Posted in Cozy, Monday, mystery on December 17, 2012

When the Cookie Crumbles is the third in the Cookie Cutter Shop Mystery series by author Virginia Lowell.  The first book was Cookie Dough or Die and the second was A Cookie Before Dying.

Synopsis:

Olivia Greyson is the proud owner of The Gingerbread House—a quaint shop that specializes in all things cookie—and her best friend, Maddie, is her sidekick, baking up scrumptious treats for their parties. But the real-life version of their magnificent gingerbread house is about to crumble to pieces…

Tensions are running high as Chatterley Heights’ 250th birthday celebration approaches, and Olivia and Maddie are working feverishly to finish a gingerbread house modeled after the famous Chatterley Mansion. When Paine Chatterley, presumed to be dead, shows up to claim his father’s house, the town gossips are driven into a tizzy. And when he refuses to allow visitors to tour the mansion during the celebration, all the preparations seem for naught.

Then Paine is found lifeless in the bathtub, his wife hysterical and their precious heirlooms destroyed. The hidden lives of the prestigious Chatterley family members begin to surface, and Olivia must unravel their dark past. As it turns out, the town’s history isn’t all that sweet…

 | 
Comments Off on Mystery Monday: When the Cookie Crumbles by Virginia Lowell
Posted in Cover Reveal on December 17, 2012

Synopsis: UNBEAUTIFULLY – Danny & Ripper’s Story.
The first time I fell in love it was with a pair of blue eyes and a wide dimpled grin.
“Your old man loves ya, Danny girl,” He whispered. “You never ever forget that, yeah?”
I never did. And I never thought I could ever love any man as much as I loved my father. But as we grow, we change, we begin to make our own decisions and thus become independent and self sufficient and start turning away from our parents and turning to others. We form friendships, strong bonds and ties and begin experiencing life outside of the bubble we grew up inside of.
And we fall in love…a second time.
The second time I fell in love it was with a badly scarred face, the stuff of nightmares; the sort of disfigurement that mothers steer their children away from. Ugly, jagged slashes marred the skin from the top of his skull, down over his right eye, an eye that had been dug out of his face with a serrated blade. The scars continued across his cheek, over his lips and down his neck, ending at the top of his shoulder. His chest was a hundred times worse; scar tissue as far as the eye could see.
“Baby,” He said gruffly, “Man like me got no business with a girl like you. You’re nothin’ but fuckin’ beauty and I’m a whole lot of fuckin’ ugly who’s already halfway to hell.”
But he was wrong.
Everything has beauty. Even the ugly. Especially the ugly.
Because without ugly there would be no beauty.
Because without beauty we would not survive our pain, our sorrow, and our suffering.
And in the world I lived in, the world he lived in, a secret world within the world, a world of of constant crime and cruel, cold, death, there was almost nothing but suffering.
“You may not be beautiful the way you were before,” I whispered, placing my hand on his hard chest. “But you’re still beautiful. To me.
 | 
Comments Off on Cover Reveal: Unbeautifully by Madeline Sheehan
Posted in Blog tour, Book Blast, nonfiction on December 14, 2012
Blog Tour Schedule

A Hard Act to Follow by Henry Bushkin

“A Hard Act to Follow,” is a non-fiction literary account of Henry Bushkin’s tenure as Johnny Carson’s lawyer, business partner, and friend.  The book gives genuine insight into the ‘Carson behind Johnny’ with candid personal vignettes about the two, during the rollicking years when Johnny was the undisputed king of television.  This is an engaging, eye-opening, anecdote-packed story about a young lawyer and his client, one of the biggest celebrities in the country.  This funny, unfiltered account gives readers a look at the Johnny Carson that none but a select few really knew.

“A Hard Act to Follow” by Henry Bushkin provides a stirring account into Johnny Carson’s world—as told by Carson’s closest confidant.

The New Yorker article by Kenneth Tynan from 1978, included the following question and answer:

Tynan: When you’re at home, whom do you entertain?

Carson: My lawyer, Henry Bushkin, who’s probably my best friend.

Carson360 Facebook * Website * Carson360 Twitter

Praise for the Book

“I loved the book.” ~Wayne Newton

“Henry was Johnny’s closest friend for many years which becomes clear through many of the wonderful chapters of the book.” ~Bob Trapenberg

“The book is full of tough love, humor, cultural history, sadness, humor, love, loss, well I guess I am saying it is full of life.” ~Rupert Garcia
” Henry’s portrayal of Johnny was spot on. I highly recommend this book which is the closest the reader will ever get to know the real Carson.” ~ Ed Weinberger, former Tonight Show writer and Producer for Carson Productions

“A beautifully easy read that pulls you in to an effortless journey through Johnny Carson’s effortful life. The glamour  the fellow celebrities behind the curtain, the loyalties, and the betrayals. It certainly provides new insight on decisions and the lives that are behind the scenes.” ~Kathy Davis, Kathy Takes on Books

“”I have read this book and it is FAB! If you love reading about celebrities, this is awesome. It is also a great memoir as well. I am a huge memoir fan so this one was a real treat and one of the best I have read in this genre in a long time” ~Mary,  Bookhounds Blog

“Bushkin’s easy, unpretentious style allows the reader to be a fly on the wall as this inside story plays out in the rarified air on which Johnny thrived. “A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW” is a must read whether you grew up on Johnny or never heard of him. And then there are the supporting characters — from the Rat Pack to Johnny’s Ice Queen mother ranging around the pages disturbing the peace. I read it straight through in 90 minutes and was left wanting more.”  ~Sandy Ignon, Screenwriter (RANSOM).

“The tales are epic in nature and stretch from the first page to the last. “A Hard Act to Follow” is an honest appraisal of Carson and shows his dark side. In this, Bushkin strikes the right blend of salacious detail with an appropriate dose of discretion. Sure, you’ll learn more detail about Carson’s marriages– in a tasteful way.  Bushkin will leave you wanting more. Great books will do that.” ~Barry Mordis, Senior VP at Merryl-Lynch

“No one would describe Johnny as easy going-there was an edge to him that Bushkin always managed to soften. He continues to do that in this book. There was that challenging side of Johnny which is also captured in the book. Henry was Johnny’s closest friend for many years which becomes clear through many of the wonderful chapters of the book. All in all a great book to read.” ~Bob Trapenberg, Johnny’s former Tennis Pro.

 

Purchase: http://johnnycarsonbook.com/

 

Author Henry Bushkin

Henry Bushkin is an experienced lawyer who practices in both California and New York. He currently lives in Los Angeles where his children also reside.

Twitter * Website 

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 1/15/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 | 
Comments Off on Blog Tour: A Hard Act to Follow by Henry Bushkin
Posted in Book Blast, Giveaway on December 10, 2012

Christmas Ever After by Elyse Douglas

Can 26-year-old JENNIFER TAYLOR overcome her past—the death of her fiancé that has left her bitter and angry? Will she accept the gift of an adventure from a mysterious woman before it’s too late: a trip to New York City on Christmas Eve, where she’ll meet three men who will change her life forever?
Excerpt:

Suddenly, everything seemed to happen at once, and in slow motion. Mrs. Stanton stepped in front of the shop, stabbing away at the snow with her cane.

Jennifer’s back tires slid away into chaos. It was as if the world was spinning away from her. She frantically fought for control of the car, but the steering wheel became useless. She was slipping away toward the east wall of Cards N’ Stuff.  Jennifer held her breath.

Just then, Mrs. Stanton’s left foot found an unfortunate old patch of ice beneath the newly fallen snow. She felt it give way, and her cane, which should have been a support, slipped from her hand and sailed away into a snowdrift. Jennifer watched in horror as Mrs. Stanton’s body lifted from the earth and rose like a great bird above the spread of undulating snow. She seemed suspended in time. For a brief hopeful moment, Jennifer had the irrational belief that she could somehow scramble from her car and rescue Mrs. Stanton, as one would rescue a priceless fragile vase falling from a great height.

But there was no rescue. There was no one to catch Mrs. Stanton and there was no one to stop Jennifer’s car from its collision course with the garbage cans in the alleyway, and the inevitable impact into the side of the building.

Mrs. Stanton’s body finally hit the snow, like a massive meteorite striking the earth. The impact threw up a plume of whiteness. The crater was deep and impressive. Mrs. Stanton let out an almighty howl that scattered chirping sparrows into the trees. Her yell was eclipsed by Jennifer’s car slamming into the garbage cans, and colliding into the side wall of Cards N’ Stuff.

Then there was silence. But only a brief one.

From somewhere, close by, came a low rumble. It was a foreboding sound, like the low moan of fate in the apprehension of an imminent catastrophe.

Cards N’ Stuff began to shimmy and quake. Icicles snapped and fell. Fractures formed on the roof. Sliding snow whooshed down in avalanches, crashing to the ground.

Mrs. Stanton was frozen in fear, looking bug-eyed, hearing a roar, like the sea.

Jennifer managed to shove open the jammed car door and roll out, falling into a mound of snow. She heard the frightening sound, struggled to her feet and staggered away from the building, running, stumbling and gasping.

There was a terrible, miserable groan as the roof buckled and plunged down into the shop in a storm of wood, roof-tiles, dirt and snow. In violent hammer-like blows, it shattered snow globes, jewelry boxes and porcelain figurines. It smashed glass displays and chopped through shelves, burying Christmas angels, Santa Clauses, Christmas cards and delicate earrings. The window Christmas displays were blown into oblivion; the Victorian town demolished; the electric train flicked away and buried by a powerful cascading shaft of dirt and ice. The family around the piano was pummeled and destroyed.

In a final act of destruction, sprinkler pipes ruptured, shooting streams of water into the air like geysers, flooding the place. Books, CDs and DVDs floated by, little boats navigating a chaotic space.

When it was finally over, an uneasy silence settled in, like a warning.

 

Purchase

Book Trailer

About the Authors
Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the husband and wife writing team of Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse’s mother was a painter and her father a textile consultant. Elyse began writing poems and short stories at an early age, and graduated from Columbia University with a Master’s Degree in English Literature. Douglas grew up in a family of musicians, astrologers and avid readers. His grandfather was a gifted humorist and storyteller from Kentucky.

Elyse Douglas’ four novels include: The Astrologer’s Daughter, Wanting Rita, The Christmas Diary and Christmas Ever After. They live in New York City.

 

Links

Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/16/12

*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it when you follow Elyse and leave the others blank.

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 | 
Comments Off on Christmas Ever After Book Blast & Giveaway
Posted in Book Blast, contest, Giveaway, Young Adult on December 10, 2012

The Alchemists Academy Book 1: Stones to Ashes by Kailin Gow

What do you learn here…at the Academy? Wirt asks. Magic? The responsibility to use your powers responsibly? Uh…something like that, his roommate Spencer said. More like how to rule worlds. Wirt, is used to being shuffled from foster home to foster home, adopting a devil-may-care attitude toward the world along the way. Now he s in a school he can t escape, learning to develop his latent magical abilities, for what use, he doesn’t know…to save his world or to destroy it…

 

Purchase

 

 

Excerpt from Stones to Ashes

Wirt screwed his eyes shut, wishing fervently that he was somewhere, anywhere else. Right now, being back with Joan and Peter was looking an awful lot more appetizing. First, though, he had to find some way to get out of here…

Wirt doubled up as his stomach suddenly cramped. For a moment, he though he had been hit, but that hypothesis went by the wayside as the feeling spread to every muscle in his body at once. As far as Wirt knew, and thanks to some of his earlier misadventures he did know, not even three people could manage to hit you everywhere simultaneously. Wirt forced his eyes open, and then quickly shut them again, because the golden radiance surrounding him was simply too bright to look though. Around him, the gasps of the three bullies were clearly audible.

“He’s glowing, Rich. Why is he glowing?”

“How should I know? Look, just grab him.”

“You grab him. He could be radioactive or something, the way he’s glowing.”

“Oh, so it’s all right for me to grab radiation boy, is it?”

The sounds of a scuffle came to Wirt, but they were quickly replaced by silence. He didn’t really care, because by now the unpleasant sensation running through his body had reached unbearable levels, feeling as though every scrap of him were being pulled in a different direction.

As suddenly as it had come, the sensation passed. Wirt had to concentrate just to breathe, and he stood like that for long seconds. He didn’t dare open his eyes, at least until it occurred to him that the three older boys might still be there waiting to hit him. That made his eyes snap open so quickly that for a second he couldn’t make sense of anything around him. When he did, Wirt took a step back, and that itself was surprising enough, given that there should have been a chain link fence in the way. Instead, he was standing in the middle of a field, with no sign of any fences anywhere in sight.

The Alchemists Academy Book 2: Elemental Explosions by Kailin Gow

A new student has entered The Alchemists Academy, and he brings with him an explosive power that threatens the Academy and the legend of Merlin. Wirt thought he was the only bad boy at the Academy, but he was wrong. Not only is Roland Black worse than Wirt, but a new teacher had replaced one of their beloved teachers, and she has more planned for Wirt and his friends than just lesson plans. Alana, his crush has grown prettier, and now he is rivals for her attention with not only his best friend Spencer, but newcomer Roland, as well. On top of that, it is their second year, and the year where all the students must pass a test to move on to the Elite Class at the Academy. The Elite Class is the only class in the third year at the Academy, and the students who fail will be sent home, others will face something even deadlier.

Purchase

Excerpt from Elemental Explosions
The moment didn’t last long, and Wirt opened his gift in a shower of wrapping paper. His parents looked on, those same smiles present on their faces. He looked down into the box, only to see that it was empty. Or not quite empty. Inside was a square of paper, on which careful handwriting stood out clearly. Wirt picked it up and read the words “Merry Christmas, beloved son. You cannot see, taste, or smell your gift, but you will know it when you feel it.”

“What?” Wirt asked. “I don’t understand. Is this some sort of riddle?”

His dream mother and father didn’t say anything. They just smiled and stared at the box in a way that suggested that Wirt was missing something. Not knowing what else to do, Wirt reached down into it, searching it by feel in case there was something at the bottom that he might not have noticed.

There was. Wirt yelped as something closed around his wrist, and tried to yank his arm back. It didn’t move, and as Wirt looked down, he saw dark fingers clasped on his arm. They weren’t just dark-skinned; they were absolutely black, as though carved from onyx or jet. They were as implacable as stone too, refusing to relinquish their grip as Wirt tried to jerk away.

“Help me,” he said to his parents, but they just shook their heads sadly, staring in that way parents had that told you that whatever was happening was for your own good.

The arm pulled at Wirt, and it pulled with far more strength than Wirt had ever experienced. He tried his best to brace himself against it, but slowly, inexorably, the hand drew him towards the box. That swirled with darkness now, and Wirt got the feeling that it was suddenly far deeper than it had been a moment ago.

He found out as the hand dragged him in, though how he fit into the box, Wirt wasn’t sure. He only knew that he fell. Only after a second or two, he wasn’t falling. He was walking along a tunnel instead. The walls were of natural earth, while huge tree roots showed up at intervals like roof beams and standing stones lined the walls, marks on them seeming to tell a story that Wirt could not understand.

 

Author Kailin Gow

Kailin Gow is the award-winning, international bestselling author of over 80 distinct books.

Kailin Gow is also the President of a media company, a media personality, and has been writing full-time since she was first published. Holding a Masters in communications management and leadership positions in Fortune 500 corporations, she puts her leadership abilities, her experience, and desire to help others into her fiction books. As a result, she has written the forthcoming, Finding the Heroine in You book which is also a national tour. She is a mother and spends whatever spare time she has volunteering at the Red Cross, Battered Women’s Shelters, and other organizations.

Currently her Frost Series is in development for a major international MMO Game, and she has over 14,000 and growing Frosters on her facebook fan page.

 


Links:
Tour Schedule

Book Blast $50 Giveaway Details

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/31/12

*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it for the first person you follow and leave the others blank.Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 | 
Comments Off on Book Blast & Giveaway: The Alchemists Academy by Kailen Gow
Posted in Cozy, Monday, mystery, Texas on December 10, 2012

Popped Off is the 2nd installment in the Stay at Home Day mystery series by author Jeffrey Allen (aka Jeff Shelby).  I posted about the first book in his series, Stay at Home Dead and I think this is going to be a winner of a series!

 

Synopsis:

For stay-at-home dad Deuce Winters, the cutthroat world of suburban kiddie sports leagues is unavoidable. In his small town, Moises Huber is known at the King of Soccer. But it seems the king may have fallen from his throne when he disappears–along with $73,000 of the youth soccer association’s registration fees.  Deuce calls foul and begins a bizarre search that leads him to a high-stakes gambling ring, a band of shrewd smugglers, and one heckuva Texas-sized mega church.  As he closes in on the truth, Deuce has only one goal in mind: stay on the ball and out of the penalty zone before his opponent can make a killer pass – and still have dinner ready on time.

 | 
Comments Off on Mystery Monday: Popped Off by Jeffrey Allen
Posted in Blog tour, Book Blast, contest, Giveaway on December 9, 2012
Tour Schedule

 

First Time: The Legend of Garison Fitch

“What if history didn’t happen that way … the first time?”

Garison Fitch was one of the most revered scientists in the Soviet Americas until he left fame behind to work on a secret project in his log cabin in the mountains of Marx.

But something went wrong. Instead of traveling interdimentionally, Garison has traveled through time … twice.

Now, he’s in something called “The United States of America” and a woman he’s never met before is calling herself his wife. It it a hoax? Or, has he somehow changed history?

If so, can he return the world to what he believes is “normal”, or must he live in this strange world he created?

 

Purchase


Praise:

“Sam continues to weave his magic as a storyteller. I always find myself anxious to find out what will happen next and what kind of twist will befall the adventurers. It helps to be familiar with the places that the heroines go, which adds to the story.”

~Labdaddy, Texas”I’ve had a few very unproductive but enjoyable days thanks to Samuel Ben White. If you haven’t read Sam’s books you have been missing a treat. These were funny, suspenseful, spiritual and kept you turning the pages.”

~Karen S.”Just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed your books. I have a Kindle and I have purchased all of the Garison Fitch novels. I am in Saudi Arabia and your books have really helped take me away from here.”

~Scott, Saudi Arabia

Also Part of the Series:

 

Saving Time

Two years ago Garison Fitch traveled through time and rewrote history. An accident in the eighteenth century created a whole new world, and even gave Garison a wife he had never met before. Now, he’s got a daughter and he’s coming to enjoy this world he created. Until he’s attacked by men masquerading as Indians, and a funeral procession from out of the past enlists his help, and a tree grows from sappling to full-grown in a matter of minutes, threatening his daughter’s very life. Time itself is unraveling and Garison’s trips through time seem to be the cause. Garison must go back in time once again and keep himself from making the original trip that started the problem. But he can’t use his time machine to go back. How does one sew up a rip in time?

Lost Time
Jason Kerrigan and Brownwyn Dalmouth are pilots with the Republic of Texas Army Air Corps. A world war is going on and bombs have just brought an end to Crockett Air Field in south Texas. Jason and Bronwyn, though, are called away from the battle to be test pilots for a new aircraft that-they’re told-will bring the war to an end. The experimental craft lives up to expectations in early tests, but then it lands them somewhere it never should have sent them. Another place? Another time? Another dimension? Somehow, they’ve taken a trip to the future and changed the past. Or did they? The answer to their change of reality may be known to a Justice of the Peace in Colorado named Garison Fitch. To figure it out, though, Garison may have to team up with his least favorite person: Bat Garrett.
Excerpt
“That’s George Washington,” she replied, surprised that he had never seen a dollar bill before. Although, she was becoming less surprised with each of these new revelations. His memory seemed to be as full of holes as a sponge, yet sometimes as solid as coral.
“Is he someone famous?” Garison asked. Inwardly he laughed as he mused that young George must have taken his advice and made something of his life to appear on currency.
Heather looked at him incredulously, but said, “Everyone in the world knows who he was—literally. Everyone. George Washington? He was the first President of the United States. Lead the Continental Congress when they drafted the Constitution. Held us together. Father of the country.”
“I thought John Adams was the first president,” Garison offered meekly, surprised he remembered even that little bit of historical trivia. He was embarrassed by his lack of knowledge of history—which in the last day seemed to have become even worse than he thought.
“No, John Adams was the second president, and George’s vice-president before that. George was the man who, as general, turned the colonial rebels into a force coherent enough to beat the British off the soil. Then he brought us together as a nation.”
“Uh-oh,” Garison said, slumping to the couch.

 

Purchase
Author Samuel Ben White

Samuel Ben White (“Sam” to his friends) is the author of the national newspaper comic strip “Tuttle’s” (found at www.tuttles.net) and the on-line comic book “Burt & the I.L.S.” (found at www.destinyhelix.com). He is married and has two sons. He serves his community as both a minister at a small church and a chaplain with hospice. In addition to his time travel stories, Sam has also written and published detective novels, a western, three fantasy novels and four works of Christian fiction.
Links

 

Twitter * Facebook * Website


Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card

Ends 12/18/12

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


First Time: The Legend of Garison Fitch Tour Schedule:

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2012/10/first-time-blog-tour.html

 | 
Comments Off on First Time: The Legend of Garison Fitch – Book Blast and Giveaway
Posted in chick lit, New York, romance, women on December 8, 2012

In November I attended an event called Readers & ‘Ritas where I got to meet several authors.  Another author I met was Wendy Markham, or perhaps also known to you as Wendy Corsi Staub.  I remember about a year or so ago when I realized these were the same people, no wonder I liked all of the books!

Anyway, Wendy graciously sent me this book to read and review….and it did not disappoint!

Synopsis:

WHY YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN:

  • The old diner serves sushi.
  • The stay-at-home moms drive Hummers.
  • The only house you can afford is haunted.
  • Your new neighbor is your unrequited high-school crush. And he’s still hot.

Fed up with her moody teenage daughter, Meg Addams decides what they both need is a good dose of suburban wholesomeness. But when they leave Manhattan behind for Meg’s humble blue-collar hometown, they find it crowded with wealthy strangers and upscale boutiques. Settling into a creaky fixer-upper, Meg finally spots a familiar face right next door–and it belongs to none other than Sam Rooney. The would-be love of Meg’s high school life is now a single dad, her daughter’s new soccer coach-and a neighborly ghost-buster whenever things go bump in the night. With three kids and an undeniable attraction between them, Meg and Sam are in for some heart-racing, wee-hour encounters that have nothing to do with spirits…but everything to do with hearts.

 

Review:

As I mentioned above, I have never been disappointed by anything I had ready by Wendy, so I am happy to report that I enjoyed this book just as much!  I liked the ghostly interactions, or maybe I should say interference?  It added a nice twist once you found out the details…don’t want to say too much as to spoil it!  The characters were solid but with enough baggage to make it interesting!  There has to be some baggage when you are talking about divorced or widowed characters with children!

All in all I give it 4 1/2 paws up, definitely pick it up if you are in the mood for a light-hearted romance novel.

 | 
Comments Off on Review: Love, Suburban Style by Wendy Markham
Posted in Blog tour, romance, suspense on December 7, 2012

Welcome to StoreyBook Reviews and today’s stop on the Born to be Wild Blog Tour by Entangled Publishing.

Title: Born to be Wild
Author: Patricia Rosemoor
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 304 pages
Release Date: October 2012
Imprint: Dead Sexy

With 90 novels and more than seven million books in print, Patricia Rosemoor is fascinated with “dangerous love” – combining romance with danger. She has written various forms of romantic and paranormal romantic thrillers, even romantic horror, bringing a different mix of thrills and chills to her stories.

Patricia has won a Golden Heart from Romance Writers of America and two Reviewers Choice and two Career Achievement Awards from RT BOOKreviews, and in her other life, she teaches Popular Fiction and Suspense-Thriller Writing, credit courses at Columbia College Chicago. Three of her Columbia grad students and two students from other venues are now published in novel-length fiction.

 

Synopsis:

It’s been twelve long years since Western rancher Micah Wild gave up all hope of being with his forbidden high school love—and the child they created together. When she tells him that their daughter has been kidnapped, they must reunite to convince their stubborn families to set aside a generations-long feud and help save their little girl.

As old emotions are churned up—and love is rediscovered—Micah doesn’t know how he’s survived without Isabel Falcon in his life. After so many years and painful betrayals, can he win her heart again, rescue their child, and find a way for them to finally become the loving family they should have been all along?

 

Excerpt:

Prologue

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Present Day

Late…late…late…

Tearing her gaze from the dash clock back to the road, Isabel Falcon raced home from a boring photo shoot that had taken longer than she’d expected. And all for a fluff piece on designer shoes. Though she preferred her tougher assignments like storms and fires and crime scenes, she was the lone female freelance photographer for the Santa Fe Courier, so of course all fluff pieces fell to her.

Too bad four-inch heels weren’t her thing.

Now if they had been boots…

She jammed one of her favorite red napa cowgirl boots to the accelerator and, praying no patrol cop was lying in wait along the route, sped the last half mile to her turnoff. If she hurried, she might be able to get home just as Lucy got off the school bus. Thankfully, the rain had stopped an hour before and the spring day had grown pleasant.

She turned onto Canyon Road and had to slow down.

“C’mon, c’mon,” she muttered, more irritated than usual at the traffic along the strip of pricey galleries peppered with fine restaurants.

Isabel wanted her daughter to know she could count on her being there when she got home. Lucy’s life had been thrown into a mess the past month. She didn’t need her routine broken. And she shouldn’t have to question whether or not she could count on her mother—they’d been having enough trouble as it was lately.

Isabel turned off the main road into the quieter neighboring area, part of the Historic Eastside, populated with homes that had been there for more than a century. A half mile in, she spotted the school bus several houses past her own. Lucy must have just been let off.

Not that she saw her daughter as she pulled in front of the neat adobe casita with its stone pathway to the portal—a covered porch that stretched across the front of the house. Lucy must have gone inside already, using the key hidden in a planter in the midst of a half-dozen others.

But when Isabel walked up the still-wet path and got to the front door, it was not only locked, but dead-bolted. Odd. Normally they only used the dead bolt when no one was home or late at night.

“Lucy, honey, where are you?” she called the moment she got inside. “Sorry I’m late.”

Isabel still freelanced rather than taking a nine-to-five job so she could always be there to meet the school bus when her daughter alighted. And when she occasionally had to work in the afternoon, her mother would come by to make sure the girl wasn’t alone. Eleven now, Lucy would roll her eyes and say she didn’t need her mother to make her look like a baby by standing out where the other kids could see her. Isabel knew that Lucy needed her more than ever after the terrible traffic accident she’d been in a few months before, because she still had terrifying nightmares that replayed the incident. Remembering the scene of the crash, Isabel had nightmares, too.

“Lucinda Falcon, where are you?”

To honor her daughter’s pride, Isabel had started retreating to the vestibule of their casita to wait for the school bus. And once out of sight of her friends, Lucy always gave her a big hug before going to the kitchen to raid the refrigerator.

Only Isabel had been late.

And Lucy wasn’t home.

Where in the world could she be?

Okay, had Lucy decided to scare her on purpose to show her independence? They’d had a series of arguments over the past few weeks about what Lucy could or could not do. The accident had made not-so-subtle changes in her daughter. There were times when Lucy was moody…or fearful…or defiant. She was getting counseling, but Isabel couldn’t tell whether or not it was working.

Lucy didn’t want to talk about it, not to her.

Sighing, she called her daughter’s best friend, Brittany. Surely Lucy’s best friend would know what she was up to.

“Did Lucy go home with you?” she asked.

“No, Ms. Falcon. I don’t know where she is. She wasn’t on the school bus.”

That gave Isabel a start. “And you didn’t see where she went?”

“I’m sorry. She said she would be a minute, and I was talking to someone. I didn’t even notice she wasn’t on the bus until we were on the road. I thought maybe you stopped by to get her.”

Isabel’s pulse picked up a beat. “Thanks, Brittany.”

Telling herself there was a rational explanation—no need to panic—she next called the school. The woman in the office checked for her, but no one had seen Lucy there since school let out.

Isabel’s chest squeezed tight as it had the day of the accident when, for several minutes, she hadn’t known whether or not her daughter was dead or simply trapped in the overturned bus.

Panic filled her so she couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t think.

What to do?

She didn’t know.

Micah would know what to do.

As much as she hated to involve Micah Wild in anything that had to do with her, Lucy was his daughter, too. Putting aside her own feelings, she picked up the phone and called him.

Read more of the excerpt here

 

Review:

I picked this e-book up and over lunch had read about 1/3 of the book…I guess you could say that I was hooked on this romantic suspense novel.  The characters were very realistic and the kidnapping of their daughter could have happened anywhere and is a story we see in the news sadly too often.  And what sort of story would it be if the main characters didn’t do some stupid things (like trying to find the kidnapper themselves and not keep the police in the loop?!) but that is to be expected, otherwise you wouldn’t want to reach into the book and shake them, but that is what makes for a good story, characters that evoke various emotions!

Overall I really enjoyed this book and give it 4 paws.

 

 | 
Comments Off on Blog Tour & Review: Born to be Wild by Patricia Rosemoor
Posted in Blog tour, Young Adult on December 6, 2012

.

Today I’m one of the stops on Author Emma Eden Ramos‘ blog tour for The Realm of the Lost.

Synopsis:

What happens when you die before your time?

Thirteen-year-old Kathleen “Kat” Gallagher has had it with her family. The eldest of three children, Kat feels trapped ever since her parents’ separated and she has had to take on more responsibility than she feels prepared for. Everything changes on a frigid morning in mid-December when an accident propels Kat into unfamiliar territory.

Stuck in the place where people go when they have died before their time, Kat must face obstacles she could never have imagined.

With the help of other young inhabitants of the Realm of the Lost, Kat learns the true meaning of friendship and family.

 

Excerpt:

Kat, run!” I heard Rosario call from behind me.

I opened my eyes. “What?”

“Run!” Rosario grabbed my arm, jolting me into action.

“What’s going on?” I followed Rosario as she darted toward the path that wound through Taiga. I heard Mikey huffing behind us.

“Darkness,” he whimpered.

Wisps of thick fog, like rings from a dirty chimney, circled above us. Further up, a giant wave of navy blue, almost black, began to unfold. Darkness was descending, and quickly.

“What should we do?” I grabbed Mikey’s hand, shaking uncontrollably. “We can’t go through there now!”

“We have to. There’s no other way home.” Rosario took my other arm. “Kat, Mikey.” She molded us into a tight huddle then placed her steady hands on our trembling shoulders. “Keep your heads to the ground. Whatever you hear, pretend it isn’t there. Focus on home.”

We stepped through the clearing and into the forest. Rosario first, then me, then Mikey.

Home. Our white, two-story house with the black shingled roof that dad had—no, not that home.

Review:

Realm of the lost may be a short story and aimed at middle school aged children, but the story is not lost on an older generation because the “what if” of the story affects everyone that dies (or could die) before their time.

I wasn’t sure what to expect since it was geared more towards a younger audience, but I found the storyline compelling and fascinating.  Kat’s confusion when she wakes up had me wondering how she got there and what was going on!  Rosie and Mikey were no help at all, or at least not from where I was sitting.  But in all fairness, they weren’t supposed to tell her anything.  The story wouldn’t be complete without an “evil” character and there were actually two:  Miss A, who was bogged down with her own issues and the Apate that sensed fear. Kat

I thought this story was well written and give it 4 paws up!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 | 
Comments Off on Blog Tour & Review: Realm of the Lost by Emma Eden Ramos (Giveaway too!)