-vampire novel. (June)

6) Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton - I am not a huge goblin fan but I really enjoyed this book. (September)

7) In The Forrest of the Night by Kersten Hamilton - The second book in the Goblin Wars series! (November)

8) Touch by Jus Accardo - I was very taken in by this one, it was sort of a mutant (X-men) type book. (November)

9) Sleepwalker by J. Gabriel Gates - Classic horror for the new generation, it was creepy and great! (October)

10) A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - I really enjoyed this one, it was one of my first audio books of the year. (February)

Well here are some of my favorites of this year, though its not the only favorites and it is really hard to narrow it down as there are so many out there. So I would love to know what some of your favorite reads have been, so I can have even more to add to my TBR pile! :)

Review of Bleeding Hearts

2011-12-21T18:03:00.001-06:00

Bleading Hearts by Alyxandra Harvey
Pages: 304
Publisher: Walker Books
Review Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

As vampires from all over the world descend on the Drake farm for the Blood Moon gathering, security is ramped up. Lucy has been temporarily banned, for her own safety—and to allow Solange some time to adjust to her new existence. But their enemies realize how much Lucy means to the family, and plan to abduct her to use her for leverage against the new royal family. Instead, Lucy’s cousin Christabel is kidnapped by mistake—and Connor Drake immediately heads off in pursuit, but isn’t in time to prevent Christabel’s infection by the Hel Blar. He can’t save her human life, but he can still try to save her new vampire life, and is willing to put his own life on the line for the girl he has grown to care so much about. Can he save Christabel, the Blood Moon, and his mother’s newly forged Vampire Alliance?

I am a huge die hard fan of Alyxandra Harvey so I was super excited to get the netgalley version of this book to review! I love this series and I wasn't disappointed in this great addition to the Drake Chronicles.

It is told with three POV's Lucy (my fav. character!), her cousin Christabel (what a name), and Conner Drake (the nerdy drake). If you have kept up with the series you know that the Drakes are royalty among the vampires and Solange is having a hard time with her blood change.

Now its time for the Blood Moon and all the vampires from all around are coming to the Drakes and their are some Hel Blar that are wanting recognized during the Blood Moon, they are blue but not like the other Hel Blar.

The Hel Blar are rampaging Violet Hill, but some of them are acting a little stranger and wearing weird collars, who is controlling them?

Christabel has come to visit, but they are under strick curfews because of the resent events with the Hel Blar. Lucy's parents don't even really want her hanging out with the Drakes but her boyfriend is Nicholas one of the vampire princes and she won't stay away. Then Christabel is kidnapped because they thought they were grabbing Lucy and Conner Drake runs to the rescue.

Conner Drake is the computer nerd of the Drakes, still hot and sexy like the others but has a love for computers, comics and Star Wars. Christabel always has her nose in a book, most of the books she has read so many times she has them memorized, and likes bad boys. Conner is not a bad boy at least she doesn't think he is until she gets to see a different side of him when he comes to her rescue. I think they make a interesting couple.

Lucy is still my all time favorite character, because she is so mouthy, gutsy, and feisty. Because of this I really hate the way Solange has been acting towards her, and in general I don't like the turn of events regarding this character. I really hope the author redeems her and puts her back to being nice again. Right now I just want to ring her neck and it makes me mad.

Over all I really liked this addition to the Drake Chronicles and I can't wait for the next installment, my only real complaint was the cliffhanger ending. I really hate them, and this one has ultimate hate, and nothing had better of happened to a certain person or I will really be upset. :(

Recommend this series for all vampire fans!

Tuesday Thrillers: guest author Robin Lamont

2011-12-20T18:59:00.000-06:00

Please welcome Robin Lamont to my blog, she is the author of a Thriller novel called, If Thy Right Hand. she is blogging today and how a Broadway actress became a writer!

To say that I’ve had varied career would be anunderstatement. Broadway actress toprivate investigator to lawyer to author (with a brief stint in radioadvertising in between).

In some ways I feel that I’ve been writing all my life. When I was about ten years old, living inBrooklyn, I decide to publish a family newsletter. I interviewed my parents and my six siblingsand reported on various events in our lives. Soon I tired of school and home news and decided to venture furtherafield. So one afternoon, I walked downto the Brooklyn Navy Yard and interviewed a couple of dock workers about theirjobs, just like Studs Terkel. When Iproudly handed out the next newsletter, complete with stirring interviews, myfather had an adverse reaction to his daughter’s lone foray to the BrooklynNavy Yard. As I recall, that was my lastpublication.

My first real career was in theater. I attended Carnegie Mellon University tostudy acting, and in my junior year did a show that my friend John-MichaelTabelak created called Godspell. The show went on to open in New York – and Iwent with it. I was privileged to singthe song “Day by Day’ which went on to become a top Billboard hit. My love of singing and music inspired me towrite songs; and I put together a small portfolio of tunes, stylisticallyleaning toward country and western. Ieven wrote the score to a small independent film for kids called Summerdog.

My acting career went fairly well, as long as pop/ rockmusicals were in vogue. When the movieof Godspell was cast, I was lucky enough to be chosen to join that cast. I went on to play Sandy in Grease on Broadway, which was about asmuch fun as you can have and call it work. After that, I developed a role in another Broadway-bound show called Working, in which I sang James Taylor’shauntingly beautiful song, Millworker.

Most actors need a day job, and I was no exception. So I signed on witha small private investigations firm that hired actors to work undercover jobsto ferret out counterfeiters. Our boss at the time called it the “ultimatestreet theater.” I can’t honestly saythat I did much writing at that job. Butit certainly provided me a look into the seamier side of New York, where I cameinto contact with an array of unusual characters. Many of those characters inspired my newnovel Wright for America, whichshould be out in February of 2012.

Some those characters werereal-life bad guys. So realizing that Ineeded a day job for my day job, I applied to law school. Several years later I found myself anAssistant District Attorney in Westchester County, NY, where I practiced fornearly eight years. Working in lawrequires an immense amount of reading, and because I spent much of my time as aprosecutor in appeals, I wrote constantly. True, legal writing can be tedious. But I developed a new appreciation for words and their impact. As a layer, one is not supposed to be too “artistic”;you write facts and argue the law. Butthe use of language in explaining the facts and arguing the law as applied tothose facts, I felt, could sometimes make or break a case.

When I finally left the DA’soffice, I brought with me a strong desire to tap into my earlier creativejuices. I wanted to bring to life theheartbreak I’d seen working at the DA’s office and the crazy situations I’d encounteredas an investigator. I hope I havecaptured some of the former in my novel IfThy Right Hand. Although a suspensenovel, it deals with the insidious nature of child sex abuse, where there canbe a cloudy line between abuser and abused. I’m so pleased that the book was chosen for Suspense Magazine’s Best of 2011 list.

As for the wild adventures Ihad as a private investigator, I will let my next book Wright for America tell the tale. In the meantime, I am always happy to converse with readers and otherauthors, and I can be contacted via my website www.robin-lamont.com.

Thanks for this opportunity toblog and write yet a bit more!

If Thy Right Hand Blurb:

When her autistic son is accused of abusing two young boys, an impassioned prosecutor's world falls apart. She becomes caught between his claim of innocence and her lifelong dedication to putting sex offenders behind bars. Things take a deadly turn when Ilene Hart discovers that someone is killing sex offenders with a biblical sense of retribution. In her pursuit to keep her son from becoming the next victim, she must confront her misperceptions about herself, her children, and the sometimes cloudy line between abuser and abused.

Author Robin Lamont worked as a Broadway actress, playing lead roles in Godspell, Grease, and Working. Her original cast recording of "Day by Day" and her film version of the song have drawn fans from around the world. Following an eight year stint as an undercover private investigator, she earned her law degree and practiced as an Assistant District Attorney in New York, where she lives with her family.

Any one interested in participating in a Social Media Frenzy Tour?

2011-12-18T20:03:00.002-06:00

Hi my lovelies!! On my other website Lightning Book Promotions I am trying out a new type of tour for authors books called The Social Media Frenzy Tour and I have one author interested so I am looking for some fellow Social Media Networking bloggers/readers of this blog to help me out.

Since Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are the three main social media networks I am doing a Three day, three Social media network type tour.

Example of what you could put up on your social media network!
"Check out Nadina Boun's The Thinking Man http://nadinaboun.wordpress.com/nadina-boun-humor-and-satire-short-story-book-the-thinking-man/. On her website you can look at excepts and a book trailer!"

You can even post about it on your blog if you want, but this is mainly a social media tour, but I know some people post to their blogs then spread it around on the social media outlets so I am fine with that. I am just trying to come up with different ways to help authors promote their books and a friend came up with a social media tour and I thought I would give it a try.

If you would like to help promote authors this way please either leave a comment and a way to contact you or send me a email at stormi@lightningbookpromotions.com. I would love to have some of my great followers here to help me out! :)

I would love to get a lot of bloggers or social media experts to help me flood the networks with my frenzy tour!

In My Mailbox!

2011-12-18T12:43:00.001-06:00

I am a bit behind in my in my mailbox, though its not much I still want to get caught up. Its been about three weeks or more since I did one of these. :) Hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren.

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (goodreads) I got this as a November R.A.K see said I was behind..lol. I was so excited to receive this I am so behind with this series..lol. (I can't remember who gave this to me but THANKS!)

Anna Dressed in Blood Kendra Blake (goodreads) Thank you Jason, my secret santa!!! I almost squealed when I unwrapped this! :)

Justice by Karen Robards (goodreads) I won this from Dreamonus.com its just a place to sign up for giveaways and it has some great books it gives away!

Nikolas and Company: A Creature Most Foul by Kevin McGill (goodreads) For review.

Temp: A Accidental Fairytale by A.E. Mayer (goodreads) For review.

I think I got them all.

Interview with Author Kimberly Derting!! + giveaway!

2011-12-17T08:47:00.000-06:00

So excited today to be able to post a interview with Kimberly Derting! I am sure everyone knows who she is but if not she is the author of The Body Finder series and a new series The Pledge (which I really want to read but haven't had a chance yet!). I love her Bodyfinder series and was so grateful that she would take a few minutes to answer my questions for my blog.

1) Tell mesomething about yourself that is not in your author bio.

Some ofthese are on my website, but I’ll share anyway: I can’t touch my toes (well, Ican, but not when I bend over), I hate being barefoot, I love bubblegum (I oncehad a 20 pound box of Nerds gumballs delivered to the house), I’m a closetKardashian junkie (okay, not so closet any more, I guess), Target is myfavorite store, and my husband and I have been together for 20 years.

2) When didyou realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve pretty much known since the 7^th grade whenI took journalism as my elective credit. Of course back then, I had big dreamsof becoming a world famous jet-setting journalist covering wars and famines.When I was older, and realized what being a realjournalist entailed (living in tents without showers, malaria, facing gunfire),I realized that writing books from the safety of my home would be a littleless…dangerous, and a lot more clean!

3) Who mostinfluenced your writing style?

I’d love tosay someone very literary, like Harper Lee since To Kill a Mockingbird is myfavorite book ever. But honestly, I have to admit it’s much more likely that itwas Stephen King. I grew up reading his books and wishing I could tell thekinds of stories he did (the ones that scared people the way he scaredme). Yes, that sounds twisted. And yes, I blame Stephen King.

4) Name twobooks you read this year that are in your top ten for the year?

WHITE CATby Holly Black (definitely one of my new faves!) and UNTRACEABLE by SR Johannes(I loved that it wasn’t a paranormal but was still thrilling).

5) What isyour newest project you are working on?

I’mactually working on the fourth Body Finder book at the same time that I’mrevising the second Pledge. I really love spending time with all thesecharacters!

6) List wherepeople can find you on the web.

www.kimberlyderting.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberly-Derting/195909643784427

Twitter:@kimberlyderting

Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/kimberlyderting

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2755160.Kimberly_Derting

I want to thank Kimberly for taking time out to be a part of my blog! I am going to offer one of my readers a ebook copy of any Kimberly Derting book of their choosing! Happy Holiday!!!

Leave a comment with email for a chance to win!

Crime Time Wednesday!

2011-12-14T17:55:00.001-06:00

Slow Curve on the Coquihalla by R. E. Donald
Ebook
Proud Horse Publishing
Buy now from Amazon for $2.99!

When a well respected truck driver, the owner of a family trucking business, is found dead in his truck down a steep embankment along the Coquihalla highway that winds through the mountains in British Columbia, his distraught daughter wants to know how and why he died. Not long afterwards, while driving the same highway, her husband’s brakes are tampered with, almost creating another fatal accident on a treacherous incline, This compels Hunter Rayne, a fellow trucker and retired RCMP detective, to help her find answers.

As he uncovers signs of illegal cross border activity originating in a Seattle warehouse, Hunter recruits an old friend, an outlaw biker, to infiltrate what appears to be an international smuggling ring. But while Hunter follows up clues and waits for critical information from his old friend, the wily biker starts to play his own angles.

Finally, putting all the pieces together, there in the dark on the same uphill curve on the Coquihalla highway, Hunter risks it all to confront the murderer.

Slow Curve on the Coquihalla is the first in a traditional mystery series featuring "semi-" professional sleuth, Hunter Rayne. After serving over 20 years in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and becoming a skilled detective, Hunter resigned from the force and took to the road as a long haul trucker. His ex-wife is convinced he is running away from the personal tragedy that made him leave a job he loved. Hunter himself doesn’t know why, he only knows he has to keep following the white lines.

The next highway mystery is titled Ice on the Grapevine and finds Hunter trying to exonerate two fellow truckers accused of a murder in southern California.

About the author:

R.E. Donald is the author of the Hunter Rayne highway mystery series. Ruth worked in the transportation industry in various capacities from 1972 until 2001, and draws on her own experiences, as well as those of her late husband, Jim Donald, in creating the characters and situations in her novels.

Ruth attended the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C., where she studied languages (Russian, French and German) and creative writing to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree.

She currently lives on a small farm in Langley, B.C., where she and her partner, Gilbert Roy, enjoy their Canadian Horses (Le Cheval Canadien) and other animals.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2011-12-12T18:37:00.000-06:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Shelia of Book Journey. Been real busy lately and haven't put this up in a few weeks so I thought I would throw one up today. :)

Not finished anything lately but I am currently working on:

Bleading Hearts by Alyxandra Harvey (review ARC)

Crime Time Wednesday!

2011-12-07T18:51:00.001-06:00

No Game For A Dame by M. Ruth Myer

Kindle Edition
Published by Tuesday House

I could use a dozen more mysteries with detective Maggie Sullivan on my reading table. She’s tough, gritty – and totally engaging.

Sandra Love, author of DIVE FOR THE SUN

Rich in the author’s knowledge of her chosen town and time (1930s), not to mention rich in clever plot twists. A great read.
Suzanne Clauser, screenwriter & author of A GIRL NAMED SOONER

Private eye Maggie Sullivan knows the streets of Depression-era Dayton, Ohio, as well as she knows an emery board. With a gin bottle in her desk, a .38 under her seat, and a great pair of legs she can hold her own against the toughest opponent.

Then a routine case makes her a murder suspect and the target of a crime boss who’s got friends at City Hall.

Moving through a landscape where people line up at soup kitchens, Maggie draws information from sources others overlook: The waitress at the dime store lunch counter where she has breakfast; a corner newsboy; a nightclub cigarette girl in the rooming house where she lives. She shifts to a war of wits when she wants something from her shutterbug pal on the evening paper or the new cop teamed with her late father’s partner.

Before Maggie finds all the answers she needs, she’s drugged and left in a ditch, has tea in the kitchen of a local cathouse and gambles her own life to save two others.

If you like Robert B. Parker's Spencer series, don't miss NO GAME FOR A DAME.

About the author:

Novels by M. Ruth Myers have been translated into several foreign languages, optioned for television and condensed in Good Housekeeping. NO GAME FOR A DAME, her new mystery, introduces 1930s detective Maggie Sullivan.

A native of Missouri, Myers spent ten of her growing-up years in Cheyenne, Wyoming. After earning a Bachelor of Journalism degree at the University of Missouri J-School she worked as a reporter and feature writer on daily papers in Saginaw, Michigan, and Dayton, Ohio.

When not writing, Myers enjoys reading (mostly mystery-suspense) or playing Irish traditional music on the button accordion and Anglo concertina. She and her husband live in Ohio. They have one grown daughter

Buy it now for $1.99 at Amazon!

Interview with Nicole of Tribute Books!

2011-12-05T20:02:00.000-06:00

Please welcome Nicole Langan from Tribute Books. Tribute Books is currently looking for authors who have already been published and would like to publish ebooks with their company. Below in the interview Nicole tells us all about what types of books she is looking for and why they are going the ebook route in the new year.

1) How long has Tribute Books been in business?

Tribute Books began in 2004 and we've published over 30 titles since that time. Some of our books have gone on to win awards such as the Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year and the Mom's Choice Award while others were endorsed by PBS and The Thoreau Society. We've covered a wide range of genres from children's picture books to history to sports under both traditional and subsidy contracts.

2) What type of books are you currently looking for? What type of authors?

In 2012, we are looking to represent ebook releases  of young adult titles. Our preference is for damn good writing, the particular topic is secondary in importance.  However, books written with a series in mind or those that delve into the paranormal will have a slight edge.

Manuscripts that have already been professionally edited will receive greater consideration. Our preference is to work with authors who have already been published through a royalty-paying press and who know the ins and outs of book promotion. An established social media platform is a must, and we will not consider writers who do not have a well-followed blog, Facebook page or Twitter account.

Interested authors can submit their manuscripts via email to info@tribute-books.com.  There will be no charge for the authors we select to work with, and they will receive 50% of the net profits of their ebook sales in quarterly royalty payments. We're looking  for Microsoft Word documents with a maximum of 350 pages of text with no photos, charts, illustrations, graphs, etc.

3) Why are you wanting authors who have already published with  royalty paying publishers?

Working with a first time author is an extremely time intensive process. The learning curve is steep. In the past, nearly every author I worked with was brand new to the publishing industry. At this point in my career, I would rather focus on providing our  readership with new material instead of devoting the time to developing multiple author marketing platforms from scratch.

4) Why just limit yourself to ebooks?

Over the course of 2011, we've watched our ebook sales outpace our print sales by 2 to 1 due to the explosion in popularity of e-readers such as the Kindle, Nook and iPad. The under $5 price point of most of our e-titles and the ease  of purchase and delivery surely facilitated this rapid change.   I can only see this trend increasing in momentum as the price of e-readers continues to lower and more and more people start using this new technology. The industry shift is similar to what occurred in terms of music buying habits when iTunes downloads became more popular that CD purchases. There will always be a market for print books, but I think  the majority of book sales will soon be electronic. People want the cheapest, quickest and easiest way to obtain their reading material.

5) Any other information you would like authors to know about   your business? Please list the ways people can contact you.

I am a big believer in the power of social media. I even conduct   monthly blog tours for outside publishers and authors in order to help them increase the online presence of a book. Book          bloggers are a powerful force in the book industry. With more and more book stores closing and book review columns being cut from major newspapers, readers are depending on bloggers to help them find the books they want to read. They are turning to the Internet as a reference point to fill this information gap.

In my opinion, social networking is the bread and butter of any author's promotional efforts. Without it, it's like trying to paddle upstream without a canoe. Readers want to connect with the person who wrote the book. They crave interaction with an author. Nothing beats getting a writer to comment on a blogger's book review post or getting a personalized thank you tweet from your favorite author. The days of authors being isolated from their fans is over. They're now able to build an online        following and receive instant feedback for their work. They have the opportunity to take part in creating their own literary community.

We try to keep an active online presence with our web site (http://www.tribute-books.com/),        Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks) and blog (http://tributebooks.blogspot.com/). We'd love to have anyone who loves young adult literature to join us for the ride.

Review of Otherworld Tales: Irish the Demon Slayer

2011-12-03T20:21:00.000-06:00

Otherworld Tales: Irish the Demon Slayer by C. T. Markee
Pages: 246
Published by: Moonview Press
Review Source: Author
Review by: Stormi
Rating: 3.5/5

In this action-adventure-fantasy, 12-year-old Pete (Irish) Kehoe thinks he's an ordinary kid-until trees start talking to him and an old woman tells him he's chosen to defend the mystical Otherworld against the King of Demons.

"No way!" he says, until a demon kidnaps his kid sister, Kathy. Then Irish and his two friends, Streak and Huff, time-hop to this besieged world of Celtic mythology to rescue her.

But . . . are they ready to deal with a shape-shifter, a death fog, demon warriors, killer earthquakes and vicious flesh-eating wulgoars to save her?

Can Irish's ancestor, the ancient Celtic warrior hero Cuchulain, or the talking trees, help the boys triumph over evil?

This middle-grade adventure story targets readers age 9 and older. It’s appropriate for boys, girls or older readers who appreciate fantasy and authentic Celtic mythology with non-stop action.

Otherworld Tales is a middle grade story that I think both boys and girls would love to read. Its a interesting tale of good vs evil that throws a young boy and his two friends into the otherworld to fight demons.

Irish is just a ordinary boy who loves playing with his two friends and never would he have expected to have a old woman tell him that he was destined to do great things. It's not until his sister is kidnapped by the evil demons that he sets out on a quest to find his sister and restore peace. Irish and his friends are great characters and it was fun reading about them.

I think this book is great for young readers as it has all three boys finding out that they have their own unique gifts and how they can use them to help save Irish's sister. It was a fun action packed adventure that has all sorts of fun mythical creatures that young readers could enjoy.

I found it to be rather fast paced up until a little towards the end and then for me it sort of lulled a bit and then picked up a bit closer to the ending. Over all it was a good book and I enjoyed it. I would recommend it for the young as well as the old.

Review of Dark Seeker

2011-12-02T15:02:00.000-06:00

Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning
Pages: 294
Publisher by: Creatspace
Review Source: digital copy from author
Reviewed by: Tai
Rating: 3/5

For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she determines she doesn’t know what he is. As Janie’s intrigue over who Kai is pushes her deeper into his mysterious past, she discovers a shocking truth that is even more harrowing than the evil they are up against. It’s a secret Kai wants to keep hidden, especially from Janie.

Thoughts:

What I loved…..

The concept and the plot really liked how Janie though a relative young seeker is teaching her mentor because the world isn’t quite what he prepared her for, new tricks are needed to survive. It made the book less predictable and kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see how Janie was going to get out of the latest trouble she got herself into. I liked the seeker aspect and wanted to know more about that.

Janie and how badass she is. I love strong, sarcastic characters and Janie fits that mold to a tee. The other characters especially Ava and Luke were fun to read about too. Kai and his angst and inner struggle didn’t annoy me cause he channeled it into starky commentary which I found amusing so I ended up really liking him too.

What I wanted more of or didn’t like…

I would have like more background to the seekers, more of Janie’s heritage and more about how the Dark Seeker world worked. I really liked the little bit of information that was given in the story and was hoping to see it explored more but as this is just the 1st book of the series I am hoping the next book will touch more on it.

Janie and Kai’s relationship happened a little too fast for me so with no catalyst to really explain why. One minute she talking about how she should hate him and that he’s dangerous the next she is trusting him and making herself completely vulnerable by sleeping next to him. Her trust in Kai came a little too easy in my opinion. As smart as Janie came across she did some really stupid things when it came to Kai. I do like the banter between them and how they related to each other though.

Overall I gave the book 3 stars because I did like it and will continue the series but after reading the book I still don’t have a firm grasp as to the title of seeker expect that a seeker protects humans and I am all about the details. I can’t completely picture the world and lose myself in the story if I don’t know the rules of it. However I am hoping the next book answers my many questions.

About the Author:

Taryn Browning graduated with a BS in Education from Towson University and went on to earn a MS in Reading from Hood College. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two young sons and their dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, dancing, music, movies, and the beach. Visit her at www.tarynbrowning.com, on twitter and facebook.

Order your copy today - Amazon

YA on Friday!

2011-12-02T07:01:00.001-06:00

Bleeding Hearts by Alyxandra Harvey
Pages: 304
Publisher: Walker Books
Release Date: December 20th

I love The Drake Chronicles and I am reading a eARC of this one right now and I love it. Its just as great as the others and I can't wait to finish it, would have it done if I wasn't so busy with other things. :(

About the Author:

Alyxandra Harvey is the author of Haunting Violet, Hearts at Stake, Blood Feud, and Out for Blood. She studied creative writing and literature at York University and has had her poetry published in several magazines. She lives in an old Victorian farmhouse with a few resident ghosts, her husband, hawk, and two dogs.
www.alyxandraharvey.com
www.thedrakechronicles.com

Thursday Trailers!

2011-12-01T08:49:00.000-06:00

Today I only had time to look for one trailer, but for most people its a huge trailer! So for anyone who hasn't seen the new longer Hunger Games movie trailer here it is! I was not really much of a fan of the novel, but I do want to see the movie!

Can you all want that long to see it? :)

Lightning Book Promotions Presents: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand (Dec. 1st-15th)

2011-12-01T07:00:00.001-06:00

Farsighted Blog Tour starts December 1st-15th

Alex Kosmitoras’s life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he’s blind. Just when he thinks he’ll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to “see” the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future.

Order your cop here: Barnes and Noble
Amazon

About the author:

Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

Book Trailer:

Tour Schedule

1st Heather K @ Hezi-D's Books and Cooks

2nd John @ The Incessant Droning of a Bored Writer (interview only)

2nd Stephanie @ Our Family World

3rd Amanda @ Letters Inside Out

4th Alaiel @ Librarian Mouse

5th Beverly @ The Wormhole

6th Gina @ Behind a Billion and One Pages

7th Wendy @ Minding Spot

8th Cecillia @ Rather Barefoot Than Bookless

9th Angel @ 909 Reviews

10th Heather P @ Earth's Book Nook

11th Lisa @ The Ultimate Fan Blog

12th Connie @ Character Connection (interview only)

13th Andrea @ Dark Readers

14th Deina @ Pages Hidden In Time

15th Jen @ A Book and a Latte

Farsighted by Emlyn Chand; A blind man, 'sees' the future...

Tuesday Thriller: Featuring Badwater by Toni Dwiggins (7)

2011-11-29T18:14:00.001-06:00

Badwater by Toni Dwiggins
Pages: 308
Published by: Creatspace

Forensic geologists Cassie Oldfield and Walter Shaws embark on a perilous hunt--tracking a terrorist who has stolen radioactive material that is hotter than the desert in August. He threatens to release it in America's most fragile national park, Death Valley.

But first he must stop the geologists who are closing in.

As the hunt turns dangerous, Cassie and Walter will need grit along with their field skills to survive this case. For they are up against more than pure human malice. The unstable atom--in the hands of an unstable man--is governed by Murphy's Law. Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

"BADWATER is superb. It has a great plot with many twists and surprises, featuring real-life characters. The author did a very find job of characterizing the disconnect between all the measures intended to assure safety and the reality of things sometimes being unsafe. Truly well-written and engaging. A joy to read."
- David Lochbaum, head of the Nuclear Safety Project, Union of Concerned Scientists

"In this superb, taut, action-packed thriller set in the California desert, a highway hijacking turns toxic and Cassie Oldfield, forensic geologist, is called in to help the FBI and the EPA's Radiological Emergency Response Team track down stolen casks of nuclear waste. Sophisticated soil analysis is not normally a deadly occupation, yet before it's all over, Cassie comes face to face with a sociopathic killer and with her own mortality. Notice to criminals: watch out for Cassie! She knows where you've been. Fans of Nevada Barr are going to love this book just as much as I did."
- Marcia Talley, Agatha and Anthony award-winning author of the Hannah Ives mysteries
Sounds like a great thriller!!

You can buy it now at Amazon.com on kindle for $.99 or at Barnes and Noble on nook for $.99!

About Author:

Toni Dwiggins has done magazine work, both fiction and non. She's author of a US History textbook, and has contributed to texts in the sciences. She's done tech-writing for the Silicon Valley computer industry, and that experience hatched an idea that became her first novel, about an attempt to sabotage the nation's telephone system (INTERRUPT, published by TOR Books).

She went in a different direction with her second novel, BADWATER, into the world of rocks and radiation. Always a rock collector, she became hooked on geology, and then came across a textbook on forensic geology and was further hooked. She found a generous forensic geologist who showed her around his lab and taught her the basics.

And then one day she was looking through old camping photos and came across pics of a trip to Death Valley, and thought: now there's a place to set a story.

And then she learned that---on the perimeter of Death Valley National Park---there once was a radioactive waste dump.

Lightning Book Promotions Blog Tour: Reaper Two-Six

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

Reaper Two-Six: The Rise of Global Insurgency by Robert Grand
Pages: 252
Publisher: Reaper Two-Six Production
Review Source: Author
My Rating: 3.5/5

The world is suffering from the effects of out-of-control terrorism. Governments are spending huge amounts of precious capital for the safety and security of air and rail transportation as well as inspections at all sea ports. The global economic effect is crippling; countries struggle to manage commerce, international trade, business growth, job creation and tourism. The world’s economy is on the brink of collapse. The Global Defense Organization TM (GDO) has been created to be a cost effective multinational elite group that monitors, infiltrates and eliminates terrorist activities within all supporting countries. Known only as Reaper Two-Six TM, this secret 48 member squadron has quickly earned a reputation for precisely eliminating terrorist threats, in the air and on the ground. Why did China and Columbia oppose the creation of the GDO? Are they connected to global terrorist cells? Are they secretly financing the sale of weapons? The Reaper’s greatest challenge is now upon them; infiltrate China and Columbia to discover their real intentions. Through a series of electrifying and heart-stopping missions, see how the Reapers use their skills and advanced technology to put fear back where it belongs, in the minds of the terrorists, not in the minds of its citizens.

I am not a huge Military novel fan, but I decided to give Robert's book a try when he contacted me about doing a tour. So I would say I am not a real good judge of how military novels are suppose to be, but I found it to be interesting.

I sometimes got a little confused with the military technical jargon that was used by the pilots or in the description paragraphs and had no clue what a reaper was till I looked it up on the Internet. It starts out a little slow, but as you get into it it picks up on the action.

The Reapers are a group of talented pilots from all over the world who were formed to keep the peace. The fly missions all over the world as a part of the GDO, but China and Columbia doesn't want to be a part of the GDO. Things heat up when they find out they are behind a terrorist group and now the Reapers must go and do a sweep of the area to find out what is going on and that is when things get a little heated.

In Reaper Two-Six there are a lot of different characters so there really isn't a main character that I could pin point unless you couldn't maybe Wolverine and the other guy in command and I can't remember his name. There is not a lot of character development but I know the author said that would happen a little more in the next book as this is the first book in a series.

I think if you like military action novels that you would probably enjoy this book and should give it a try.

About the author:

Robert Grand is an author, publisher and aerospace engineer. During his 23 years in engineering, Robert worked for McDonnell Douglas, Cirrus Design, NASA and Pratt & Whitney, supporting numerous aeronautical programs. Robert’s inspiration for The Rise of Global Insurgency came from his first love - flying. He even earned a private pilots’ license, finally allowing him to enjoy commanding a Grumman Tiger aircraft. Robert resides in South Lyon, Michigan with his beloved Carol and their Italian Greyhound dog Sofie. Both Robert and Carol enjoy watching Blu-ray movies in their home theater, relaxing in stadium-style seating and eating freshly made old-fashion popcorn.

The website for the book is http://www.reapertwosixproductions.com/ and the author also has a great website for fans of Reapers, etc at http://www.reapertwosix.com/

Places to purchase this novel:
Amazon.com
Barnes and Noble

This review was a part of the Blog Tour for Lightning Book Promotions and I was given a book by the author for a honest review.

Winner!

2011-11-26T19:29:00.000-06:00

I was shopping till I dropped yesterday and total forgot to announce the winner of The Black Sun's Daughters series. I will be announcing the winners of my 800 follower contest later on this week as it is going to take more figuring out. :)

Congratulations to...drum role...

Deranged Pegasus

I will be sending you a email so please send me your mailing address within two days or I will pick a new winner.

Thanks to all that entered!

Review of The 25 Greatest Top Secret Recipes

2011-11-26T10:40:00.000-06:00

The 25 Greatest Top Secret Recipes by Todd Wilbur
Ebook
Publisher: Plume
Review Source: Netgalley
My rating: 4/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

This is a ebook filled with 25 of your favorite fast food restaurant food recipes. From McDonald's Big Mac to Mrs. Field's cookies. They are all very easy to make and fun to eat! It has diagrams that show you how to assemble the foods you are making and some of these place we don't have near by so its was nice to be able to make our own.

There is The Cheesecake Factory's White Chocolate Raspberry truffle cake, how yummies is that! You can also learn to make your own Reese Peanut Butter Cup, and I love Outback Steakhouse Bloomin Onions and now I can make them at home!

I am sure you might be able to find some of these recipes on the Internet, but here in one collection you have a lot of great restaurant recipes with out having to do the searching.

If you love to cook this is a great little recipe book for you.

Review of Inside Out

2011-11-26T10:06:00.000-06:00

Inside Out by Maria Snyder
Pages: 320
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Review Source: ebook
My rating: 3.5/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

"Imagine every space in this room filled with people. Constantly being jostled and pushed. In the lower levels there is no quiet place. No peace. To a scrub, this room is paradise."

I drew a deep breath. I'd spoken more in one burst to this stranger whose room I'd invaded than anyone else in weeks. And with a single word he could alert the Pop Cops and send me to the Chomper. We stared at each other for a few heartbeats.

Before I could retreat he said, "My name's Riley Narelle Ashon. Any time you need peace, you're welcome to use my hideaway."

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own...until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

Never read any of Snyder's other books, so I had no clue to her writing style or character formation like some people whose reviews I have read. Reading some reviews I felt a little apprehensive about reading it but I felt it was a okay book.

I am still not a die hard dystopian fan since they always seem to have the same sort of feel to them. This one has two different classes the Uppers and the Scrubs. The Scrubs are the ones who have to clean everything. Trella her escape from everything is the pipes, she gets around them so well that she can usually get away from the Pop Cops.

Trella, is a hard character to like for me, as she doesn't really think much of herself, but she is spunky and I do like that part of her. Cog, is your typical nice guy friend and has the typical 'hero' feel to him. Riley on the other hand has that sweet, nice guy quality but the only thing is he is a Upper. Trella just doesn't know if she can trust him. They work well together trying to figure things out but Trella just isn't sure of him. I like him over Cog though.

Over all Inside Out was a decent read but if I don't read the rest of the series I don't think I will be missing out on anything. I might get to Outside In if I get a chance, but with so many reads out there one has to selective.

If you like Dystopian/Sci-fi type books you will probably like this book.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T19:16:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all those that this applies too! :) I am not going to be posting anything tomorrow as I will be cooking, eating and hanging with family. :) I hate how the US has rushed through Thanksgiving as if its not a holiday anymore...its all about the all mighty dollar and what they get you to buy for Christmas! :(

I for one am thankful for my family, friends and blog followers! :)

So Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you stuff yourself with lots of turkey and goodies..

Thriller Tuesday!

2011-11-22T18:24:00.000-06:00

Getting around a little late do to the business of the holiday season but I still have a feature for today! This one sounds a bit freaky!

Fresh Flesh by Todd Russell
Pages: 274
Buy it now:Print - $13.13
Ebook - $2.99

The ocean surrounds the secret.

Last night a wicked storm swept a beautiful sacrifice onto the shore.

Shipwrecked Jessica Stanton is about to be discovered, cherished, and trained to survive on a remote island by a man who is not what he seems.

There is a place on earth where unrestrained evil flourishes.

Welcome home, Jessica.

About the author:

Todd Russell loves reading and writing scary, thrilling stories often set in the Pacific Northwest. He lives in the small city of Orting, Washington overlooking beautiful, active and deadly, Mount Rainier. Mental Shrillness, a collection of horror short stories, was his first book. His debut novel Fresh Flesh, a psychological thriller horror story 22+ years in the making, was released on his birthday September 29, 2011. He is working on several other books.

Lightning Book Promotions is looking for some Historical Fiction bloggers!

2011-11-21T19:35:00.001-06:00

Most of us have heard in some way about the history of how the Jews took back their nation. Maybe you only know a little and would like to know more about how it happened. Well author Dave Longeuay has written a book all though it’s a fiction novel the event in the book are based on actual events.

I am looking for a select group of bloggers who like historical fiction and I have been told that it’s a novel that can easily appeal to those who are Christian, Jewish or those who read Secular novels. I am going to put this book on a blog tour in February but I am not sure of the exact date, but if you would like to be a part of this blog tour sign ups are starting now. Either leave a comment with a way to contact you or contact me at stormi@lightningbookpromotions.com.

About the book:
How did a scattered remnant of Jews rise to build a mighty superpower in the Middle East?

Fleeing his father’s anti-Semitic organization, Charles Devonshire journeys into the most volatile land-grab in history — Palestine. Charles pursues a beautiful but mysterious librarian, Gladia, who leads him into the elaborate Jewish underground. While joining their plight to reestablish a homeland, he falls in love her and faces painful challenges within their culture gap. In the midst of battling the hostile inhabitants who also laid claim to Palestine, he searches for clues of his own troubled past.

Can Charles pursue love, uncover his family secrets and avoid being trapped in the middle of the world’s longest feud?

Rebirth draws you into 1948, into a world of intrigue, espionage and anti-Semitism. Witness how ancient prophecies were fulfilled against impossible odds as Israel built a nation and defied skeptics. Journey through the precarious events that led to Israel’s miraculous rebirth on May 14, 1948. Experience the unrelenting pursuits of the most persecuted race, and how their renewed strength rebirthed their original language, customs and land cultivations after 2,000 years of desolation — an accomplishment no other nation can claim.

What people have said about Rebirth:

“Rebirth is a compelling novel which manages to perform the difficult task of being very entertaining and informative. The depth of characters allow the reader to experience the struggles of Israel’s birth, both personal and political.” –Rabbi Eric Tokajer

“I never gave much thought about Israel until I read Rebirth; Now I support them completely!” –Maryann Snyder

“A gripping story with surprises at each turn of the page!” –Joseph Mantosa

For a sample chapter and to watch the book trailer for this book please check out the books website: http://www.rebirthofisrael.com/#!

About the author:
Dave Longeuay has been writing since 1978. He started writing poems, lyrics and music, in his teenage years. In 1980 he founded Public Recording, and built a thriving multimedia studio, which became his sole source of work for over twenty years. He also wrote, co-wrote, and produced hundreds of popular songs for local musicians in Southern California, as well as numerous radio scripts for a wide variety of radio commercials and broadcast videos for his clients.

In 1989, he also wrote his first book, “The End Times.”

In 2000 he expanded his recording facility to accommodate video services. His writing skills broadened to write dozens of video scripts for a wide range of videos, including storyboard scripts for music videos, infomercials, commercials, and dozens of corporate products. His most notable independent work was writing, producing, shooting, and editing a documentary about missionaries. He personally filmed and directed the documentary in Uganda Africa, New Castle England, and Rosarito Mexico.

“I have a passion for writing and telling stories that will inspire people worldwide.”

If you would like to participate in this blog tour please contact me at stormi@lightningbookpromotions.com. If you have reviewed for me before I would like to let you know that I now have a blog tour host button on my website that you can put on your blog if you would like go to http://lightningbookpromotions and you will find it in the sidebar it says "I'm a Reviewer" :)

P.S. Each blogger that reviews this book for the blog tour will be entered into a host drawing for a $25 gift card to Amazon.com. (You must post your review to be entered)

Thanks,
Stormi

Review of Airel

2011-11-19T11:01:00.001-06:00

Airel by Aaron Patterson and Chris White
Pages: 425
Publisher: Stonehouse Ink
Review Source: digital copy from publisher
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

All Airel ever wanted was to be normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like an incredible ability to heal. Then there s Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous...and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything. Airel knew change would be an inevitable part of life. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?

Okay so I am not a huge Angel story kind of person but I agreed to review this book so I thought I would give it a try. I found it to be a decent read, although I am not a huge fan of flashing back between the past and the present. Sometimes I seem to get lost in what was happening in the past but my favorite parts were what was happening to Airel in the present, not her ancestors in the past.

Airel is pretty much your typical teen who has a awesome best friend Kim, who was my favorite character. When Airel meets Micheal she starts feeling sick all of the time but she doesn't understand why, also her skin starts clearing up. She goes from looking like a typical teen to a model in just days and she doesn't understand why, some other things happens to her and she has no clue what is going on.

She witnesses a murder and has a creepy guy stalking her and all sorts of things will happen to her as the book progresses but I can't tell you what. Airel is a fairly strong character and it was surprising to find that two male authors wrote this book about a girl.

Micheal is a hot, sexy guy who shows up to school one day and turns Airel's world upside down in more ways than one. They have a instant attraction to each other but Airel still gets a bit conflicted about him. Sometimes he looks like he is in love, then its like a mask comes over his face and he won't let it show. Their is a good reason for this that you will find out towards the end if you don't figure it out while your reading. I think he might get to redeem himself in the second book as it is called Micheal. I am a little curious to know more about him.

Over all I think if angel books are your thing that you would really like this book. I liked the first half more than the last half, but over all I think I will still check out the second book because I like Micheal and would like to know more about him.

YA on Friday: Cyberpunk; guest post by author Jess C. Scott

2011-11-18T09:26:00.000-06:00

Please welcome Jess C. Scott author of the Elven Trilogy they are cyberpunk novels. I had no clue what cyberpunk was so I asked her to explain what makes a novel cyberpunk.

Cyberpunk in “The (Cyberpunk) Elven Trilogy”--Guest Post by Jess C Scott

BOOK SUMMARY (The Darker Side of Life): A hybrid elf child combats a dark elf’s scheme to exploit and turn a virtual reality system into a weapon of mass destruction.

My upcoming publication is an urban fantasy project titled, The Darker Side of Life [Book #2 in the (Cyberpunk) Elven Trilogy].

In 2008, I scribbled down the words “cyberpunk” and “elves” side by side during a random brainstorming session. I thought it’d be a cool concept to develop and explore, so I made a few outlines and published the first book in early 2011 (I’m aiming to publish the remaining two books in the trilogy in early 2012).

The cyberpunk genre covers certain themes, and I wanted to be sure I incorporated some of these elements into the trilogy (which is also categorized as “urban fantasy” since the story involves elves, a bit of magic, and takes place in a contemporary setting).

Here’s some information on how the ‘cyberpunk’ concept influenced the storyline and characters in The Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy.

* Cyberpunk is about expressing (often dark) ideas about human nature, technology and their respective combination in the near future.

* Cyberpunk is a science-fiction subgenre characterized by countercultural antiheroes trapped in a dehumanized, high-tech future.

* Common Themes in Cyberpunk include:

1. Negative impact of technology on humanity

2. Blurred divisions between man and machine

3. Corporate control over society

There’s a bit more information on my page, What is ‘Cyberpunk’? (which readers/bloggers have found useful!)

What attracts me to the cyberpunk genre is the relevance of its pressing themes, particularly because the genre is set in the “near future.”

The elves in the trilogy are part of the “subcultures and underground movements” often seen in the cyberpunk genre. The second and third books expand on the themes of virtual reality, pervasive computing, and cybernetics (in the form of microchip implants), without getting too heavy on the technical details.

Maintaining a balance between the “cyberpunk” and “fantasy” elements in this project is a very fun, rewarding, challenging, and engaging experience. I like pushing myself to do work that’s authentic and original.

But perhaps why I’m most drawn to the genre is because I’m haunted by the likelihood of cyberpunk becoming the standard way of life in future (such that it’s no longer a “genre” but the actual “way of life”). This is perhaps the strongest driving force behind my projects that follow a cyberpunk vein, which is why I’ll continue working on more cyberpunk-themed projects once the Elven Trilogy is done (this mainstream/edgy project is only just the beginning…).

---------------

Author Bio:

Jess is an independent author/artist/non-conformist who’s dedicated to writing original stories that are both meaningful and entertaining. She works in a diverse range of genres, such as contemporary fiction, YA fiction, poetry, urban fantasy, and cyberpunk. She is currently completing The Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy.

P.S. Jess has a free short story featuring Laer, the dark elf from the trilogy! More details @ http://jessINK.com/skins.htm

Website: www.jesscscott.com
Book Site: http://www.elventrilogy.wordpress.com/

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/jessINKbooks

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jesscscott

Crime Time Wednesdays (6)

2011-11-16T07:00:00.002-06:00

The spotlight is shining on:

Middle Time by Priya Vasudevan
Pages: 313
Publishers: Niyogi Books

Book blurb:

As Maya drove to her parents house, she reflected on her meeting with Toni. So, Tulsi had been doing research. This seemed to be a clue. Maybe she had found the story of the widow Thulasi s murder or Achale s story in the archives how easily the names came to mind; it was almost as if she really knew them well! In a way, she did; they had been on her mind quite often since she d been to the flat.

Was Tulsi s murder somehow connected to the story and Thulasi s death in Middle Time?Toni had seemed reluctant to discuss the dance drama s script. Had Tulsi reproduced something she had found in her research? Some instinct had warned her not to mention the book. Had Tulsi been killed because she had stumbled upon something? What bearing could a centuries old story have on modern secrets?

The authors description:

My book,'Middle Time' alternates betweenpresent day Chennai in South India and Hampi, a World heritage site in medievalIndia during the last days of the Vijayanagara empire. Maya, the protagonist isa lawyer whose client Tulsi has died under mysterious circumstances at a danceschool. While going through her client's papers, as she tries to prove that thedeath is murder, not suicide, as Tulsi's child Shibani insists, Maya discoversan ancientmanuscript which transports her back in time. Maya discovers thatTulasi, a widow who had been excommunicated when she had a son a year after herhusband's death, has been murdered. Ningi, maid to Achalebbe, a devadasi of theVirupaksheshwara temple at Hampi comes across the body of Tulasi on the banksof the river which flows past their town. Maya has to answer a number ofquestions as she struggles to solve both the mysteries not least being-is therea connection between the two deaths?

About the author:

Priya Vasudevan is a lawyer, writer and trainer. As a lawyer, she has written training manuals and trained teachers, lawyers and judges in human rights law. Priya also serves as an Arbitrator and is a member of regional organizations such as Asia Pacific Forum for Women, Law and Development. She has written Contempt of Court in Halsbury s Laws of India for Butterworths India Limited (now Lexis Nexis).

Priya s articles have been published in magazines such as Femina. She has also published several short stories for children, including Nazreen s Park (Orient Longman Ltd.) and short stories for children in Children s World and Target. Priya lives with her husband and two daughters in Chennai.

Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton ebook only $2.99!!!

2011-11-15T20:24:00.001-06:00

Kersten sent me a email telling me that her publisher is doing a promotion deal with the ebook of Tyger, Tyger and it will only cost $2.99!!!! This is an even better price than the paperback- for the next two weeks through Amazon, Apple, B&N and Google. Its only for a limited time so if you have ever thought about reading this series but wasn't to sure about it this would be a great time to pick up book one!

I love this series and recommend it for anyone who loves fantasy books about goblins, etc. :)

Thriller Tuesdays (6)

2011-11-15T07:00:00.001-06:00

The Spot light is shining on:

Where The Dead Fear To Tread by M. R. Gott

Ebook

Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing

Description:

A police officer and a serial killersearch separately for a missing child while running a malevolent labyrinthpopulated by creatures they never knew existed.

Former prosecutor William Chandler, disgusted with his past inaction, spillsthe blood of those who victimize children to correct the ills he sees in theworld. A self-admitted serial killer and uncomfortable with his actions,Chandler attends the funerals of those whose lives he has taken in an effort toretain a true understanding of the nature of violence.

The carnage left in his wake is investigated by Detective Kate Broadband, whobecomes progressively more comfortable with the corpses left by Chandler.Envying the power she sees in him, she pursues Chandler as each search forMaria Verde, a missing eight-year-old girl.

As Chandler and Broadband draw closer to discovering what happened to Mariathey are forced to confront The Devourer, an unnatural being trafficking instolen children.

Where the Dead Fear to Tread is a tale of hard-boiled macabre, bridgingnumerous genres to reveal a story of horror, crime and revenge.

Available from the Untreed Reads Store, Amazon and mostmajor e-book retailers for $4.99.

(Doesn't this sound like a awesome book!)

About the Author:

M.R. Gott is theauthor of the novel Where the Dead fear to Tread and the forthcoming sequelWhere the Damned Seek Closure. You can visit M.R. at his website Cutis Anserinaat http://wherethedeadfeartotread.blogspot.com. Aside from contacting M.R. youwill find his collection of book reviews and a list of small horror films youmay have missed. M.R. lives contentedly in central New Hampshire with his wife,and their three pets. Aside from writing M.R. enjoys dark coffee, dark beer andfading light.

And the winner is...

2011-11-14T19:07:00.000-06:00

Today was the end of my Iron Elves series giveaway and so I put the number of comments into the random number generator and got number 17 which was...drum roll please......

SARA!!! :)

Congratulations, I have sent you a email and you have two days to email me back with your mailing information before I draw a new name.

Happy reading!

Review of Darn Good Cowboy Christmas

2011-11-14T18:00:00.000-06:00

Darn Good Cowboy Christmas by Carolyn Brown
Pages: 384
Publisher: Sourcebook
Review Source: Danielle from Sourcebook
Rating: 4/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

Born and raised in a traveling carnival, all Liz Hanson ever wanted for Christmas was a home that didn't have wheels. After she was old enough to date she added one more item: a sexy cowboy.

She's about given up on Santa ever bringing either one when her uncle decided to leaves her an ugly house and twenty acres in Texas. Then rancher Raylen O'Donnell walks onto her property...

First time I read a Carolyn Brown book was one of her Honky Tonk Cowboy books, so I was pretty sure that when I read this book I would get me one sexy cowboy and I was right.

Liz has travel all her life and so when her uncle decided to give her his house if she wanted it, she jumped at the chance. She could already picture it with Christmas lights, but all it really needed was a sexy cowboy. I am with Liz on this I sure could use myself a sexy cowboy for Christmas! She has had a crush on Raylen ever since she walked the fence better than he could when she was ten. Liz is a fun character.

Raylen, never forgot that girl who walked the fence better than he did. He always thought she was a cute kid but never thought she would grow into such a exotic beauty and he is smitten. I don't think he minds one bit being that sexy cowboy Liz always wanted for Christmas. I love Raylen, but then I have always been a sucker for cowboys in those tight fittin jeans!

If you are a fan of romance, sexy cowboy, and a good dose of humor then I am sure you will love this book. Carolyn Brown seems to always be able to blend her novels together well with the romance and humor which always makes for a delightful read! Bring on the cowboys!!!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2011-11-14T07:00:00.001-06:00

Its Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

Didn't finish anything last week. :(

Still reading:

Airel by Aaron Patterson (not real fond of Angel books but its not to bad)
Cardsharp by Paul Oliver Westmoreland (I am organizing a blog tour for this MG book if your interested please let me know! January 22nd-31st)
Unclean Spirits by M.L.N. Hanover (Just started this one)

So what are you reading?

In My Mailbox

2011-11-13T20:03:00.000-06:00

In my mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week I got:

The Whole Black Sun's Daughter Series

by M. L. N. Hanover

Thanks to Melissa at Simon and Schuster

So what is in your mailbox?

YA Debut Author Challenge line up!

2011-11-13T09:34:00.000-06:00

This year I am going to try and be more organized so that means WRITING down the name of a book when I read it so I can remember when it comes to my challenges..I am so bad about this. I signed up for this challenge last year but don't know if I did so well, so I am trying again. :) This year I will not be signing up to that many challenges cause I never seem to actually finish them. I just like this one! :)

Kristi at The Story Siren host this challenge so if you want to sign up just head on over to her blog. The plan is to read at least 12 debut authors novels. I love reading debuts and a lot of the books look really good so I might put a list down of what I think I am going to read but it will probably change. It always does. :) Check out the goodread link for all the cool books!

My List:

1) Article 5 by Kristin Simmons
2) Croak by Gina Damico
3) Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen
4) Storybound by Marissa Burt
5) Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves
6) Katana by Cole Gibsen
7) Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
8) Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
9) Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
10) Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear
11) The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin
12) Venom by Fiona Paul

List is subject to change as I find more debut authors I might want to read and don't read these. :)

The Jeff Mariotte reading challege!

2011-11-12T14:17:00.001-06:00

I have always participated in other reading challenge (though sometimes not doing so well) but I have never tried to do my own reading challenge. I recently got to know author Jeff Mariotte who did a guest post on my blog during my Frightfest and I realized that he had a lot of great books out there in the Paranormal/Horror/Fantasy genres that I never even knew about.

He joked with me that he was one of the "most famous never heard of author out there" I am sure when I list some of his books that he has written or collaborated with you will understand why I was shocked that I had never heard of him before.

So I thought I would try and spread the word about him in a reading challenge! So I hope someone will want to do this challenge with me and I am not stuck all alone. :(

Did you know that he wrote books based on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Charmed, CSI, Supernatural, 30 Days of Night!!!! See a lot of great books to be read that I didn't know of (well mainly because I have never read Buffy for Angel books before..lol)

You may use this challenge as a cross over for any other challenge you are doing.
Would love it if you did a review on the books you read and let me know with a comment on this post. I would love to hear what you think of Jeff Mariotte! (not required though)
I will have a linky for you to sign up and I would like you to please tell everyone about it by making a post on your blog telling us what books you are going to read. Then come back and link it.

I will have three different categories for you to choose from, Easy, moderate and extreme!

Easy:

Read 1-3 of Jeff Mariotte's books.

Moderate:

Read 4-6 of Jeff Mariotte's books.

Extreme:

Read 6-12 of Jeff Mariotte's books.

I myself will be doing a moderate Jeff Mariotte reading and below is the list of my books. For a look at the books Jeff has written please got to his website at http://jeffmariotte.com/main.htm.

My list:

1) Dark Vengence: Vol. 1
2) CSI: The Burning Season
3) Missing White Girl
4) Angel: Hollywood Noir
5) 30 Days of Night: Rumors of the Undead
6) River Runs Red

I do hope you will join me in some fantastic reading!

Twitterview with Jody Kihara today!

2011-11-12T12:04:00.002-06:00

Urgent: I didn't know that #TFT was being used already so I have to change to #Jody, sorry.

Hi everyone, Jody Kihara and I would like to invite you to participate in our twitterview. What is a twitterview you might wonder? Well its a interview on twitter and its open to anyone who has questions. It will start at 3pm today Central Standard Time, so make sure you figure up your time zone difference so you can stop by. We would love to hear your questions.

Jody Kihara was the first author to let me organized blog tours for and I have done two of her books back to back. First we had White Witch Pond, then we just finished The Frankincense Trial. Both wonderful books and great successful blog tours.

We thought it might be interesting to do a twitterview to see what type of response we could get and its a great way to help promote Jody and her books. This is my first twitterview so please come help me out! :)

YA on Friday! (4)

2011-11-11T14:48:00.000-06:00

Today's feature is a novel I am currently reading.

Airel by Aaron Patterson and Chris White
Pages: 425
Publisher: Stonehouse Ink

All Airel ever wanted was to be normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like an incredible ability to heal. Then there s Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous...and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything. Airel knew change would be an inevitable part of life. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?

When I agreed to review this book I didn't realize it was a Angel type book. I am not a huge fan of these types of books and try to stay away from them as much as possible. Still it has been a okay read so far but I am only about 30 percent into the ebook copy. It goes from Present day to a long time ago and then back to present and so forth, that confused me at first but now I am use to it. Not a huge fan of flashback chapters.

TGIF(1)

2011-11-11T14:32:00.000-06:00

This is my first time participating in GRead's TGIF meme post. I liked the questions this week so I thought I would jump in and have some fun.

Questions:

Love-Hate Relationship: Which characters from a book do you love to hate?

First one that popped right into my head would have to be Professor Snaps from The Harry Potter Series. You really wanted to hate him even though you knew in the end he wasn't that bad of a guy, but still you just hate him, but love him too. In the movie version he is played by one of my favorite actors Alan Rickman, so it really was a love hate relationship then!!

Then it would be Damon from The Vampire Diaries series, though I haven't read the whole series, I just can't help but like the bad brother..lol. Some times you want to hate him, but he is so hot you just got to love him. Especially if your looking at the guy playing him on the series Ian Somerhalder...LOL

What characters do you love to hate?

Crime Time Wednesday! (5)

2011-11-09T07:00:00.002-06:00

Today's spotlight is Deadly Current (An RM Outdoor Adventure Mystery #1) by Beth Groundwater

Deadly Current by Beth Groundwater
Pages: 312
Publisher: Midnight Ink

The Arkansas River is the heart and soul of Salida, Colorado. It fuels the small town's economy and thrums in the blood of twenty-seven-year-old Mandy Tanner, a river ranger. When a whitewater rafting accident occurs, she deftly executes a rescue, but a man dies anyway. But it wasn't the river rapids that killed him, it was poison. Tom King was a rich land developer with bitter business rivals, who cheated on his wife, refused to support his kayak-obsessed son, and infuriated environmentalists.

Mandy's world turns upside down when her beloved Uncle Bill—the respected owner of a raft outfitting business—dies of a heart attack. Suspicious that his death is somehow connected to Tom King, she goes on an emotionally turbulent quest for the truth—and ends up in dangerous waters.

About this author:

Beth Groundwater's debut mystery novel, A REAL BASKET CASE, was published by Five Star in March, 2007 and was nominated for a Best First Novel Agatha Award. The large-print edition was released in January, 2008, and the sequel, TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET, was released in May, 2009. Beth's science fiction thriller novella, THE EPSILON ERIDANI ALTERNATIVE, was released by Virtual Tales in December, 2009. Her current mystery, DEADLY CURRENTS, was released in March, 2011 and debuts the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner.

Also, Beth has published nine short stories, including one in Wild Blue Yonder, Frontier Airlines' in-flight magazine, one which was translated into Farsi, and one which was performed in live theater. Beth is an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Pikes Peak Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. She lives in Colorado and enjoys gardening, skiing and traveling with her family. Visit her website at bethgroundwater.com and her blog at bethgroundwater.blogspot.com.

Any American Horror Story fans out there?

2011-11-08T20:03:00.000-06:00

I couldn't wait to watch American Horror Story it looks like it was going to be so whacked out! Then I found out that it would be coming on at a time when I wouldn't be able to watch it, I was so let down. So now I have been playing catch up with it by watching it on Hulu plus, and let me tell you that show is one messed freak show!

It is so total whacked but yet you just can't help but want to watch it, I watched three episodes back to back and I wanted more..lol. Okay so it helps a bit that the hottie Dylan McDermott is in it but still, it is just so freaky and morbid that I just can't stop myself!!! Any other fans out their, nobody I know watches this show and so I am going to have to have a outlet of some sort so you might be getting some more on AHS on this blog.

It's about this family that movies into a haunted house after the husband has a affair. They are trying to make a new start, but the real estate agent didn't tell them about everything that happen in this house, they only told them about the one murder. They didn't tell them anything about the two young kids, the mad scientist, the two gay guys, the maid, etc, etc...ever episode you find out about something new that happened in that house. Most the people that have anything to with the house I am finding out are pretty much ghost that live there. The maid, looks like the young seductress she was before getting killed but only to men, to women she looks like she would if she was still alive, old. So it makes for some really funny scenes!

Anyway, if there are any fans I would really like to hear from you and let me know what you think about the house, the pregnant wife, etc! Below is the official trailer for the show in case you have never heard of it.

Black Sun's Daughter series giveaway!!

2011-11-08T14:36:00.001-06:00

Melissa from Simon and Schuster is so fabulous because she is going to let me give away a the whole Black Sun's Daughter series M. L. N. Hanover!! That is all four books including the newest one that is coming out on Nov. 28th!!

So since it is called the Black Sun's Daughter series I am going to draw a winner for this series on BLACK FRIDAY!!!! So someone is going to get a great book bargain that day as they will win the complete book series. So this contest will end on Nov. 25th!

Never heard of this series but I will be reading it soon! If it looks like a great series to you and you want a chance to win please leave a comment with your contact information! You don't have to be a follower, but if you want to follow me I would appreciate it! :) (Sorry I fogot to put its only open to US/Can)

Book One: Unclean Spirits

Jayné Heller thinks of herself as a realist, until she discovers reality isn’t quite what she thought it was. When her uncle Eric is murdered, Jayné travels to Denver to settle his estate, only to learn that it’s all hers — and vaster than she ever imagined. And along with properties across the world and an inexhaustible fortune, Eric left her a legacy of a different kind: his unfinished business with a cabal of wizards known as the Invisible College.
Led by the ruthless Randolph Coin, the Invisible College harnesses demon spirits for their own ends of power and domination. Jayné finds it difficult to believe magic and demons can even exist, let alone be responsible for the death of her uncle. But Coin sees Eric’s heir as a threat to be eliminated by any means — magical or mundane — so Jayné had better start believing in something to save her own life.

Aided in her mission by a group of unlikely companions — Aubrey, Eric’s devastatingly attractive assistant; Ex, a former Jesuit with a lethal agenda; Midian, a two-hundred-year-old man who claims to be under a curse from Randolph Coin himself; and Chogyi Jake, a self-styled Buddhist with mystical abilities — Jayné finds that her new reality is not only unexpected, but often unexplainable. And if she hopes to survive, she’ll have to learn the new rules fast — or break them completely….

Book Two: Darker Angel

When Jayné Heller’s uncle Eric died, she inherited a fortune beyond all her expectations — and a dangerous mission in a world she never knew existed. Reining in demons and supernatural foes is a formidable task, but thankfully Jayné has vast resources and loyal allies to rely on. She’ll need both to tackle a bodyswitching serial killer who’s taken up residence in New Orleans, a city rich in voodoo lore and dark magic.

Working alongside Karen Black, a highly confident and enigmatic ex-FBI agent, Jayné races to track down the demon’s next intended host. But the closer she gets, the more convinced she becomes that nothing in this beautiful, wounded city is exactly as it seems. When shocking secrets come to light, and jealousy and betrayal turn trusted friends into adversaries, Jayné will soon come face-to-face with an enemy that knows her all too well, and won’t rest until it has destroyed everything she loves most….

Book Three: Vicious Spirit

When you’re staring evil in the eye, don’t forget to watch your back . . .

For the first time in forever, Jayné Heller’s life is making sense. Even if she routinely risks her life to destroy demonic parasites that prey on mortals, she now has friends, colleagues, a trusted lover, and new found confidence in the mission she inherited from her wealthy, mysterious uncle. Her next job might just rob her of all of them. At Grace Memorial Hospital in Chicago, something is stirring. Patients are going AWOL and research subjects share the same sinister dreams. Half a century ago, something was buried under Grace in a terrible ritual, and it’s straining to be free. Jayné is primed to take on whatever’s about to be let loose. Yet the greatest danger now may not be the huge, unseen force lurking below, but the evil that has been hiding in plain sight all along—taking her ever closer to losing her body, her mind, and her soul. . . .

Book Four: Killing Rites

JaynÉ Heller has discovered the source of her uncanny powers: something else is living inside her body. She's possessed. Of all her companions, she can only bring herself to confide in Ex, the former priest. They seek help from his old teacher and the circle of friends he left behind, hoping to cleanse JaynÉ before the parasite in her becomes too powerful.

Ex’s history and a new enemy combine to leave JaynÉ alone and on the run. Her friends, thinking that the rider with her has taken the reins, try to hunt her down, unaware of the danger they’re putting her in. JaynÉ must defeat the weight of the past and the murderous intent of another rider, and her only allies are a rogue vampire she once helped free and the nameless thing hiding inside her skin.

Happy reading!

Thriller Tuesdays! (4)

2011-11-07T18:32:00.001-06:00

Today's spotlight is on a novel I came across a few weeks ago and put on my wishlist!

The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Pages: 384
Publisher: William Morrow

From the authors of the instant New York Times bestsellers The Strain and The Fall comes the final volume in one of the most electrifying thriller series in years

It’s been two years since the vampiric virus was unleashed in The Strain, and the entire world now lies on the brink of annihilation. There is only night as nuclear winter blankets the land, the sun filtering through the poisoned atmosphere for two hours each day—the perfect environment for the propagation of vampires.

There has been a mass extermination of humans, the best and the brightest, the wealthy and the influential, orchestrated by the Master—an ancient vampire possessed of unparalleled powers—who selects survivors based on compliance. Those humans who remain are entirely subjugated, interred in camps, and separated by status: those who breed more humans, and those who are bled for the sustenance of the Master’s vast army.

The future of humankind lies in the hands of a ragtag band of freedom fighters—Dr. Eph Goodweather, former head of the Centers for Disease Control’s biological threats team; Dr. Nora Martinez, a fellow doctor with a talent for dispatching the undead; Vasiliy Fet, the colorful Russian exterminator; and Mr. Quinlan, the half-breed offspring of the Master who is bent on revenge. It’s their job to rescue Eph’s son, Zack, and overturn this devastating new world order. But good and evil are malleable terms now, and the Master is most skilled at preying on the weaknesses of humans.

Now, at this critical hour, there is evidence of a traitor in their midst. . . . And only one man holds the answer to the Master’s demise, but is he one who can be trusted with the fate of the world? And who among them will pay the ultimate sacrifice—so that others may be saved? (from amazon.com)

Doesn't this one sound cool!!!!

Iron Elves Series Giveaway!

2011-11-07T17:13:00.000-06:00

Melissa from Simon and Schuster is allowing me to give away the complete Iron Elves series by Chris Evans ! So if you love fantasy novels and you have not read this series yet here is your chance! Below is the information if you don't know anything about them. I know I had not heard of it when she asked me if I would like to review it, which is coming up close on my TBR list! Can't wait to read them!

Book One and Two are paperback and Book Three is in hardback.

If you want a chance to win these novels just leave a comment with your name and contact info and on November 14th I will draw a name from random.org.

Book One: A Darkness Forged in Fire

First in a stunning debut series, A Darkness Forged in Fire introduces an unforgiving world of musket and cannon...bow and arrow...magic, diplomacy, and oaths -- each wielding terrible power in an Empire teetering on the brink of war.

In this world, Konowa Swift Dragon, former commander of the Empire's elite Iron Elves, is looked upon as anything but ordinary. He's murdered a Viceroy, been court-martialed, seen his beloved regiment disbanded, and finally been banished in disgrace to the one place he despises the most -- the forest.

Now, all he wants is to be left alone with his misery...but for Konowa, nothing is ever that simple. The mysterious and alluring Visyna Tekoy, the highborn daughter of an elfkynan governor, seeks him out in the dangerous wild with a royal decree that he resume his commission as an officer in Her Majesty's Imperial Army, effective immediately.

For in the east, a falling Red Star heralds the return of a magic long vanished from the earth. Rebellion grows within the Empire as a frantic race to reach the Star unfolds. It is a chance for Konowa to redeem himself -- even if the entire affair appears doomed to be a suicide mission...

and that the soldiers recruited for the task are not at all what he expects. And worse, his key adversary in the perilous race for the Star is the dreaded Shadow Monarch -- a legendary elf-witch whose machinations for absolute domination spread deeper than Konowa could ever imagine....

Book Two: The Light of Burning Shadows

"They might be doomed, damned, and buggered for all eternity, but that didn't mean they couldn't sparkle like a diamond in the sun and grin like a skull in the moonlight on their way to oblivion."

Musket and cannon, bow and arrow, and magic and diplomacy vie for supremacy once again in this second epic fantasy adventure from acclaimed author Chris Evans. As the human-dominated Calahrian Empire struggles to maintain its hold on power in the face of armed rebellion from within, the Iron Elves' perilous quest to defeat the power-hungry elf witch, the Shadow Monarch, takes on greater urgency.

The Iron Elves, shunned by their own people for bearing the mark of the Shadow Monarch, and desperately wanting to forever erase this shame, became legendary for their prowess on the battlefield as the Calahrian Imperial Army's elite shock troops. But when their commanding officer, Konowa Swift Dragon, murdered the Viceroy of Elfkyna, he was exiled, and these brave elves were banished to a remote desert outpost, doomed and leaderless, their honor in tatters.

Recalled to duty to reform his regiment from the dregs of the Imperial Army, Konowa thwarted the plans of the Shadow Monarch at the Battle of Luuguth Jor -- ensuring that the fabled Red Star, a source of great natural energy, did not fall into Her hands. Now Konowa must cross storm-tossed seas to seek out the lost elves and the prophesied return of another Star somewhere in a desert wasteland roiling with mysterious power, infernos of swirling magic, and legends brought back to life in new and terrible ways. And the fate of every living creature will come to depend on a small band of ragged and desperate soldiers, whose very loyalty to the Empire they have sworn to serve is no longer certain. When death is but a temporary condition, a terrifying question arises: who is the true ally -- and fearsome enemy -- in a growing conflict that threatens all?

Book Three: Ashes of a Black Frost

In the bestselling traditions of Terry Brooks, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Bernard Cornwell comes the third novel in the acclaimed epic fantasy series following The Light of Burning Shadows.

Musket and cannon, bow and arrow, and magic and diplomacy vie for supremacy once again in this all-new epic adventure from acclaimed author Chris Evans. As the human-dominated Calahrian Empire struggles to maintain its hold on power in the face of armed rebellion from within, the Iron Elves’ perilous quest to defeat the power-hungry elf witch, the Shadow Monarch, now takes on greater urgency....

Packed with wit, high adventure, and political intrigue, Ashes of Black Frost will hook readers on this bold and exciting series.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2011-11-07T07:00:00.002-06:00

It's Monday!What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

Last week:

Touch by Jus Accardo (review) I really enjoyed this book!

This week:
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood

Airel (Volume 1) by Aaron Patterson and Chris White

So what are you reading?

Review of The Frankincense Trail (blog tour)

2011-11-06T06:00:00.001-06:00

The Frankincense Trail by Jody Kihara
Pages: 262
Publisher: Star Magnolia Publishing
Review source: Author
Rating: 4/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

In 200BC, frankincense was worth its weight in gold, making Arabia was the envy of the world. But wealth comes at a cost: the precious resin was transported along the Frankincense Road, a dangerous route through rocky mountains and barren desert. Alia is a princess in a dwindling kingdom that lies on the Frankincense Road. Having grown up hearing tales of the famous Queen of Sheba, she dreams of finding a way to restore her kingdom’s former might. When a caravan journeying to the mysterious incense lands stops to take on travellers, she sees her chance. She soon realises, however, that her trust in the caravan leaders has been misguided. They are not mere incense merchants, but traitors and mercenaries. Alia’s journey soon turns from dangerous to life-threatening. The Frankincense Trail is a story that transports the reader to a time and place reminiscent of the Arabian Nights tales.

I have never read a story based in this era of history before so I wasn't really sure if I would like it but I thought I would give it a try and I am glad I did. It's a interesting historical adventure story filled with vivid descriptions of the land but not overly done that it gets too detailed.

Alia is a good main character though she has her faults, but that is what makes her a decent character. Alia lives in a time and place where women have no say it was goes on, not even in their own lives. Alia's town is losing its resources and Alia is sure she knows how to help bring back travellers to her land, but nobody will listen to a girl. Her brothers, I could just strangle, especially the snotty little one, that treat her with no respect at all. So she goes in search for the Frankincense Trail, not really knowing what kind of danger lies ahead.

She dresses as a boy, but what might happen to her when they find out she is a girl. What will Kadal the trader who is leading the group do? I can't say any more because I don't want to give anything good away. The Frankincense Trail is a fun historical adventure novel that I think any one who likes historicals would enjoy reading this book.

For a chance to win this book the author Jody Kihara is giving away five books and you have the choice of either a print book or a digital copy. So if this novel sounds like something you would like to read head on over to her facebook page to enter.

About Jody Kihara:

Jody Kihara is an author of children's and teen fiction. She writes for several age ranges, from chapter books to mid-grade to young adult. Her younger children's books are humorous, and her mid-grade and YA books usually have a strong element of adventure or mystery. Four of her books are now available via the Amazon Kindle store: WHITE WITCH POND, a mid-grade ghost story; THE GIRL ACROSS THE WATER, a young adult mystery/thriller, and THE GOOB FACTOR, a humorous YA novel; and THE FRANKINCENSE TRAIL, a YA historical novel set it pre-Islamic Arabia.
You can learn more about Jody at her website: http://www.jodykihara.com/

This tour is brought to you by Lightning Book Promotions and the author and I would love to invite you to join us on twitter for a twitterview, bring your questions and join the fun and use the hashtag #TFT. Join us at @JodyKihara and @ladystorm33 and lets have some fun. It will be Nov. 12th at 3pm CST, so check your time zones so you don't miss out! :)

Also today Jody Kihara is on Reviews by Molly for a guest post so I would like to invite you all to go check out her post.

In My Mailbox!

2011-11-05T23:37:00.000-05:00

I haven't done a in my mailbox in a couple of weeks so I will list the books I have gotten within the last few weeks. This is hosted by Kristy of The Story Siren.

Last month I got my very first R.A.K, so exciting!

Thanks to Michelle for sending me this book!
http://michellesramblins.blogspot.com/

From Simon and Schuster

What did you get in your mailbox?

Review of Touch

2011-11-05T15:02:00.001-05:00

Touch by Jus Accardo
Pages: 251
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Review Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.
Except there's something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she'll turn to dust if he touches her. It's not until Dez's father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there's more to this boy--and her father's "law firm"--than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation--an organization devoted to collecting "special" kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons--his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they're caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Great, face-paced story from the very beginning! I believe this is Jus Accardo's first novel and she is off to a great start. I can't wait to read the next Denazen novel.

Dez is a great strong main character, and loves to cause her father grief, but she has a sensitive side as well. She has never got along with her father much since she was young, so making him mad is her favorite past time, then she finds out just who her father is and she is ready to make his life even more miserable.

Kale, is a very different sort of character as he was raised his whole life in Denazen and doesn't know much about the outside world. He is like a teenager viewing everything for the first time like a child would. What its like to eat ice cream, watch a dvd, feel new feelings. To feel alive. He only has one real big problem, his touch can kill any living organism. He has never been able to touch another human being until Dez, some reason she is immune to his touch.

Dez was very clueless to what her father's 'law firm' actually did, as it really isn't a law firm at all but a place where people who are called 'Sixes' live, they are people with special powers, or mutants (as they would be called in X-men), and her fathers business uses them to do special work for them and its not nice work.

Dez can't believe all these things about her father at first but when she finds out some other information, she is determined to help Kale and those like him.

The only thing that made me uncomfortable about reading this book was the sexual content, and its not like I don't know that teenager have sex, but it just makes me uncomfortable to read about it as I am not a teen. (I don't even really like reading about it period), but other than that I enjoyed it.

I can't really tell anything more with out giving away major plot point but I just want to say I really liked this book. It was a lot different that the books I have been reading and so it was refreshing to read. I think if you like those strange and unusual books then I would recommend that you read this one.

Trailer Thursday! (3)

2011-11-03T08:00:00.003-05:00

Trailer Thursday is where I post either book trailers from new released novels, or movie trailers for up and coming movies! I love trailers. :)

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

This book intrigues me and its a debut novel, I like checking out debut authors.

If I Die by Rachel Vincent

I have not read this series yet, but always meant too. It looks really good, should I give it a try?

Movie Trailer: The Woman In Black staring Daniel Radcliffe (I am curious to see him in a different role than HP, see what he has to offer, and this movie looks like it could be super creepy!)

Well thats all for this weeks Trailer Thursday, I hope you liked the trailers I picked out!

Crime Time Wednesday (4) Guest Author John Hanson

2011-11-02T08:00:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone, I would like you to welcome John Hanson to my blog. He is the author of several short crime stories. John is currently working with some authors and putting together a crime anthology called The Agency: An Anthology. To keep up with how the anthology is going you should check out John's blog The Incessant Droning of a Bored Writer.

How To Write A Crime Fiction Anthology

You are all familiar with anthologies. Maybe you love them, maybe you hate them, or maybe you are on the fence about them. Nevertheless, you are familiar with them. But haven’t you ever wondered about how an anthology is put together from an editing author who is undergoing that process this very moment?

Most often an anthology is put together this way: the editing author picks a theme, requests submissions, chooses their favorites of those submissions, contacts the winning authors to congratulate them, retrieves the rights to the stories, organizes these stories in whichever order they see fit (most often the two of the best stories are first and the other two are last, then the rest are in between) and once everything is set, the anthology is ready for publication.

This is the most common method for organizing anthologies and in many ways, the easiest. Most publishers use this for creating anthologies, yes, but through this same old, boring routine, you’ll have the same old, boring anthology as a product. By simply choosing a theme and requesting submissions, an editing author and any chosen authors will not have a chance to really connect with the entire anthology and its theme which makes for a less appealing collection. The editing author may come across a few incredible stories when skimming through submissions but without allowing the anthology to grow with the authors as it should in the start, the stories will be completely different from each other and not at all intertwined, which makes for a weak collection because to all you anthology skeptics, this method is why you hate anthologies: you start a story and just when you are getting into it, it ends and you have to begin a new story without any relation to its predecessor.

I, too, hate this and that is why I’m doing something completely different with my anthology. Instead of doing the above, I decided to begin completely from scratch. I didn’t have a theme, I didn’t have any authors, I just knew that I wanted to create a crime fiction anthology that would be different from anything anyone had ever seen. With that dream in mind, I assembled a team of phenomenal crime fiction authors whose worked I was already familiar with and madly in love with, all who wanted to be included in this daring idea I proposed. And so it began. We worked as unit for a good couple of weeks, brainstorming the most innovative themes and ideas for the anthology we could think of. It was a group effort and was extremely effective, especially because it allowed the authors to bond with each other and their writing styles as well as the anthology itself. Obviously, this makes for an exceptional finished product.

It was not until about three weeks after the start of the anthology that we decided on a theme, given to us by the brilliant David Lascelles, but we all fell madly in love with it. The idea fit seamlessly with our topic of making this anthology utterly unique and innovative. It took another week to work out all of the kinks of the anthology together, although the cover (which was made by a generous person who does not want her name disclosed) and title were the result of my impatience. From there, every author was required to come up with an idea, send it to me for critique and once it was approved, they were permitted to begin writing. With just about all ideas approved, we are currently at that step of the process – writing the piece – but from what I have read of some of these stories – all of which have a unique, suspenseful plot full of twists – I am extremely excited for the outcome of this anthology and I have high hopes for its future.

After we finish writing our pieces, we plan to swap them with each other for edits, give criticism, make changes and swap them again. As you can see, through my method of creating an anthology, there will undoubtedly be a strong result because the authors have a chance to bond with each other, the anthology, and learn from each other’s writing style. Each author has a unique perspective to bring to the table – after all, that’s why I chose them – and when all of these perspectives are pooled together into one anthology, you get an imaginably phenomenal outcome.

After the rigors of the editing stage are complete, we’ll be submitting to publishers. I have received a number of questions regarding where we’ll be publishing the anthology. And I say the same thing to all of them: we aren’t sure yet. We will be rather picky about publishers, but will submit to them nevertheless and if we find a good publisher match that all of us would be happy with, we’ll definitely go with that. However, if we aren’t pleased with any of the publishers who make us offers (if they do), we will definitely self-publish via Amazon, Smashwords and Createspace and have the anthology available there. We also plan to make a print copy available for any of you interested. So since you have sat through me rambling about this ambiguous anthology of mine, you must be wondering what this anthology is about and why in the world it would be posted about during “Crime Time Wednesdays”. As a response, I present you the tentative blurb:

“Murder
[mur-der]
-noun
The premeditated killing of one human by another

But what about those that are more than just killings? Those incomprehensible murders that dumbfound your ordinary police detective? Those murders that you don’t even know about? Yet.

Based all around the world, “The Agency” is a detective agency investigating the most strange and puzzling murders that you have never heard of. Reality will come into question most certainly and so will everything you thought you knew. Watch as these thirteen detectives dive into the unknown in pursuit of the killers they think they have found. But there is no guarantee that they'll come back alive...

These twelve compelling minds bring you thirteen suspenseful tales of murder, betrayal and deceit that will send your mind reeling and will have you begging for more.”

Like the sound of this anthology? Be sure to visit our official website and subscribe to our posts. Also, be sure to leave a comment on our “Show Your Support” page saying that this anthology is something you’d like to purchase in the future (don’t worry, we won’t hold you to anything) when it’s available. Are you on Goodreads? Please don’t forget to mark the anthology as a to-read on our official Goodreads page.

Any questions? Comments? Concerns? Does this anthology appeal to you? Please leave a comment! Thanks!

Thanks John for the great guest post! I can't wait to read this book!

Thriller Tuesday! (4)

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy All Saints Day! Today it's time for another Thriller Tuesday!

Today's Spotlight

Already Gone by John Rector
Pages: 316
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer
Released: October 25, 2011

Jake Reese is a writing teacher at an American university. He lives in a small brick Tudor close to campus with his art buyer wife, Diane. His life is quiet-Ordinary even. And he likes it that way. But it wasn't always quiet. Jake's distant past was a life on the streets, inflicting damage and suffering on more people than he can count. And now someone from his past, it seems, has come looking for him.

A raw, gripping thriller about the price paid for past sins, John Rector's third novel is a live wire that crackles with the intensity of a man who has nothing left to lose. When two men attack Jake in a parking lot and cut off his ring finger, he tries to dismiss it as an unlucky case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But when events take a more sinister turn and Diane goes missing, Jake knows he can no longer hide from the truth.

As he embarks on a mission to find his wife, he realizes his dark past is refusing to stay buried, and that his future is about to unfold in ways he could never have imagined.

With taut and brooding prose, Rector paints a formidable portrait of a reformed man's slow descent into a life he thought he had walked away from forever. As the intensity becomes almost unbearable, the pace quickens and the suspense applies an unrelenting, vice-like grip, as ALREADY GONE hurtles toward its ultimate, explosive climax.

This one just went on the TBR list for my kindle as the ebook is only $4.99! This book sounds really good and the blurb hooked me in, though the cover is sort of cool, it is not the greats cover I have seen on a book. Still it has sort of a weird, creepy interesting look about it.

About the Author:

JOHN RECTOR is the #1 bestselling author of THE GROVE, ALREADY GONE, and THE COLD KISS (optioned for a feature film now in development). His short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and won several awards including the Porterhouse Prize. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska.

Upcoming tours by Lightning book promotions!

2011-10-31T17:10:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow I have two great YA books going on tour. Each of them are equally great even though they are from two different genres. The Frankincense Trail by Jody Kihara is a YA historical based in the Arabian Nights era. Then there is Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille, a debut author, this novel is a YA Fantasy. Both books were a lot of fun to read!

The Frankincense Trail by Jody Kihara (November 1st-10th)

In 200BC, frankincense was worth its weight in gold, making Arabia was the envy
of the world. But wealth comes at a cost: the precious resin had to be
transported along the Frankincense Road, a dangerous route through rocky
mountains and barren desert.

Alia is a princess in a dwindling kingdom
that lies on the Frankincense Road. Having grown up hearing tales of Bilqis, the
Queen of Sheba, she dreams of finding a way to restore her kingdom’s former
might. When a caravan journeying to the mysterious incense lands stops to take
on travellers, she sees her chance.

She soon realises, however, that her
trust in the caravan leaders has been misguided. They are not mere incense
merchants, but traitors and mercenaries. Alia’s journey soon turns from
dangerous to life-threatening.

The Frankincense Trail is a story that
transports the reader to a time and place reminiscent of the Arabian Nights
tales.

Tour schedule:

November:
        1st: Julie @ One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

         2nd Freda @ Freda’s Voice

         3rd Jude @ In between Writing and Reading

         4th Jennifer @ Fictitious Musing

         5th Orchid @ The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia

         6th Stormi @ Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my!

         7th Mary @ Sweeping Me

         8th Jennifer G @ Can’t Put It Down

        9th Laura @ Library of Clean Reads

       10th Megan @ The Book Addicted Girl

With The Frankincense Trail and Jody Kihara, Lightning Book Promotions is trying something a little different. We want to do a twitterview! What is a twitterview you might ask, well its a interview on twitter! Join us November 12th, 3pm central standard time (Be sure to check your own time zones so you don’t miss the fun!) We will be on Twitter and Jody would love to answer any of your questions, just use #TFT and look for @ladystorm33 and @JodyKihara and let’s have a some fun on twitter!

Also, Jody is doing a giveaway over on her Facebook page, so if you would like a chance to win this novel, then head on over to her Facebook page!

Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille (November 1st-14th)

The boy who follows death meets the girl
who could cause the apocalypse.Krishani thinks he’s doomed until he
meets Kaliel, the one girl on the island of Avristar who isn’t afraid of him.
She’s unlike the other girls, she swims with merfolk, talks to trees and blooms
flowers with her touch. What he doesn’t know is that she’s a flame, one of nine
individually hand crafted weapons, hidden in the body of a seemingly harmless
girl.

Nobody has fallen in love with a flame until now. She becomes
Krishani’s refuge from the dreams of death and the weather abilities he can’t
control. Striking down thousand year old trees with lightning isn’t something he
tries to do, it just happens. When the Ferryman dies, Krishani knows that he’s
the next and that a lifetime of following death is his destiny.

And

Kaliel can’t come with him. The Valtanyana are hunting the flames, the safest
place for her is Avristar. Krishani can’t bear to leave her, and one innocent
mistake grants the Valtanyana access to their mystical island. They’re coming
for Kaliel, and they won’t stop until every last living creature on Avristar is
dead. She has to choose, hide, face them, or awaken the flame and potentially
destroy herself.

Tour Schedule:

November:
1st – JoAnne @ The Fairytale Nerd

2nd- Marissa @ Novels on the Run

3rd – Cherry @ Cherry Mischievous

3rd – Katie @ Curse of the Bibliophile

4th – Valerie @ Stuck In Books

5th – Rabiah @ Confessions of a Readaholic

~~6th – Wanda @~~ ~~Books Are Magic~~

7th – Rozhin @ Zone Out Mode

8th – Erika @ One A Day YA

9th – Vanessa @ Boekie’s Book Reviewer

10th – Gabbi @ The Book Breather

11th – Sally @ Bibrary Book Lust

11th – Aine @ House Millar Series

11th – Rebecca @ Everything To Do With Books

12th – Kellie @ ReaWrite

13th – Bonnie @ Hands and Home

14th – Bree @ The Magic Attic

14th – Gina @ Behind a Million and One Pages

I hope you will join in on the fun and check out all the reviews, interviews and guest post!

Frightfest 2011: Guest Post, author Evan Munday

2011-10-30T19:23:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, please welcome Evan Munday to my blog today. He is the author of The Dead Kid Detective Agency. Today he is talking about how he stopped worrying and learned to enjoy horror.

As I write this, Halloween lies just one day ahead. I returned from a couple costume parties last night, led a workshop for kids on writing supernatural mysteries (at the phenomenal Toronto kids' bookstore, Mabel's Fables) this morning and am gathering items for a 'Nightmare-a-thon on Elm Street' at my apartment this evening. Halloween is my Christmas. It's a way bigger deal to me than my birthday or New Year's Eve or (probably to my girlfriend's chagrin) Valentine's Day.

I'll spend inordinate amounts of time and more money than I can afford on fashioning the perfect costume. So it seemed, on Halloween's Eve (Devil's Night to some, Cabbage Night where I grew up in New Jersey), as good a time as any to analyze how I became obsessed with Halloween, the supernatural and terrifying things in general -- especially since, growing up, I was a complete 'fraidy cat. Maybe I should qualify that: I always felt I was a 'fraidy cat. Two childhood episodes (both involving horror movies) remain vivid in my memory:

1) At a friend's birthday party in the third grade, the birthday boy decided we would all watch Alien and Aliens, two movies that were well beyond my PG-13 experiences. This bold step divided the birthday revelers. Most were happy to have this free pass to watch gory, profanity-laced movies outside the watchful gaze of their parents. (Some probably thought it was some kind of trap.) But three others and I felt unprepared for the jump to restricted films. The four of us sat in the basement like losers, playing Skate or Die on the birthday boy's Nintendo, trying to fathom the terrors the others were witnessing in the living room above. Eventually, I emerged from the basement, having missed only a half-hour or so of Alien, to see my first R-rated horror movie. All but one of my basement companions joined me before the first movie was through.

2) A little older, in fifth grade, a few friends decided we'd hit the local strip mall to see the latest (and last -- a promise many times broken) Nightmare on Elm Street. At the last second, I chickened out and instead watched Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (also playing) for the third time. I had seen it twice before and knew I could handle the instances of arrow violence and Kevin Costner's bare bottom. My decision earned me the scorn of my classmates for some time afterward. That said, it was really only film horror that I avoided. My favourite books as a child always contained an element of horror or terror.

I devoured the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell, which anthologized classic campfire tales with some of the by-far scariest ink illustrations I have ever seen. My perennial favourites were a series of classic horror mysteries (A House with a Clock in Its Walls, The Eyes of the Killer Robot) by John Bellairs. Even the more comical talking-animal mysteries of Bunnicula and Howliday Inn had a horror bent. Vampire pet rabbit? Genius! In the world of nonfiction, I obsessed over whatever books the library stocked on unexplained phenomena: pseudo-scientific texts on sasquatches, UFOs, Jersey Devils, Loch Ness Monsters, werewolves, chupacabras. Clearly, those proverbial things that go bump in the night have been a lifelong obsession. Eventually, I moved on to more adult horror: Stephen King's

Night Shift, a collection of his short stories, gave me nightmare after nightmare. But did I ever put the book down, trade it for something less harrowing? No. So perhaps it's not so strange that my first book for young readers is such a morbid tale, complete with ghost children and murder at a high school. (Though it's a more humorous than scary novel, despite the numerous dead people that populate its pages. Closer to Bunnicula than Night Shift.) But I really have no idea how I overcame my fear of scary movies. Maybe it's like public speaking: do it often enough and it becomes commonplace.

Given the number of horror movies and books I've viewed or read in the past ten years -- I even have a jar on our bookshelf at home, 'Evan's Depraved Movie Jar,' to distinguish those from the movies both my girlfriend and I might to see together -- I can't imagine myself hiding in a basement, playing Nintendo until the monsters on screen disappear. Or maybe it's more like how one grows to love the vegetables he or she hated as a child. Those things that were once unpleasant become some of our favourite things. The youthful repulsion becomes a fascination. Either way, I'm glad I overcame my fears, because there are so many great stories (in book and film form) that I would have really hated to miss. Happy Halloween!

Thanks Evan and I hope you have a great Halloween!

Frightfest 2011: 5 of my favorite scary books!

2011-10-30T12:45:00.001-05:00

Everyone has those books that they have read that gives them goosebumps when reading it. They make you jump when something scraps along your house, or the wind starts to blow. You read them at night even though you know they are going to scare you, but its all part of the fun of reading Horror novels.

Here are five of my favorite horror novels:

5) The Harrowing by Alexandra Sokoloff

Baird College's Mendenhall echoes with the footsteps of the last home-bound students heading off for Thanksgiving break, and Robin Stone swears she can feel the creepy, hundred-year-old residence hall breathe a sigh of relief for its long-awaited solitude. Or perhaps it's only gathering itself for the coming weekend.
As a massive storm dumps rain on the isolated campus, four other lonely students reveal themselves: Patrick, a handsome jock; Lisa, a manipulative tease; Cain, a brooding musician; and finally Martin, a scholarly eccentric. Each has forsaken a long weekend at home for their own secret reasons.
The five unlikely companions establish a tentative rapport, but they soon become aware of a sixth presence disturbing the ominous silence that pervades the building. Are they the victims of a simple college prank taken way too far, or is the unusual energy evidence of something genuine---and intent on using the five students for its own terrifying ends? It's only Thursday afternoon, and they have three long days and dark nights before the rest of the world returns to find out what's become of them. But for now it's just the darkness keeping company with five students nobody wants and no one will miss.

(I read this book a couple of years ago and remember it being really interesting and I thought the ending was pretty cool. It had a real creepy feel to it.)

4) Pet Sematary by Steven King

"Sometimes dead is better...."

When the Creeds move into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, it all seems too good to be true: physician father, beautiful wife, charming little daughter, adorable infant son — and now an idyllic home. As a family, they've got it all...right down to the friendly cat.

But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling truth — more terrifying than death itself...and hideously more powerful.

(This was the very first horror novel by SK I read when I was a teenager and I was hooked on his novels ever since. I will admit that his earlier works are much better than some of his later works but the classics like this one will always be creepy to me.)

3) Dracula by Bram Stoker

The aristocratic vampire that haunts the Transylvanian countryside has captivated readers' imaginations since it was first published in 1897. Hindle asserts that Dracula depicts an embattled man's struggle to recover his "deepest sense of himself as a man", making it the "ultimate terror myth"

(When one thinks horror I am sure we all think of Dracula! Dracula is some what hard to get around the prose of what everyone knows is a great classic horror novel. Many books and movies have drawn from Bram's creation and I am sure many more will be made as the myth of the vampire will always live on.)

2) Watchers by Dean Koontz

From a top-secret government laboratory come two genetically altered life forms. One is a magnificent dog of astonishing intelligence. The other, a hybrid monster of a brutally violent nature. And both are on the loose...

(This was the first book I ever read of Dean Koontz and it hooked me to reading his work as well. Like a lot of authors some books are better than others and to me this one was a great one!)

1) The Shining by Steven King

Danny is only five years old, but he is a 'shiner', aglow with psychic voltage. When his father becomes caretaker of an old hotel, his visions grow out of control. Cut off by blizzards, the hotel seems to develop an evil force, and who are the mysterious guests in the supposedly empty hotel?

(Steven King again I know but this was my absolute favorite of SK's work. This book is full of creepiness and things that go bump in the night! I also find it really interesting to learn more about the hotel and its affects on SK and the reason he wrote the book. It was on one of those Ghost hunting shows once.)

So what are some of your favorite horror novels?

Frightfest 2011: Review of Nine Frights

2011-10-29T13:48:00.002-05:00

Today for Frightfest I am reviewing a book by Jeff Mariotte!

Nine Frights by Jeff Mariotte

Format: Kindle Digital Devices

Publisher: ILT Publishing

Review Source: author

Rating: 4/5

Reviewed by: Stormi

Janey in Amber: A woman visiting her mother’s house encounters some uncomfortable realities about her own life.

Santos del Infierno: In a tale set in the world of Clive Barker’s “Hellbound Hearts” (Hellraiser), a man loses his family and gains a new friend—one with a dark agenda.

The Strip: At the edge of a city plagued by zombies, a small community gathers to try to watch out for one another’s humanity. But when it goes, it’s gone...

Nine short works of terror by award-winning novelist and comic book writer Jeffrey J. Mariotte (The Slab, The Devil’s Bait, the Dark Vengeance Quartet, Missing White Girl, River Runs Red, Cold Black Hearts, four 30 Days of Night novels, and more). Some of these stories have appeared in Hellbound Hearts, The Stories in Between, and Zombie Cop, while others are published here for the first time.

Reviewer TT Zuma, writing in Horror World, called Mariotte, “one of the most talented horror writers plying his trade today.” Bestselling author Don Winslow (Savages) said, “Mariotte can flat-out write.” Christopher Golden (Waking Nightmares) said, “Mariotte’s a hell of a writer,” and Brian Keene (The Last Zombie) called him “One of the best storytellers in the business.” Download this e-book exclusive collection of 50,000+ words of terrifying and spellbinding fiction and see why the stars of contemporary horror are raving about his work. (from Amazon.com)

Before Jeff Mariotte asked if he could be a part of my Frightfest I had never heard of this author. When I look at some of the works under his name, I couldn't believe that I had never heard of him. He told me "I'm the most unknown famous horror author in the business." This guy has written books for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, CSI, Criminal Minds, 30 days of Nights! and yet I had never heard of him, is that not just crazy!

Nine Frights is a collection of very strange and creepy short stories. Each of them was unique in their own way, but some I liked more than others. Janey in Amber had one of those twilight zone fills to it. The Sick Doll, I didn't really care for much, but I really enjoyed, Santos del Infierno which was rather creepy, and The Strip was cool even though I am not a huge zombie fan. The Cloud had a really horrible ending, but was really creepy at the same time. Staking a Claim, was actually for funny than scary. Walkaway, was interesting and creepy. The Unpleasantness at the Circle P wasn't one of my favorites but still sort of creepy. World of Books this one was really cool! Definitely strange and to me the best of all the stories! This is called saving the best for last! lol

Jeff Mariotte gives a small introduction to each story, giving you a little background about himself and why he wrote each story which I found very interesting. I think if you like weird, strange and slightly creepy short stories then you will like the stories in Nine Frights.

Check it out at amazon as its a amazing deal for only $.99!

Jeff's website: http://jeffmariotte.com/bio.htm

I am wondering if there are a lot of you out there like me who has not heard of Jeff Mariotte! So I am thinking of creating a reading challenge for his books! Every year I sign up for all sorts of challenges but I have never created one! I am on a quest to try and make the most famous unknown author KNOWN! :) What do you think, would you join my challenge?

Help I have a important poll: What time are you most likely on twitter!

2011-10-29T11:56:00.000-05:00

Hello all my peeps! I am going to host my very first twitterview (twitter interview) with Jody Kihara at the end of her blog tour for The Frankincense Trail! I am trying to decide what would be the best time to host the twitterview, in the early afternoon, late afternoon, or evening. So I want to know what time are you my peeps usually online for tweeting? :)

I have put up a poll on my side bar so if you would please let me know I would love you forever and ever! :) *hugs*

Thanks,
Stormi

Frightfest 2011: Guest post author Ross Payton

2011-10-28T13:35:00.002-05:00

I would like you to welcome Ross Payton to my blog. He is the author of Zombies of the World. Its a fun and entertaining guide to all kinds of zombies. I actually never knew there was that many types until I read his book. You can find my review here.

What’s the real difference between a zombie and a vampire?

By Ross Payton

Zombies and vampires seem to be the cornerstones of the horror genre but there’s no exact definition for either monster. Are zombies slow or fast? Are they silent or do they moan for BBRRRAAIINNS? Are they mindless or do they retain at least some intelligence? In my book, Zombies of the World, I described 20 different species of zombie based on various portrayals in movie, myth and literature. It just shows you how many variations.

Vampires are even worse when it comes to defining them. Some are vulnerable to the sun, crucifixes, garlic and wooden stakes while others literally sparkle in daylight. They might be beautiful or they might be monstrously ugly.

The question then is: how do you define monsters that have been given so many varying traits? To truly define what makes a vampire and what makes a zombie, we have to look at how they are used in stories.

The zombie is almost always the Other, the savage horde that wants all of the protagonists dead. Even in the relatively few fictional settings where zombies retain some intelligence (like the classic movie Return of the Living Dead) they work as a mob, surging forward to attack the living. They are collectivists, acting as one to remake the world in their own image – a force of nature that ends civilization. They are unstoppable because civilization is too weak to stop them. The government is incompetent and corrupt. Corporations are sociopathic, gladly sacrificing as many lives as it takes to make a profit. No institution can be trusted when the zombies show up.

The vampire is the hidden predator inside society. They almost never end civilization because they thrive in it. They lurk in the shadows of cities and suburbs, preying on isolated victims. A vampire may be seductive, violent or both to get its victims but it can usually choose which approach to use. While there may be vampiric groups and societies they parallel the mainstream human society in some way, a distorted mirror that reflects our worst traits. A vampire can be a cunning mastermind or a brutish fiend but it makes its own choices. The vampire is seductive because it represents the passionate beast within us, able to break any law it wants to fulfill its own desires, take pleasure whenever it wants. Normal people have to deny their urges on a daily basis. The vampire does what it wants when it wants.

Some stories depict animalistic hordes of vampires (like the blood starved vampires of the movie Daybreakers) and others describe intelligent and cunning zombies (like the master zombies of the novel Monster Island) we define these monsters by how they are grouped and how they attack civilization. Zombies are the existential threat facing every civilization, the barbarians at the gate while vampires are the insidious corruption already inside our walls, festering like a cancer within us. Zombie fans fear the masses while vampire fans are afraid of giving into their darkest desires. That’s the real difference between the zombie and vampire.'

About the Author: Ross Payton is a writer and podcaster. His first two books – Curriculum of Conspiracy and Road Trip - are tabletop RPG campaigns that satirize fantasy and horror clichés. He has directed a horror comedy movie, Motor Home From Hell, about an RV driven by a demon. His podcast, Role Playing Public Radio, discusses tabletop gaming and pop culture issues and attracts listeners from around the world. Ross lives in Springfield, Missouri, a relatively zombie-free area.

Frightfest 2011: Guest Post Author Laurie Bowlers

2011-10-27T17:49:00.000-05:00

Today on my blog I have Laurie Bowlers, author of several horror novels. Her newest novel is called A Real Slasher. To check out some more of her books you can find her on Goodreads here.

A weird but seriously true spooky story
by Laurie Bowler

When I was growing up, we moved around, and lived in so many different places and new houses all the time, it never bothered me, and I cannot remember much about the houses etc except for this one.

I was 12 when we moved in there, a normal average house.

A massive garden that was split in half, one for that was over grown, and the other that was seriously pruned.

My mother decided to have one half to use as the ‘posh’ area and the upper half myself and my siblings could use to play in. It had awesomely long grass, and because I was a bit of a tomboy I loved to collect insects, at the time, it was grasshoppers, that I would inspect for some strange reason, I cannot think why I wanted to do that.

Now, an insect comes near me and I run away screaming, I do not like creepy crawlies.

Anyway, while we were there loads of things started to happen there was nothing that sparked it off at all. My younger sister woke up screaming one night, when we asked her what was wrong she swore blind that there were a couple of dogs asleep on the end of her bed. Now we did not have any dogs at all, the only animals we had were hamsters and gerbils so this was weird. Of course, I teased my sister intensely about what she saw but I was kid myself lol.

The next time anything spooky happened was to me. I was laid in bed with my eyes closed (pretending to be asleep so I wouldn’t get into trouble) and had this strange feeling that I was being watched, and then the bottom of my bed sunk down as if someone had sat on my bed.

Within minutes, the bed felt normal but my younger sister’s teddy was making a noise, this particular teddy had a pull string to activate the voice and it started talking. When I peeked over to my sisters side of the room the teddy was floating in the air, at first I thought my sister was messing about so I shouted at her and turned over in bed, fuming with her for trying to get her own back for all my teasing.

Then the sinking sensation on my bed started again, I did not want to look but at the time, I was incredibly curious to see what was happening. I pulled the duvet back and stared, one of my books was floating in the air, the pages were being turned on their own and I could this weird laughing that sounded female...

Spooked? Yes definitely. I scrambled out of bed, down the stairs and got into bed with my mother, and boy I did not live that down with my sisters.

It wasn’t until a few days later when my mother was talking to the elderly neighbour that he happened to mention an old woman had died a month before we had moved in, and she had two dogs that had died in the room my sister and me slept in. Coincidently the room we slept in was also the old woman’s bedroom.

So that was it, the house was haunted. My sister constantly made ghost noises at me, her way I suppose of getting me back for all my teasing lol.

The ghost was not dangerous though, at one point we had a trespasser in the back garden, this man jumped over the 6ft fence, whatever he wanted he certainly wouldn’t have got because we didn’t have much growing up.

Anyway, he freaked out apparently; when the police arrived, he was standing still in the garden staring at my bedroom window. The police asked my mother if she had our grandmother staying with us, when we replied no, they were like so who is the old woman in the bedroom window. The old lady had manifested herself and scared away the intruder which was awesome, but I can say I didn’t really sleep all that good in that particular house and I wouldn’t go upstairs on my own either, logically there was nothing to be worried about but it was a ghost and I wasn’t taking any chances.

According to the police the trespasser was shaking uncontrollably when they took him away, he was muttering something about some grey fog that looked like an old woman in the window, staring down at him with eyes that had enough power and hate it scared him out of his wits!

He certainly never turned up again to try and trespass in our garden!

Needless to say my sisters, one older and one younger, thought me being scared as tomboyish as I was, was the most hilarious thing in the world and I constantly found myself teased and I never did live it down.

This is my true Halloween story, and it really did happen to me when I was a kid. If you want to be scared some more this Halloween try out my stories Death Bite, Hacked Up, A Real Slasher and Bloodthirsty Gruesome Tales or try one of the many vampire stories I’ve got out there in particular Order of Blood!

I can honestly say writing horror scares me as much as it does anyone who reads them, most of the time I just want to dive back under the blankets and stay there till the bogey man goes away!

Crime Time Wednesday! (3)

2011-10-26T14:59:00.001-05:00

Wow, this week has been one hectic week. It is inspection week where I work and for two days everyone has been on edge, but as always we aced the inspection! :) So tired I forgot about posting a Crime Time Wednesday post, so its a little late but at least its up. :)

The Affair by Lee Child

Pages: 416

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Everything starts somewhere. . . .For elite military cop Jack Reacher, that somewhere was Carter Crossing, Mississippi, way back in 1997. A lonely railroad track. A crime scene. A coverup.

A young woman is dead, and solid evidence points to a soldier at a nearby military base. But that soldier has powerful friends in Washington.

Reacher is ordered undercover—to find out everything he can, to control the local police, and then to vanish. Reacher is a good soldier. But when he gets to Carter Crossing, he finds layers no one saw coming, and the investigation spins out of control.

Local sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux has a thirst for justice—and an appetite for secrets. Uncertain they can trust one another, Reacher and Deveraux reluctantly join forces. Reacher works to uncover the truth, while others try to bury it forever. The conspiracy threatens to shatter his faith in his mission, and turn him into a man to be feared.

A novel of unrelenting suspense that could only come from the pen of #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child, The Affair is the start of the Reacher saga, a thriller that takes Reacher—and his readers—right to the edge . . . and beyond.

About the Author:

Lee Child was born in 1954 in Coventry, England, but spent his formative years in the nearby city of Birmingham. By coincidence he won a scholarship to the same high school that JRR Tolkien had attended. He went to law school in Sheffield, England, and after part-time work in the theater he joined Granada Television in Manchester for what turned out to be an eighteen-year career as a presentation director during British TV's "golden age." During his tenure his company made Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown, Prime Suspect, and Cracker. But he was fired in 1995 at the age of 40 as a result of corporate restructuring. Always a voracious reader, he decided to see an opportunity where others might have seen a crisis and bought six dollars' worth of paper and pencils and sat down to write a book, Killing Floor, the first in the Jack Reacher series.

Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment.

Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.

Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.

Website: http://www.leechild.com/

Review of Predators of Darkness: Aftermath

2011-10-25T15:18:00.000-05:00

Predators of Darkness: Aftermath by Leonard D. Hilley II
Pages: 326
Publisher: Author
Review source: digital copy provide by the author
Rating: 2/5
Reviewed by: Tai

Fear What Lurks In The Shadows

The desolate streets of downtown Pittsburgh in 2073 are a reminder of the missile attack that forever changed the lives of the surviving scientists and students hidden in the fallout shelter of Helmsby's Genetic Research Center. Believing themselves to be the only survivors, they station themselves inside the center until food supplies near depletion. Thinking the fallout has lessened, they emerge three years later to discover strange creatures patrolling the streets in search of human flesh and blood.

The creatures possess the ability to shift their genomes and alter their appearances by realigning their genetic sequences. Daniel Hutchinson, their leader, teams with Lucas Ridale and together they set out to scavenge the area for food and supplies with the hope to find other survivors. But Daniel's most recent journey uncovers mysteries more frightening than the shifters. He discovers the tip of Pittsburgh has been fenced off from the rest of the area. Low-flying helicopters observe the streets, making him ponder the question: Were the shifters released as simply part of a military experiment with humans being their prey?

Thoughts

The plot premise got me through but it was a challenge not to give up on this book.

Why I struggled with this book?

For a first in series I understand that there will need to be some build-up and back story so I can understand what is going on but in this book I felt as if the back story was an after thought thrown in to explain why the author decided this course was taken. The story didn’t flow for me an obstacle would need to be overcome, a build-up in anticipation for how the obstacle would be solved and then problem solved in a way you weren’t expecting which is fine if you had some clues or lead in to the it being a possibility. For instance when a character does some spectacular thing I should not be going WTH?!? I should be cheering the character on not wondering why I am just learning this important characteristic half way through the book with not mention or hint of it before. I’m all for character development but don’t just throw pieces at me as you need it to make your story work.

Characters well I don’t feel like I connected with any of them. I didn’t get a real sense of who any of them were as they all sounded the same. The book switched point of views through out the book which I’m all for (take me to where the action is). However it all came across the same word choice, attitude, thinking pattern no variety at all which shouldn’t be the case when I am suppose to be seeing through multiple people’s point of view.

The dialogue was primitive, thankfully it wasn’t that much of it. For me no emotions were brought forth other than my WTH?!? moments when I just couldn’t believe what just came out of a characters mouth.

Why I stuck with the book?

The plot premise was intriguing. I liked the concept and wanted to see where it would lead me.

I was enticed enough by the plot to finish this book but I will not be continuing with this series as I have no investment in the characters and I am not curious enough to know what happens next to attempt to get through the next book. 2 Stars because I liked it enough to finish it.

Frightfest 2011: Guest Post Paul D. Dail

2011-10-25T08:00:00.003-05:00

Paul D. Dail is a independent author who writes horror novels. His first novel is called The Imaginings and he has several short stories that you can view for free on his website.

One Night after Going to a Horror Movie

Why it’s Scary Being Me

by Paul D. Dail

As some of you have seen from my post “10 movies that scared the bejeezus out of me” (and which has caused considerable debate), one movie that got me pretty spooked when it came out in theatres was The Blair Witch Project.

*shields self from rotten vegetables being thrown by the crowd*

I won’t go into all of my justifications here (although, if you’re curious, you can certainly check out my list at my blog), but what bears repeating for the sake of this story is that the marketing for this movie, back in the early days of the internet when rumors weren’t so easily disproved, was brilliant, leaving just enough question early on in its release to make the public wonder if it was actually true.

Now, by the time I went to see it, I had figured out that it was not a real story. Possible? Sure. Even probable? Why not. But this is coming from the same person who would say that quite a few bits of folklore and superstition (along with various things going bump in the night) are possible. And I’d say some are even probable.

However, I knew it wasn’t a true story when I went to go see it with a friend and his girlfriend, even though I still had those dark smudges on my viewing perception from previously wondering. And by the time I got to the end of the movie, I had been, as I said, pretty well spooked.

As the three of us sat, all sat a little stunned by the ending, my friend’s girlfriend spoke up. “So that really happened?”

I was actually jealous. There were freaky enough moments knowing that it was just a movie. I wish I could’ve gone back and watched with her eyes, believing it was all real.

But again, I give fair credence to many things others dismiss as fiction. I believe this is how many horror writers think. To give you an example, I just recently wrote a flash fiction piece entitled The Death He Expected. In doing so, there was actually a little part of me that hoped writing the story would remove what that same little part of me believed might actually be an Indian curse.

Crazy, right? I can’t help it.

So I wasn’t lying when I told my friend Mike (also the name of one of the characters in the movie) that if he made good on his joking threat to come mess with me later that night, I would probably have a heart attack.

Before continuing, we should step back. It’s important that you know that at the time, I was living at the rural edges of Missoula, Montana, in an old barn that had been converted to a house. Mostly surrounded by fields. But not far back from the original house on the property, now mostly in ruin. And probably haunted as far as I was concerned.

The one nice thing about being more removed from town was the fact that we never had to lock our door. I had literally only locked it two other times in three years (and I think it was in the early days when I left town on a trip, back when I still thought I needed to).

This particular night would be the third time. It would surprise my roommate, but she could just use her key. And again, you have to remember that any other day, I could’ve probably ruled out this side of my personality. But when we’re in fearful situations (or just sat through almost two hours of someone else’s), we don’t think rationally. And honestly, what was I hoping to lock out? Well, probably my friend Mike, even though I suspected he would be too preoccupied with his girlfriend to seriously consider messing with me.

So after sitting up a little later to watch something funny, I went to bed, still somewhat shaken, refusing to look out the window just over my bed into the darkness of the field just outside my room, but relatively confident that I just needed to sleep it off.

Such would not be the case.

Midway through the night, I was awoken by a banging that seemed to be coming from every part of the house (ala, the violent rattling of the tent scene in the movie, except on a rickety house that used to be a barn). My eyes shot open. This was no practical joke. If it was Mike, I’d kill him. But this was too much to be a joke.

The banging continued. Lying in bed, I could see just a sliver of the window over my bed, but I didn’t sit up. Because then my head would be right by that window. And I didn’t want to think about what might be right outside that window… what might be grinning at me as it smashed through and attacked me.

Basically, I was paralyzed by my fear. And I had no idea what to do.

Now, as my wife will tell you, I’m a pretty good sleeper, even if I’ve just woken myself up with my frequent night terrors. I’ll drop back off pretty easy.

It was with this in mind that I came to my decision. I would force myself to go back to sleep. I knew that if the banging was just a joke, it would end soon. What was harder to accept, but which I ultimately did, was that if it wasn’t a joke, there was a good possibility I wouldn’t survive the night anyway.

So I forced myself to go back to sleep.

What I hadn’t counted on in the midst of my mid-night terror, but which I discovered the next morning, was a roommate who had lost her key months ago.

Frightfest 2011: Review of Ghost Files

2011-10-24T15:48:00.000-05:00

Ghost Files by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson
Pages: 549
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Review Source: Melissa of Simon and Schuster
Rating: 4/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

FINALLY IN ONE BONE-CHILLING VOLUME, TV’S GHOST HUNTERS SHARE ALL OF THEIR CREEPY TRUE STORIES OF UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA!

What did a paranormal investigation uncover at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the hotel built in 1903 that inspired Stephen King’s The Shining?

What is the chilling history behind the Rolling Hills Asylum in Batavia, New York?

What happened when a man was overcome by an evil entity as Jason and Grant surveyed his home?
How can a Connecticut woman seem to exist in two places at once?
In this hair-raising omnibus, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, founders of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (T.A.P.S.), reveal the memorable and spine-tingling cases featured in their smash-hit collections, Ghost Hunting and Seeking Spirits. From their never-seen-on-television adventures as budding paranormal investigators to the behind-the-scenes accounts of heart-pounding supernatural encounters featured on their popular show, these fascinating and frightening real life tales will keep you up at night!

Ghost Files is a collection of stories from Ghost Hunting and Seeking Spirits. Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson are the co-founders of the hit paranormal series on the Syfy channel called Ghost Hunters. I love watching the Paranormal shows that are on TV, some I like better than others. Ghost Hunters is probably one of my favorites to watch though I will be honest I don't really believe in Ghost much and I am not sure of how much of those shows are actually real, but they are fun.

Reading the stories and getting a little more background information into how the Ghost Hunter series started was really interesting and finding the lengths people will go to be on the TV series. Like The Ghost in the Wall, they found a tap recorder feeding sounds into some speakers inside the wall making it sound like their was something in the wall all because they wanted to be on TV.

If your a fan of the show and like reading about paranormal experiences then you will probably find Ghost Files interesting to read. I am from Missouri, the show me state, so I need to see something with my own eyes before I truly believe in the paranormal, but for entertainment value I really enjoyed reading the stories!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2011-10-24T08:00:00.002-05:00

It's Monday! What are you reading is hosted by Shelia at Book Journey. It is the time of the week to tell about what we have read, reading or going to read! :)

Finished:

Seers by Heather Frost (review to come)

Reading:

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton (almost halfway through and so far it is interesting but not wowing)

So what are you reading?

Frightfest 2011: Guest Post Jeffery J. Mariotte

2011-10-23T09:04:00.000-05:00

Everyone please welcome Jeffrey J. Mariotte to my blog today. Jeffrey has his name associated with a lot of cool horror/suspense novels, and comics. He has written books for CSI, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, etc. Today instead of fiction he is giving us a true ghost story! (Look for my review of Nine Frights coming up in a couple of days)

An Empty Place

By Jeffrey J. Mariotte

An empty place—a room, a house, a building—has a different feel to it than one that’s occupied. It’s sound and motion, but it’s more than that, too. There’s an energy in a place where people are that dissipates when they’re gone. Try being the last to leave the office, or the classroom, and after a little while you’ll be able to tell.

So when a place is supposed to be empty, but it’s not...things can get a little creepy. Or more than a little.

During the summer before my senior year of high school, my parents and my sister and I moved to Germany, because my father’s Department of Defense job transferred him there. We wound up in a small city called Worms, a pretty place absolutely dripping with history and myth. It was a cool place to live, though I didn’t like being torn away from the friends I had known all through junior high and high school. And moving to a foreign country is always a little disorienting.

For weeks and weeks, while searching for a place to live, we stayed in a hotel. School started. Except that we were staying in a hotel room and eating in restaurants a lot, life, as it will, began to take on a routine.

We found an apartment that suited the family, but it was in the midst of a major interior reconstruction. In order to get out of the hotel, we agreed to sublet the rented home of an American couple who were returning stateside for several months. Their house had a bedroom for my parents and one for my sister. The plan was that I would sleep downstairs, in the finished basement.

Only, not so much.

My first night in that basement, I couldn’t shake the powerful sensation that I was not alone. The sense that I was being watched was strong. That energy I mentioned above, that is felt in a place that’s occupied, was there with me.

I barely slept that night. I don’t remember ever passing a night that took so long, and was so uncomfortable. If we had just landed, I would have put it down to jet lag, or anxiety about a new place, a new school. But we had been in the country for more than a month, and I was already getting used to the school. I tossed and turned and tried to close my eyes, to drift off. But I wasn’t able to. The feeling of another presence in the basement—and an accompanying sense of dread—was too pronounced.

When morning came, I hurried upstairs, greatly relieved.

After that first night, I refused to sleep in the basement. Though I was a high school senior—typically a person who requires a lot of privacy—I spent the rest of our time in that house sleeping on a couch in the living room, with no privacy at all. The couch was too short for me, so I couldn’t stretch out. Didn’t matter.

I went into that basement only when absolutely necessary, and never stayed long. I never felt alone there, or at peace.

Life went on. We moved into our apartment, which was fine. I went away to college. Years passed.

And then, after my father’s retirement, after my parents had moved to South Carolina, I was talking to my mother once, and she told me the story she had heard many months after we’d left the house.

There had, she had learned, been only one murder in the city in the last hundred years. The house had been owned, at one time, by a gay man who had picked up a teenager someplace and taken him home. After a couple of days in the house’s basement, the teen wanted to leave. The man didn’t want him to. They argued, then fought. I was never clear on which one prevailed, but my impression was that the older man did, and the teenager died.

In that house. In that basement.

Where I—knowing nothing of this history, of this tragic tale—had never known an instant’s peace, or a moment of solitude.

Are ghosts real? I can’t tell you that. This one—if that’s what you’d like to call him—never tried to contact me, never made anything move, never manifested any physical or visual presence whatsoever.

He was just there. And he filled the place with a feeling of foreboding.
So I don’t know if ghosts are real or not.

But if you tell me a true ghost story that happened to you, I’ll believe you. Because this one definitely happened to me.

Jeffrey J. Mariotte is the author of many novels, comic books/graphic novels, nonfiction books, and more. Most of his work—like the horror novel The Slab (http://www.kindleboards.com/book/?asin=B0054EKU6G) and short story collection Nine Frights (http://www.kindleboards.com/book/?asin=B005FAKL90)—are about supernatural terror. For more, visit http://jeffmariotte.com./

Frightfest 2011: Review of The Sleepwalkers

2011-10-22T17:53:00.000-05:00

Participating in the Dewey's 24hr Read-a-thon and forgot that today was the start of my Fright Fest!

Today I will post a review of one of the creepy books I have read for this occasion!

The Sleepwalkers by J. Gabriel Gates
Pages: 336
Publisher: HCI Teen
Review Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4/5
Reviewed by: Stormi

Privileged and popular Caleb Mason is celebrating his high school graduation when he receives a mysterious, disturbing letter from his long-lost childhood playmate, Christine. Caleb and his jokester friend Bean decide to travel to his tiny hometown of Hudsonville, Florida, to find her. Upon arrival, they discover the town has taken a horrifying turn for the worse. Caleb's childhood home is abandoned and his father has disappeared. Children are going missing. The old insane asylum has reopened, and Christine is locked inside. Her mother, a witch, is consumed with madness, and Christine's long-dead twin sister whispers clues to Caleb through the static of an a.m. radio. The terrifying prophesies of the spirits are coming to pass. Sixteen clocks are ticking; sixty-six murdered souls will bring about the end of the world. As Caleb peels back layer after layer of mystery, he uncovers a truth more horrible than anything he had imagined, a truth that could only be uttered by the lips of the dead.

Never heard of J. Gabriel Gates till I seen this book at Netgalley, but it sounded like a good October read. My first initial thoughts was its strange, but not real creepy, but then I got farther into in and it got super creepy! Thank you J. Gabriel Gates for bringing a little old school horror back to the genre!

Caleb had his whole life planned, he knew exactly what he was going to be doing with his life, but then he got a letter from a old friend. This letter changes his whole life when Caleb and his friend Bean go back to where he use to live. The town of Hudsonville is really strange, kids are disappearing, but nobody does anything about it. The sheriff acts as if nothing is wrong but Caleb knows things are not what they seem. His dad is missing, his friend is at a place called The Dream Center and there are a bunch of scary teens walking around at night killing people!

Caleb calls them sleepwalkers because they look just like a person who is sleepwalking, they have their eyes close, but they can still find you. Caleb knows he should leave and just forget about everything but something just keeps pulling him back. Even if his childhood friend is crazy, he just can't leave her their, and it could cost him his life.

Caleb is a interesting character, at first you think he seems to be a kid who has it all together. He is going to go to Africa and write about AIDS and save the world. Then he gets a letter and in a instant he makes a totally irrational decision to go help his childhood friend who he hasn't had any contact with in years. He is a strong character though as he faces a lot of things not many people could go through and come out with some sanity.

Christine was interesting because you really never quite new if she was crazy or sane. One minute you think she is crazy, the she does something and its like well maybe she isn't crazy. She went through a lot of things in her childhood, then getting taken to the dream center. They did weird things to her their so it had to affect her sanity a little bit, but she always loved Caleb.

The Sleepwalkers was a very creepy, insane read that I was glad I decided to read it. I have been trying to find something spooky, that could really creep me out, but I have been having a hard time finding it. Nobody writes like Steven King anymore (not that I want all that detail), but nothing has seriously creeped me out like his work did when I was younger. The Sleepwalkers really brought back that classic horror feel and is definitely something you want to read with the lights one.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to get spooked. Its a great Halloween read!

Read-a-thon! Update.hr13

2011-10-22T10:43:00.006-05:00

Just getting started, had to go do some shopping first and buy groceries but now that its out of the way I am ready to read!

1)Where are you reading from today?
   Reading from my couch.

2)Three random facts about me…
    - I have seven dogs
    - Not married
    - Like to write when not reading

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
   4 and I will be lucky if I make through them all..shooting for at least two!

4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
   Not really, just going to read, read, read! Would like to make a lot of comments but don't know how many.
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
    Take breaks, walk around, and don't make your first book a 400 pager! Read small books.

Getting a slow start this morning but at least I am here!

Just did some cheering so now I am starting to read.

Reading right now:

Seers by Heather Frost! (ebook)

Challenge for Hour 5!

How do I share my books:

Well I do most of my sharing on my blog or goodreads! Nobody in my family really likes reading and I try sharing with my friends at work but they look at me like they really aren't listening..LOL So I have to rely on all my Internet blogging buddies! :)

-------------
Hour 6

Top five books I am looking forward to either in the last few months or next year.

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
Wide Open by Deborah Coates
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Other Eyes by Barbara D'Amato
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Back to more reading!

--------------------
Update Hr 10

Reading The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton I am on page 97 and so far its not to bad. I might switch out and read on Seers by Heather Frost it has been pretty interesting...having a hard time staying focused. A lot of distractions...my father is testing out a new mic on his computer and can't seem to leave me alone..lol UGH
The mini challenges are distracting but fun!

---------------------
Mid Event Survey Hr 13

1. What are you reading right now? Seers by Heather Frost

2. How many books have you read so far? Not had a good readathon as I had to many distractions today. I have read two parts of books but not a whole one. Did more cheerleading that I thought I would to it was sort of fun..lol Got distracted on twitter too!

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
Finishing Seers, it sort of has me wondering right now.
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Nope and that is probably some of my distraction problem..lol

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? I get frustrated but nothing can be done about it, so I just sigh and go on. :)

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How much it makes you sleepy

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope, its always a fun thing to participate in!

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Figure out a better cheer method, I just sort of went into it with not much thought..lol. As a reader pick thinner books so I can say I read a lot! LOL :)

9. Are you getting tired yet? I have been tired for a while, but it didn't help that I stayed up to late last night!

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? Not really. Just have fun and don't stress out. :)

Review of Montana Wildfire

2011-10-21T20:01:00.001-05:00

Montana Wildfire by Rebecca Sinclair
Kindle Edition (first published in 1991); Reissued
Review Source: Heather
My review: 4/5
Reviewed by: Stormi
Age Range: 18+

After her father’s sudden death, lovely Amanda Lennox had no money for the long trip from Boston to the ranch she’d inherited in faraway Seattle. When she saw the advertisement for a “wilderness expert” to escort eleven-ear-old Roger Bannister, III to Montana, the adventure-loving woman jumped at the chance, never guessing she’d end up lost in the wilds of Idaho… with a twisted ankle. Then an arrogant halfbreed on a palomino stallion came to her rescue and comforted her with is healing touch. Rugged ranch hand Jacob Blackhawk Chandler knew from experience that prissy white princesses meant trouble. He’d seen Amanda Lennox’s type before — haughty and citified and utterly unequipped to survive in the wide open country. He couldn’t just ride off and leave the lovely minx alone and hurt … but he sure wouldn’t be taken in by that sweet smile, either!

Hot, sexy, and just like the title says its a wildfire! Almost from the very beginning this book was steaming with sexual tension. Amanda's ankle is trapped by a log in a riverbed and there is nobody to help her but the obnoxious brat Roger that she is escorting through the wilderness. He runs off and finds Jacob the oh so sexy halfbreed and from then on the sexual tension spreads like a Montana Wildfire!

After he gets her foot unstuck they find out that Roger has been kidnapped and Jacob agrees to help find Roger. Along the way, the sexual tension grows and Jacob only means to tease Amanda a little because of her prissy little attitude, but it backfires on him when he can't seem to quench is thirst for his white princess. He learned along time ago that 'breeds' do not get involved with white women and he intends to never go down that road again, but something about Amanda just makes him forget everything.

Jacob has had the pain of discrimination and rejection all of his life from white people and he finds it hard to let go of it, but Amanda doesn't seem to care about the color of his skin. He just doesn't know if he can let himself be free of the pain. Jacob is one very handsome and oh so sexy half breed it was very easy to see how Amanda could fall so easily for his rugged charm, even when she had his temper flaring.

Amanda keeps trying to remember the rules she learned in at the school for girls, but every time Jacob would get close to her it all seem to disappear. Amanda tries to be tough, and lies about being a wilderness expert so she could have a way to travel to Seattle, but it backfires on her when she has to take care of a spoiled brat, then loses him. I think at times she almost forgot about Roger and his kidnapping when she was in the arms of the sexy half breed.

Not that I didn't mind all the sexual tension, etc but my only real problem was that I thought it happened a little to fast. It really was almost from the very start of the book, it was like wow, they don't even know each other and this is already happening. I guess I am more for the gradual tension in my romances, but other than that I thought the book was very good.

If you like your romances rip with sexual tension and sexy half breed Indian's then you should definitely check this book out. It was first published as a paperback in 1991 but has now been made into a ebook and has a new and if I might say, better cover! I love this cover a lot more than the one I seen the 1991 release had.

YA on Friday! (2)

2011-10-21T19:17:00.000-05:00

Today's YA pick comes from HarperTeen, I am a huge fan of HarperTeen books. So the spotlight is on Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Pages: 352
Release Date: November 15th

"You can't touch me," I whisper.
I'm lying, is what I don't tell him.
He can touch me, is what I'll never tell him.
But things happen when people touch me.
Strange things.
Bad things.
No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.
But Juliette has plans of her own.
After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.

This sounds like a great read and if you are participating in the YA debut challenge its a good pick for November's debut novels! I am not real keen on the cover, but still looks fairly decent. The blurb has me hooked though, really curious about her touch and how they plan on using her as a weapon... I really wish I had this one sent to me or it was on Netgalley I would grab it now!

About the author:

She’s 23. She was born in a small city somewhere in Connecticut and currently resides in Orange County, California, where the weather is just a little too perfect for her taste. When unable to find a book, she can be found reading candy wrappers, coupons, and old receipts. SHATTER ME is her first novel.

Dewey's Read-a-thon reading list

2011-10-21T14:33:00.000-05:00

This year I am going to do a little cheerleading during hour 4 as well as reading! I am hoping to get a early start but I have to get in a little work before I can start reading. :(

Anyway here is my list to try and get read during the read-a-thon. They are in no particular order I am just going to list them.

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Ghost Tracker by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson
Seers by Heather Frost
Airel by Aaron Patterson and Chris White

If I fit anything else in as a bonus read I will post it later. I am not a fast reader so if I get through these I will consider it a successful read-a-thon! :)

Hope everyone has a great time during the read-a-thon!

Trailer Thursday! (2)

2011-10-20T18:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the late posting of Trailer Thursday but I have had one heck of a day.

Today I have Clockwork Prince Masquerade Ball Trailer. I have never read the MI series but I love the Infernal devices series by Cassandra Clare. One day I will check out the MI series too! :)

I have not heard about this book but the trailer was interesting. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkins, if anyone has read this book I would love to know if it was any good.

Hope you enjoyed these trailers!

Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!

Review of Silver Knight

Review of The Jerk Magnet

Tuesday Thrillers

Review of Deadly Pleasures

Guest Post from Ella Davidson

Small Press Blog Hop (March 17-24th)

Interview with Mary Firmin, author of Deadly Pleasures + giveaway!

Review of Deadtime Stories: Grave Secrets

Sorry there is no post today.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

End of Year Wrap up and IMM!

Review of Summer Storm

Merry Christmas!

What were your favorite books read in 2011?

Review of Bleeding Hearts

Tuesday Thrillers: guest author Robin Lamont

Any one interested in participating in a Social Media Frenzy Tour?

In My Mailbox!

Interview with Author Kimberly Derting!! + giveaway!

Crime Time Wednesday!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Crime Time Wednesday!

Interview with Nicole of Tribute Books!

Review of Otherworld Tales: Irish the Demon Slayer

Review of Dark Seeker

YA on Friday!

Thursday Trailers!

Lightning Book Promotions Presents: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand (Dec. 1st-15th)

Tuesday Thriller: Featuring Badwater by Toni Dwiggins (7)

Lightning Book Promotions Blog Tour: Reaper Two-Six

Winner!

Review of The 25 Greatest Top Secret Recipes

Review of Inside Out

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thriller Tuesday!

Lightning Book Promotions is looking for some Historical Fiction bloggers!

Review of Airel

YA on Friday: Cyberpunk; guest post by author Jess C. Scott

Crime Time Wednesdays (6)

Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton ebook only $2.99!!!

Thriller Tuesdays (6)

And the winner is...

Review of Darn Good Cowboy Christmas

It's Monday! What are you reading?

In My Mailbox

YA Debut Author Challenge line up!

The Jeff Mariotte reading challege!

Twitterview with Jody Kihara today!

YA on Friday! (4)

TGIF(1)

Crime Time Wednesday! (5)

Any American Horror Story fans out there?

Black Sun's Daughter series giveaway!!

Thriller Tuesdays! (4)

Iron Elves Series Giveaway!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Review of The Frankincense Trail (blog tour)

In My Mailbox!

Review of Touch

Trailer Thursday! (3)

Crime Time Wednesday (4) Guest Author John Hanson

Thriller Tuesday! (4)

Upcoming tours by Lightning book promotions!

Frightfest 2011: Guest Post, author Evan Munday

Frightfest 2011: 5 of my favorite scary books!

Frightfest 2011: Review of Nine Frights

Help I have a important poll: What time are you most likely on twitter!

Frightfest 2011: Guest post author Ross Payton

Frightfest 2011: Guest Post Author Laurie Bowlers

Crime Time Wednesday! (3)

Review of Predators of Darkness: Aftermath

Frightfest 2011: Guest Post Paul D. Dail

Frightfest 2011: Review of Ghost Files

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Frightfest 2011: Guest Post Jeffery J. Mariotte

Frightfest 2011: Review of The Sleepwalkers

Read-a-thon! *Update*.hr13

Review of Montana Wildfire

YA on Friday! (2)

Read-a-thon! Update.hr13