Friday, January 29, 2010


This is the fourth book in the Taylor Jackson series by J T Ellison and a Mira thriller/mystery.

Book Blurb:

He can truly love her only once her heart stops.

Homicide detective Taylor Jackson thinks she's seen it all in Nashville - from the Southern Strangler to the Snow White Killer. But she's never seen anything as perverse as The Conductor. Once his victim is captured, he contains her in a glass coffin, slowly starving her to death. Only then does he give in to his attraction.

When he's finished, he creatively disposes of the body by reenacting scenes from famous paintings. And similar macabre works are being found in Europe. Taylor teams up with her fiancé, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, and New Scotland Yard detective James "Memphis" Highsmythe, a haunted man who has eyes only for Taylor, to put an end to this horror.

Has the killer gone international with his craft? Or are there two "artists," competing to create the ultimate masterpiece?

This book was submitted for review and I retain my copy. :)

The Cold Room is the first book I have read by J T Ellison and I must say that I have found a new author to read.

Taylor Jackson is a Detective with the Nashville PD and she has seen her fair share of nasty crimes and psychotic criminals - but The Conductor is in a league of his own : he is a Necrosadist.

Taylor and Baldwin learn that similar crimes have been committed in Europe and New Scotland Yard has information that may help catch the killer. But can they solve the mystery before another victim is found?

I love the way this book was written - not overly descriptive and with a plot that moves forward quickly. I also enjoy it very much when the author trusts that the reader is smart enough to follow along without hand holding. :) That is always a plus for me.

The Cold Room is the fourth book in this series and I am looking forward to reading the first three. :)

I give The Cold Room 5 out of 5 stars. :)

ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2714-1
416 pages
On-Sale Date: March 2010
Mira

M

All the Pretty Girls14Judas KissThe Cold Room

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Review: Now & Then


This is an Avon novel by Jacqueline Sheehan.

Book Blurb:

Living a dog's life...now and then

Anna O'Shea has failed at marriage, shed her job at a law firm, and she's trying to re-create herself when she and her recalcitrant nephew are summoned to the past in a manner that nearly destroys them. Her twenty-first-century skills pale as she struggles to find her nephew in nineteenth-century Ireland. For one of them, the past is brutally difficult, filled with hunger and struggle. For the other, the past is filled with privilege, status, and a reprieve from the crushing pain of present-day life. For both Anna and her nephew, the past offers them a chance at love.

Will every choice they make reverberate down through time? And do Irish Wolfhounds carry the soul of the ancient celts?

The past and present wrap around finely wrought characters who reveal the road home. Mystical, charming, and fantastic, New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Sheehan's Now & Then is a poignant and beautiful tale of a remarkable journey. It is a miraculous evocation of a breathtaking place in a volatile age filled with rich, unforgettable, deeply human characters and one unforgettable dog named Madigan.

This book was submitted for review and I retain my copy. :)

Now & Then is a wonderful read and I enjoyed it very much.

Anna O'Shea is a very modern woman: educated, independant - anything she desires is within her grasp - except for one thing, a baby.

Joseph O'Shea is sixteen years old and adrift - not a child, but not quite a man either. He is lost, without a mother, and his relationship with his father is strained at best.

Anna and Joseph are thrown together and back in time - neither knows if the other made it safely and neither knows why they were sent - but for whatever reason they are in 1844 Ireland.

What unfolds in Now & Then is a tale of love - love lost and love found - friendship born in the oddest of places - and family.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. :)

I give Now & Then 5 out of 5 stars.

M

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Review: Blue Diablo


This is the first book in the Corine Solomon series by Ann Aguirre.

Book Blurb:

Eighteen months ago, Corine Solomon crossed the border and wound up in Mexico City, fleeing her past, her lover, and her 'gift'. Corine, a handler, can touch something and now its history - and sometimes, its future. Using her ability, she can find missing persons - and that's why people never stop trying to find her. People like her ex, Chance.

Chance, whose uncanny luck has led him to her doorstep, needs her help. Someone dear to them both has gone missing in Laredo, Texas, and the only hope of finding her is through Corine's gift. But their search may prove dangerous as the trail leads them into a strange, dark world of demons and sorcerers, ghosts and witchcraft, zombies - and black magic...

I did not enjoy this book.

Blue Diablo is a ROC Fantasy - but again, another paranormal whodunnit.

I did not connect at all with Corine. Her gift is pretty awesome and the way she came about that gift is a story I would like to know more about....but Corine as a person - I did not find interesting.

Chance is looking for his Mother and comes to Corine for help - but Chance is not interesting either. They both seemed to blend into the background.

I found the secondary characters - Chuch and his wife Eva and the cop Jesse - to be more vibrant and appealing. Even the character of Booke - an English gentleman that only communicates via computer struck a chord with me more so than Corine and Chance.

I think I will stick with the Sirantha Jax series. :)

I give Blue Diablo 2 out of 5 stars.

M

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Review: The Girl Made of Cool


This is a novel by Alan Fox

Book Blurb:

The Girl Made of Cool tells the story of a young man and woman who are falling in love with each other, but the young woman doesn't know it. She believes that she is falling in love with the man's far more handsome, more perfect friend.

As the story unfolds and deepens, we see how these two highly talented young men must suffer, struggle, and wage battle to woo this young woman. This, as all the while, she grows into an ever greater beauty, a more charismatic personality, and an all-the-more alluring woman. This, as all the while, this young lady grows to become an elegant woman made of shining love and elusive cool.

This book was submitted for review and I retain my copy.

The Girl Made of Cool is a quirky read. I see is as a guide to what not to do when dating.

This love triangle is made up of Jayne, Ridley and Chet.

Jayne and Ridley go out on a date and Ridley fancies himself in love with Jayne - he goes home and tells Chet, his roommate - and Chet offers him pointers on how to win Jayne's love.

Chet is a womanizer - but one of those 'great guys' that every other guy thinks they want to be. He decides that Ridley - who really is a good guy - doesn't deserve Jayne - so he sets out to have her for himself.

Jayne falls for Chet - but she has a few conditions he must meet - because after all - she is not 'easy'.

What unfolds is a very funny account of how boy meets girl - looses girl to friend - gains confidence in himself and gets the girl in the end. :)

I give The Girl Made of Cool 3 out of 5 stars.

M

The Girl Made of Cool also features : "Hell Has Blue Skies" and "The Lovely Lady at the Love Museum"

ISBN-13: 978-0-9762276-2-5
ISBN-10: 0-9762276-2-2
240 pages
Trade Paperback
Available June 1, 2010
Preview edition available now at Amazon dot com

Monday, January 25, 2010

Mailbox Monday


It's Monday. :) I hope everyone had a great weekend and I wish you a wonderful week ahead. :)

Here is a book I received from pbs.

Book Blurb:


A brand-new chilling saga....

A cunning immortal who's been called upon to reclaim a marked soul...

Ever since an accident took away her memory, Miss Elena Whitney can't recall the secrets of her own past. All she knows is that with her mysterious benefactor Archer, Lord Black, returning to London at the behest of Queen Victoria, she should seize the chance to get some answers.

A member of the immortal Shadow Guard, Archer has been summoned to London to eliminate the soul of an evil demon - Jack the Ripper. Archer feels not only bound to protect the women of the night, but also his beautiful young ward, Elena, whom he spared from death two years before. But with a wave of panic spreading across London, Archer fears that Elena is his weakness - a distraction he can't afford, especially since she's likely to become the Ripper's next target...

Nice little 8 pack going on there....

M


Friday, January 22, 2010

Review: On the Edge


This is a novel by Ilona Andrews.

Book Blurb:

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, between two worlds: on one side lies the Broken, a place where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is nothing more than a fairy tale; on the other is the Weird, a realm where blueblood aristocrats rule and the strength of your magic can change your destiny. Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel between the worlds - but they never truly belong in either.

Rose thought that if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn't turn out the way she'd planned and now she works an off-the-books job in the Broken just to survive. Then Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her life determined to have Rose (and her power).

But when a terrible danger invades the Edge - a flood of creatures hungry for magic - Declan and Rose must overcome their diferences and work together to destroy them, or the beasts will devour the Edge and everyone in it...

I really enjoyed this book. :)

On the Edge is a pretty awesome read - I was hooked before the first 10 pages.

Rose is trying her best to raise her young brothers - her mother has died and her father has run off to find adventure leaving Rose to take care of George and Jack - ages 8 and 10 - which is hard enough as it is - but made all the more difficult with the magical abilities that both boys possess.

Most all Edgers have some sort of magical ability - but once you cross over into the Broken - which is the 'regular world' - you loose all of your magic. This makes the Edgers feel vulnerable - so when they do venture out into the Broken they are usually armed to the teeth.

Rose is very cautious - both in the Edge and in the Broken. When everyone found out that Rose has more magic than the normal Edger - they all wanted her. Some for profit and others for marriage. Rose wants no part of any of it and so she is always on guard, armed and ready to use whatever it takes to keep herself and her family safe.

Declan has come to the Edge to stop a great evil - but Rose assumes he is another noble looking for a brood mare. Declan needs Rose's help - but first he must gain her trust - which proves to be almost as daunting a task as fighting the evil that has invaded the Edge.

I give On the Edge 5 out of 5 stars.

M

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Book Cover & Promo - Waking the Witch


The new novel in Kelley Armstrong's bestselling Women of the Otherworld series showcases the fascinating Savannah Levine, a powerful young witch with a rebellious past and a troublesome heritage.

The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at twenty-one she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town, as a favour to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She's run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn't her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she's ever had to learn.

This is the 11th book in the Women of the Otherworld series - due out August 3, 2010.


The cover on the left is the UK version and the cover on the right is the US version - which one do you like the best?

M

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Review: Night's Cold Kiss


This is the first book in the Dark Brethren series by Tracey O'Hara.

Book Blurb:

For centuries war raged between the humans and Aeternus vampires - until courageous efforts on both sides forged a fragile peace.

But the rogue Necrodreniacs will never be controlled - addicted as they are to the death-high . . . and bloody chaos.

Since witnessing the murder of her mother, Antoinette Petrescu has burned with fiery hatred for the vampire race - even for Christian Laroque, the noble, dangerously handsome Aeternus who rescued her. Now an elite Venator, Antoinette must reluctantly accept Christian's help to achieve her vengeance - even as he plots to use the beautiful, unsuspecting warrior as bait to draw out the bloodthirsty dreniacs.

Night's Cold Kiss is an Urban Fantasy from EOS.

But...I would consider it a paranormal whodunnit.

Antoinette has been trained as a Venator - which is a human who hunts and kills the Necrodreniacs - who are vampires that drain a victim to death for the 'cocaine - like rush' that comes from that death.

Christian Laroque is Aeternus - which is a fancy name that the vampires call themselves - they take offense at the human coined term - vampire. He is also known as the Crimson Executioner - due to the bloodthirsty rampage he went on after the deaths of his father and wife.

There seem to be a lot of people - the ChaPR, the Guild, the Order - I honestly could not keep them all straight. But they are all on the hunt for the 'Fang-Whore Killer'. Yes, the 'Fang-Whore Killer'. And Christian wants to use Antoinette as bait.

I see a lot of potential in these characters and I really enjoyed several parts of Night's Cold Kiss - but as a whole, it does not stand out for me.

I give Night's Cold Kiss 3 out of 5 stars.

M

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Review: Betrayals


This is the second book in the YA Strange Angels series by Lili St. Crow.

Book Blurb:

No more little miss nice girl...

The Real World is a frightening place. Just ask sixteen-year-old orphan Dru Anderson, a tough girl who has taken on her fair share of bad guys. She's armed, dangerous, and not going down without a fight. So it's gonna take her a while to figure out who she can trust...

Poor Dru. Her parents are long gone. Her best (okay, only) friend Graves has been bitten by a werwulf. And she just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn't entirely human. Now Dru's strange and handsome savior, Christophe, has her hidden away at a secret Schola for djamphir and wulfen teens. Trouble is, she's the only girl in the place. The really bad news? Dru's killer instinct says that one of her schoolmates wants her dead.

With all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide...

I absolutely love this series. :)

Dru never had a normal life. Her mother was killed and her father took off trying to find the killer - leaving Dru with her Grandmother - who had a certain kind of magic all her own. Dru was somewhat happy - until her Grandmother died. Then Dru started traveling around with her father - and things what from different to deadly in a matter of seconds.

Dru's father was a hunter - a hunter of things that most normal people never even dream of - and Dru learned everything her father had to teach - this included killing zombies - and that came in handy when Dru had to kill her father, who had been turned into a zombie.

Now Betrayals picks right up where the first book - Strange Angels - left off. Dru and Graves find themselves surrounded by teenage wulfen and djamphir. Graves seems to acclimate quickly - but Dru has been isolated, and this has her asking questions and wondering if the people surrounding her have her best interests in mind - or their own.

I have to say that I have read a few Lilith Saintcrow books and this YA series written as Lili St. Crow is by far, my favorite.

I give Betrayals 5 out of 5 stars.

I'm looking forward to the next installment - Jealousy - due out in June of 2010.

M

Strange Angels
1. Strange Angels (2009)
2. Betrayals (2009)
3. Jealousy (2010)
Strange AngelsBetrayals

Monday, January 18, 2010

Mailbox Monday


Is it just me, or does time seem to be moving rather quickly? It seems like just last week was Christmas and now it's the middle of January. :)

Here is a book I received from paperbackswap.


Book Blurb:

Suspended by chains over a seemingly bottomless abyss, the ancient city of Deepgate is home to a young angel, an assassin, and a psychotic murderer hungry for revenge—or redemption. But soon a shocking betrayal will unite all three in a desperate quest....

The last of his line, Dill is descended from legendary Battle-archons who once defended the city. Forbidden to fly and untrained even to wield the great sword inherited from his forebears, he has become a figurehead for a dying tradition. Now he lives a sheltered existence in one of Deepgate's crumbling temple spires under the watchful eye of the Presbyter who rules the city.

Spine assassin Rachel Hael has better things to do than oversee the Presbyter's angel. Each dark moon she must fight for her life among the city chains, hunting an immortal predator with a taste for blood.

But when a traitor brings enemies to Deepgate's doorstep, Dill and Rachel are forced into an uneasy alliance with the city's oldest and most dangerous foe. They must journey down into the uncharted chasm to save their sprawling metropolis—and themselves—from annihilation. Once they descend however, they learn that what lies below is far more sinister than what they've been taught to expect.

This one sounds really good. :)

Have a great day.

M



Friday, January 15, 2010

Book Cover & Promo: Hell Fire

This is the second book in the Corine Solomon series by Ann Aguirre.

Book Blurb:

As a handler, Corine Solomon can touch any object and know its history. It's too bad she can't seem to forget her own. With her ex-boyfriend Chance in tow-lending his own supernatural brand of luck-Corine journeys back home to Kilmer, Georgia, in order to discover the truth behind her mother's death and the origins of "gift".

But while trying to uncover the secrets in her past, Corine and Chance find that something is rotten in the state of Georgia. Inside Kilmer's borders there are signs of a dark curse affecting the town and all its residents-and it can only be satisfied with death...

Due out April 6, 2010.

M

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Review: Divine by Mistake


This is the first book in the Partholon trilogy by PC Cast.

Book Blurb:

Going . . . Going . . . Gone!

The most excitement teacher Shannon Parker expects on her summer vacation is a little shopping. But then her latest purchase -- a vase with the Celtic goddess Epona on it -- somehow switches her into the world of Partholon, where she's treated like a goddess. A very temperamental goddess . . .

It seems that Shannon has stepped into another's role as the Goddess Incarnate of Epona. And while it has some very appealing moments -- what woman doesn't like a little pampering now and then? -- it also comes with a ritual marriage to a centaur and the threat of war against the evil Fomorians. Oh, and everyone disliking her because they think she's her double.

Somehow Shannon needs to figure out how to get back to Oklahoma without being killed, married to a horse or losing her mind . . .

I enjoyed Divine By Mistake very much. :)

Shannon Parker was only looking for a nice piece of pottery at a price even a high school English teacher could afford - what she found was much more than she bargained for.

Thrust into a world not even her imagination can fathom - Shannon is overwhelmed by the thought of switching places with the Goddess Incarnate of Epona. But thanks to Alanna - who is the twin of Shannon's best friend - she quickly adapts to her knew life and embraces the people surrounding her. Even her husband - the centaur Shaman ClanFintan.

Divine By Mistake is fun and quirky - made more so by Shannon and her ability to quote Star Trek at the most inappropriate times. LOL I love all of these characters and can't wait to read the next installment Divine by Choice, which is on the tbr shelf. :)

I give Divine By Mistake 5 out of 5 stars.

M

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Stopped at the grocery for a gallon of milk and left with 3 books. :)


Book Blurb:

Jackie Brighton woke up in a Dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her first one-night stand ever...with a fallen angel.

All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes...and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy Itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle -- until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fierce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot righthand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her.

How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?

And

Book Blurb:



We're the D'Artigo sisters: savvy--and sexy--operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But being half-human, half-Fae short-circuits our talents at all the wrong times. My sister Delilah is a two-faced Were who turns into a golden tabby when she's stressed. And Menolly's a vampire who's still trying to get the hang of being undead. As for me? I'm Camille D'Artigo, a wicked-good witch who's learning death magic with my youkai-kitsune husband. Until now, the Moon Mother's pretty much ignored me, but she's about to take me on the Hunt of my life...

Another equinox is here, and life's getting more dangerous for all of us. The past is catching up to our friends, Iris and Chase. Smoky--the dragon of my dreams--is forced to choose between his family and me. To top it off, there's a new demon general in town and we can't locate her. And when the Moon Mother and the Black Beast summon me to Otherworld. I think I'm just going to reunite with my long lost soulmate. But once there, I'm forced to undergo a drastic ritual that will forever change my life, and the lives of those around me.

And


Book Blurb:

In a frozen wilderness steeped in darkness, the lines between good and evil, lover and enemy, are never black or white but drawn in Shades of Midnight.

Something inhuman is stalking the frigid Alaskan wilds, leaving unspeakable carnage in its wake. For bush pilot Alexandra Maguire, the killings stir memories of a horrific event she witnessed as a child and evoke in her the inexplicable sense of otherness she has long felt within herself but never fully understood . . . until a darkly seductive stranger with secrets of his own enters her world.

Sent from Boston on a mission to investigate the savage attacks and stop the slaughter, vampire warrior Kade has his own reasons for returning to the frigid, forbidding place of his birth. Haunted by a secret shame, Kade soon realizes the stunning truth of the threat he faces-a threat that will jeopardize the fragile bond he has formed with the courageous, determined young woman who arouses his deepest passions and most primal hungers. But in bringing Alex into his world of blood and darkness, Kade must confront both his own personal demons and the even greater evil that could destroy all he holds dear.

So as you can see - it is not even safe for me to go to the grocery store for a gallon of milk. LOL Books are everywhere and they want to come home with me - I have no self control at all. *shakes head*

Have a wonderful day. :)

M



Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Review: Deadtown


This is a novel by Nancy Holzner.

Book Blurb:

They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders -- but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human...

Vicky's demanding job keeping the city safe from all manner of monsters is one reason her relationship with workaholic lawyer (and werewolf) Alexander Kane is in constant limbo. Throw in a foolhardy zombie apprentice, a mysterious demon-plagued client, and a suspicious research facility that's taken an unwelcome interest in her family, and Vicky's love life has as much of a pulse as Deadtown's citizens.

But now Vicky's got bigger things to worry about. The Hellion who murdered her father ten years ago has somehow broken through Boston's magical protections. The Hellion is a ruthless force of destruction with a personal grudge against Vicky, and she's the only one who can stop the demon before it destroys the city and everyone in it.

I enjoyed Deadtown. :)

Victory Vaughn trained from a young age to be a demon slayer - demon slaying runs in the family - and she is very good at what she does. If you can afford her fee - she can rid you of your demons.

But a Hellion is not just any demon - and Vicky has a history with this particular Hellion - a history that Vicky has no plans to repeat.

I like the concept of Deadtown - paranormal critters 'living' out in the open and working towards equal rights. :) I think this has the beginnings of a fun and quirky series and I look forward to more exploits from Vicky.

I give Deadtown 4 out of 5 stars.

M

Monday, January 11, 2010

Mailbox Monday

Good Morning everyone. :) I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Here are a couple of books I've received from paperbackswap.



I've never been certain I'm human Oh, the X-rays and blood tests are normal, and most people have no reason to suspect I'm more than I appear to be. But if I tell you to do something? You do it -- no ifs, ands or buts.

I call my power the "press."

My name is Mercy Hollings, and if you think that having the power to control people makes my life easy, you're dead wrong.

Because when I get angry, everyone around me is at risk -- Sukey, my friend who has frightening taste in men; my clients, who, ironically, come to be for help; my neighbors, who regard me as a loner; and Sam, a man who wants to know my darkest secret.

I have hurt people in the past, and I don't want that to happen again. But now a powerful stranger is threatening the new life that I've made for myself.

And I'm afraid my anger is taking over.



And

Book Blurb:

In the first book of this brilliant series, Stephen King introduces readers to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, The Last Gunslinger.
He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil.

In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake.

Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves readers eagerly awaiting the n
ext chapter.

I have not read anything by Toni Andrews and it has been forever since I've read Stephen King. :)

I am looking forward to both of these.

M




Sunday, January 10, 2010

Review: Crossing the Bridge



This is a novel by Michael Baron.

Book Blurb:

The only bridge to the future is through the past.

Hugh Penders has been stuck in neutral for nearly a decade since his brother Chase died in a car accident. He carries with him two secrets that he has never been able to share with anyone: that he believes he might have been able to prevent the accident, and he was deeply in love with Chase's girlfriend, Iris.

When Hugh's father suffers a debilitating heart attack, Hugh must return to the New England home he's been running away from for the past ten years. One day, he encounters Iris - who has long since moved away - on the street. They begin a friendship and Hugh believes he's falling in love with Iris all over again.

But the ghost of Chase haunts both of them. And when each reveals a truth the other never knew, their lives, their vision of Chase, and their chances for a future together will change forever.

This book was submitted for review and I retain my copy.

Crossing the Bridge is my first contemporary romance and also the first book I have read by Michael Baron.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. I love Michael Baron's writing style - it is very fluid and flows smoothly and in the case of Crossing the Bridge - seamlessly blends the current and past storyline.

My favorite part of the book is the interaction between Hugh and his father - I found that the relationship they had was strained at best and I was pleased to see that relationship evolve into something more.

Hugh and Iris are both carrying baggage from the loss of Chase - baggage that in ten years, has become much too burdensome.

The love story between Hugh and Iris comes across as sweet - building with time and proximity.

Crossing the Bridge is an honest look at the lives of a family that has been devastated by loss - but eventually triumphed over that loss with love. :)

I give Crossing the Bridge 4 out of 5 stars.

M

Friday, January 8, 2010

Review: Three Days to Dead


This is the first book in the Dreg City series by Kelly Meding.

Book Blurb:

They'll never see her coming. . . .

When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue - in a stranger's body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there - her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were the city's star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city's other Hunters that Evy was a traitor - and she can't even remember what it was.

Now she's a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice - and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again - but this time there's no second chance. . . .

Three Days to Dead is an awesome read!!

Evangeline Stone has been trained to fight and kill the 'dregs' of the city - these are the supernatural beings that pose a threat to humankind. Not all supernaturals want to harm humans and some of those beings are Evy's allies - others are snitches, trading information to the Triads.

One such bit of information is what has gotten Evy killed - but she can't remember what it is and time is running out.

I absolutely loved this book. :) I can't wait for the next installment - As Lie the Dead - due out in July of 2010.

I give Three Days to Dead 5 out of 5 stars. :)

M

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Review: They Call Me Death


This is an Urban Fantasy Romance by Missy Jane.

Book Blurb:

My name is Alexia Williams. In my world, North America is divided between north and south but not the way its taught in the history books.

After losing my family to the shifters, I joined the Combined Human States Army. Now I find myself on the front lines, defending the wall between my species and theirs. My mission is simple: keep the animals on their side by whatever means necessary and I"m good at it. I don't talk to them. I don't sympathize with them. I sure as hell don't admire them until one saves my life.

Andor isn't like any shifter Ive ever met. Hes a three-hundred-year-old golden eagle asking for help finding missing shifters who may be in my lands. I just have to decide between helping the animals or ignoring signs that my fellow humans aren't what I thought they were. But how can I help a species I hate and fear? Even if Andor makes me feel alive again?

In the land of the shifters - they call me Death.

This is my first read by Samhain Publishing and I can't think of a better book to start with - They Call Me Death is a great read. :)

Alexia has been through more than any one person should ever have to experience - the death of her husband and child at the hands of 'people' she thought were her friends. This experience changed her - molded her into a hardened fighter who lives only to work and keep the 'enemy' from the door. Alexia has closed off her heart and turned off her feelings.

Andor would have been happy to continue to live his life with the humans none the wiser to shifter kind - but he is in the minority in that regard. Forced 'out of the closet' so to speak - Andor lost the one thing most important to him - his daughter. Now he needs help - because he thinks he has found his daughter - and she is being held in the human controled part of North America.

They Call Me Death has it all - action, suspense, romance. I really enjoyed this book.

Ms. Jane left room for a sequel and I am really hoping she will give us one. :) I have enjoyed these characters and would love to read more.

I give They Call Me Death 5 out of 5 stars. :)

M

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Winner: January Book Giveaway!!

Good morning everyone. :) For those of you not familiar with how I choose the winner - here is a quick rundown.

Using Random dot org - I first list all the entrants and then shuffle a few times to get all the names mixed up. I then use the random number generator and choose the winning number.

There were 26 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

  1. Stacy Stew
  2. Scorpio M
  3. Milka
  4. elaing8
  5. throuthehaze
  6. pixie13
  7. justpeachy36
  8. Carlos Antunes
  9. buddyt
  10. Jeanette8042
  11. Stacie
  12. Alterlisa
  13. Brandy
  14. Martha Lawson
  15. jacaburl
  16. Spav
  17. Dorothy
  18. Amy J
  19. Tamsyn
  20. Ladytink534
  21. ck.twilighter
  22. Beleth
  23. tetewa
  24. Mitzi H
  25. Mariska
  26. Belinda
And the winning number is #7 - justpeachy36. Please send your address to kweenmg at yahoo dot com and I will get your book in the mail. :)


Happy Reading!!

M



Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Review: Tempt Me With Darkness


This is the first book in the Doomsday Brethren series by Shayla Black.

Book Blurb:

Cursed by Morganna LeFay, Marrok of Cadbury has lived in isolation for fifteen centuries without friendship, sex, or hope. When he begins dreaming of another LeFay woman with the trademark violet eyes and birthmark of the spell-happy witch who doomed him, he's determined to do whatever necessary to make her release him and grant him death--even abduct her. But soon Marrok discovers they are mates and that he must protect her from an evil wizard who knows she holds the key to a power both terrible and awesome--a power he will do anything to seize.

After her mother's death, Olivia Gray discovered that the father she thought died before her birth is actually alive and in London. Determined to find him and the acceptance she's always yearned for, she moves to the British capitol, opens an art gallery, and begins her search. It isn't long after a sexy stranger appears in her erotic dreams that he walks into her shop and abducts her--demanding she release him from a curse. As Marrok ingrains himself in her life, evil stalks her, and Olivia is caught between her long-lost family and her immortal mate. Will she and Marrok choose the dreams they've held dear or the love in their hearts?

I really liked this book. :)

Marrok is a warrior from King Arthur's time who has been cursed by a scorned witch to be immortal and unfulfilled until she, the witch, feels that he has learned his lesson. The only problem - she has been banished and Marrok has no idea how to end his curse.

Olivia is magical. She does not know this until she is told by a member of 'magickind' that she is an ancestor of the witch Morganna LeFay - the very witch that cursed Marrok. Olivia has no idea that magic exists and so she knows nothing of even the smallest of magicks. She has 18 months until she comes into her full powers - that being her 25th birthday.

This first book introduces us not only to Marrok - but also to the 'magickind' males that have re-formed the Doomsday Brethren :
the leader Bram, considered to be 'magickinds' play boy
Duke - an actual member of Royalty
Ice - who suffered the loss of his sister at the hands of the bad guys
Shock - who has family ties that are eager to help the bad guys
and Lucan - who has been mated for 10 years to the woman that Shock is also in love with - needless to say those two don't get along. :)

I give Tempt Me With Darkness 4 out of 5 stars and I have the next two in the series on the tbr shelf. :)

M


Tempt Me with DarknessSeduce Me in ShadowPossess Me at Midnight

Monday, January 4, 2010

Review: Explorer X-Alpha


This is a YA Sci-Fi novel by L M Preston.

Book Blurb:

After receiving a camp immunization needed for travel to Mars, Aadi finds that the immunization is the catalyst of an insidious experiment. Lucky for him, he was engineered to survive, thrive, and dominate. Without realizing he is being trained to conquer worlds, and manipulated under the guise of a camp, he unfolds the plot too late for a change of fate.

Aadi's world is shaken upon the revelation that life before camp was not what it appeared. This solidifies his plan to save them all from the company that seeks to control him, only for his rescue to end abruptly due to a freak accident on a field trip to Mars.

The full experiment is set in motion when he and his co-pilot crash in a distant galaxy called Shrenas, where they change and realize the full extent of their power. Holding onto his humanity, in the midst of turning into the unknown is Aadi's biggest battle yet.

This book was submitted for review and I retain my copy of the book. :)

Explorer X-Alpha is a good read - but not for younger children.

I have to say that I was honestly disturbed by the amount of violence in this book. These kids are supposed to be in middle school and the amount of hand to hand fighting that occurs during the course of this story is staggering - to say the least.

Now in the books defense - some of this fighting takes place in a virtual world - but still the fighting is there and it is graphic. I would not feel comfortable giving this book to any child under the age of 13.

I understand that the violence stems from the experiments that were done on the children - but I don't know that all 10 year olds would grasp that concept.

That being said - I did enjoy Explorer X-Alpha. The concept of the book is great. The story ended on a cliff hanger and I am very interested in finding out what happens next with Aadi and his friends. :)

I give Explorer X-Alpha 3 out of 5 stars.

M

Explorer X-Alpha
ISBN: 978-0-9841989-0-0
LCCN: 2009907784
YA- Science Fiction Novel
Ages: 10 years +
Author: L M Preston
Publisher: Phenomenal One Press

Mailbox Monday


I picked this little gem up at Wal-Mart. :)


Book Blurb:

A beautiful fugitive - wanted dead or alive.

Kyra is a con woman and a particular kind of thief. She steals with a touch, but she only takes one thing: her target's strongest skill. Which means she can be a fighter, an athlete, a musician, an artist - anything she wants...for a limited time. Heartbroken, she turns her gift toward avenging her father's murder. With deadly patience, Kyra works her way into casino owner Gerard Serrano's inner circle. After pulling off the ultimate con, she flees with his money and his pride.

A hit man who never misses the mark.

Reyes has nothin
g but his work. Unfortunately for Kyra, he's the best - and mercy never sways him once he takes a job. He's been hired to find out where Kyra hid the cash - and bring her back to face Serrano's "justice". Dead will do if Reyes can't locate the loot. He's never failed to complete a contract, but Kyra tempts him with her fierce passion and her outlaw heart. So Reyes faces a hell of a choice: forsake his word or kill the woman he might love.

Sounds pretty good. And in case you didn't know.....Ava Gray is Ann Aguirre. :)

M

Friday, January 1, 2010

January Book Giveaway!!


Together for the first time-the novel and novella that turned Knight into "a rising star in the paranormal pantheon." (In the Library Reviews)

Here in one volume are the complete novel Jane's Warlord and the novella "Warfem," which transport readers into an erotically charged time-warped world that will set their "blood on fire and have them begging for more." (In the Library Reviews)

In Jane's Warlord, reporter Jane Colby makes a startling discovery about a murder. The killer has struck before-hundreds of years in the past. He's jumped through time to find more victims and only Jane and Baran, a genetically engineered warrior, can stop him.

In "Warfem," a strange destiny reunites the seductive Warfem Alina with Baird, a sexually dynamic Warlord who already shared his lover's fantasies many years before.

Plus, as an added treat, Warlord includes two extra short stories never before seen in print.

Here we are again - a new month (and new year). I thought we would start the year off right with Ms. Angela Knight and her Warlords. I have to say, I love this cover and the tat on that guys arm is very nice. LOL

To enter my monthly contests you must be a follower - other than that, just leave a comment with your email addy.

Contest ends Tuesday January 5th I will post the winner on Wednesday January 6th. Good Luck and Happy Reading!

M