Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Before I go to Sleep by S.J Watson





Before I Go to Sleep by S.J Watson
Feb 7, 2012 (Paperback) by Harper
Paperback, 368 Pages
Review Copy

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story.......Welcome to Christine’s life.

Review

In this intense page turner, we meet Christine, a middle aged woman who awakens one morning to discover that the man beside her is a stranger....she's embarrassed, frightened and confused by why a college aged gal like her self would go home with such an older man.....but then Christine sees her wedding band and then sees herself in the mirror....

Its not everyday one wakes up and forgets their entire life, its not often that you have no memory of the man you married or the life you shared together, you also cant understand why this man Ben, the only person in your life creeps you out and sends shivers down your spine or the fact that making love to him (on the nights he attempts) almost feels like rape. This and other things are just the tip of the iceberg in Christine's daily life. As she wakes every morning forgetting who she is due to head trauma caused by an attack years ago, every morning is a shock, every morning is a heartbreak, every morning is an adventure into the unknown. 

Between a cascade of photos, Ben's soft reassurance and the Doctor who is helping her piece together her life by using a daily journal, Christine desperately tries to gain control over her memories. Slowly and piece by piece the journal begins to ignite sparks in her brain and as memories begin to surface and flashbacks become real, Christine discovers the horrifying truths of her past, the people who surround her and the shocking events that lead to her injury.

Stop everything your doing and go read this book.....its ridiculously good. Without going into detail because even a little information will ruin the ride for readers, I can tell you the plot had me spinning with anticipation and every possible outcome that could of happened in this book crossed my mind...except of course for what finally happened, which chilled me to the bone. Creepy, scary, thrilling and excellent are the words I would use to describe this book. Watson's writing was truly enthralling as he cast me into this simple yet complex story....one that ranks as my best read this year....actually its by far one of the best thrillers I've read. 

The worst thing about this book is the fact that Ill never experience it again, Ill never have my jaw hit the floor or feel the goosebumps riddle my entire body when the final page is turned. Be prepared to walk into brilliant madness.......Watson is an author to watch!!

Rating

Before I go to Sleep is recommended to adult readers and contains: Violence, suspense, drug and alcohol use, strong language, graphic sexuality including sexual dialog and situations.

PS- Because Im a reviewer (its seriously a whole world of our own) I tend to picture character faces vividly- whether its by my imagination or actors...during this entire book I kept seeing Diane Lanes face as Christine...here's hoping they make this book movie and Diane gets the part!!!

5/5- Thriller-Suspense
Thanks to Harper and TLC Book Tours for review copy

Link to Buy: Before I Go to Sleep: A Novel

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Shelf Cravings {44}





Welcome to Shelf Cravings, a weekly dish on all things book! New releases, coming soon, just discovered and the lastest Indie. This week Im excited for.....

Coming Soon



Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
June 5, 2012 by Henry and Holt

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near-impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one unlikely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life– a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha… and the secrets of her heart.

The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood
March 20, 2012 by Random House

The Bellwether Revivals opens and closes with bodies. The story of whose bodies and how they come to be spread about an elegant house on the river near Cambridge is told by Oscar, a young, bright working class man who has fallen in love with an upper-class Cambridge student, Iris, and thereby become entangled with a group of close friends, led by Iris's charismatic, brilliant, possibly dangerous brother. For Eden Bellwether believes he can heal -- and perhaps more -- through the power of music.

In this masterful debut, we too are seduced by this gilded group of young people, entranced by Eden's powerful personality and his obvious talent as a musician, and caught off guard by the strangeness of Iris and Eden's parents. And we find ourselves utterly unsure as to whether Eden Bellweather is a saviour or a villain, and whether Oscar will be able to solve this mystery in time to save himself, if not everyone else. 


Crimson Sunrise by J.A Saare
June 18, 2012 by Wildrose Press

After eradicating the obstacles between them, Emma Johnson and Caleb Blackney are ready to embrace their future together. They have a lot of decisions to make. There is the issue of Emma's fae heritage, her choice to become a werewolf or remain human, and Caleb's refusal to partake in anything that could cause harm to his mate. 

When Caleb's sister goes missing, personal issues are forced aside, and he and Emma are faced with a past threat that has come knocking at their door. As the search for Sammie reveals plans far more sinister than they ever could have imagined, Emma and Caleb will face their fears, confront their enemies, and unite their families to stand against an evil that won't stop until vengeance is served.

Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
July 10, 2012 by MTV Books

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. 

Just Discovered/New Releases


The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice
Feb 14, 2012 by Knopf Publishing


A young reporter on assignment from the San Francisco Observer. . . an older woman, welcoming him into her magnificent, historic family home that he has been sent to write about and that she must sell with some urgency . . . A chance encounter between two unlikely people . . . an idyllic night—shattered by horrific unimaginable violence. . .The young man inexplicably attacked—bitten—by a beast he cannot see in the rural darkness . . . A violent episode that sets in motion a terrifying yet seductive transformation as the young man, caught between ecstasy and horror, between embracing who he is evolving into and fearing who—what—he will become, soon experiences the thrill of the wolf gift.




The Lost Daughter by Lucy Ferriss
Feb 7, 2012 by Berkley 


Brooke O’Connor — elegant, self-possessed, and kind — has a happy marriage and a deeply loved young daughter. So her adamant refusal to have a second child confounds her husband, Sean. When Brooke’s high school boyfriend Alex — now divorced and mourning the death of his young son — unexpectedly resurfaces, Sean begins to suspect an affair.

For fifteen years Brooke has kept a shameful secret from everyone she loves. Only Alex knows the truth that drove them apart. His reappearance now threatens the life she has so carefully constructed and fortified by denial. With her marriage — and her emotional equilibrium — at stake, Brooke must confront what she has been unwilling to face for so long. But the truth is not what Brooke believes it to be.


So Im chewing my fingers off in nerve worthy wait for Shadow and Bone....and I cant wait to read J.A Saare's book - I know its out of my genre, but I read Crimson Moon (first book) and adored it, so I will be finishing this series and breaking my no PNR rule for you Ms. J.A!! All of these look so delish....and the covers scream read me....which one are you excited for?

Have you read Crimson Moon- it was fabulous....




Monday, February 27, 2012

Guest Post w/RaeAnne Thayne & Win Woodrose Mountain




Today on Chatting with Authors, Im thrilled to welcome RaeAnne Thayne to the blog! She will be discussing her writing inspirations and giving away one of her books!


What inspires me?
by RaeAnne Thayne

I just finished my 40th book last month. That number still astonishes me! Regardless of the varied conflicts, characters and plots, I have discovered a common theme that runs through each book. My core story is that we’re all here on earth to learn how to take care of each other.

Caretakers come in so many different forms. Grandparents raising their grandchildren, wives helping husbands through chemotherapy, mothers racing from soccer games to gymnastics class to the piano lessons.

In WOODROSE MOUNTAIN (April 2012, HQN), that lesson in caring comes to my heroine, Evie Blanchard. Still grieving after the death of her adopted special needs child, Evie has created a new life for herself in Hope’s Crossing, Colorado, the fictional town I first introduced in BLACKBERRY SUMMER (June 2011, HQN).

Evie has walked away from her life as a pediatric rehab therapist and is perfectly happy working in a bead store and selling her jewelry creations at summer bead fairs. But when business mogul Brodie Thorne pleads for her help in the recovery of his brain-injured daughter Taryn (injured in a car accident in BLACKBERRY SUMMER) Evie feels obligated by her friendship to Taryn’s grandmother to overcome her own reluctance and offer what assistance she can. She doesn’t want to allow herself to care for Taryn – or Brodie! – but in the process of helping this courageous girl recover from her severe injuries, Evie is astonished to discover healing and hope within herself.

I loved writing WOODROSE MOUNTAIN. Probably more than in any of my other forty books, I relied very heavily on my own experience while writing about Taryn, Evie and Brodie. You see, I’m a caretaker as well, to my 14-year-old son who has severe disabilities. He was born the very week I sold my fifth book and I’ve walked two sometimes disparate journeys in that time – parenting a child with special needs and writing happily-ever-after romance novels.

I leaned heavily on my own world view while writing WOODROSE MOUNTAIN. Wheelchair vans, lift systems, even seizure protocol are all things I’m knowledgeable about. I also know very well how vital good therapists can be in the rehab process – and also how important a strong, supportive community can be for those who struggle with challenges.

As the parent of a child with special needs, the key lesson I’ve learned is the inherent goodness of most people. We have been embraced and supported by our community from the day he was born. Even strangers often reach out to us. I’m always having people stop me in the grocery store when I’m juggling both a cart and a wheelchair to ask if they can help me (I always appreciate the offer but I’m an old pro at pushing a wheelchair with one hand and pulling a cart with the other! The trick is not to try this at a crowded Walmart on a Saturday afternoon LOL!).

The overriding message I hope readers take from WOODROSE MOUNTAIN is that even when life seems difficult and entirely too hard, moments of grace and beauty can be found in abundance!


Thank you Rae for stopping by today! I have a profound respect for parents who care for special needs children. Ive seen first hand the dedication, hard work and heartbreak that go's with it. Congrats on your new book and wishing you the best!!

Giveaway

Today I have one brand new copy of Woodrose Mountain to giveaway to a reader at TBR's. To enter please just leave a comment and a way to get in touch (email, link to profile) Winner will drawn March 14, 2012.



Evie Blanchard was at the top of her field in the city of angels. But when an emotional year forces her to walk away from her job as a physical therapist, she moves from Los Angeles to Hope’s Crossing seeking a quieter life. So the last thing she needs is to get involved with the handsome, arrogant Brodie Thorne and his injured daughter, Taryn.

A self-made man and single dad, Brodie will do anything to get Taryn the rehabilitation she needs…even if it means convincing Evie to move in with them. And despite her vow to keep an emotional distance, Evie can’t help but be moved by Taryn’s spirit, or Brodie’s determination to win her help—and her heart. With laughter, courage and more than a little help from the kindhearted people of Hope’s Crossing, Taryn may get the healing she deserves—and Evie and Brodie might just find a love they never knew could exist.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

The Saturday Spotlight with Youseph Tanha & Giveaway




Welcome to the Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature devoted to Indie and Debut authors. This week I have the pleasure of introducing readers to:


YOUSEPH TANHA
~Author of All that Matters~


The Trouble with Writing
Youseph Tanha- 2011

Hello book reading people of the Internet! My name is Youseph Tanha, (pronounced U-sef Tan-Ha) and I live in the capital city of Juneau, Alaska. I am very grateful to Tina for giving me this opportunity to address all of her readers. This is a big deal for someone like me who has just published his first book.

Writing does not come easily to me. I am a child of the eighties who was diagnosed with Dyslexia at the age of nine. It was a time when Dyslexia meant to people of authority that you were mentally slower than everyone else and that you would be lucky if you could read by the time you finished with grade school. “The world needs janitors.” my third grade teacher would say to me. 

School was crummy for me in that respect. My science and math skills scored at or above my peers. My only problem was that the letters and numbers on a piece of paper always looked like they were jumping and twisting around. This made reading next to impossible. I used to come home from school, pull out my homework and work on it until bed time and I still would not be done with it!

When I was diagnosed with Dyslexia, I went through a process of finding corrective eye lenses that would keep everything on the page steady for me, but by the age of 9 I had already picked up several bad habits that make writing very difficult for me even today. For example, I always get my “There”s and “Their”s mixed up, along with my “to”s, “two”s, and “too”s. “Where”s, “were”s, “we’re”s, and “your”s and “you’re”s. I know these differences come easily to most people, but I always have to check on them to make sure I am using the right ones.

Reading is still difficult for me, but over the years I have gotten better at it. I still can’t read a book as fast as the people around me, but that does not stop me. The only way I can improve is to keep reading and writing. It’s not only something I enjoy but I also look at it as practice to improve my skills.

There is a story about Oscar Wilde that I have seen floating around the Internets for a while. The story goes that he once included with a manuscript he was delivering to his publishers a compliment slip in which he had scribbled the injunction: “I’ll leave you to tidy up the woulds, wills and shalls, thats and whiches.” It is encouraging to me that such a master of language as Oscar Wilde, also needed some help form time to time. The thought of that leaves me feeling hopeful for the future.


Thanks for stopping by today Youseph and sharing that personal yet heartfelt bit about yourself. Your third grade teacher sounds like a lovely woman.....(not).....Thanks goodness that comment didn't prevent you from becoming a writer. Best of luck to you and your future writing career.

GIVEAWAY

Today thanks to Youseph, I have three Ebooks (version of your choice) to giveaway. To enter please just leave a comment. Winner will be drawn March 3, 2011


All that Matters by Youseph Tanha

Ethan Wright is just like any other high school kid that is one day lucky enough to meet the girl of his dreams. Throughout the course of high school the young couple learn to cope with incredibly difficult odds to discover all that matters.’All That Matters’ is a novella about love and life and all that the heart can endure. With memorable characters and a deep story you will find it difficult to put this book down.

Find out more about the author on the WEB

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Oppression for 99 Cents on Kindle and Nook!


Oppression by Jessica Therrien

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

Grab your copy of Oppression today for 99 Cents!! On Kindle and Nook, this is only for a limited time!

Barnes & Noble Nook .99 Cents: 
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oppressi...




Mini's- Featuring Real Marriage by Mark&Grace Driscoll




~In where I get out a few thoughts on a bundle of books I have read~


Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll
February 3, 2012 by Thomas Nelson
Hardcover, 249 Pages
Review Copy
Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife, Grace, talk about sex and marriage in down-to-earth terms, hitting issues other Christian books won't. They share practical help and hope with people just like them--who entered marriage a complete mess, or who are planning to be married someday and want to avoid some sticky pitfalls.

Warning: This review contains topics of a sexual nature! Rated- PG-13.

Review

I think what I appreciated the most from this book was the introduction and the Driscoll's honesty. A majority of couples, including Christian couples, do have sex before marriage and this is the first book I've seen speak openly about the baggage associated with bringing past sexual encounters before being Christians into a new relationship as Christian people. It was refreshing to see a pastor, a very well known and popular pastor at that, and his wife Grace talk about the ups and downs and really messed up phases of their marriage and the things they did with God's help to fix it. I loved too that they didn't sugar-coat the problems into something that others couldn't relate to, these were real, hard and difficult things to move past, yet they both gave encouragement and guidelines while admitting the sin troubling them both, without resorting to infidelity or sexual addiction problems that would have destroyed the marriage.

Most of the marriage books and sermons Ive read/listened too, skirt around sexual issues Christians struggle with or say ludicrous things that make sexuality awkward. The worst sermon I heard at a mega church in my area, stated that (the pastor said this) in Christian marriage the only acceptable sex act was missionary style sex without foreplay, otherwise we were running the risk of desecrating our bodies and knocking on Hells gates.......WHAT!? This guy needed a fish thrown at him, missionary style sex only......pffftttt....I left the church looked at my husband and told him we were headed straight for Hell.......

Thank goodness Mark and Grace took a chance and said it was ok to do all the stuff we (married-couples) are already doing, because guess what?? Sex is awesome and in a committed marriage you should have as much great sex as possible with lots and lots of play time. And this book doesn't shy away from the graphic stuff...Oral sex its in there, Anal sex, yup they went there.....Role playing, sex toys, masturbation...by golly its alllllllll in there!!!

Of course that's not what the entire book is about, they use Biblical guidelines on all the sex stuff and they also share opinions on what their against like pornography and birth control options and they focus on building a close friendship with your spouse addressing issues that may be hindering your marriage.

While I don't think this book will whip your marriage into the BEST MARRIAGE EVER.....it can serve as a great tool to help anyone out there struggling in a marriage or someone who is thinking about getting married. Real Marriage is a refreshing read about couples in an imperfect world, opening the eyes to what the Bible actually says about sex.

Rating

Recommended to adult readers. Real Marriage explains itself in the title. Contains topics on sexuality (graphic sexuality) and married life with a Christian world aspect.

4/5- Nonfiction
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for Review Copy



**That clip was from a snippet of questions asked during the sermons which inspired the Driscoll's book**


Life, In Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson
May 10, 2010 by Multnomath Books
Paperback, 240 Pages
Borrowed/Library

Kristen Anderson, a seventeen year old who's life up to that point had been riddled with death and sexual assault, felt hopeless. In despair, grounded and in trouble at home and mostly just confused by life, Kristen decides one night to end her life. 

Choice of death: By Train.

As Kristen lays down in front of those tracks, faces away from an on-coming freight train, she describes in detail the moments before she thought her life would end, of the train hitting her, chopping her legs off and left to die bleeding.

But Kristen did not die that night, she lived to share her story and as we walk through the pain of her loss, the emotional trauma she endures after and the physical pain of her recovery, as a reader you cant help but feel the sorrow, yet the hope Kristen's story signifies. Kristen has gone on to counsel other teens who are suicidal, patients who are in mental hospitals and has the desire to reach out to those in need. I was truly moved by her story, courage and her new found faith in God to overcome. 

4/5- Inspy-Memoir


Night of the Living Dead Christian by Matt Mikalatos
September 16, 2011 by Saltwater
Paperback, 288 Pages
Review Copy

Out of control desires and beastly behavior combine in this story of a quirky yet hungry Werewolf who wants nothing more than to control the monster within him.

This was odd to say the least. At times funny and certainly outside of the box when comparing Christian faith analogies, I thought NOTLDC offered a fun and entertaining look at the daily struggles we face in faith and walking the Christian walk. I know a lot of Inspy readers will cringe at this novel, due to its werewolf, zombie and monster characters, but seriously its all just in fun. Because Im a big vampire and fantasy genre reader I understood the points Mikalatos was trying to make using each monster to pinpoint specific sin.

I think this would be a great novel for people looking for something non-preachy and fun.

3/5- Inspy-Nonfiction-Humor
Thanks to Saltwater for Review Copy


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

CFBA-Book Spotlight- Into the Free




This week the CFBA is spotlighting the book:


Into the Free Julie Cantrell
Febuarty 1, 2012 by David C. Cook
Paperback, 400 Pages

Just a girl. The only one strong enough to break the cycle. In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a “nothing mama,” she struggles to find a place where she really belongs.For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key which unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse. Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can Millie finally make her way into the free?

Grab a Kindle Copy today for 2.39!!



Chatting with Authors featuring Rachel Coker


This week I have the pleasure introducing Rachel Coker, a lovely sixteen year old YA Inspy debut-author of the book Interrupted to the blog.


Hi Rachel, welcome to TBR's- to start please tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Hi, my name is Rachel Coker and I’m sixteen years old. Oh, and I’m a writer. (That seems kind of important to mention) If you met me in real life, hopefully you’d think I was funny and nice, but you’d also realize that I am opinionated and free spirited. I write a lot, and take pictures, and have epic dreams that I always forget to record, which is a shame because I’d probably make a lot of money selling the plots to movie producers. 

What inspired you to write your debut Interrupted? 

When I was thirteen or so, I had an uncle pass away from a brain tumor. It had a really profound effect on me, watching my two cousins go through the loss of a parent. For almost a year, I had this concept in my head for a story about a girl whose mother dies of the same reasons. I knew that she would respond with a lot of the same emotions I felt: anger, confusion, and regret. But I wanted her to grow stronger in the end because of it, just like I did. So even though Allie’s story is way different than mine, I guess it was sort of autobiographical in a way. 

How does it feel to be a published author at such a young age? 

It’s overwhelming and it’s stressful and it’s so, so wonderful. All of the support I’ve been given has been amazing. Before I started my blog and my story got out there, I had no idea how many other teenagers there are like me out in the world. Hearing from other young people who dream of being published has not only made me realize how blessed I am, but inspired me to continue writing and work even harder. 

That is awesome...its wonderful to see young authors writing for young readers. How do think YA readers will respond to your novel? 

Well, hopefully most of them will like it. I just pray that there is something in there that the reader can connect to, and that he or she can grow closer to God because of it. 

Now some fun questions:

If you could pick a song that fit the mood of your book, what would it be and why? 

Wow, that’s a hard question. There is a piano piece entitled “The Heart Asks Pleasure First” from a movie called “The Piano” that fits Interrupted well, I think. In the book, Allie is obsessed with the poetry of Emily Dickinson, and “The heart asks pleasure first” is one of the last poems she reads her mother before she passes away. It was ironic when I found the song with such a haunting melody and similar title, because it fits the book so, so well. Go and listen to it while you’re reading Interrupted. I swear it will sound like a soundtrack. 


What are you reading right now? 

I just checked out from the library Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” due to my cousin’s recommendation. Then I’ll probably re-read “Gone With the Wind” for the millionth time. 

Its pretty bad that out of all the books Ive read, Gone with the Wind is one I haven't gotten to yet.....(Gasp!) I have seen the movie though, does that count? 

On the topic of movies, what was the last great movie you saw? 

Hmm, hard because there aren’t too many great movies I’ve seen lately. Usually I see one great movie a year, and then all others pale in comparison. But I just saw “A Beautiful Mind” the other night and it made me tear up a little. The acting was brilliant. 

Oh I agree, Russell Crow was amazing in that movie. Before you go Can you share any future projects with us? 

I just submitted the manuscript to my next book to Zondervan. It’s not a sequel, but I think it’s an equally meaningful story. Hopefully, it’ll be signed and due for release soon!


Thanks so much Rachel for stopping by today. Touching the hearts of teens with moving story's gets you an A+! Wishing you the best of luck with your novel and tons of success in your writing career.

Rachel's Novel just released from Zondervan, grab your copy today!


Interrupted by Rachel Coker
February 14, 2012 by Zondervan

Can love really heal all things? If Sam Carroll hadn't shown up, she might have been able to get to her mother in time. Instead, Allie Everly finds herself at a funeral, mourning the loss of her beloved mother. She is dealt another blow when, a few hours later, she is sent from Tennessee to Maine to become the daughter of Miss Beatrice Lovell, a prim woman with a faith Allie cannot accept. 

Poetry and letters written to her mother become the only things keeping Allie's heart from hardening completely. But then Sam arrives for the summer, and with him comes many confusing emotions, both toward him and the people around her. As World War II looms, Allie will be forced to decide whether hanging on to the past is worth losing her chance to be loved.


Find out more about Rachel on Goodreads~Web


Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Shelf Cravings {43}


Its time for Shelf Cravings, a weekly dish on all things book! New Releases, coming soon, just discovered and the latest Indie! This week Im excited for:

Coming Soon



What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang
September 18, 2012 by HarperCollins

Eva and Addie live in a world where everyone is born with two souls, but where only the dominant one is allowed to survive childhood. Fifteen years old, and closer even than twins, the girls are keeping Eva, the ‘second soul’, a secret. They know that it’s forbidden to be hybrid, but how could they ever be apart? 

When a dramatic event reveals what really happens to hybrids if they are discovered, Eva and Addie face a dangerous fight for survival, neither wanting to be the one left behind… 

Um excuse me but that cover is awesome....took me a bit to see it but when I did, how cool!!



Oppression by Jessica Therrien
Febuary 28, 2012 by Zova

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.


The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater
September 18, 2012 by Scholastic

Filled with mystery, romance, and the supernatural, The Raven Boysintroduces readers to Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III and Blue Sargent. Gansey has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on the hunt to find Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend has it that the first person to find him will be granted a wish—either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart. 

Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there—known as Raven Boys—can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his Raven Boy friends come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But she was wrong 

The Telling by Mike Duran
May 15, 2012 by Strang

Zeph Walker has been blessed with an uncanny ability to sound souls"--"to intuit people's deepest sins and secrets. He calls it the Telling, but he has abandoned the gift to his unbelief and despair...until two detectives escort him to the county morgue, asking him to explain" his own murder." 


Just Discovered


Nomansland by Lesley Hauge 
June 22, 2010 by Henry and Holt

Sometime in the future, a lonely, windswept island is populated solely by women. Among these women is a group of teenaged Trackers—expert equestrians and archers—whose job is to protect their shores from the enemy. The enemy, they’ve been told, is men. When these girls come upon a partially buried home from the distant past, they are fascinated by the strange objects—high-heeled shoes, teen magazines, make-up—found there. What are they to make of these mysterious things? And what does it mean for their strict society where friendship is forbidden and rules must be obeyed—at all costs?



Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner
May 17, 2011 by Dial Press

Vaclav and Lena, both the children of Russian émigrés, are at the same time from radically different worlds. While Vaclav's burgeoning love of performing magic is indulged by hard-working parents pursuing the American dream, troubled orphan Lena is caught in a domestic situation no child should suffer through. Taken in as one of her own by Vaclav's big-hearted mother, Lena might finally be able to blossom; in the naive young magician's eyes, she is destined to be his "faithful assistant"...but after a horrific discovery, the two are ripped apart without even a goodbye. Years later, they meet again. But will their past once more conspire to keep them apart 

So first off, Im thinking this lot of books is the best Shelf Cravings EVER! While I know Maggie's book will get lots of hype or a mixed reaction due to the whole blogger/author thing, Ill be reading it for sure!!

I cant wait to read Nomansland (where have I been-just ordered my copy) and Whats Left of Me looks pretty good. The Telling by -out of the box Inspy author- Mike Duran promises to be different and Im always up for a good Greek Mytho, needless to say Im reading all of these!!

Which one sounds good to you? 


Graphic by The Unread Reader

Saturday, February 18, 2012

The Saturday Spotlight with Bonnie Ferrante & Giveaway






Welcome to The Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature focusing on Indie and Debut authors. This week I have the pleasure introducing readers to:

BONNIE FERRANTE
~Author of Ya Novel, Dawn's End~



Days of Darkness 
by Bonnie Ferrante -2012

As autumn leaves turn red, orange, and gold, night comes earlier. After the long days of summer, sunlight until after 10:00 pm in the evening, it comes as a shock to see twilight creeping over the trees as I do the supper dishes. The absence of light affects us as much as the dreaded drop in temperature. We are diurnal creatures; night is for sleeping or clustering around the fire. Our primal brains carry the residue of generations hunted by creatures of the night. The fear of darkness appears in childhood as the need for a night-light or a check through the closet. Add to that the modern fear of dark alleys in big cities, and night is the time when scary things go bump. 

Dawn's End taps into this apprehension of growing darkness and fear of things in the night. What if the balance of light and dark was broken? 

This theme mirrors the internal darkness experience by Nicole, a recent high school graduate. Her planned summer of joy has become a journey into inner darkness. The deepest betrayal has left her jaded, depressed, and listless. But, night also brings dreams. They can be nightmares or they can be wondrous visions. Not everything dark is evil. When a dark man enters Nicole's dreams and then her life, her world is turned upside-down in more ways than one. 

Dawn's End is not the kind of novel that has a young woman chased through a darkened gymnasium by a crazed killer with an butcher knife, but it does make you periodically tense with fear. I hope, however, that it also makes you think about balance in our lives, no matter what our age. We all need a healthy mixture of hope and realism, trust and caution, courage and dependency. Nicole's inner and outer journeys are fraught with danger, exotic characters, acts of bravery, and humour. She might not start out as someone we admire but, by the end, we would all want her beside us on any journey through the darkness. (Actually, I've always loved dark gymnasiums and the way my squeaky shoes echo.)



Sounds like Dawn's End is a true experience into the unknown. Ive always loved a good psychological thriller. Thanks Bonnie for stopping by today and best of luck with your YA series!!

GIVEAWAY

Today Bonnie is giving away one Ebook Copy of her book Dawn's End. To enter please just leave a comment. Winner will be drawn Feb 26, 2012.


Dawn's End by Bonnie Ferrante
May 30, 2011 by Novel Publishing

Betrayed by her fiancé, Nicole Newman has put her love life on hold. She loses herself in fantasy, becoming isolated and despondent. When a voice from the woods identifies himself as the man of her dreams and asks for her help, Nicole is unsure whether he is stalking her or about to take her on the adventure of a lifetime. Who, or what, is this mysterious being? 

Dawn’s End, a place of simplicity and goodness, is being overcome by a gruesome darkness. Possessing bits of information, Nicole and the dark man know only that they must complete their quest before Nightfall becomes permanent. How far can she trust this not-quite-human? Can they save a world, possibly two, when Nicole isn’t sure she can save herself?

Find out more about Bonnie on the Web~Blog





Friday, February 17, 2012

The Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy


The Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy
January 24, 2012 by Mira
Paperback, 400 Pages
Review Copy

For generations, Aurelia was the crowning glory of more than three thousand acres of Iowa farmland and golden cornfields. The estate was a monument to matriarch Lavinia Hathaway's dream to elevate the family name - no matter what relative or stranger she had to destroy in the process. It was a desperation that wrought the downfall of the Hathaways - and the once prosperous farm. Now the last inhabitant of the decaying old home has died - alone. None of the surviving members of the Hathaway family want anything to do with the farm, the land, or the memories. Especially Meredith Pincetti. Now living in New York City, for seventeen years Lavinia's youngest grandchild has tried to forget everything about her family and her past. But with the receipt of a pleading letter, Meredith is again thrust into conflict with the legacy that destroyed her family's once-great name. Back at Aurelia, Meredith must confront the rise and fall of the Hathaway family... and her own part in their mottled history.

Thoughts

The Legacy of Eden offers a detailed look into the life of the Hathaway family- a once prestigious clan held in high regard within their community who succumb to ruin. Secrets, misspent wealth and loss riddle the family's destruction and define the younger generation. One of them being Meredith Pincetti who travels back to Aurelia and shares the story of her family...the one she knows of and the one her dead relatives bring forth.

Jumping into Eden held much promise in the first 100 pages, I felt the writers voice was unique and the story layered with many deep levels had the opportunity to stand out in its genre. In the beginning I really loved how Davy introduced us to the family...even the dead ones.....giving it an almost Gothic like feel and setting the tone for a great saga-story. Unfortunately though, I lost my connection to the book half way through and really struggled to finish. Let me say first that Davy is a gifted writer and I know people out there will enjoy her drawn out prose, however for me the hardest part was the pacing, I felt that I slogged through the last half of the book and even with the exquisite style of writing the characters failed to engage or provoke any emotion for me as a reader. 

Rating

Recommended to readers who enjoy long family saga's. Contains: Mild language and violence. 

Im also rating this book on a scale due to the writing being so unique, in that regard I would give this a 4/5 for writing alone, a 2/5 for the story itself with an overall 3/5.

3/5- Contemporary
Thanks to Mira for Review Copy

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Guest Post with Anne Clinard Barnhill and Giveaway



Im so happy to have Anne Clinard Barnhill- author of At the Mercy of the Queen here today for a guest post. Anne will be sharing some thoughts on Anne Shelton.


Though I am fascinated with the characters in AT THE MERCY OF THE QUEEN, particularly Lady Margaret (Madge) Shelton, I am also intrigued with the character of her mother, Lady Anne Shelton. Lady Anne is the former Anne Boleyn, sister to Sir Thomas Boleyn, who is father to the infamous Queen Anne. Since these are ancestors of mine, according to the family genealogy (and who knows how accurate that is!) I find them of utmost interest, especially since my name is also Anne-with-an-E, spelled just like theirs. 

Lady Anne married Sir John Shelton and bore him nine or ten children, the number varying depending on which source is used. She took care of Elizabeth, Henry and Anne's baby girl, until Queen Anne was executed. It took several months after the execution for Henry to remember to place someone from a more favorable family with the child. Sir John is said to have insisted the toddler eat with all the full courses of food a child of her status would require. Of course, a little one could not eat such rich food and Elizabeth's nurse, Lady Bryant, complained about this practice. 

Lady Anne also had the unfortunate responsibility of looking after the Lady Mary, formerly Princess Mary, daughter of Henry and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Lady Mary was not thrilled to have been demoted to the status of a bastard and to have lost her place in the succession. She was not a happy camper. 

Lady Anne seems to have been a strong woman, adapting to the changes happening around her and keeping her equilibrium. I would very much like to write about her life, including parts about her later life, when Elizabeth was a young girl. Elizabeth often sought refuge at Shelton Hall where there is a pew in the chapel with her name on it. It seems Lady Anne was able to protect Elizabeth and allow her to keep her Protestant services in far-away Norfolk while Elizabeth's half-sister, Mary, ruled the land and returned England to Catholicism. 

My hope is that I can create a riveting enough plot around her life that my editor will give me the go-ahead. Any woman who can birth that many children and live to a ripe old age in Tudor England deserves my attention.


Thank you Anne for sharing those thoughts with us, I know personally I loved your book and found your attention to detail riveting. I think Anne and Mary are fascinating characters from history.

GIVEAWAY

Today I have one paperback copy of At the Mercy of the Queen to giveaway to a readers at TBR's. To enter please just leave a comment with a link to profile or email. Winner will be drawn March 1, 2012.


A sweeping tale of sexual seduction and intrigue at the court of Henry VIII, At the Mercy of the Queen is a rich and dramatic debut historical about Madge Shelton, cousin and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.

At the innocent age of fifteen, Lady Margaret Shelton arrives at the court of Henry VIII and quickly becomes the confidante of her cousin, Queen Anne Boleyn. But she soon finds herself drawn into the perilous web of Anne’s ambition. Desperate to hold onto the king’s waning affection, Anne schemes to have him take her guileless young cousin as mistress, ensuring her husband’s new paramour will owe her loyalty to the queen. But Margaret has fallen deeply in love with a handsome young courtier. She is faced with a terrible dilemma: give herself to the king and betray the love of her life or refuse to become his mistress and jeopardize the life of her cousin, Queen Anne.


Night Swim by Jessica Keener



Night Swim by Jessica Keener
January 10, 2012 by Fiction Studio
Paperback, 279 Pages
Review Copy

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Kunitz lives in a posh, suburban world of 1970 Boston. From the outside, her parents’ lifestyle appears enviable – a world defined by cocktail parties, expensive cars, and live-in maids to care for their children – but inside their five-bedroom house, all is not well for the Kunitz family. Coming home from school, Sarah finds her well-dressed, pill-popping mother lying disheveled on their living room couch. At night, to escape their parents’ arguments, Sarah and her oldest brother, Peter, find solace in music, while her two younger brothers retreat to their rooms and imaginary lives. Any vestige of decorum and stability drains away when their mother dies in a car crash one terrible winter day. Soon after, their father, a self-absorbed, bombastic professor begins an affair with a younger colleague. Sarah, aggrieved, dives into two summer romances that lead to unforeseen consequences. 

Review 

All family's are unique, all have secrets and many have problems. Sarah's is no different, while their problems are escalated with alcoholism, the family dwells in comfort, living in their nice home and fountain of money, they keep things pretty low key...at least to anyone looking in that is.

Inside the walls of the home lives a father who is over the top, loud and controlling and a mother who is distant, stoned and breezy, live in maids who fill in for said debilitated mother and children who all retreat into personal solace. But even with its ups and downs, the family works, the kids are used to the fights, the outbursts and the drinking and have their own private way of dealing with things, from music to hiding the children find structure in the daily routines of life and the caregivers who are always there.......until Sarah's mother dies in a car accident.

What is left is a depressed, lonely man who finds comfort in a woman who wears too much lipstick, younger brothers who have emotional problems and an older brother who leaves as soon as he can. Sarah is lonely and misses her mother, even as flighty as she was, she was always a constant in Sarah's life. Surrounded by a world of men, Sophie travels her teen years alone and makes some normal and unhealthy choices in her life. Without parents or any adult shaping her choices, Sarah is left to clean up her own messes. Heart breaking to say they least, but surprisingly through it all Sarah shapes herself into becoming a healthy well rounded adult.

When I starred Night Swim the first few chapters told me I was diving into a slow paced family contemporary piece, riddled with alcoholic parents, confused adolescence and the typical family drama associated with these issues.......what really wound up happening though was an amazingly written story featuring a cast of highly developed characters and a fascinating MC, Sarah. Even with its dysfunction and tragedy surrounding the family, the issues never became overboard or took away from the coming-of age story it presented.

Sarah shares her story through a flashback and I never missed being in Sarah's present or getting the details of her future, traveling her teen years and watching her transform into a young woman was enough to anchor me to the book. I felt almost like I wanted to be a mother to her, talk to her about love and relationships, shield her from the mistakes I saw her making.....yet at the same time I saw the same teenage girl in her that I saw in myself. Swim with Sarah into a river of childhood, loss and the coming of age discovery's of a young woman, encapsulating the inevitable choices in sexuality that come to us all....the mistakes and memories that define us and make for truly great stories.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction, although this book centers around a 16/17 year old teens journey, it was written for adult readers.

Rating

Night Swim is recommended to adult readers and contains language, sexual situations, alcoholism, racial commentary and mild violence.

4/5- Contemporary
A very special thanks Jessica Keener for review copy and Tlc Tours

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Chatting with Authors Featuring J.A Belfield



Today on Chatting with Authors, I have the pleasure welcoming J.A Belfield author of Instinct ~a paranormal werewolf romance~to Tinasbookreviews.


Hi J.A welcome to the blog, to start please tell us about yourself. 

Um … Hi, I’m J.A. Belfield and I hear voices in my head …. Just kidding. Though I am J.A. Belfield, and I seem to be best known as the author of The Holloway Pack Stories. At my little table in my kitchen in Solihull, England, I weave my tales of love and werewolves. I live with my family: Mr B & the Mini-Me’s, a handful of cats and a dog who’s a little confused about her origins thanks to said cats. When I’m not writing, I’m walking, and blogging, and reading … and we shan’t mention the looming big 4 0 that’s ‘supposed’ to be happening for me this year. ;o) 

Ok we will not talk about the big 4-0 if we can talk about your new book instead!

What inspired you to write Instinct? 

It was either Darkness & Light: A Holloway Pack Story #1, or Sean & Jem: the main characters of Darkness & Light. The inspiration for The Holloway Pack Stories certainly began with Darkness & Light due to Sean’s nagging insistence inside my head for his story to be told. 

In Instinct, readers will get a chance to discover Sean & Jem’s history. Instinct wasn’t written—as some prequels are—to fill in backstory required for readers to understand the story of Jem & Sean in its entirety; Instinct was written simply because I believed it would be a lot of fun to do so—it was total self-indulgence for me to spend a little time inside the mind of Sean Holloway. My editor liking it was simply a bonus. 

Have you always been interested in the paranormal world? 

As far as reading/writing is concerned? Or in general?
In general, I've always had a fascination with werewolves. And my dreams/daydreams have always involved acts being performed that are beyond human capabilities. 

But reading-wise, nope: I used to read primarily horrors, thrillers and mysteries, from authors such as James Herbert, James Patterson, Val McDermid, Sidney Sheldon … but now my reading habits have slowly changed and it feels weird if I read a non-paranormal book. 

I never got into paranormal stuff when I was younger, I mean unless you count Stephen King......and after seeing Silver Bullet at the age of 10, I think I was left with scars on my brain for life!!!! Preachers who are werewolves= scary as you know what!  SERIOUSLY dad what were you thinking letting me watch that??????

And now that were talking movies.....

If Instinct were a movie, who would play your main character and why? 

Cripes! This is possibly the biggest stumper of a question you could ask, hehehe. 

I do get asked this a fair bit, though … and my answer is always that I don’t know. Because when I write—when I read, too—I connect far less with the physical aspects of a character than I do with their ‘presence’. It’s them in their entirety that captures me, that I see moving about within the virtual movie in my mind. Very often, when reading, I can reach the end of a book and if asked for a character description, I’d possibly not be able to tell you. 

I have, however, had one or two suggestions for actors from readers for Sean Holloway. David Boreanaz is one of them. I’m not so sure about him—but it goes without saying that every reader will see the same character differently. Another one I've had suggested is Josh Hartnett. Now him, I could go for … as Sean, that is ::cough:: 

LOL- I wont tell anyone your totally crushing on Josh Hartnett!! Ill take David any day thank you very much! I think Ive been in love with him since he was Angel on Buffy.....I remember when I was 21 I framed a picture of him and had it on my desk at work.........ROFL, that's so something a 21 year old would do...right? RIGHT?

Can you recommend two of your favorite Werewolf books? 

Due to the fact that I’m actually not that widely read in werewolf books, I’m going to chicken out of this question and twist it around. Instead, I’ll let you in on my favorite werewolf characters. 

Top of my list: Clayton Danvers from Kelley Armstrong’s books. Number two is Samuel from the Mercy Thompson series. 

Its pretty bad that Im not familiar with these characters.....as far as wolves go off the top of my head I can think of Sam from Shiver and Jacob from Twilight....(someone slap me)

What’s playing on your iPod right now? 

Um … I don’t have one. O_o Did I mention I’m a complete technophobe? Even my mobile phone looks like something dug out of a time capsule from a century ago. I do have a playlist on my laptop, though. I’ll let you in on the first three tracks on there: Kings of Leon’s Closer; The Kooks’ Naïve; and Adele’s Make You Feel My Love.

No iPod!? What!? Well at least your an Adele fan, that's all that matters......

What’s on the horizon for J.A. Belfield? 

Well, more Holloway Pack Stories, of course. ;o) 

Eternal (sequel to Instinct) will be available July 2nd 2012; the long-awaited Blue Moon: A Holloway Pack Story #2 is finally coming December 3rd 2012; Caged: A Holloway Pack Story #3 is already written and awaiting a round of edits & beta-reading before I ship it off to my editor … then I intend to write another three full length novels in the series to follow on from that one. On top of those, I’m currently writing a short story for an anthology, I've started a Holloway Pack YA short story, I’d quite like to try my hand this year at my very first YA novel and … who knows what else will attack my subconscious and catch my attention? Just know I have a lot of plans to fulfill.......Thank you so much to Tina for having me here today. It’s been an absolute pleasure. 

And thank you J.A for stopping by, having a chat with me and giving us a look at your new book! I know I cant wait to check it out!!

~INSTINCT by J.A Belfield~

Werewolf Sean Holloway treats the village marketplace like a sexual buffet, though his charm does little to win over his latest entr e of choice. Whether because of Jem Stonehouse's unique scent, her headstrong nonchalance, or the fact he is forbidden to see her by his pack's rules, Sean wants her.When Jem is nothing but flippant toward his advances, he pursues her with vigour, stealing moments alone with her without a libido-driven agenda.

The new and heady experience for him drives their relationship beyond romantic interest, and straight toward love.That is, until Jem learns the truth about Sean's heritage. Knowledge of the existence of werewolves leads to only one outcome: death.In this prequel to Darkness & Light, we are taken back in time, to the very beginning of Jem and Sean's love-across-the-centuries relationship.Did it end there? Or did Sean defy his own pack to save the woman he loves?


Find out more about about the author on the Web~Goodreads~Facebook and Twitter



David B Photo courtesy of Fox

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