Lost in Literature...

Stacking the Shelves (3)

2012-05-27T11:47:00.000-04:00

Stacking the Shelves is a great new weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews.

Bought:

Synopsis:

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

(Free on Smashwords:)

Synopsis:

This free short story download from Libby Mercer hits the spot like a triple shot of espresso. It's a whimsical tale of potential romance brewing in a cozy corner coffeehouse.

Received for Review:

Synopsis:

If thirty-year-old Megan were any more of a doormat, she'd have footprints on her back. She helps anyone and everyone, no matter the cost to herself, and she's always been that way. Even the thought of withholding her assistance makes her feel sick. Worse, it makes her feel like she's a bad person, selfish and unkind.

She takes up running purely to avoid gaining weight, but as she trains with her cute but heartbroken coach Andrew she becomes more able to do things she'd never thought she could, both physically and emotionally.

The day before she runs her first marathon, though, her best friend's demands result in the biggest challenge yet to her developing assertiveness and Megan must decide: cave in as she always has before or stick to her new-found 'happy pace' in running and life.

Synopsis:

Small towns, long memories. Everyone in the exclusive summer resort of James Bay, Michigan remembers FATTY PATTY, the chubby little girl with the round face and wild red curls. All grown up now, Patty Perreault teaches at the same elementary school where the painful playground memories still taunt her. She hasn’t forgotten the cruel nickname—plus she still hasn’t lost those extra pounds. Convinced her weight is the biggest reason why she’s a four time loser in the semi-finals for Teacher of the Year, Patty resolves to make some changes in her body and her life.

Sam Curtis, an overweight accountant she meets at the community pool, swims into Patty’s life with romance on his mind. But as their friendship grows, Patty finds it hard to see beyond his extra pounds. She’s torn as Sam refuses to deal with his own overweight issues. Her heart tells her one thing, but her eyes see another. She’s not interested in an overweight boyfriend. When it comes to winning the Grand Prize in life and love, Patty has some hard lessons to learn. Will she be able to confront her fears about the kind of woman she yearns to be? Will she be able to put down the fork and give her heart a try?

Won:

(Thank you Emily from Mrs. Mommy Booknerd for the wonderful book!)

Synopsis:

Lesley Kagen returns with the sequel to her national bestselling debut, "Whistling in the Dark."

"Whistling in the Dark" captivated readers with the story of ten-year-old Sally O'Malley and her sister, Troo, during Milwaukee's summer of 1959. The novel became a "New York Times" bestseller and was named a Midwest Honor Award winner.

In "Good Graces," it's one year later, and a heat wave has everyone in the close-knit Milwaukee neighborhood on edge. None more so than Sally O'Malley, who remains deeply traumatized by the sudden death of her daddy and her near escape from a murderer and molester the previous summer. Although outwardly she and her sister, Troo, are more secure, Sally's confidence in her own judgment and much of her faith have been whittled away. When a series of disquieting events unfold in the neighborhood-a string of home burglaries, the escape from reform school of a nemesis, and the mysterious disappearance of an orphan, crimes that may involve the increasingly rebellious Troo-Sally is called upon to rise above her inner demons. She made a deathbed promise to her daddy to keep Troo safe, a promise she can't break, even if her life depends on it. But when events reach a crisis point, will Sally have the courage and discernment to make the right choices? Or will her false assumptions lead her and those she loves into danger once again?

(Thanks Jennifer Daiker!)

Synopsis:

What do you do when you match the love of your life to someone else? Time is running out for this Goddess of Love to set things right and win her soul mate’s heart…without magic. Matchmaking just got a lot more interesting.

Drew just made the worst mistake the Goddess of Love could ever make. Accidentally matching her soul mate to another woman! What was she thinking?
Match making has always been Drew’s destiny – it’s the only things she’s good at. But time is of the essence, and the last thing she needs is for the Gods to discover her glitch. Her Goddess of Love status would be severed permanently. Now Drew has to convince Jack that she’s his one true love…without the use of her magic! Will she succeed before it’s too late?

(Thanks Lacy Camey!)

Synopsis:

Chloe Banks has always been known for her political, powerful billionaire last name and of course, naturally, for her money. Now she’s ready to show to the world there is more to her than what meets the eye. She’s more than the prim debutante from a privileged background. Yes, her father may be running for President and her mother may be the socialite of the year, never lifting a finger unless it’s to sip a flute of champagne, but Chloe is just like any other normal twenty-three year old, wanting to love and be loved, wanting to make her own mark in this world.

So Chloe moves temporarily with her two friends to Venezuela to serve in an orphanage as a nurse. But it is there she faces the same prejudices she is running away from, including the judgment from the incredibly good-looking orphanage facilitator and a few grumpy doctors. Chloe has to learn to let go of others’ assumptions of who she is so she can finally live her life free. But will she?

What books did you receive this week? Leave me your link below and I'll be sure to check it out! :)

Review: A Contented Mind by Samantha Hoffman

2012-05-27T08:46:00.002-04:00

Title: A Contented Mind
Author: Samantha Hoffman
Format: eBook
Published: November 21, 2011
Read for: CLP Blog Tours, Chick Lit Reading Challenge

* A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. *

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Sometimes it takes seeing the dream before we find the courage to face the nightmare.

Without realizing it, bestselling author Meg Scott, stepped into the life of her dreams. A new beachfront home on the West Coast; a far cry from her secluded home shared only with her faithful Irish setter on Martha’s Vineyard. A gig playing violin with a world renowned rock band about to depart on a European acoustic tour; friends that easily became the family she lost when young. And upon shaking hands with the band’s drummer, Jadon Hastings, she found love and desire never known beyond the stories she wrote.

Under a hazy California sun, Meg’s dream sits in clear view. To make it her own, she’ll have to confront not only her past, but her future. In doing so, she discovers - those you trust - can’t always be trusted.

My Thoughts:

A Contented Mind was much deeper than I thought it would be at first glance. As Samantha says in her bio, "Life can get rough at times, loving oneself shouldn't be." and I think this message was loud and clear in this story.

Meg is consumed with issues from her past which are holding her back in her life, and she finds that she must deal with those issues before she will move on to a full and happy life she so deserves. Jadon is suffering from similar problems and finding it equally difficult to put them behind him.

The characters are easily relatable and likable from the beginning. I really enjoyed the band members individually, as well as as a group... but my favorite character was definitely Equinox Bob! :)

My husband is a drummer in a band, so I was very interested in reading this story. There were times while reading where I chuckled as I could totally relate to the situation. I think Samantha did her research into the band life because several times she was spot-on.

The story started off a bit slow, and I was anxious to see it pick up... which it finally did. I had a bit of a problem keeping up with who's perspective the story was being told from as it flip-flopped between people often without a chapter change or page break. I did find myself uninterested in the story a few times where I felt it dragged a bit.

For the most part, I did enjoy the story overall and would recommend it to others. I look forward to reading more from Samantha in the future.

My Rating:

3 Stars!

About the Author

Samantha started writing books as a child. Although those roughly hewed works are kept under lock and key, they possess the same need to understand life as her current novels. In the past, Samantha has written numerous columns on health and spirituality for a local newspaper. Currently, she writes the popular blog: Insanity - A Writer’s Commentary On All Things, as well as two novels: A Contented Mind, it’s sequel, Chasing Nirvana, and the children’s chapter book series: Dainty Delaney. Currently she is at work on her third novel. On May 18th, 2012 Samantha will be featured in Art & Entertainment section of The Traverse City Record Eagle newspaper.

Life can get rough at times, loving oneself shouldn’t be. That, in a nutshell, is the message that is imbued within the books Samantha writes.

Connect with Samantha!

www.bysamanthahoffman.com

www.bysamanthahoffman.com/buy_now/

Follow Friday & TGIF (14)

2012-05-25T08:50:00.001-04:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
For details on how this meme works, please click on the image above.

This week's question:

Q: Activity! Dreamcast your current read.

A. Right now I'm reading A Contented Mind. So far it's pretty good. There are several main characters, but here is who I would cast for the top two:

Meg:

Jessica from True Blood... before she was a vampire, of course. :)

Jadon:

I don't know who this is. He's a model... but he looks EXACTLY like I picture Jadon.

TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by GReads!
For details on how this meme works, please click on the image above.

This week's question:

Q: Show Me Your Cover: What are some of the worst book covers, but hold some of the best stories inside? Don't be embarrassed, show us your cover!

A. I am a major Cover Girl, so I tend to judge a book by its cover at first glance. I often become hesitant to read a book if I don't care for the cover... but with some I've been presently surprised!

Here are two covers that I didn't much care for, but the story turned out to be great!

Kiss Me, Dancer
by Alicia & Roy Street

(Read review HERE)

It turned out to be a very cute chick lit love story book, but I just wasn't too fond of the cover. They have since changed it.

Just One Click

by Amanda Strong

(Reading review HERE)

This was the same. The cover at first was a little weird to me... but I really enjoyed this story!

I always feel bad commenting on someone's choice of cover. I know authors spend a lot of time picking their perfect cover, so I hope I'm not offending anyone by this post. I can only imagine what a hard job it is to pick the right cover for your story. Good job to all you wonderful authors out there!! :)

Review: Interview with a Jewish Vampire by Erica Manfred

2012-05-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Interview with a Jewish Vampire
Author: Erica Manfred
Format: eBook
Published: December 18, 2011
Read for: CLP Blog Tours, eBook Challenge 2012

* A review copy was provided by the author for an honest review. *

Synopsis:

The last thing zaftig middle-aged journalist, Rhoda Ginsburg, expects when she signs up for JDate is to fall for a vampire. But when she meets drop-dead gorgeous Sheldon, a Hasidic vampire, she falls hard. She rationalizes that he may not be alive, but at least he’s Jewish. Desperate to save the life of her terminally ill mother, Rhoda comes up with the crackpot idea of getting Sheldon to turn her and her little old Jewish lady friends into vampires. Who knew that they would “go rogue” and start preying on the young?

My Thoughts:

Really... just by the title I could tell this was going to be a funny book. And funny it was! Yes, many books nowadays involve vampires... but a Jewish vampire from NYC whose love interest is an overweight, divorced, sex-craved 41 year old that wanted him to turn her elderly mother into a vampire too? Seriously, where did Erica come up with this idea? :)

Erica did a great job of developing the characters sufficiently while bringing in humor whenever possible. The story was quick, light, and extremely humorous.

I do have to say there were a lot of Jewish words used that I had to look up while reading. It did slow down the reading time a bit, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the story at all.

I would definitely recommend Interview with a Jewish Vampire to anyone looking for a silly twist on vampire books, with a little bit of romance thrown in too.

My Rating:

4 Stars!

Visit Erica's blog tour page for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card! If you purchase your copy of Interview witha Jewish Vampire before June 4th and send your receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, you will get five bonus entries!

About the Author:

Erica Manfred is a freelance journalist, humorous essayist, and author. Her most recent book is the novel, Interview with a Jewish Vampire. She’s also authored two non-fiction self-help books, including most recently He’s History You’re Not; Surviving Divorce After Forty. Her articles and essays have appeared in Cosmopolitan, The New York Times Magazine, Ms., New Age Journal, Village Voice, Woman’s Day, SELF, Ladies Home Journal, and many other publications. Erica lives in Woodstock, New York with her Chihuahua, Shadow, and her daughter, Freda. Brought up by Jewish parents who spoke Yiddish but avoided religion, she got her Jewish education at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation which welcomes Jews from all backgrounds, from atheist to Orthodox, to vampire. Her website is www.ericamanfred.com, or visit www.jewishvampire.com

Follow Friday & TGIF (13)

2012-05-18T08:43:00.002-04:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
For details on how this meme works, please click on the image above.

This week's question:

Q: Summer Break is upon us! What would be the perfect vacation spot for you to catch up on your reading & relax?

A: Whenever I think of reading and relaxing, my first thought is a beach. That's my very favorite setting. Of course I really can't stand the heat once it's hotter than 90 degrees... so I guess I would hope for a beach setting, temperature around 82 degrees with a light breeze, and, of course, sunshine. :)

TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by GReads!
For details on how this meme works, please click on the image above.

This week's question:

Q: A Book Blogger is Born: What made you decide to start your very own book blog?

A: I've always loved to read. I honestly didn't know anything about blogs until a childhood friend of mine, Jessica at Brief Book Reviews, started a book review blog herself and I started checking in and reading her reviews of books. I quickly began to really admire her ability to read and review so wonderfully, and started considering the option of starting my own book blog.

My blog is mostly just for my own pleasure. I don't have as many followers as most, and I'm unable to put as much time and attention into it as I wish I could. I have a full-time job (where my computer access is VERY limited) and an infant at home, so my blogging time is hard to come by. I do really enjoy having my book blog and I work on it as much as I can. I do wish I had more time to read so I could post more reviews and be involved in the blogosphere more thoroughly... but at this time in my life, it's just not possible. So I do what I can... and honestly, I love every second of it! :)

Waiting on Wednesday (15)

2012-05-16T09:29:00.000-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My WoW this week:

Title: Crazy

Author: Amy Reed

Expected Release Date: June 12, 2012

Synopsis:

He’s falling in love—and she’s falling over the edge of sanity. From the author of Beautiful and Clean, a heartwrenching exploration of a romance marred by mental illness.

Connor knows that Izzy will never fall in love with him the way he’s fallen for her. But somehow he’s been let into her crazy, exhilarating world and become her closest confidante. But the closer they get, the more Connor realizes that Izzy’s highs are too high and her lows are too low. And the frenetic energy that makes her shine is starting to push her into a much darker place.

As Izzy’s behavior gets increasingly erratic and self-destructive, Connor gets increasingly desperate to stop her from plummeting. He knows he can’t save her from her pain...but what if no one else can?

Title: Lucid
Author: Adrienne Stoltz & Ron Bass

Expected Release Date: October 2, 2012

Synopsis:

What if you could dream your way into a different life? What if you could choose to live that life forever?

Sloane and Maggie have never met. Sloane is a straight-A student with a big and loving family. Maggie lives a glamorously independent life as an up-and-coming actress in New York. The two girls couldn't be more different--except for one thing. They share a secret that they can't tell a soul. At night, they dream that they're each other.

The deeper they're pulled into the promise of their own lives, the more their worlds begin to blur dangerously together. Before long, Sloane and Maggie can no longer tell which life is real and which is just a dream. They realize that eventually they will have to choose one life to wake up to, or risk spiraling into insanity. But that means giving up one world, one love, and one self, forever.

I absolutely love this cover!!

What books are you waiting on? I LOVE to hear from others... leave your link below and I'll be sure to check yours out too! :)

Teaser Tuesday (8)

2012-05-15T08:36:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read.
Open to a random page.
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"She's fine... she's very happy... she's madly in love." Long Pause. "With a vampire," Mom said with an embarrassing laugh.

From Chapter 5 of Interview with a Jewish Vampire
by Erica Manfred

Review: Vivid by Andrea Murray

2012-05-13T08:08:00.000-04:00

Title: Vivid
Series: The Vivid Trilogy #1
Author: Andrea Murray
Format: eBook
Published: December 13, 2011
Read for: CLP Blog Tours, eBook Challenge 2012

* A review copy was provided by the author for an honest review. Thanks to Andrea and Samantha at CLP for the chance to participate! :)

Synopsis:

When Vivian Cartwright was five years old, she witnessed her mother’s death.

Now, sixteen-year-old Vivian only wants a normal life—hard to accomplish when you possess the power to control energy. Her entire life she has feared her power and its connection to her mother’s murder. She has kept her ability a secret from everyone except her guardian, Charlotte, who has hidden Vivian from the man responsible for her mother’s murder.

Her secret is safe until Vivian subconsciously defends herself at school using her power. After this first use of her gift in many years, Vivian’s power seems to take on a mind of its own, increasing in strength and demanding to be used. This increase in power also brings dreams of her mother’s death and the mysterious man connected with it. When she is assigned to tutor the would-be boyfriend of Trista Parmer (a.k.a. the biggest diva in school), Vivian cannot deny the electrifying connection that she feels for the boy, Easton Garrett. In her desire to get Easton away from Vivian, Trista doubles her efforts to humiliate Vivian, forcing Vivian to use her supernatural gift over and over. With each use, Vivian fears she is losing control and discovers her powers are growing—maybe too much—bringing her unknowingly closer to the man who murdered her mother.

My Thoughts:

Vivid takes you on a fast-paced journey through the troubles of 16-year-old Vivian, who recently discovered (by accident, I might add) that she has a special power. She suddenly finds herself using this power by accident, having difficulty controlling it.

Poor Vivian. From the first page I really felt for her. She's a good kid, gets good grades in school, and has to deal with being bullied on a regular basis. To make it worse, her only friend, Abby, is bullied as well and she constantly finds herself having to come to her rescue (as Abby does for her as well.)

The storyline was quick, smooth, and quite enjoyable. I really loved the connection between Vivian and Easton. And to think... her having to tutor him started out as a punishment. What a great punishment, huh? ;)

And I have to comment on the ending. I loved the way Andrea ended Vivid... making you beg for more! I'm so delighted to hear that there is a second book in this series, Vicious, that was published last month, so I'm anxious to see if it picks up where this one leaves off.

I would definitely recommend this book to YA lovers. It has a sweet romantic storyline to go along with the fantasy aspect that I think many will enjoy as much as I did.

My Rating:

4 Stars!

Visit Andrea's blog tour page for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card! If you purchase your copy of Vivid before May 28 and send your receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, you will get five bonus entries!

Author Bio:
Andrea Murray has been teaching English for longer than most of her students have been alive. She has taught everything from junior high language arts to concurrent credit freshman composition. She lives in a very small town in Arkansas with her precocious daughter, energetic son, and racecar-driving husband. When she isn't writing or reading novels for her students, she's probably watching reality television or cheesy science fiction movies. In addition to Vivid, Andrea has also written Vicious, the sequel to her first novel.

Buy the Book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Goodreads

Excerpt: Lucky Charm by Marie Astor

2012-05-11T08:43:00.000-04:00

Lucky Charm
by Marie Astor

Published: July 9, 2011
On Tour with CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis:

Twenty-eight-year old Annabel Green is about to tie the knot with her college love, an aspiring author Jeremy Blake, but her plans for an ideal wedding are rudely interrupted when she catches Jeremy kissing his gorgeous book agent.

Shell-shocked by Jeremy’s betrayal, Annabel retreats into the quiet routine of TV dinners and solitary evenings. It is then that Annabel’s best friend, fashion designer Lilly Clayton, sets herself on a mission to draw Annabel out of her shell. In an attempt to persuade Annabel to keep an open mind on dating, Lilly takes Annabel for a stunning makeover, but after Annabel passes on a date with a dashing entrepreneur, Lilly decides that more drastic measures are needed. Lilly invites Annabel to see a palm reader who gives Annabel a lucky charm that is supposed to help her find true love.

A few weeks later, during her trip to Paris, Annabel meets a handsome Parisian, and as the two embark on a whirlwind romance, she starts to believe in the power of the talisman the palm reader has given her. But what Annabel doesn’t know is that Lilly is hiding a secret that could unravel her faith in her newly found luck in love.

About the Author:

Marie Astor is the author of contemporary romance novels Dance Me to the Stars, On the Rim of Love, and Lucky Charm, and a collection of short stories A Chance Encounter and Other Stories.

Marie’s latest contemporary romance novel, Dance Me to the Stars, has been selected in the first round of entries in the General Fiction category in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest this year.

Currently, Marie is working on her next novel – a first installment in her romantic suspense series.

I'm so pleased to welcome Marie Astor to Lost in Literature today! She's currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours. Today I'm featuring an excerpt from her book, Lucky Charm. Seriously... what an adorable cover! I love it!

Now for an excerpt from Lucky Charm:

Upon opening the menu, Annabel was mortified to see that it was entirely in French and now she wished that, like Lilly, she had paid more attention to those French classes so many years ago – the knowledge would surely come in handy now. As she circumspectly glanced at Etienne who was engrossed in discussing an entry on the wine list with Simon, Annabel attempted to dig up long-forgotten words that floated in her mind like vague ghosts: the only word that she managed to recognize on the menu was fromage, which she was fairly certain meant cheese, and she could not remember a word more to save her life. Annabel was about to ask for help when Simon came to the rescue.

“Now I know I should have paid more attention to French in school.” Annabel smiled guiltily as she began to examine the menu.

“You studied French?” Etienne’s eyebrows arched as he looked at her from across the table.

“Yes.” Annabel nodded, bidding herself not to blush. “But only the required curriculum in school, and it seems that I’ve forgotten most of it,” she confessed.

“Ah.” Etienne bowed his head slightly as he returned to the examination of the wine list.

If it were possible to fall through the floor this very minute, Annabel would have done so gladly. It was painfully clear that Etienne’s impression of her was that of a complete, blundering idiot, and for the life of her, she could not think of anything to say to change his mind.

If you're interested in reading more excerpts from her book, Lucky Charm, then head on over to her CLP blog tour page.

There are several wonderful prizes up for grabs also in her giveaway. Prizes include:

A handmade lapis sterling silver necklace
A handmade coral and turquoise necklace
A $10 Amazon gift card

Contact Marie Astor:

Author Website

Amazon Author Page

Facebook page

Goodreads

Twitter: @marieastor

Books by Marie Astor:

Dance Me to the Stars – a contemporary romance about finding one’s perfect match.

On the Rim of Love – a contemporary romance about the unexpected power of love.

Lucky Charm – a humorous contemporary romance about love, luck and friendship.

A Chance Encounter and Other Stories – a short story collection about love and everyday life.

Follow Friday & TGIF (12)

2012-05-10T22:32:00.001-04:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
For details on how this meme works, please click on the image above.

This week's question:

Q: This Sunday in the U.S. is Mother's Day. In celebration, what are some of your favorite books with strong mother/child relationships?

A: The first book that comes to mind is a book that I read earlier this year, Chasing China by Kay Bratt. It's the story of an adopted Chinese girl who, at the age of 18, decides to go to China in search of answers she so desperately longs for.

I don't want to give anything away, but along the road she searches for her birth parents, as well as visits the orphanage where she spent the first part of her life. She meets her Foster Mother from when she was extremely young.

I'd hate to spoil anything, so I'll leave it at that and say you should definitely read this book. It's a beautiful, touching story.

Side note: Happy Mother's Day to all those mommies out there!! :)

TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by GReads!
For details on how this meme works, please click on the image above.

This week's question:

Q: Supporting Characters: We tend to gush over those main characters the most, but what about those supporting roles? Who are some of your favorites?

A: Hmmm... the first one that pops into my head is a quirky neighbor in a book I read by Kathleen Kole called Dollars to Donuts. His name was Thomas... and boy, he was a real "character"! Now that I think about it, I enjoyed quite a few of those neighbors that drove poor April completely nuts. It definitely kept me giggling throughout the book. Though April, as the main character, was likeable and such, I really believe that the supporting roles in this book are the ones that held the story together. Great job, Kathleen! :)

Waiting on Wednesday (14)

2012-05-09T08:37:00.000-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My WoW this week:

Title: Where We Belong
Author: Emily Giffin
Expected Release Date: July 24, 2012

Synopsis:

Marian Caldwell is a thirty-six year old television producer, living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and satisfying relationship, she has convinced everyone, including herself, that her life is just as she wants it to be. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door . . . only to find Kirby Rose, an eighteen-year-old girl with a key to a past that Marian thought she had sealed off forever. From the moment Kirby appears on her doorstep, Marian’s perfectly constructed world—and her very identity—will be shaken to its core, resurrecting ghosts and memories of a passionate young love affair that threaten everything that has come to define her.

For the precocious and determined Kirby, the encounter will spur a process of discovery that ushers her across the threshold of adulthood, forcing her to re-evaluate her family and future in a wise and bittersweet light. As the two women embark on a journey to find the one thing missing in their lives, each will come to recognize that where we belong is often where we least expect to find ourselves—a place that we may have willed ourselves to forget, but that the heart remembers forever.

I'm SOOOOO excited for this one!!! I absolutely adore Emily Giffin!! :)

Title: Darkness Before Dawn
Author: J.A. London
Expected Release Date: May 29, 2012

Synopsis:

This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

OMG, how much do you love this cover?! It's gorgeous!

What books are you waiting on? I LOVE to hear from others... leave your link below and I'll be sure to check yours out too! :)

Teaser Tuesday (7)

2012-05-08T08:35:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read.
Open to a random page.
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"The elevator stops, the doors open, and he pushes away from me in the blink of an eye, leaving me hanging. Three men in business suits look at both of us and smirk as they climb on board."

From Chapter 5 of Fifty Shades of Grey
by E.L. James

What is it about elevators? :) I HAD to read this book after all the hype!!

It's Monday! What are you reading? (11)

2012-05-07T07:25:00.001-04:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly event hosted by Book Journey where we share what we read last week, what we hope to read this week, and anything in between!

Just Finished Reading:

(On Lost In Literature May 13, 2012 - with CLP Blog Tours)

Synopsis: When Vivian Cartwright was five years old, she witnessed her mother’s death.

Now, sixteen-year-old Vivian only wants a normal life—hard to accomplish when you possess the power to control energy. Her entire life she has feared her power and its connection to her mother’s murder. She has kept her ability a secret from everyone except her guardian, Charlotte, who has hidden Vivian from the man responsible for her mother’s murder.

Her secret is safe until Vivian subconsciously defends herself at school using her power. After this first use of her gift in many years, Vivian’s power seems to take on a mind of its own, increasing in strength and demanding to be used. This increase in power also brings dreams of her mother’s death and the mysterious man connected with it. When she is assigned to tutor the would-be boyfriend of Trista Parmer (a.k.a. the biggest diva in school), Vivian cannot deny the electrifying connection that she feels for the boy, Easton Garrett. In her desire to get Easton away from Vivian, Trista doubles her efforts to humiliate Vivian, forcing Vivian to use her supernatural gift over and over. With each use, Vivian fears she is losing control and discovers her powers are growing—maybe too much—bringing her unknowingly closer to the man who murdered her mother.

Currently Reading:

Synopsis: The last thing zaftig middle-aged journalist, Rhoda Ginsburg, expected when she signed up for JDate was to fall in love with a vampire. But when she meets drop-dead gorgeous Sheldon, a Hasidic vampire, she falls hard. She rationalizes that he may not be alive, but at least he’s Jewish.

She learns that back in the nineteenth century Sheldon was a rabbi who was turned into a vampire by Count Dracula, an anti-Semite who got his kicks from turning Orthodox Jews into vampires because then they’d have to drink blood, which isn’t kosher.

Soon after she meets Sheldon, she discovers her beloved mother, Fanny, is terminally ill, so she comes up with the crackpot idea of getting Sheldon to turn Fanny and her friends, known as “the goils,” into vampires. Once she becomes a vampire, Fanny tires of her boring life in Century Village, Florida, and, seeking thrills, she goes clubbing and disappears into the nightlife of South Beach in Miami. When Fanny and her goil posse “go rogue” and start preying on the young, Rhoda and Sheldon must track them down to keep them from killing again.

Interview with a Jewish Vampire turns vampire lore on its head, proving that not all vampires are young and beautiful and it IS possible to be undead and kosher.

Synopsis: When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

Up Next:

Synopsis: Sometimes it takes seeing the dream before we find the courage to face the nightmare.

When young, our greatest fears are of the shadow figures that live within our sleeping mind. As we age, we discover what’s most frightening is a life not fully lived, desires left unfulfilled and a past that keeps us tethered in darkness.

Without realizing it, bestselling author Meg Scott, stepped into the life of her dreams. A new beachfront home on the West Coast; a far cry from her secluded home shared only with her faithful Irish setter on Martha’s Vineyard. A gig playing violin with a world renowned rock band about to depart on a European acoustic tour; friends that easily became the family she lost when young. And upon shaking hands with the band’s drummer, Jadon Hastings, love and desire she’d never known beyond the stories she wrote.

All too often, shadow figures arrive camouflaged as friends, and those who profess love are worse than those that once haunted our childhood nights.

Under a hazy California sun, Meg’s dream sits in clear view. To make it her own, she’ll have to confront not only her past, but her future. In doing so, she discovers - those you trust - can’t always be trusted.

Other recent posts:

Stacking the Shelves
Follow Friday & TGIF
Waiting on Wednesday
Teaser Tuesday

What are you reading? I love hearing from others - leave your link and I'll be sure to check it out! :)

Stacking the Shelves (2)

2012-05-06T09:32:00.004-04:00

Stacking the Shelves is a great new weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews.

Bought:

(You probably won't believe that I FINALLY purchased these next three books!!! :) Yayy!! I can't wait to read them!!!)

Delirium
by Lauren Oliver

Synopsis: Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Divergent
by Veronica Roth

Synopsis: In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Insurgent
by Veronica Roth

Synopsis: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Glimpse
by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Synopsis: Zellie Wells has a devastating crush on Avery Adams, the son of her mom’s high school sweetheart. At her sixteenth birthday party, held in the basement of her dad’s church, she finally finds the courage to talk to him. Turns out, the devastating crush is mutual.

As Avery takes her hand and leads her out onto the makeshift dance floor, Zellie is overwhelmed by her first vision of his death; shocking because not only are they both covered in his blood, but they’re old, like 35, and she is pregnant.

Afraid to tell anyone about the vision, (she’d just be labeled a freaky black magic witch, right?) Zellie keeps the knowledge of Avery’s future to herself and tries to act like any other teenager in love. When they get caught on their way to a secret rendezvous by her mom and his dad, they are forbidden to see each other.

Convinced that their parents are freaking out unnecessarily, Avery and Zellie vow to be together no matter what. They continue their relationship in secret until Zellie learns that their parents are just trying to prevent her and Avery from suffering like they did. The visions are hereditary, they’re dangerous, and if they stay together the visions will come true.

Now Zellie must choose between severing all ties with Avery, like her mom did to prevent his father’s death, and finding a way to change Avery’s future. (Get Glimpse FREE at Amazon HERE.)

Jackpot
by Jackie Pilossoph

Synopsis: If your mother offered you 8 million dollars to have a baby, would you do it??

Jamie Jacobson doesn't have a lot of faith in love, except when it comes to her Jimmy Choo shoes. Her brother Danny has two loves; his barely existent acting career and his ability to pick up women. But life is about to take a wild turn for these two dysfunctional but lovable siblings now that their mother has just won the lottery.

Frankie, a longtime widow has wanted grandchildren for years. Now she's prepared to pay cash for them. When Frankie presents her son and daughter each with a contract promising $8 million dollars if he or she can produce a child in the next twelve months (DNA tested, of course), Jamie and Danny each begin a frantic search for a person to help them reproduce.

Come along on their desperate, outrageous and hilarious journeys where fake seductions, ovulation kits and a tarot-card reader are replacing condoms, the pill and fun, meaningless hook-ups. They hit a couple big bumps in the road that have nothing to do with their lack of diaper changing experience, but a lot to do with their hearts.

Now they face the choice of their lives. Give in to love? Or go for the JACKPOT?

Received for Review:

The Cowboy Singer
by Paula Tiberius

Synopsis: April Connors figured her love life was on hold indefinitely now that she was about to have a baby while temporarily staying at her grandmother’s house (what a turn-on!). Meeting infamous country singer Jimmy Wick may have made her giant belly flip, but she was filing him under a big “as if.” No man in his right mind would fall for a gal this pregnant, and besides, she needed to focus on herself and the baby. James Warwick (a.k.a. Jimmy Wick) was not in his right mind. His ex-wife was petitioning for full custody of the only thing that made him happy besides playing music, his four-year-old princess, Summer, and the thought of losing her had him crazier than an outhouse rat. His saving grace was his new ‘friend’ April who he was falling head over heels for. The only problem was, April had just been knocked up, dumped and stranded by the last guy she was with and was in no mood to go down that road again. She was hellbent on getting her life back on track just as James was watching his fall apart, leaving them both caught off guard by the unstoppable romance that would sweep them off their feet.

Won:

Amber Eyes
by Jolyn Palliata

Synopsis: ~ Eyes are the window to the soul, in a time when souls are ancient. ~

After an accident, one she shouldn’t have walked away from, Lexi’s life finally begins. She meets Dez, a new student with the most beautiful eyes she’s ever seen. And since gazing into them, Lexi has had vivid waking dreams that pull her back through time, and into the warm embrace of a mysterious stranger—a stranger who becomes all too familiar. When offering an explanation for her detailed visions, Dez changes her world forever with two simple words: Soul mates.

For the first time in her life, Lexi feels safe and complete. But lingering in the shadows is the embodiment of evil, coveting the light within her. He’s a threat to Lexi’s very existence, and to a love that has transcended time.

What books did you receive this week? Leave me your link below and I'll be sure to check it out! :)

Follow Friday & TGIF (11)

2012-05-04T09:23:00.004-04:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
For details on how this meme works, please click on the image above.

This week's question:

Q: What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?

A. Hmmm... GREAT question! Which also means it's a tough one for me to answer.

I think my "favorite author" changes a lot. Right now, I'd have to say my favorite author, if I had to pick just ONE, is Emily Giffin. So I'd have to tell her:

1. How much I truly love her books
2. How they were the first chick lit books I ever read and they totally made me fall in love with the genre
3. And how I CAN'T EVEN WAIT for her next book to come out. :)

TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by GReads!
For details on how this meme works, please click on the image above.

This week's question:

Q. Literary Vacations: If you could take a trip this summer to any place within a fictional book, where would you go? Tell us about your summer dream vacation!

A. Hmmm... I'd have to say a beach. Boring... but sooooo relaxing! I have a 6-month-old infant at home, so I rarely get time to just RELAX. That's all that's on my mind these days. I just would love an hour, or dare I say a few hours, to just sit and read without interruption.

I've read so many books, such as Twenty Boy Summer and Pregnancy Test where the characters go to a beach-type of vacation... and though the characters aren't always relaxing, that's what I think of. I would just love to be in that setting. I can't remember the last time I was on a beach on vacation... and honestly, I don't know how or when I could possibly do it in the future. So I guess for me, it's just a dream I have... to sit on a beach... for hours... with a wonderful book. :)

I absolutely LOVE hearing from other bloggers! Post a comment with your FF link so I can check yours out too! Thanks for stopping by! :) Happy Friday!

Waiting on Wednesday (13)

2012-05-02T08:35:00.000-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My WoW this week:

Title: When in Doubt, Add Butter
Author: Beth Harbison
Expected Release Date: July 17, 2012 (My Birthday!!! :))

Synopsis:

Gemma Craig has spent her career as a private chef taking care of other people. From Lex, the fussy department store owner straight out of a movie from the thirties; to grossly overweight Willa, who must radically change her eating habits or die; to the strange Oleksei family, with a constant parade of mysterious people coming and going; to the hideously demanding A ngela who is “allergic to everything” and foists her tastes on her hapless family; to the man Gemma thinks of only as “Mr. Tuesday” because they’ve never met. Everyone relies on Gemma, even while she goes home alone each night and feasts on cereal and quick meals. But when life takes an unexpected turn on a road Gemma always thought was straight and narrow, she must face her past and learn to move on in ways she never imagined.

Title: Such a Rush

Author: Jennifer Echols

Expected Release Date: July 10, 2012

Synopsis:

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business — until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers — and the consequences could be deadly.

What are you waiting on? I LOVE to hear from others... leave your link below and I'll be sure to check yours out too! :)

Teaser Tuesday (6)

2012-05-01T09:58:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read.
Open to a random page.
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

He returned his focus to the street in front of him and muttered, "Pathetic groupie."
"Arrogant slime bag."

From Chapter 23 of Kiss Me, Dancer
by Alicia Street & Roy Street

Hehe... this book was so cute! I just finished it. (Read review HERE.)

What's your TT this week?

It's Monday! What are you reading? (10)

2012-04-30T08:56:00.005-04:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly event hosted by Book Journey where we share what we read last week, what we hope to read this week, and anything in between!

ATTENTION ALL CHICK LIT LOVERS:

There's a GREAT giveaway going on at LiL that ends today - so act fast!!!

Enter today to win your FREE eBook copy of Kiss Me, Dancer!!

Read my 4 Star review here!

It's super quick and easy to enter, so why not head on over there now! :)

Click here for the Kiss Me, Dancer Giveaway!

Just Finished Reading:
(Read review here)

Synopsis: A roller coaster of a romance between a divorced dad and a dance teacher.

Dance instructor Casey Richardson takes an immediate dislike to the brash, arrogant Drew Byrne when he pulls his nine-year-old son out of her “silly” dance class. Still, she cannot help noticing his smoking hot body and bedroom eyes.

A working class girl raised in the small fishing and farming community on Long Island’s rural North Fork, Casey knows all too well how easily a girl can get hurt by the notorious womanizing hunks that flourish on the South Fork in the Hamptons. Men like Drew Byrne.

The last thing she needs is for him to be the only one who can save her from losing her dance academy, the dream she has worked so hard to turn into a reality.

Remarrying is definitely off Drew’s list of things to do. As head of his Fortune 500 trucking company, he enjoys his wealth and has no problem keeping it a game with some of the world’s most beautiful women. So why should his son’s challenging, straight talking dance teacher get under his skin in a way no other female has?

Sure, Casey Richardson has luminous brown eyes and a lean, taut body that drives him nuts, but he’s seen plenty in his day with the supermodels he is used to dating. He tells himself it is because Casey is the only one who was able to bring his shy, uncommunicative son out of his shell. But even that isn’t it.

Bewildered, Drew decides he just might make use of those ridiculous psychic readings he won at North Cove’s Annual Fourth Of July Bazaar raffle. Little does he know the local psychic who donated the readings has taken off last minute for some trekking in Tibet —and Casey was swayed into substituting for her with phone readings to the anonymous winner.

Add in a stint on a hit TV dance-off series, a cozy local coffee shop, a narcissistic rock star and a protective big brother to make KISS ME, DANCER a sexy, heartfelt and fun read.

In addition to being part of today’s Indie author movement, Alicia and Roy Street are also traditionally published (under another penname). In 2009 they received a Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

Currently Reading:

Synopsis: When Vivian Cartwright was five years old, she witnessed her mother’s death.

Now, sixteen-year-old Vivian only wants a normal life—hard to accomplish when you possess the power to control energy. Her entire life she has feared her power and its connection to her mother’s murder. She has kept her ability a secret from everyone except her guardian, Charlotte, who has hidden Vivian from the man responsible for her mother’s murder.

Her secret is safe until Vivian subconsciously defends herself at school using her power. After this first use of her gift in many years, Vivian’s power seems to take on a mind of its own, increasing in strength and demanding to be used. This increase in power also brings dreams of her mother’s death and the mysterious man connected with it. When she is assigned to tutor the would-be boyfriend of Trista Parmer (a.k.a. the biggest diva in school), Vivian cannot deny the electrifying connection that she feels for the boy, Easton Garrett. In her desire to get Easton away from Vivian, Trista doubles her efforts to humiliate Vivian, forcing Vivian to use her supernatural gift over and over. With each use, Vivian fears she is losing control and discovers her powers are growing—maybe too much—bringing her unknowingly closer to the man who murdered her mother.

Up Next:

Synopsis: The last thing zaftig middle-aged journalist, Rhoda Ginsburg, expected when she signed up for JDate was to fall in love with a vampire. But when she meets drop-dead gorgeous Sheldon, a Hasidic vampire, she falls hard. She rationalizes that he may not be alive, but at least he’s Jewish.

She learns that back in the nineteenth century Sheldon was a rabbi who was turned into a vampire by Count Dracula, an anti-Semite who got his kicks from turning Orthodox Jews into vampires because then they’d have to drink blood, which isn’t kosher.

Soon after she meets Sheldon, she discovers her beloved mother, Fanny, is terminally ill, so she comes up with the crackpot idea of getting Sheldon to turn Fanny and her friends, known as “the goils,” into vampires. Once she becomes a vampire, Fanny tires of her boring life in Century Village, Florida, and, seeking thrills, she goes clubbing and disappears into the nightlife of South Beach in Miami. When Fanny and her goil posse “go rogue” and start preying on the young, Rhoda and Sheldon must track them down to keep them from killing again.

Interview with a Jewish Vampire turns vampire lore on its head, proving that not all vampires are young and beautiful and it IS possible to be undead and kosher.

What are you reading?

In My Mailbox (18) / Stacking the Shelves (1)

2012-04-29T00:18:00.000-04:00

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren

I also found this GREAT new weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews and decided to take part in it!

On My Shelves this week:

Title: A Contented Mind
Author: Samantha Hoffman
Release Date: November 21, 2011
For CLP Blog Tour: LiL Blog Tour Stop - May 27, 2012

Synopsis:

Bestselling novelist Meg Scott thought she was content traveling no further than the places she created within her mind. But when a troubled fan breaks into her home she reacts less like herself and more like a character from one of her novels. Packing up her Irish setter and violin, she leaves her secluded home behind. Soon she discovers, what's waiting for her on the West Coast, is more than just a change of scenery.With violin in hand, Meg stands on the balcony of her new beach-front home, and hopes to set free forty years of sadness, but in the process creates a melody her new neighbor can't ignore. With gentle hands on the piano he works to match her note for note.But when her best friend Devon Hathaway uses his connections in the music industry to arrange a once in a lifetime audition for a rock band in need of a violinist for their new acoustic album, Meg jumps at the chance, and lands the gig. Shaking hands with the band's drummer, Jadon Hastings, she finds more than just inspiration for her latest novel.Standing in the place where she can finally lay hold to everything she's ever wanted, Meg watches as its snatched away with one strategic move by Devon, who isn't ready to give up hope that one day she'll be his. Finding her inner strength, and the courage to use it, Meg rips apart the lies used to reshape her world, and in doing so discovers, those you trust - can't always be trusted.

Title: Dancing Naked in Dixie
Author: Lauren Clark
Release Date: May 21, 2012
For CLP Blog Tour: LiL Blog Tour Stop - July 1, 2012

Synopsis:

Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have Julia on the verge of being fired.

With a stern warning, and unemployment looming, she's offered one last chance to rescue her career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of Dixie’—Eufaula, Alabama—home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the annual Pilgrimage.

Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can Julia's story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?

Title: BaSatai: Outside In: #1
Author: Suzan Battah
Release Date: April 14, 2012
For CLP Blog Tour: LiL Blog Tour Stop - June 24, 2012

Synopsis:

Seventeen year old, Armani Radnelaq a full blooded BaSatai is plagued by a curse in her blood. A curse created from hate and designed to break the divide between two parallel worlds of Earth and H-trae when Armani's blood is spilled in attack and she dies.

S'teuqoubs have been travelling back and forth across the divide for centuries without trouble. The BaSatai and Guardians monitoring activity and enforcing rules to ensure peace and harmony but if the divide splits and opens, a much greater number of supernatural S’teuqoubs will filter into earth destroying equilibrium which the BaSatai and Guardians will be unable to control. Humanity and the BaSatai will suffer and perish. The parallel divide must remain secure at all costs.

Armani has remained hidden on earth with her adopted father Elijah since her birth. She has been raised in the human way and fights her natural instinct to evolve into a BaSatai. The BaSatai in her requires her to evolve and shift, use her powers and strength. Yet Armani is freaked out by the need to shift. She smokes, has a bad attitude, must deal with aggressive bullies and control her natural BaSatai instinct. Her Guardian with BaSatai Warriors are coming for her. She refuses to accept her fate and doesn't believe any BaSatai should die to protect her.

The blood curse maturing in her veins makes her a target for her enemies. Her Guardian Karhl and an elite BasSatai Warrior Rafael are the first to arrive and prepare her for her crossing over. Her attraction to Rafael complicates her purpose to stay on earth even more. They both insist she fall into line and follow their lead but she is not ready to leave earth just yet...

Title: Vivid
Author: Andrea Murray
Release Date: December 13, 2011
For CLP Blog Tour: LiL Blog Tour Stop - May 13, 2012

Synopsis:

When Vivian Cartwright was five years old, she witnessed her mother’s death.

Now, sixteen-year-old Vivian only wants a normal life—hard to accomplish when you possess the power to control energy. Her entire life she has feared her power and its connection to her mother’s murder. She has kept her ability a secret from everyone except her guardian, Charlotte, who has hidden Vivian from the man responsible for her mother’s murder.

Her secret is safe until Vivian subconsciously defends herself at school using her power. After this first use of her gift in many years, Vivian’s power seems to take on a mind of its own, increasing in strength and demanding to be used. This increase in power also brings dreams of her mother’s death and the mysterious man connected with it. When she is assigned to tutor the would-be boyfriend of Trista Parmer (a.k.a. the biggest diva in school), Vivian cannot deny the electrifying connection that she feels for the boy, Easton Garrett. In her desire to get Easton away from Vivian, Trista doubles her efforts to humiliate Vivian, forcing Vivian to use her supernatural gift over and over. With each use, Vivian fears she is losing control and discovers her powers are growing—maybe too much—bringing her unknowingly closer to the man who murdered her mother.

Title: Unlocked

Author: Rachael O'Bryan
Release Date: June 2, 2011
For CLP Blog Tour: LiL Blog Tour Stop - June 14, 2012

Synopsis:

This is a novel in stories about the impact people can have on a person's life. It discusses the main character Rebecca's relationships with some the athletes she met while working as a tutor in college. It's a book that deals with learning from one's mistakes and trying to move on. It touches on love, friendship, heartache, acceptance, and self-confidence, among other issues. The stories in this book are based on some of my own experiences and I hope that people will find them relatable.

Title: Confessions of a Call Center Gal
Author: Lisa Lim
Release Date: December 13, 2011
Received: Won through Giveaway - Thanks, Lisa Lim! :)

Synopsis:

Bridget Jones's Diary meets The Office. Madison Lee is a fresh college grad, ready to take on the world of print media. But she has zero luck landing a job. Unemployment is at ten percent and on the rise. Desperate and left with no other options, she accepts a position as a service rep at a call center in Pocatello, Idaho. At the Lightning Speed call center in Spudsville, Maddy plunges into the wild and dysfunctional world of customer service where Sales is prided over Service and an eight hour shift is equivalent to eight hours of callers bashing her over the phone. Oh sure, the calls are bad. But Maddy manages to find humor on the phone and off the phone. And with all the salacious drama behind the calls, there is never a dull moment at the Lightning Speed call center.
Lately . . . Maddy has been pining for her smolderingly gorgeous co-worker Mika Harket. Now things are heating up on the phone--and elsewhere. Don't hang up on this novel. Working at a call center has never been this garish . . . or this delightful.

***DISCLOSURES: If you find politically incorrect shows like The Office, South Park and Chelsea Lately detestable, juvenile and offensive, then this book is probably NOT for you.

What books did you receive this week? Leave me your link below and I'll be sure to check it out! :)

Review: Kiss Me, Dancer by Alicia Street & Roy Street

2012-04-28T23:57:00.000-04:00

Title: Kiss Me, Dancer
Authors: Alicia Street & Roy Street
Format: eBook
Published: November 14, 2011
Read for: CLP Reading Challenge, CLP Blog Tours *

* A review copy was provided by the author for an honest review. Thanks to Alicia & Roy and Samantha at CLP for the chance to participate! :)

Synopsis:

A roller coaster of a romance between a divorced dad and a dance teacher.

Dance instructor Casey Richardson takes an immediate dislike to the brash, arrogant Drew Byrne when he pulls his nine-year-old son out of her “silly” dance class. Still, she cannot help noticing his smoking hot body and bedroom eyes.

A working class girl raised in the small fishing and farming community on Long Island’s rural North Fork, Casey knows all too well how easily a girl can get hurt by the notorious womanizing hunks that flourish on the South Fork in the Hamptons. Men like Drew Byrne.

The last thing she needs is for him to be the only one who can save her from losing her dance academy, the dream she has worked so hard to turn into a reality.

Remarrying is definitely off Drew’s list of things to do. As head of his Fortune 500 trucking company, he enjoys his wealth and has no problem keeping it a game with some of the world’s most beautiful women. So why should his son’s challenging, straight talking dance teacher get under his skin in a way no other female has?

Sure, Casey Richardson has luminous brown eyes and a lean, taut body that drives him nuts, but he’s seen plenty in his day with the supermodels he is used to dating. He tells himself it is because Casey is the only one who was able to bring his shy, uncommunicative son out of his shell. But even that isn’t it.

Bewildered, Drew decides he just might make use of those ridiculous psychic readings he won at North Cove’s Annual Fourth Of July Bazaar raffle. Little does he know the local psychic who donated the readings has taken off last minute for some trekking in Tibet —and Casey was swayed into substituting for her with phone readings to the anonymous winner.

Add in a stint on a hit TV dance-off series, a cozy local coffee shop, a narcissistic rock star and a protective big brother to make KISS ME, DANCER a sexy, heartfelt and fun read.

My Thoughts:

Kiss Me, Dancer is the story of Casey, a dance instructor that lives her life often overlooked, both in her family and in her personal life, and Drew, a wealthy, egotistical, over-the-top womanizer who hates to fail, loves to win, and doesn't care who he steps on to get there. Casey spends her life doing for others, never believing anything good will ever come to her (either because she will fail or because she doesn't believe she deserves anything good to begin with.) and Drew has had his entire life planned for him by his father from day one. Complete opposites that find themselves in a sizzling love affair that they both try to fight from the very beginning.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The characters are very creative and well developed. I especially loved Drew's son, Josh, who's a very shy hip-hop dancer in Casey's class, who little by little is learning to come out of his shell. This story has the perfect amount of giggles, gasps, and anxious page-turning to keep the reader interested. I was particularly on the edge of my seat during the psychic reading parts - is she going to tell Drew it's her? Will he ever speak to her again if she does?

I do have to admit though that I didn't much care for the cover, and at first glance wasn't too sure that this book was for me. I tend to be more of a "Cover Girl" and I find myself judging books by their covers. But I'm so happy I gave this one a chance because I was definitely pleasantly surprised! I would strongly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys chick lit and is looking for their next good read.

My Rating:

4 Stars!

Think you would enjoy this book? Well, it's your lucky day!

Alicia & Roy have decided to give away a FREE ebook copy of Kiss Me, Dancer to one lucky person!

Entering to win is easy! Just click HERE to enter today! Good luck!

Author Bio:
In addition to being part of today’s Indie author movement, Alicia and Roy Street are also traditionally published. In 2009 they received a Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. They both share backgrounds in the performing arts. Alicia spent years as a dancer, choreographer and teacher. Roy in theater and standup comedy. Alicia is a chronic reader of every genre including the classics. She also loves old black-and-white movies, making organic soups from recipes she invents, working out and, of course, dancing. Roy’s into sweaty workouts, too, as well as watching boxing on HBO and eating Alicia’s organic soups. Their cat’s name is Wallace, an orange ten-pounder who’s crazy over pizza. He and Roy do slices every Friday night.

Connect with Roy & Alicia:

website- http://aliciastreet-roystreet.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/AliciaRoyStreet
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AliciaStreet1
https://twitter.com/#!/RoyStreet4

Buy the Book!

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5398771.Alicia_Street
Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0066DU0NC
B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kiss-me-dancer-alicia-street/1107379362?ean=2940013559097&itm=1&usri=kiss+me+dancer
Smashwords - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/108417

Follow Friday & TGIF (10)

2012-04-27T18:17:00.000-04:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
For details on how this meme works, please click on the image above.

This week's question:

Q: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then "broke up" with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

A. There haven't really been any characters that I fell in love with and then broke up with in the end... but I do have to say there is one I became a bit disappointed in by book 3.

I really enjoyed Katniss in the first two novels, but by the third I felt like she completely lost what made her to begin with. It was like she was a totally different person. I was a bit disappointed about this... but honestly, I still really enjoyed her and the story. What about you?? :)

TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by GReads!
For details on how this meme works, please click on the image above.

This week's question:

Q. Reading Blues: We all get them from time to time. What helps you overcome those reading slumps when nothing seems to grab your attention?

A. I really don't get the Reading Blues to often. Honestly, my life is so busy I don't get to read nearly as often or as much as I'd like. So I really look forward to my reading time. When I start to get a bit of the blues, I usually try to change it up a bit and read a different genre than my usual. That often gets me right back into my normal swing of things. How about you? :)

I absolutely LOVE hearing from other bloggers! Post a comment with your FF link so I can check yours out too! Thanks for stopping by! :) Happy Friday!

GIVEAWAY

Attention all you chick lit lovers out there! Head on over and enter to win a FREE eBook copy of KISS ME, DANCER! It's an adorable read that you won't want to miss.

CLICK HERE to enter! Good luck!

Giveaway: Kiss Me, Dancer by Alicia & Roy Street

2012-04-26T12:23:00.000-04:00

GIVEAWAY

I'm so excited to announce that Alicia & Roy Street have been kind enough to offer a FREE ebook copy of their book, KISS ME, DANCER, to one lucky winner! (Review to be posted April 29, 2012.)

The giveaway will run through April 30, 2012.

The winner will be announced here, as well as on my Facebook page on May 1, 2012.

See Rafflecopter below to enter to win. Good luck! :)

Synopsis: A roller coaster of a romance between a divorced dad and a dance teacher.

Dance instructor Casey Richardson takes an immediate dislike to the brash, arrogant Drew Byrne when he pulls his nine-year-old son out of her “silly” dance class. Still, she cannot help noticing his smoking hot body and bedroom eyes.

A working class girl raised in the small fishing and farming community on Long Island’s rural North Fork, Casey knows all too well how easily a girl can get hurt by the notorious womanizing hunks that flourish on the South Fork in the Hamptons. Men like Drew Byrne.

The last thing she needs is for him to be the only one who can save her from losing her dance academy, the dream she has worked so hard to turn into a reality.

Remarrying is definitely off Drew’s list of things to do. As head of his Fortune 500 trucking company, he enjoys his wealth and has no problem keeping it a game with some of the world’s most beautiful women. So why should his son’s challenging, straight talking dance teacher get under his skin in a way no other female has?

Sure, Casey Richardson has luminous brown eyes and a lean, taut body that drives him nuts, but he’s seen plenty in his day with the supermodels he is used to dating. He tells himself it is because Casey is the only one who was able to bring his shy, uncommunicative son out of his shell. But even that isn’t it.

Bewildered, Drew decides he just might make use of those ridiculous psychic readings he won at North Cove’s Annual Fourth Of July Bazaar raffle. Little does he know the local psychic who donated the readings has taken off last minute for some trekking in Tibet —and Casey was swayed into substituting for her with phone readings to the anonymous winner.

Add in a stint on a hit TV dance-off series, a cozy local coffee shop, a narcissistic rock star and a protective big brother to make KISS ME, DANCER a sexy, heartfelt and fun read.

In addition to being part of today’s Indie author movement, Alicia and Roy Street are also traditionally published (under another penname). In 2009 they received a Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

** And the winner is: Emily A.! Congratulations! ** a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday (12)

2012-04-25T13:28:00.005-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Oh boy, I've been out of the WoW world for so long! But I'm back... and dying to read this book! :)

My WoW this week:

Title: One Good Friend Deserves Another
Author: Lisa Verge Higgins
Expected release date: June 5, 2012

Synopsis:

HOW MANY OF THESE DATING RULES HAVE YOU BROKEN?

1. Choose Your Own Man
2. Make Sure Your Friends Approve
3. No One-Night Stands
4. Trust Your Instincts
5. Never Make the Same Mistake Twice
6. After a Break-Up, Wait Six Months Before Dating Again.

We all want to protect our friends from heartbreak. So Dhara, Kelly, Wendy, and Marta had sworn to uphold these rules.

But now Dhara is accepting her traditional Indian parents' choice for a husband. Kelly is secretly dating someone her friends know well but will never approve of. Engaged Wendy doubts her instincts and may be about to make the same mistake twice. And Marta doesn't want to wait six months to find love because her biological clock is ticking.

So hearts are about to be broken and friendships will be tested. Can you break the rules of romance and still find true love?

What are you waiting on? Comment below with your link so I can check it out. Thanks for stopping by! :)

It's Monday! What are you reading? (9)

2012-04-23T12:24:00.000-04:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly event hosted by Book Journey where we share what we read last week, what we hope to read this week, and anything in between!

Just Finished Reading:
(Read review here)

Synopsis: Kathy Lynn Harris' clever debut novel is a laugh-out-loud, yet poignant, story about good friends, bad choices, quirky families and new beginnings & a Texas version of Bridget Jones's Diary or Anna Maxted's Getting Over It with the wit and humor of a Melissa Banks story.

Just what is a blue straggler? A blue straggler is a star that appears to be disconnected from those stars surrounding it in its globular cluster and has an anomalous blue color and high luminosity relative to those stars that surround it.

But this is not a story about astronomy.

Bailey Miller is "disconnected" from the cluster of her rural south Texas family. She has never quite fit in and now in her early 30s, she finds herself struggling with inner turmoil and a series of bad choices in her life.

She blames many of her personal demons, and there are many, on a self-proclaimed condition called "RODA" -- short for Recurring, Obstinate Dread and Anguish. She's drinking too much (even for a member of her family), has a penchant to eat spoonful after spoonful of Cool Whip, works in a job that bores her beyond description and can't keep a relationship longer than it takes for milk to expire in her fridge.

Even with the help of her two outspoken friends, Idamarie -- owner of a local cafe and fourth-generation Texas woman with the big hair to prove it -- and her quirky college pal Rudy, she's having a hard time.

As a series of sometimes humorous, often semi-tragic, events send her reeling, Bailey packs up her Honda and heads out of Texas, in search of herself and answers to secrets from her great-grandmother's past.

Chock full of memorable characters, this novel takes readers on a journey from San Antonio to a small mountain town in Colorado and back, as Bailey uncovers not only the secrets of her great-grandmother's life, but also her own, and finding love along the way.

In the end, you'll ask yourself, as Bailey does: Are bad choices passed down through generations like tarnished wedding silver, frayed quilts and not-so-tasteful costume jewelry? Can we really define family and home for ourselves, or does the past always determine who we are today?

Currently Reading:

Synopsis: A roller coaster of a romance between a divorced dad and a dance teacher.

Dance instructor Casey Richardson takes an immediate dislike to the brash, arrogant Drew Byrne when he pulls his nine-year-old son out of her “silly” dance class. Still, she cannot help noticing his smoking hot body and bedroom eyes.

A working class girl raised in the small fishing and farming community on Long Island’s rural North Fork, Casey knows all too well how easily a girl can get hurt by the notorious womanizing hunks that flourish on the South Fork in the Hamptons. Men like Drew Byrne.

The last thing she needs is for him to be the only one who can save her from losing her dance academy, the dream she has worked so hard to turn into a reality.

Remarrying is definitely off Drew’s list of things to do. As head of his Fortune 500 trucking company, he enjoys his wealth and has no problem keeping it a game with some of the world’s most beautiful women. So why should his son’s challenging, straight talking dance teacher get under his skin in a way no other female has?

Sure, Casey Richardson has luminous brown eyes and a lean, taut body that drives him nuts, but he’s seen plenty in his day with the supermodels he is used to dating. He tells himself it is because Casey is the only one who was able to bring his shy, uncommunicative son out of his shell. But even that isn’t it.

Bewildered, Drew decides he just might make use of those ridiculous psychic readings he won at North Cove’s Annual Fourth Of July Bazaar raffle. Little does he know the local psychic who donated the readings has taken off last minute for some trekking in Tibet —and Casey was swayed into substituting for her with phone readings to the anonymous winner.

Add in a stint on a hit TV dance-off series, a cozy local coffee shop, a narcissistic rock star and a protective big brother to make KISS ME, DANCER a sexy, heartfelt and fun read.

In addition to being part of today’s Indie author movement, Alicia and Roy Street are also traditionally published (under another penname). In 2009 they received a Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

Up Next:

Synopsis: When Vivian Cartwright was five years old, she witnessed her mother’s death.

Now, sixteen-year-old Vivian only wants a normal life—hard to accomplish when you possess the power to control energy. Her entire life she has feared her power and its connection to her mother’s murder. She has kept her ability a secret from everyone except her guardian, Charlotte, who has hidden Vivian from the man responsible for her mother’s murder.

Her secret is safe until Vivian subconsciously defends herself at school using her power. After this first use of her gift in many years, Vivian’s power seems to take on a mind of its own, increasing in strength and demanding to be used. This increase in power also brings dreams of her mother’s death and the mysterious man connected with it. When she is assigned to tutor the would-be boyfriend of Trista Parmer (a.k.a. the biggest diva in school), Vivian cannot deny the electrifying connection that she feels for the boy, Easton Garrett. In her desire to get Easton away from Vivian, Trista doubles her efforts to humiliate Vivian, forcing Vivian to use her supernatural gift over and over. With each use, Vivian fears she is losing control and discovers her powers are growing—maybe too much—bringing her unknowingly closer to the man who murdered her mother.

What are you reading?

Review: Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris

2012-04-22T18:28:00.003-04:00

Blue Straggler

by Kathy Lynn Harris

Format: eBook (ePub)

Published: March 1, 2012

Read for: eBook Reading Challenge, CLP Blog Tours *

* A review copy was provided by the author for an honest review. Thanks to Kathy and Samantha at CLP for the chance to participate! :)

Synopsis:

Just what is a blue straggler? A blue straggler is a star that appears to be disconnected from those stars surrounding it in its globular cluster and has an anomalous blue color and high luminosity relative to those stars that surround it.

But this is not a story about astronomy.

Bailey Miller is "disconnected" from the cluster of her rural south Texas family. She has never quite fit in and now in her early 30s, she finds herself struggling with inner turmoil and a series of bad choices in her life.

She blames many of her personal demons, and there are many, on a self-proclaimed condition called "RODA" -- short for Recurring, Obstinate Dread and Anguish. She's drinking too much (even for a member of her family), has a penchant to eat spoonful after spoonful of Cool Whip, works in a job that bores her beyond description and can't keep a relationship longer than it takes for milk to expire in her fridge.

Even with the help of her two outspoken friends, Idamarie -- owner of a local cafe and fourth-generation Texas woman with the big hair to prove it -- and her quirky college pal Rudy, she's having a hard time.

As a series of sometimes humorous, often semi-tragic, events send her reeling, Bailey packs up her Honda and heads out of Texas, in search of herself and answers to secrets from her great-grandmother's past.

Chock full of memorable characters, this novel takes readers on a journey from San Antonio to a small mountain town in Colorado and back, as Bailey uncovers not only the secrets of her great-grandmother's life, but also her own, and finding love along the way.

In the end, you'll ask yourself, as Bailey does: Are bad choices passed down through generations like tarnished wedding silver, frayed quilts and not-so-tasteful costume jewelry? Can we really define family and home for ourselves, or does the past always determine who we are today?

My Review:

Bailey is a lost soul, never sure if she's here or there, just looking for answers to love and life's other questions. She leaves her job, after practically being pushed out the door, and heads for Colorado to find answers from her past.

I really enjoyed the creative characters, each very different and all quite quirky in their own way. Kathy has a knack for developing characters to the utmost extent without overdoing it. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Texas vs. Colorado aspect. I've never been to the south, so it was nice to get to know a little about them and their lifestyles. It made me feel as though I was there myself, watching Bailey firsthand on her journey.

If you've ever wondered life's questions such as Bailey AKA "B" did, you will enjoy this book. Throw in a little romance to spice it up a bit, and you've got a home run. Enjoy!

My Rating:

4 Stars!

About the Author:

Kathy grew up in rural South Texas — and comes from people who work hard, love the land and know how to have a good time on a Saturday night. As a writer, Kathy was lucky to have been surrounded by exceptional characters throughout her life, many of whom have lived their lives exactly the way they wanted. The rest of the world could take `em or leave `em! Inspiring, to say the least.
In 2001, Kathy made the move from Texas to the Colorado Rockies to focus on her writing and soak up All Things Mountain. She lives in an authentic log cabin near the southernmost glacier in North America, at 10,500 feet above sea level, with her husband and son, plus two fairly untrainable golden retriever mixes. It is there that she writes.
Read more from Kathy on her blog, You Can Take the Girl Out of Texas but...
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Blue Straggler is available on Amazon in eBook and paperback format now!