Friday, December 31, 2010

2010 Reading Re-Cap

 

I am amazed that today is the last day of 2010 - this year has flown by for me.  I was able to post here almost daily, participated in a couple of Hops and read some amazing books.  I've also been participating in the Monday Morning Flash Fiction Challenge with a few blogger buddies - and I've discovered a little writer in myself.  :)

I am looking forward to an amazing New Year and wish the same for you.  If you will be out and about tonight - be safe. :)

Here is a list of all the books I read (or attempted) in 2010.  Books highlighted in RED are favorites.

2010 in Review

5 Stars

They Call Me Death - Missy Jane
Three Days to Dead - Kelly Meding
Divine By Mistake - P C Cast
Betrayals - Lili St. Crow
On the Edge - Ilona Andrews
Now & Then - Jacqueline Sheehan
The Cold Room - J T Ellison
Tempest Rising - Nicole Peeler
Spellbent - Lucy A. Snyder
Pleasure of a Dark Prince - Kresley Cole
Skin Game - Ava Gray
Shift - Rachel Vincent
Black Magic Sanction - Kim Harrison
Angels' Blood - Nalini Singh
Ecstasy Unveiled - Larissa Ione
Poor Little Bitch Girl - Jackie Collins
Revamped - J F Lewis
The Mage in Black - Jaye Wells
Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs
Branded by Fire - Nalini Singh
Lover Mine - J R Ward
Blood Born - Linda Howard, Linda Jones
Dead in the Family - Charlaine Harris
Dragon Actually - G A Aiken
Moon Sworn - Keri Arthur
Happy Hour of the Damned - Mark Henry
Kiss of Death - Rachel Caine
Come Hell or High Water - Michele Bardsley
The Eternal Ones - Kirsten Miller
Unholy Magic - Stacia Kane
The Passage - Justin Cronin
Death's Mistress - Karen Chance
The Darkest Lie - Gena Showalter
Destined for An Early Grave - Jeaniene Frost
Deadly Fear - Cynthia Eden
Entwined - Elisabeth Naughton
Maybe This Time - Jennifer Crusie
The Strain - Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan
Sin Undone - Larissa Ione
Demon From the Dark - Kresley Cole
First Drop of Crimson - Jeaniene Frost
Dust - Joan Frances Turner
Blood Magic - Jennifer Lyon
Ecstasy in Darkness - Gena Showalter
No Mercy - Sherrilyn Kenyon
Alpha - Rachel Vincent
Songs of Love & Death - Anthology
Rise Again - Ben Tripp
The Fall - Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan
Jealousy - Lili St. Crow
Eternal Hunger - Laura Wright
Indulgence in Death - JD Robb
Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich
The Queen of Last Hopes - Susan Higginbotham



4 Stars
Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs - Molly Harper
Bone Magic - Yasmine Galenorn
Spider's Bite - Jennifer Estep
Tainted - Julie Kenner
Tempt Me With Darkness - Shayla Black
Crossing the Bridge - Michael Baron
Deadtown - Nancy Holzner
Hotter Than Hell - Jackie Kessler
Incarceron - Catherine Fisher
Touched by an Alien - Gini Koch
City of Souls - Vicki Pettersson
Wicked Harvest - Anitra Lynn McLeod
Dark Harvest - Anitra Lynn McLeod
Frost Moon - Anthony Francis
Unholy Ghosts - Stacia Kane
The Darkest Passion - Gena Showalter
Succubus Shadows - Richelle Mead
Dangerous - Diana Palmer
The Sweet Scent of Blood - Suzanne McLeod
Dangerous Desires - Dee Davis
Bullet - LK Hamilton
Kings Property - Morgan Howell
Clan Daughter - Morgan Howell
Royal Destiny - Morgan Howell
Salt & Silver - Anna Katherine
Marked - Elisabeth Naughton
Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex - Eoin Colfer
Night Myst - Yasmine Galenorn
Surviving Demon Island - Jaci Burton
Captured - Julia Rachel Barrett
Sizzling Sixteen - Janet Evanovich
Queen of the Night - J A Jance
Black Magic - Cherry Adair
Hangman - Faye Kellerman
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
Sacrifice - Dakota Banks
Backstage Pass - Olivia Cunning
My Wicked Enemy - Carolyn Jewel
Tempting Danger - Eileen Wilks
Happy Hour at Casa Dracula - Marta Acosta
The Dead Boys - Royce Buckingham
The Taming of the Wolf - Lydia Dare
Wages of Sin - Jenna Maclaine
Bayou Moon - Ilona Andrews
A Babe in Toyland - Tawny Weber
Passion - Anthology
First Grave on the Right - Darynda Jones
Naked Dragon - Annette Blair
Kiss at Your Own Risk - Stephanie Rowe
Indefensible - Pamela Callow



3 Stars

Night's Cold Kiss - Tracey O'Hara
The Girl Made of Cool - Alan Fox
Gentlemen Prefer Succubi - Jill Myles
Howling at the Moon - Karen MacInerney
Wraith - Phaedra Weldon
Fantasy in Death - J D Robb
Shadow Blade - Seressia Glass
Eternal - V K Forrest
Don't Kill the Messenger - Eileen Rendahl
Sunrise in a Garden of Love & Evil - Barbara Monajem
Shadowlight - Lynn Viehl
Feed - Mira Grant
Scythe - MK Mancos
Damaged - Pamela Callow
Ashes of Midnight - Lara Adrian
Crux - Moira Rogers
Bond of Blood - Diane Whiteside
White Cat - Holly Black
Desperate Deeds - Dee Davis
Lucan - Susan Kearney
White Heat - Brenda Novak
Emma and the Vampires - Jane Austen & Wayne Josephson
Tracking the Tempest - Nicole Peeler
Blaze of Memory - Nalini Singh
When Blood Calls - J K Beck
Hungry For Your Love - Anthology
Immortals - J T Ellison
Blood Trinity - S. Kenyon & D. Love
In Over Her Head - Judi Fennell
Grave Witch - Kalayna Price
City of Ghosts - Stacia Kane
I Dream of Genies - Judi Fennell
Cell - Stephen King
Dark Viking - Sandra Hill
State of Decay - James Knapp
Masked by Moonlight - Nancy Gideon
Eternal Kiss of Darkness - Jeaniene Frost

2 Stars

Blue Diablo - Ann Aguirre
Confessions of a Demon - S L Wright
Original Sin - Allison Brennan
Willow - Julia Hoban
Spiral Hunt - Margaret Ronald
Blood Memories - Barb Hendee
Sea Witch - Virginia Kantra
Dark Warrior Unleashed - Alexis Morgan
Ghostland - Jory Strong
Harmony's Way - Lora Leigh



1 Star

Death Row: The Trilogy - Jaid Black

DNF
and Falling, fly - Skyler White
Succubus in the City - Nina Harper
Mind Games - Carolyn Crane
Hunted by the Others - Jess Haines
Black Blade Blues - J A Pitts
Wicked Enchantment - Anya Bast
Warrior Ascended - Addison Fox
The Keepers - Heather Graham
Magick Charm - Jennifer Wells
Caleb - Sarah McCarty
The Dark Storm - Kris Greene
Warrior Ascended - Addison Fox
Wolf Fever - Terry Spear
Beneath the Thirteen Moons - Kathryne Kennedy
Flashes from the Otherworld - Julie Ann Weinstein
The Dark Storm - Kris Greene
Caleb - Sarah McCarty
Magick Charm - Jennifer Wells
The Keepers - Heather Graham

Total: 171 Books


Not too bad.  I'm hoping to break 200 in 2011.  LOL  

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Flash Fiction Friday: Week #20

Amy C over at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie over at Tink's Place
have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt wi
ll be posted and if you choose to participate - you post your story on Friday.

And here is picture prompt #20:

 

My Story:

A Warm Cup of Revenge
By Michelle Greathouse

Vadoma made her way down the winding staircase, carefully staying on the right side - where there was more support - and lightly jumped over the missing tread two steps from the bottom.  The castle was in complete disrepair.

Vadoma could not be more pleased.

Years ago, her mother came to WynCliff Castle in search of honest employment - instead she found greed and corruption in William WynCliff and suffered daily abuse at his hands until finally, tired of his plaything - he threw her out into the night.

Simza made her way home, arriving weary in both mind and body. And four months pregnant.

Eighteen years later, after the death of her mother from influenza, Vadoma applied for the position of Cook at WynCliff Castle.  Her duties were light, the owner was well into his later years, lived alone except for the staff, and due to a delicate stomach, could only partake of the lightest of broths.  But they had to be flavorful - he was quite adamant about that.

Vadoma, having learned to cook at her mother and grandmothers knee - made exceptional broths for Lord WynCliff to dine upon.  Night after night he was amazed at the variety of flavors he experienced.

After a week of excellent meals, Lord WynCliff wished to meet the new Cook and instructed his house man to bring her into the dining hall.

Vadoma entered the dining hall and WynCliff indicated the seat at the end of the table.  Sitting Vadoma held in her hatred for this man - the man who abused her mother and threw her away like a piece of garbage without a second thought.  The man who gave Vadoma life - her father.  

“I have not eaten so well in longer than I can remember, young lady.  I would like for you to make a sweet broth and bring it to me in my chambers before I retire for the evening.”  With that, Lord WynCliff rose and made his way very slowly from the table - his house man by his side to steady him.

Vadoma knew this was the chance she’d been waiting for, rushing to the kitchen she began her broth.

Several hours later, Vadoma entered the sleeping chamber of Lord WynCliff, carrying a tray with a cup of warm lemon berry broth.  She found William already abed reading the newspaper, the covers folded neatly at his waist.

“I have brought your broth, I hope you enjoy it.”  Vadoma handed him the cup.  “Careful, it is hot.  I wouldn’t want you to burn yourself.”

William took the offered cup and bade Vadoma sit in the chair at the side of the bed.  She did so, eager to see how he liked the broth.

Blowing across the cup to cool the contents, William took a small sip and sighed.  “This is wonderful.”  He took another sip and another.  Once half the cup was gone, William eased back and regarded Vadoma.  “You are very familiar to me girl, have we met?”

Vadoma leaned closer to the older man.  “No, we have not met.”  She indicated the half finished broth, “Don’t let your broth grow cold.”

William finished his broth and handed the cup to Vadoma.  “I can’t for the life of me figure out why you look so familiar.  Who are your family?”

Vadoma stood and began pacing at the bedside.  “I look familiar to you because you knew my mother, eighteen years ago she worked for you.  You abused her, got her pregnant and tossed her out into the night.  Take a good look at me, Father.  Because I am the last person you will ever see.”

William began seizing .  

“The lemon in your broth concealed the bitter taste of the poison - you should be dead soon.”

Vadoma smiled and left the room, closing the door behind her and making her way down the stairs.

The End
Word Count: 653


What do you think?  I love it.  :)

M

Thursday, December 30, 2010

December Reading Re-Cap


Good morning everyone.  :)  I hope you've all had a wonderful Holiday season - and if you have something planned for New Years - have fun and be safe.

Here is a rundown of the books I read this month.

5 Stars

Eternal Hunger - Laura Wright
Indulgence in Death - JD Robb
Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich
The Queen of Last Hopes - Susan Higginbotham

4 Stars

Naked Dragon - Annette Blair
Kiss at Your Own Risk - Stephanie Rowe
Indefensible - Pamela Callow

3 Stars

I Dream of Genies - Judi Fennell
Cell - Stephen King
Dark Viking - Sandra Hill
State of Decay - James Knapp
Masked by Moonlight - Nancy Gideon
Eternal Kiss of Darkness - Jeaniene Frost

How was your reading month?



ARC Review: Indefensible by Pamela Callow


Indefensible is the second book in the Kate Lange series by Pamela Callow and a Mira Novel.

Book Blurb:

When Elise Vanderzell plummets from her bedroom balcony one gorgeous summer night, her children awaken to a nightmare.

Their Mother is Dead.
Their Father is Charged with her Murder.

Lawyer Kate Lange knows all about nightmares.  She's survived the darkest period of her troubled life and the wounds are still raw.  Now she's been handed a case that seems utterly unwinnable:  defending her boss, high-profile lawyer Randall Barrett. 

A prosecutor's dream suspect.  Randall is a man who was cuckolded by his ex-wife.  A man who could not control his temper.  A man who had argued bitterly with the victim the previous day in full view of the children.

With limited criminal law experience, Kate finds herself enmeshed in a family fractured by doubt.  Randall's teenage son is intent on killing him.  His daughter wants only to feel safe again.  And the entire legal community would like nothing better than to see Randall receive a public comeuppance. 

As Kate races to stay a step ahead of the prosecution, a silent predator is waiting for the perfect time to deal the final blow.




Indefensible was submitted for review.
 

My thoughts:

Kate Lange is still dealing with the consequences of her encounter with Craig Peters, the serial killer known as the Body Butcher.  Both her body and her mind will forever bear the scars of her fight - a fight to the death that resulted in Kate killing Craig in self defense.

Now Kate is skittish at sudden noises, rarely sleeps through the night and what sleep she gets is plagued with nightmares.

Determined that Craig Peters will take no more from her, Kate focuses on work and sprucing up her hundred year old home.  In the back of her mind, Kate is also thinking of Randall Barrett.

She is interested in him as more than her boss - and she is sure he returns that interest.  When she receives an urgent call from him requesting assistance, she does not hesitate to help.

But feeding and walking a dog is a far cry from defending someone against a charge of murder.  When Randall is arrested for the murder of his ex-wife, Kate must find the evidence to prove his innocence - before the real killer strikes again.

I enjoyed Indefensible very much.  :)

Kate Lange is smart and independent and determined to overcome the obstacles in her life - she is easy to relate to: a hard working 'every woman'.

I give Indefensible 4 out of 5 stars.

M


Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Mira; Original edition (December 28, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0778329224
  • ISBN-13: 978-0778329220

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

ARC Review: I Dream of Genies by Judi Fennell

 

I Dream of Genies is a Romance Novel by Judi Fennell from SourceBooks Casablanca.

Book Blurb:

He Needs To Change His Luck, And Fast!

Matt Ewing would gladly hunt down a fortune in lucky pennies if he thought it would help save his business.  But for all his hoping, Matt's clueless when his long-awaited lucky charm falls in his lap in the form of a beguiling genie.  He just can't believe that this beautiful woman could be the answer to his prayers...

She's Been Bottled Up For Far Too Long!

Spending 2,000 years in a bottle would make any woman go a little stir-crazy.  So when Matt releases Eden from her luxurious captivity, she's thrilled to repay him by giving him the magical boost he needs...

But for all her good intentions, Eden's magical prowess is a little rusty and her magical mistakes become more than embarrassing.  And though Eden knows falling in love will end her magic and immortality, she can't help but be drawn to the one man who wants her just for herself...

I Dream of Genies was submitted for review.

My thoughts:

Eden is a djinni - a genie, in The Service - but, to her, it is really nothing more than slavery.  A genie has a master and the genie is bound to the person who holds their bottle.  And they have to do whatever their master bids them do.

When Eden can no longer stomach what her master is doing - she threatens him.  But the threat turns real when she accidentally kills him - breaking genie law.

Because Eden is the 'daughter' of the High Master, he is able to change her death sentence into a 3,000 year prison sentence.

YaY!  So much better.

Having spent 1,800 years of her 3,000 year sentence stuck in her bottle, with only a cat as her companion - Eden is more than ready for a change of scenery - a little fresh air - a little romance.  And she has the perfect man in mind - Matt Ewing.

Matt Ewing is not having the best of luck.  He just can't seem to get all of his ducks in a row - and he really wants to get his business off the ground - to prove to himself and his family that he can be successful.

Then he meets Eden.

And his whole world is turned upside down.

Eden and Matt are trying to keep Eden off the radar of Faruq, the High Master's vizier - and Genie Compliance monitor - because if he finds Eden - he will put her back in the bottle.

I Dream of Genies is a fun, quirky story that I  enjoyed reading.

I give I Dream of Genies 3 out of 5 stars.

M

Product Details

    Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
    Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (January 1, 2011)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 1402241895
    ISBN-13: 978-1402241895

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

ARC Review: Kiss at Your Own Risk by Stephanie Rowe

 

Kiss at Your Own Risk is the first book in the Soulfire series by Stephanie Rowe and a Paranormal Romance from SourceBooks Casablanca. 

Book Blurb:

He Needed A Killer Woman...

Blaine Underhill was one lucky man.  Having recently escaped a century and a half of imprisonment at the hands of an evil witch, he's determined to save his still-enslaved friend.  But in order to do so, he'll need the help of one of the world's most lethal women.

She Was Drop Dead Gorgeous, Literally...

Trinity Harpswell is sick and tired of being a Black Widow.  Having managed to go three years without accidentally killing anyone she loves, she's one short week away from freeing herself from this killer curse forever.

When Blaine tracks her down and convinces her to help him, little does Trinity know that the next seven days are going to be murder.

Kiss at Your Own Risk was submitted for review.

My thoughts:

Blaine Underhill has had it rough - for over a hundred years he has been a prisoner of Angelica - Death's GrandMa - in the Den of Womanly Pursuits.  Now, that may sound like a nice vacation - but not so much.  Angelica is convinced that if a man is surrounded by feminine influences and just a touch (okay, a lot) of torture - it will make him a better man - a man worthy of a woman.

Angelica is nuts.

Now Blaine and three of his friends have the opportunity to escape and they are making a run for it - only to be betrayed at the last minute by Angelica's apprentice, Mari - who is Christians girlfriend.  Now Christian is trapped.

When the three guys make it earthside they immediately begin plotting Christian's rescue and everything boils down to killing Angelica.  But how do you kill someone who is unkillable?

Trinity Harpswell has lived with the knowledge that she is a Black Widow since almost killing her first love at the tender age of 15.  If Trinity truly feels love for a man - the Black Widow takes over, showing her the exact way to kill him.

Blaine is hoping that Trinity will be able to use her ability to see a persons death - and tell them exactly how to kill Angelica.

But Trinity does not want to kill anyone - especially now - now that she is so close to breaking the curse.

Kiss at Your Own Risk is funny and sexy and has plenty of action.  :)  I enjoyed it very much and hope that each of the other three guys will get their own story.  I really want to know more about them all and I want them to find their HEA.

I give Kiss at Your Own Risk 4 out of 5 stars.

M

Product Details

    Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
    Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (January 1, 2011)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 140224195X
    ISBN-13: 978-1402241956

Monday, December 27, 2010

Mailbox Monday: Christmas Prezzie Edition :)





My family and friends ROCK!  They are well aware of my reading addiction and have no problem whatsoever feeding that addiction.  All holidays and gift buying occasions are met with books, gift cards to book stores or money for the book store.  :)  This Christmas was no exception.


So here are the books I received this Christmas.


You can't see them all - and the flash was really bright.  LOL  So here is a list:

Siren Song - Cat Adams
Cross Your Heart - Michele Bardsley
The Darkest Hour - Maya Banks
Embers - Laura Bickle
Enemy Within - Marcella Burnard
Stripped - Marcia Colette
Right Hand Magic - Nancy A Collins
A Darker Shade of Dead - Bianca D-Arc
Afterlife - Merrie Destefano
Eternal Hunter - Cynthia Eden
Immortal Danger - Cynthia Eden
Grave New Day - Lina Gardiner
Skin Tight - Ava Gray
Blood Law - Jeannie Holmes
Black Wings - Christina Henry
Afterlight - Elle Jasper
Sandman Slim - Richard Kadrey
Alien Tango - Gini Koch
As Lie the Dead - Kelly Meding
Red Hot Fury - Kasey Mackenzie
Sugar and Sin by Stella and Audra Price

Entwined by Fate by S.A Price
Shotgun Sorceress - Lucy A Snyder
Enslave Me Sweetly - Gena Showalter
Crossover - Joel Shepherd
Trick of the Light - Rob Thurman
Nekropolis - Tim Waggoner
Beyond the Night - Joss Ware
Monster Island - David Wellington


I am so excited to read these books.  :)  And just so you don't think I'm a complete freak - I did get some non book related items for Christmas too.  LOL








 

ARC Review: The Queen of Last Hopes by Susan Higginbotham





The Queen of Last Hopes is a Historical Novel by Susan Higginbotham from SourceBooks Casablanca.

Book Blurb:


It would be called the Wars of the Roses, but it all began with one woman's fury...

Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England, cannot give up on her husband-even when he goes insane.

And as mother to the House of Lancaster's last hope, she cannot give up on her son-even when all England turns against him.

This gripping tale of a queen is at its heart a tender tale of love: passionate, for her husband, and motherly, for her only son.


The Queen of Last Hopes was submitted for review.

My thoughts:

Margaret of Anjou, the fourteen year old niece of Charles VII, King of France - is married, by proxy - to Henry VI, King of England in the hope that the marriage will bring peace to the two nations.

Margaret grew to love Henry - and Henry loved her - and for twenty-six years Margaret was the Queen of England.

What transpired in those twenty-six years was political intrigue, war, births and deaths, love, madness, betrayal, hope and despair and The Queen of Last Hopes tells this story in rich detail.

Susan Higginbotham is a wonderful story teller and The Queen of Last Hopes is a must read for all those who love a great historical novel.

I give The Queen of Last Hopes 5 out of 5 stars.

M



Product Details

    Paperback: 368 pages
    Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (January 1, 2011)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 1402242816
    ISBN-13: 978-1402242816

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

 

I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.  May your day be filled with laughter and love and everything that wonderful memories are made of.  :)

Friday, December 24, 2010

Flash Fiction Friday: Week #19

Amy C over at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie over at Tink's Place
have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt wi
ll be posted and if you choose to participate - you post your story on Friday.

And here is the nineteenth picture prompt:
 

 Here is my story.



Nine Ladies Dancing
By Michelle Greathouse

Elan checked the number 57 attached to her suit and eyed the other girls in line.  She had been working for this opportunity for as long as she could remember, and she was determined not to blow it. 

Her mother still has pictures of her in the first tutu she ever put on - at the tender age of 2.  And now Elan was auditioning for a role in The Nutcracker - this would make her career.

The director called for the first wave and twenty girls ran on stage.  Elan could not see anything from her position in the line, but she heard the music start and all too quickly stop.

Trying to stay calm, Elan waited through three more calls before it was time for her to rush on stage.  The music started and she danced - danced with everything she had, all of her hopes and dreams were tied up in that one short dance.

All too soon the music stopped and she followed the other dancers off stage.  Now it was time to wait.

Quicker than she would have expected the stage manager called everyone on stage and the girls  squeezed together, holding hands and crossing fingers.

“Thank you all for coming out today.  We appreciate your interest, but as you know, we only have nine positions available.  If I call your number the position is yours, everyone else, keep up the hard work and we’ll see you next time.”

It was so quiet on that stage you could hear a pin drop.

“Okay, here we go: numbers 8, 15, 21, 22, 37, 40, 45, 57, and 60 - rehearsals start tonight at 6:00, don’t be late.”

Elan took a deep breath, walked backstage and grabbed her bag with shaking hands, and pulled out her cell phone.  She sat down and dialed the phone. 

“Mom, I made it.”

The End
Word Count: 315

Okay, so I tried to be sweet and uplifting.  LOL.  I know, it’s not me.  But I didn’t think blood and guts were appropriate for Christmas. :)

So Merry Christmas everyone! 

M     

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Review: Cell by Stephen King

 

Cell is a novel by Stephen King from Simon & Schuster.

Book Blurb:

On October 1, the stock market stands at 10,140, most of the planes are on time, and Clayton Riddell, an artist from Maine, is almost bouncing up Boylston Street in Boston.  He's just landed a comic book deal that might finally enable him to support his family by making art instead of teaching it.  He's already picked up a small (but inexpensive) gift for his long-suffering wife, and he knows just what he'll get for his boy Johnny.  Why not a little treat for himself?  Clay's feeling good about the future.

That changes in a hurry.  The cause of the devastation is a phenomenon that will come to be known as The Pulse, and the delivery method is a cell phone.  Everyone's cell phone.  Clay and the few desperate survivors who join him suddenly find themselves in the pitch-black night of civilization's darkest age, surrounded by chaos, carnage, and a human horde that has been reduced to its basest nature...and then begins to evolve.

There's really no escaping this nightmare.  But for Clay, an arrow points home to Maine, and as he and his fellow refugees make their harrowing journey north they begin to see crude signs confirming their direction:  KASHWAK=NO-FO.  A promise, perhaps.  Or a threat...


My thoughts:

I've been on a zombie kick lately, so when I found Cell I was very excited - eager to read Mr. King's take on the zombie lore.

I was a bit disappointed with Cell.  The zombie's aren't the typical mindless, eat your brains zombie that I have come to love.

These people have been more or less reprogrammed - rebooted, like a computer.  Now they are a 'hive mind' with one goal - to make sure that anyone who did not have a cell phone on that fatal day - anyone who is different from them - be rounded up and forced to become like them.

So it's like a zombie with a somewhat functioning brain - or at the least, recognizable thoughts.  And they have a kind of telepathy that allows them to enter dreams.

Cell is really about the people who have, so far, survived The Pulse - and the steps they take against the people who didn't - the plans to defend themselves and the hope to hold out until it's all over.

Stephen King is the master of macabre and I can't say that I am surprised by his unique take on zombies.  :)  It was just different.

I give Cell 3 out of 5 stars.

M

Winner of the Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop





Good morning everyone.  :)  It is time to announce the winner of the Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop.  Here is a quick rundown of how the winner was chosen.


Using Random dot Org:

1.  List all eligible entrants on List Randomizer and shuffle names several times.

2.  Pick the winning number with Random Number Generator.  

Here we go:

There were 57 items in your list. Here they are in random order:
  1. BLH Mistress
  2. Vicky CK
  3. Belle Decouverte
  4. DonnaS
  5. Laura H
  6. c4casey
  7. Belinda
  8. Andrea I
  9. Khyla
  10. Kelsey
  11. Lady Vampire2U
  12. Jennifer
  13. Meredith
  14. Stacy - UFI
  15. Linda Henderson
  16. Qtpies7
  17. Dee
  18. Mary (BH)
  19. Chi Kittie
  20. Yvonne
  21. Sinn
  22. Miranda Grissom
  23. The Happy Booker
  24. Anaiz
  25. Jaidis
  26. Tammy
  27. Sam
  28. Jules
  29. Heather
  30. Jolene Allcock
  31. Cindy
  32. Lora1967 & Mechele
  33. MMAFSmith
  34. justpeachy36
  35. Ricki
  36. Maureen
  37. xxsquigglesxx
  38. baddict17
  39. Brooke
  40. Buried in Books
  41. debbie
  42. Tune into L
  43. BJ
  44. Michele P
  45. latishajean
  46. Crystal
  47. Theresa - FIF
  48. Kelly
  49. throuthehaze
  50. Lexigurl
  51. tetewa
  52. Katie
  53. brenda jean
  54. Alicia C
  55. Marian
  56. Sue Fitz
  57. Stephanie
And the winning number is #33 - MMAFSmith.  Congrats, an email is on the way.  :)

I would like to thank you all for participating.  Have a Merry Christmas!

Happy Reading,


 

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

MidWinter's Eve Giveaway Hop





Midwinter's Eve is the longest night of the year so why not spend it entering some great giveaways.  The Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. 

The is a quick hop that runs from 12:01 AM on Tuesday, December 21st to 11:59 PM on Wednesday, December 22nd. 


Each participating blog is hosting their own giveaway with their own entry requirements. All participating blogs are linked up through a Midwinter's Eve linky. After you have entered one giveaway hop to the next giveaway on the list.



Giveaways are labeled either US, US & Canada or International.

And here is what is available from Michelle's Book Blog - all four (4) books to one lucky follower with a US mailing address.  :)






To Surrender to a Rogue - Cara Elliott
Immortal Sea - Virginia Kantra
Blood Trinity - Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love
Water Bound - Christine Feehan 

Contest is open to all followers of this blog with a US mailing address.  Just leave a comment and a valid email addy to be entered.  :)

Winner will be announced 12-23-10.

Good Luck Everyone!!

M



Monday, December 20, 2010

M.M.F.F. Challenge: Week #19





Amy C over at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie over at Tink's Place
have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt
will be posted and if you choose to participate - you post your story on Friday - 350 words, give or take. 


And here is the nineteenth picture prompt.








This week Dottie gave us two pictures to choose from - and I chose this one.  :)  I'm not sure why it stood out for me more than the other..it was a half nekkid fella and a dragon.  LOL

Stop by on Friday if you get the chance and see what I can come up with for this picture.  

M

Cover Reveal: The Hour of Dust and Ashes by Kelly Gay


Kelly Gay revealed the cover for the third book in her Charlie Madigan series - The Hour of Dust and Ashes.

Release Date:  08-30-11
Blurb Forthcoming

Review: Naked Dragon by Annette Blair


Naked Dragon is the first book in the Works Like Magick Novels by Annette Blair.

Book Blurb:

As owner of the Works Like Magick Employment Agency in Salem, Massachusetts, Vivica Quinlan has a gift for perfectly matching clients with magical temps that works like a charm every time...

McKenna Greylock contacts Vivica in desperate need of a jack-of-all-trades handyman to help repair her Victorian bed-and-breakfast.  She has a shoestring budget and ninety days to meet the building inspector's approval - or the house will be repossessed and purchased by a duplicitous developer.

To McKenna's surprise, Vivica sends the gorgeous Bastian Dragonelli, who not only possesses the speed, strength, and agility to get the job done, but also sets her soul ablaze with a fiery passion she's never experienced before.  And if McKenna can accept Bastian's true nature - as a dragon warrior - she'll find her life heating up in more ways than one...



My thoughts:

Naked Dragon is a very cute read.  :)

McKenna Greylock is trying to hang on to her family land.  She knows that if she can get the ancestral home up to code, pay all the back taxes and catch up on the mortgage payments - she can have the best B&B in town.

But that is going to be a huge task - and she needs help.

Thinking to hire a handy man, McKenna makes a visit to her cousin, Vivica, a witch, who owns and operates an employment agency that secretly employs magickal beings.

Bastian Dragonelli has a quest of his own - and though she does not know it, McKenna is part of that quest. 

But checking things off his long to-do list is a lot easier than convincing one woman of her own worth - but it is a job Bastian is determined to complete.

I really enjoyed Naked Dragon.  Annette Blair has a wonderful sense of humor and her characters are easy to like.  I can't wait to read the rest of this series.

I give Naked Dragon 4 out of 5 stars.

M


Works Like Magick
1. Naked Dragon (2010)
2. Bedeviled Angel (2010)
3. Vampire Dragon (2011)
Naked DragonBedeviled AngelVampire Dragon

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Cover Find: Seduce Me in Dreams by Jacquelyn Frank

 

Seduce Me in Dreams is the first book in the new Three Worlds series by Jacquelyn Frank.

Release Date:  03-22-11
Blurb Forthcoming

Cover & Promo: Living on the Edge by Shannon K Butcher


With her thrilling Sentinel Wars series, Shannon K. Butcher pushed readers to the very edge of their imaginations. Now, with the first in her new action romance series she takes them to the very edge of their seats, following the loves and lethal lives of a group of hardened mercenaries who live on the edge-and beyond...

Release Date:  03-01-11
Blurb Forthcoming

M

Friday, December 17, 2010

Flash Fiction Friday: Week #18

Amy C over at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie over at Tink's Place
have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt wi
ll be posted and if you choose to participate - you post your story on Friday.

And here is the eighteenth picture prompt:
 

 


My Story:
 
Pilgrimage
By Michelle Greathouse

Angelique checked her blade inside the sheath strapped to her thigh.  Not the normal place she concealed her weapon, but she had a formal event to attend once her task was complete.  She traded her heels for more sensible shoes and began the journey down the long stone path - she hated the mile long stone walkway that ended in the middle of the ocean.

But it was a necessary evil, the stone and the salt water - both precautions against Bastian’s possible return.  Though he had been staked, beheaded and burned to ash - a vampire of his advanced age could not be trusted to stay dead.

That is another reason Angelique made this journey every year - to make sure Bastian was still in his resting place - and to strengthen the wards surrounding his ashes.

As a witch, Angelique was well trained in warding - and due to her lineage, very powerful.

Reaching her destination, Angelique took a deep breath and sliced open the palm of her left hand.  She allowed the blood to flow freely until a good amount lay cupped inside her hand - and then she flung it against the headstone, dripped it onto the base and blotted it on the stairs.

When she was sure her blood covered the stone sufficiently, she began her chant.  The words came to her easily, having performed this ritual every year for the last six years - it was habit.

Just as the sun broke through the clouds Angelique finished her chant with, “So mote it be” and watched as her palm healed.

The ravens flying overhead squawked in warning, but Angelique sensed no danger.  She turned to leave, grateful that her duty was completed for one more year.

“Hello, my dear.”  Bastian smiled.

The End
Word Count: 313

This one was short and sweet - but oh, the possibilities. :)

What do you think?

M