New Release Tuesday- August 31, 2010

This is a huge day for new print release books.  According to FictFact.com there are 68 new books out today.  I have the list below and have highlighted the books that I personally have purchased:



Crossing the Lion by Cynthia Baxter (#9 in Reigning Cats & Dogs)


Vanished by Kate Brian (#12 in Private)


1022 Evergreen Place by Debbie Macomber (#12 in Cedar Cove)


A Star Shall Fall by Marie Brennan (#3 in Onyx Court)





Bought this and can't wait to read this!












Body Heat by Brenda Novak (#2 in Hired Gun)


Body Work by Sara Paretsky (#14 in V.I. Warshawski)


Born To Bite by Lynsay Sands (#14 in Argeneau Vampires)


Bound to a Warrior by Donna Fletcher (#1 in Warrior King)


Breathless by Jessica Warman (#1 in Breathless)


Chosen by Jeanne C. Stein (#6 in Anna Strong Chronicles)


Dark Peril by Christine Feehan (#20 in The Carpathians (Dark))


Don't Blame the Devil by Pat G'orge Walker (#2 in Deacon Thurgood Pillar)


Exclusive by Fern Michaels (#2 in Godmothers)


Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery (#3 in Fools Gold )


Gears of War: Anvil Gate by Karen Traviss (#3 in Gears of War)


Ghost Moon by Heather Graham (#3 in Bone Island Trilogy)


Ghost of a Chance by Simon R Green (#1 in Ghostfinders)


Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (#1 in Halo Trilogy)


Here Comes the Vampire by Kimberly Raye (#6 in Dead End Dating)


Impartial Witness by Charles Todd (#2 in Bess Crawford Mystery)








Fantastic series - can't wait to see what happens in this book!









Killbox by Ann Aguirre (#4 in Sirantha Jax)


Kiss Me, Kill Me by Maggie Shayne (#1 in Secrets of Shadow Falls)






This looks fantastic!









 Last to Die by Kate Brady (#2 in Sheridan)


Longarm on a Monument Valley Manhunt by Tabor Evans (#382 in Longarm)


Lost Empire by Grant Blackwood (#2 in Fargo Adventure)


Lost Empire by Clive Cussler (#2 in Fargo Adventure)


Love Bites by Adrienne Barbeau (#2 in Vampyres of Hollywood)


Love Me If You Dare by Carly Phillips (#2 in Most Eligible Bachelor)


Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle (#8 in Harmony World)


More Than Words by Judith Miller (#2 in Daughters of Amana)


Murder on the Bride's Side by Tracy Kiely (#2 in Elizabeth Parker Mystery)


My Soul to Keep by Sharie Kohler (#4 in Moon Chasers)


Never Trust A Rogue by Olivia Drake (#2 in Heiress in London)


Never-ending-snake by Aimée Thurlo (#16 in Ella Clah )


Primal Instincts by Susan Sizemore (#8 in Primes Series)


Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan (#1 in Shadow World)


Radiance by Alyson Noel (#1 in Immortals Spin-Off)


Radiance by Alyson Noël (#1 in Immortals Spin-Off)


Rebel by Claire Delacroix (#3 in Fallen)





It's Lora Leigh- do I need to say anything else?












Sacrifice by Dakota Banks (#2 in Mortal Path)


Scared Stiff by Annelise Ryan (#2 in Mattie Winston)


Seduced by a Highlander by Paula Quinn (#2 in Children Of The Mist)


Sparks by Laura Bickle (#2 in Anya Kalinczyk)


The Bridge of Peace by Cindy Woodsmall (#2 in Ada's House)


The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (#1 in Infernal Devices)


The Darkest Edge of Dawn by Kelly Gay (#2 in Charlie Madigan)


The Devil by Ken Bruen (#8 in Jack Taylor)


The Echo of Violence by Jordan Dane (#3 in Sweet Justice)


The Haunted by Jessica Verday (#2 in Hollow)


The Hawk by Monica McCarty (#2 in The Highland Guard Series)


The Lucifer Code by Charles Brokaw (#2 in Thomas Lourds)


The Lucifer Code by Charles Brokaw (#2 in Thomas Lourds)


The Skin Map by Stephen R Lawhead (#1 in Bright Empires)


The Unclaimed Duchess by Jenna Petersen (#2 in Billingham Bastards)


The Viking Takes a Knight by Sandra Hill (#9 in Viking Series I)


The Waters Rising by Sheri S Tepper (#2 in A Plague of Angels)


The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (#1 in Stormlight Archive)


The Way of the Guilty by Jennifer Stanley (#3 in Hope Street Church Mystery)


TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow (#1 in TimeRiders)


Unraveled by Gena Showalter (#2 in Crossroads High)








I'll admit that I love this cover....and can't wait to read this!








When I Was Joe by Keren David (#1 in When I Was Joe)


Wicked Delights of a Bridal Bed by Tracy Anne Warren (#4 in Byrons of Braebourne)


Wicked Witch Murder by Leslie Meier (#16 in Lucy Stone Mysteries)
 
 
 
So what's on your buy list or wish list for today?  Let me know by posting below.
 

You never know when I'll have a contest this week.
 

Winner of Reader's Choice Contest

Congratulations To the Winner:

 Yvonne

I'll be contacting Yvonne later today to get shipping details. 

Thanks to everyone who participated!

FTC Disclosure:  The prize awarded was purchased by the review site.

Reader's Choice Contest

So I couldn't decide which book to have a contest for and decided to let the winning reader choose.  The choices are:

 Sin Undone by Larissa Ione

HER TOUCH IS DEADLY

As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she’ll die before she’ll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin’s innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

HIS HUNGER CAN’T BE DENIED

Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she’s no stranger: He’s bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld’s most wanted and Con soon learns he’s the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

OR

 Demon From the Dark by  Kresley Cole             

                                                                                         
A dangerous demon she can't resist...



Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he's pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

A maddening witch he aches to claim...


Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

Trapped together in a savage prison...


For them to survive, Malkom must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When he becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?


Contest Rules:

1.  Please leave a comment indicating which book you would like to win and read and why.

2.  Please make sure to include your email address in your post so that I can contact the winner.

3.  Contest open to US and Canada Residents Only due to shipping issues.

4.  Contest will run from Wednesday, 25-Aug-10 to Midnight on Thursday, 26-Aug-10, with the winner to be chosen on Friday morning.

Good Luck Everyone!

FTC Disclosure:  Prize being awarded has been purchased by review site.

.

New Release Tuesday

Quite a few books were released today.  There are 16 new releases today and include the following:

Bad Boy by Peter Robinson (#19 in Inspector Banks)

Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks (#1 in Legends of Shannara)

Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole (#9 in The Immortals After Dark )

Empire of Night by Justin Somper (#6 in Vampirates)

Key Lime Pie by Josi S Kilpack (#4 in Culinary Mystery)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (#3 in Hunger Games)

Sabotaged by Margaret Peterson Haddix (#3 in Missing)

Sin Undone by Larissa Ione (#5 in Demonica)

Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs (#13 in Temperance Brennan)

The Call by Michael Grant (#1 in Magnificent Twelve)

The Candidates by Inara Scott (#1 in Delcroix Academy)

The Clockwork Dark by John Claude Bemis (#2 in Clockwork Dark)

The Curse of Deadman's Forest by Victoria Laurie (#2 in Oracles of Delphi Keep)

The Evolutionary Void by Peter F. Hamilton (#3 in Void Trilogy)

The Perfect Shot by Gemma Halliday (#2 in Hollywood Headlines)

Zally's Book by Jan Bozarth (#3 in Fairy Godmother Academy
 
 
 
I did buy two of these books:
 

Sin Undone (Demonica, Book 5)

And

Demon from the Dark

Check back tomorrow for a contest for one of these two books

Winner- Last Night's Scandal

Congratulations to the Winner:

Lisa F.

Please contact me at maria63303@gmail.com to claim your prize.

All Prizes must be claimed within 72 hours.  Unclaimed prizes will be re-awarded to another winner after 72 hours.

FTC Disclosure:  Prize awarded was purchased by review site

Lazy Sunday Contest

So I'm in the mood for a lazy day where I get to read and relax and just let my mind wander where it will.  I might do a load of laundry but nothing else.

In honor of my lazy day, I'll be giving away a copy of

Loretta Chase's newest romance

Last Night's Scandal

After surviving the perils of Egypt, Peregrine Dalmay, Earl of Lisle, is back in London, facing the most dire threat of all: his irrational family . . . and Miss Olivia Wingate-Carsington. A descendant of notorious—but very aristocratic—swindlers, the delectable redhead has the ability to completely unhinge him and a long history of dragging him into her scandalous schemes.

 Olivia may be Society's darling, but she's aware a respectable future looms menacingly. And so when Lisle is forced to go on a family mission, she sees this as the perfect chance for one last adventure—even if it is with the one man in the world she can't wrap around her finger. But really, she only wants to help . . .

Which is why Lisle and Olivia find themselves in a gloomy Scottish castle inhabited by spiteful ghosts and craven murderers . . . and a shocking secret: the greatest peril of all may be burning within their own stubborn hearts.


Contest Rules

1.  Leave a comment below about your perfect lazy day plans and make sure to include your email address so that I can contact you if you win.

2.  Contest open to US and Canada Residents Only due to shipping costs.

3.  Winner to be chose by Random.Org on Monday 23-Aug-10 at noon.

Good Luck Everyone!

A Review/ Sister of the Bride/ Susan Mallery/ Mira

Title:  Sister of the Bride
Author:  Susan Mallery
Publisher:  Mira- An Imprint of Harlequin
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Publication Date:  July 27, 2010
Print ISBN:  978-0778328438
eBook ISBN:  978-1426863967
Length:  Novella (104 Pages)
Format:  Both Print (anthology) and eBook

Purchase:  Amazon             Barnes and Noble         



Book Blurb:

When Katie McCormick finds out that her sister is marrying her ex, she finally agrees to a setup for the big day. To her surprise, Jackson is a catch. But when wedding catastrophe ensues, will their sparks fizzle or ignite into flames?


My Review: 

This is a light, fast and fun novella that takes place in the Fool's Gold Series from Susan Mallery.  None of the characters from the series are in this novella but they aren't necessary in this story.  The character development was strong and the level of humor was actually higher in this novella than in some of the books in the series.  I really enjoyed reading this short story.

Katie McCormick is a young 27 year old woman who is still single and has a successful career as the sports writer for the Fool's Gold newspaper.  Yet for some reason her family chooses to treat her as if she's not smart, successful or attractive because she's not married.  The fact that the man she was dating ditched her for her younger sister over a family dinner just adds insult to injury.  Needless to say Katie's relationship with her younger sister, Courtney, could use some help.  When Katie has to attend Courtney's wedding, her mother Janis steps into the picture and arranges for Katie's date/escort to be her childhood nemesis, "Howie" Jackson Kent, the son of Janis' best friend.  At first Katie is reluctant to having "Howie" as her date since they could barely stand each other as teens but after some verbal wrangling back and forth with her mom, she surrenders and reluctantly agrees to "Howie" as her date.

Howard "Howie" Jackson Kent has physically changed since his awkward teenage years.  He's no longer a nerdy, geeky, skinny young man but is in a word.....a "hottie".  In fact, I'd go as far as saying that he's smoking hot!  He's also matured, become a successful businessman and now uses his middle name "Jackson"  and yet his mom has never given up on her dream of fixing him up with her best friend's daughter.  Tina Kent is not above using emotional blackmail either to get her son to do what she asks and needless to say, Jackson reluctantly agrees.  He's not looking forward to spending 4 days at a ski resort in Fool's Gold with Katie but he's being open minded for his mother's sake.

When Katie and Jackson meet again, you can tell that the romantic fireworks are not far off.  The physical attraction between the two is almost palpable and soon they realize that they like each other's personality.  Of course, their romance is not smooth or easy as they have to contend with Katie's family for the next 4 days.  Jackson soon realizes that Katie's family is more than a little high strung or energetic, they don't appreciate Katie for the person that she is and make continuous inappropriate comments about her single status and refer to her childhood weight issues.  The antagonist of the story, and every story has one, is Courtney- the bride.  Talk about "Bridezilla", this young woman is a selfish, self-centered brat and not surprisingly her groom, Alex, is cut from the same cloth. 

The question becomes will Jackson love Katie in spite of her family?  I have to say that I loved what Ms. Mallery did with the family.  They were a little over the top but I've actually met people like this and I suspect that you have too.  Weddings are always an entertaining event and this one is no different.  I won't tell you how everything is resolved because that would be spoiling things but I will recommend that you read this novella - it's well worth the price.  You can purchase the entire anthology, Summer Brides, from either Harlequin or any of the bookstores.  You can also purchase the novella separately as an ebook, which is what I did and there are several outlets where you can do so, I've listed them below:

eReader.com

The Sony Bookstore

Fictionwise

Harlequin Ebookstore

My Rating:  5 out of 5 Crowns 

FTC Disclosure:  The book reviewed was purchased by the review site.  No other remuneration was exchanged.

Review/ Confessions of a Liberal Lover/ E.M. Muller/ Red Rose Publishing

Title:  Confessions of a Liberal Lover
Author:  E.M. Muller
Publisher:  Red Rose Publishing
Genre:  Contemporary Women's Fiction; Comedy
eBook ISBN:  978-1604356915
Publication Date:  May 13, 2010
Length:  Short Story
Format:  eBook only

Purchase



 
Book Blurb:
 
Confessions of a Liberal Lover is a modern day fairy tale about the amorous misadventures of Maud and the magical talking statue of a gargoyle who is her most trusted friend and advisor. As a child, Maud didn't have many friends. Her tongue was too sharp, her temper too short and she was just too smart for her own damned good—something her father repeatedly pointed out when she was a boy crazy teenager.


But Maud's troubles really begin when, convinced the secret to happiness lies in finding a virile incredibly handsome man like the heroes in her beloved romance novels, she starts searching for the man of her dreams. Will she finally listen to the gargoyle's repeated warnings that she's looking for love in all the wrong people? Or, after so many failed relationships, will she just accept that her Prince Charming isn't ever going to show up?

My Review: 

This is an interesting story about a woman's search for Prince Charming and all of the detours that she took to find him.  The plot moves at a very good pace and the dialogue is very modern and sharp.  The characters do use some colorful language and there are some spicy scenes so I would definitely not recommend this for anyone under the age of 17.  The story is completely told in the first person point of view. 

The story starts with Maud explaining her relationship with her father.  Maud was born a liberal thinker and her parents spent quite a bit of time trying to temper her behavior.  At the age of four Maud realizes that the house is not big enough for her and her father so she decides to run away; as you can guess she only got as far as a block away before she was lured back by her mother's offer of ice-cream.  Maud is not happy at home because she feels that she is always being compared to her sister Sybil and coming up short.  Maud became a reader at a young age and by the time she was thirteen she was addicted to historical romance novels.  It didn't take long for Maud to realize that she wanted a virile, handsome man of her own, like the heroines in the novels but she soon realized that she would have to settle for something less due to her circumstances.  By the time that Maud hits high school, she is completely boy crazy and willing to date just about anyone.

It was when Maud was six years old that she first obtained the gargoyle, a plastic statue of a gothic gargoyle that she won as a prize at a church fair.   The impact of this prize was not realized until Maud was 16 and having boy problems with a boyfriend who wanted her to "go all the way" with him, at which time the gargoyle decides to speak up.  He proceeds to give Maud the advice that she needs to dump this boy before he dumps her but she refuses his advice and two weeks later what the gargoyle had predicted comes to pass.  Maud begins to speak with the gargoyle on a semi regular basis and especially when she is in a relationship.

Maud's dating exploits are hilarious, it seemed as if every man she dated had serious warning issues that she blatantly ignored, against the advice of the gargoyle.  The author titled each chapter after the type of relationship or boyfriend that Maud took on.  One chapter is titled "The Khaki Kid" after a young man who only wears "khaki", one is titled "The Good Old Boy" after a man who likes to go out in the woods and hunt (never mind that Maud has a serious aversion to violence).  While Maud is dating she has moved out of her parents home into an apartment that she shares with a "friend", she obtained a full time job and has even gone back to school to get her degree.  She is still speaking with the gargoyle but now puts him in the closet when he disagrees with her. 

Maud continues with her dating escapades while she finishes her degree and changes jobs, it is not until she is in her 30's that she finally starts to get a clue.  She realizes that none of what she has done to find the "virile, handsome man" has worked out and that the only dependable people in her life are her family.  It is when Maud stops looking for her Prince Charming that a man worthy of her finally enters her life and he encourages her to make peace with her dad.  Maud comes full circle in her emotional life when she realizes that her father has always loved her, even if he didn't show it in the way that she was expecting. 

There are a lot of humorous scenes while Maud is dating and maturing and there are also places where I wanted to yell at Maud and tell her to grow up.  I would have liked to have seen Maud mature at a faster rate and realize that she was dating the same "type" of guy, even if he had a different career and looked different.  Overall this was an enjoyable book.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns

FTC Disclosure:  The book reviewed was provided to the site by the author.  No financial remuneration was exchanged.

Contest Winner- Colby Control and Colby Velocity by Debra Webb

Congratulations to the Winner:

Blanche

I will be contacting Blanche later today for mailing details.

FTC Disclosure:  Books awarded as prize purchased by site owner

Weekend Contest- Colby Merger Series by Debra Webb

Colby Control

Colby Velocity









Colby Control

When the Colby Agency and the Equalizers merged, their agents were expected to work together. But the moment Ted Tallant met hotshot investigator Nora Friedman, there were sparks—and not the good kind. Nora was a risk taker, while Ted was a by-the-book kind of guy.


When they were sent to Vegas on a case, those sparks turned into something hotter. They were good together—really good. But when an enemy from Nora's past twisted their assignment into something deadly, all hell broke loose. And suddenly skill and attraction weren't enough. They would have to trust each other…or everyone would die.


Colby Velocity

Former Equalizer Leland "Rocky" Rockford did not have a problem working with Colby Agent Kendra Todd. As far as he was concerned, partnering with her was one of the benefits of their agencies' merger. Something about her calm and composed air made him want to ruffle her feathers—until they were assigned to a murder case.


Fully in professional mode, Rocky was willing to do whatever necessary to support Kendra—and keep her safe. But as the case started cracking, so did the walls around her guarded heart. Now, with questions and the bodies piling up, they must outmaneuver the shadowy element that not only wants them to fail, but wants them dead….

1 Lucky Winner will get a print copy of Colby Control and Colby Velocity

Contest Rules:

1.  Please leave a comment as to whether or not you have read any books in the Harlequin Intrigue Line.

2.  Please make sure to leave your email address so that I may notify the winner to obtain shipping instructions.

3.  Contest open only to U.S. and Canada residents due to shipping costs.

4.  You must be 18 years of age or older to enter the contest.

5.  Contest open until Midnight on Sunday, 8-Aug-10.  Winner to be announced by Noon on Monday, 9-Aug-10.

6.  Winner to be chosen using Random.org


FTC Disclosure;  Prize being awarded has been purchased by site owner.

Debating a Make-Over

No, not my face, although I could use some new make-up and perhaps a facial, but a make-over for my blog.  I'll keep the blog name and probably have the banner enlarged but I'm mostly wanting to change the shape and perhaps tweak the colors some so things will be a little crazy while I ponder the changes and experiment.  I apologize in advance!

Have a fabulous weekend and be sure to read something!

New Release Tuesday- 47 New Books

So today is an incredibly busy day in the publishing world with 47 new releases.
I'm only going to feature the ones that I bought and will simply list the rest at the bottom in case you are interested in any of them.



This book has a short story by Nalini Singh in her Psy/Changeling World and also has a short story by Meljean Brook that is the start of a new steampunk series.  The first full book in the series is The Iron Duke which comes out in the fall.

I had to have this book :)











New series by Lorelei James - a new cowboy western.  Need I say more?
















It's a historical with vampires during King Henry VIII's reign....talk about perfect!















What can I say?  I love Lora Leigh and Jaci Burton
















Yeah...I have a thing for dragon shifters :)












Okay so those are the books that should arrive from Amazon today.  These are the books I did not order but that some of you might be interested in.


Psych: A Fatal Frame of Mind

Almost to Die For: A Vampire Princess Novel (Vampire Princess of St. Paul)

Bedeviled Angel (A Works Like Magick Novel)

Ellie McDoodle: Best Friends Fur-Ever

Betrayal (Immortal)

Burn: An Anna Pigeon Novel (Anna Pigeon Mysteries)

Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme: A Midnight Louie Mystery (Midnight Louie Mysteries)

Chapter & Hearse (A Booktown Mystery)

Deeply, Desperately: A Lucy Valentine Novel

Devil's Highlander (A Clan MacAlpin Novel)

Dream Called Time by S L Viehl (#10 in Stardoc)

False Impressions (A Stamping Sisters Mystery)

Fatally Frosted: A Donut Shop Mystery (Donut Shop Mysteries)

Hangman: A Decker/Lazarus Novel

Heart Journey by Robin D. Owens (#9 in Celta)

Hot Finish (Fast Track)

How to Crash a Killer Bash: A Party-Planning Mystery (Party Planning Mystery)

In Harm's Way (Walt Fleming Novel)

Infinite Days (Vampire Queen)

Labyrinth (Greywalker, Book 5)

Midnight Falls: Children of the Goddess, Book 4

Murder in the Air: A Dan Rhodes Mystery (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mysteries)

The Clique #13: My Little Phony (Clique Series)

Omnitopia Dawn: Omnitopia #1

Passionate Pleasures (Pleasures Series)

Roast Mortem (Coffee House Mystery)

Scarlet Nights: An Edilean Novel

Seduction Wears Sapphires (Jaded Gentleman)

Siren's Call: A Dark Tides Novel

SkyClan's Destiny by Erin Hunter (#3 in Warriors: Super Edition)

Slaughter of Eagles (Eagles Series)

Tempt Not The Cat by J C Wilder (#3 in Shadowdwellers)

Forbidden: The Ascension

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex (Book 7)

The Hanging Tree: A Starvation Lake Mystery (Starvation Lake Mysteries)

Warriors: Ravenpaw's Path #3: The Heart of a Warrior

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory (#2 in The Cousins' War)

The Viognier Vendetta: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries)

Till Dawn with the Devil: Lords of Vice

Total Eclipse (Weather Warden, Book 9)

Unsympathetic Magic: An Esther Diamond Novel


Go Forth And Shop!