Waiting on Wednesday - RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr

The newest installment in the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr is scheduled to hit shelves April 20.  Aside from having a gorgeous cover, this story looks fantastic.  I love how Marr lets us meet new characters and experience new relationships in each book.  What else to say?  This book looks awesome and I have a feeling readers are going to love it.

RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: April 20
ISBN#: 9780061659225
Previous Books: Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, Fragile Eternity, Stopping Time

From Goodreads:

Hunger for nourishment.

Hunger for touch.

Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.

Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries’ coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani’s death.

Ani isn’t one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin’s plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

Teaser Tuesday - THE SUMMONING by Kelley Armstrong

I get scared easily.  I get constant nightmares.  I am terrified of the dark.

Those are the truths about me and one reason why I read so much.  Reading calms my fears.

Why then, you might ask, did I pick up The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong.  Oh, that's easy.  I didn't know any better!  That being said, now that I have started it, there is no way I can possibly stop.  I only a little less than halfway through the story and already in love with the book and Ms. Armstrong's characters.  You'll see why this is shocking after reading my teaser for today.

It's Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should Be Reading. The rules are fairly simple.

1. Grab your current read and let the book fall open to a random page.

2. Choose two sentences between lines 7-12 and share them.

3. Make sure to post the title and author of the book so that we can all go find it if the teaser catches our interest.

4. Be very careful not to post spoilers! Nobody wants to read a spoiled book.

My teaser today does not come from between lines 7-12 because when I flipped to the page, these were really the only two sentences I could easily post without spoiling the section.  Enjoy.

"And then there was nothing left but a skull dotted with scraps of blackened flesh.  The jaws opened, the teeth still glittering" (pg. 5).  THE SUMMONING by Kelley Armstrong.

Yeah...so what led up to that gave me nightmares for two nights straight.  Seriously.  Still - I have to go on!  I can't not read this and find out what happens to dear Chloe.

What's your Teaser Tuesday?

Patricia Briggs On Tour

Paranormal fans; vampire, faerie, and shapeshifter lovers; those who appreciate a strong and occasionally quirky female lead - don't forget that today kicks off Patricia Briggs tour to celebrate the release of SILVER BORNE, the fifth installment in the Mercy Thompson series.  This was a perfect addition to the series and if you don't already own it (I know bookstores have been open for at least a few hours now), you really should.

Anyone who knows me knows how insanely jealous I am of those getting to see Ms. Briggs on tour.  I am a mere half-day drive from her stop today and yet my boss just doesn't seem to think taking time off to go visit is acceptable.  Psh.

Remember, if you stop by any of the stops, leave a picture here.  We'll stick all the pictures together in a fun mashup and have a good time with it once the tour is over.  Who knows, maybe I'll even throw a prize in there for those that submit something.  I am living vicariously through you!  Don't let me me down.

March 30^th in SEATTLE

UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE@ 7 PM

4326 University Way NE

Seattle, WA  98105 

March 31^st in PORTLAND

POWELL'S BOOKS @ 7 PM

Cedar Hills Crossing

3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd

Beaverton, OR  97005 

April 6^th in LOS ANGELES

BARNES AND NOBLE #2743 @ 7 PM

7881 Edinger Ave.

Huntington Beach, CA  92647 

April 7^th in SAN DIEGO

MYSTERIOUS GALAXY @ 7 PM

7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd: Ste 302

San Diego, CA  92111 

April 9^th in HOUSTON

MURDER BY THE BOOK @ 6:30 PM

2342 Bissonnet St

Houston, TX  77005 

April 10^th in MINNEAPOLIS

UNCLE HUGO'S SCIENCE FICTION BOOKSTORE @ 1 PM

2864 Chicago Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN  55407

Copyright Update

For all those following the recent copyright drama, you will be happy to know that Free Ebooks Download by The Librarian has been closed down.

This site was providing free PDFs of many top authors' books available for download.

Remember, "lending" an eBook to a friend really isn't quite kosher.  Sure you can lend your paperback to your buddy, but when you do that you still only have the one copy.  Lending out an eBook means that you now have two copies of the book when you only ever paid for one.  Also, you can't really use the excuse that libraries lend books to people all the time.  Libraries function in different ways and still have to buy their books.  Some libraries even lend eBooks, but these usually have some form of protection on them that allows for an expiration date of sorts on the loan.

CNN discussed digital book piracy online and NPR discussed how anti-piracy technology might even hurt readers.  Guess what's going to happen if eBooks keep getting pirated?  Prices are probably going to go up and it's going to be harder to get eBooks.  Less books are going to be available in digital format or available to fewer readers.

So anyway, those are my thoughts regarding eBook piracy.  Stealing of any form is unacceptable and let's face it folks, emailing a PDF of your favorite book to your friend is still stealing.  Honestly, if you love the book so much that you're willing to steal it, why not help support the author by purchasing the book or at least go visit the library and see if its available to check out.  Just today Kami Garcia, author of Beautiful Creatures discussed why we should support our libraries a bit more.

ATTENTION AUTHORS - Possible Copyright Infringement Occurring

The following authors are having their books uploaded to a site for anyone to download for free.  I will not provide a link to this site from here as I don't want to send any more traffic to this site.  Anyone wishing to know further can leave a comment with contact information or email me at ajourneyofbooks-at-gmail-dot-com and I'll let you know where to find the site.

Some of the ebooks available truly are in the public domain. Most are not.

Thanks to authors on Twitter for pointing this out.

Blogger's advice for copyright infringement.  Also, authors might want to contact their in-house piracy resource (advice from Twitter).

A.
Achebe Chinua
Adams Douglas
Ahern Cecelia
Alcott May Louisa
Austen Jane

B.
Bhagat Chetan
Blume Judy
Brontë Charlotte
Brontë Emily
Brown Dan

C.
Cabot Meg
Carroll Lewis
Cast P. C
Christie Agatha
Clare Cassandra
Collins Suzanne

D.
Dessen Sarah
Dickens Charles
Dostoevsky Fyodor
Dumas Alexandre

E.
No Authors Yet !

F.
Faulkner William
Fitzgerald Francis Scott
Fitzpatrick Becca
Frank Anne

G.
Gaiman Neil
Garcia Kami
Golden Arthur
Golding William
Grahame-Smith Seth

H.
Hawthorne Rachel
Heller Joseph
Hubbard L. Ron
Huxley Aldous

I.
No Authors Yet !

J.
Joyce James

K.
Kate Lauren
King Stephen
Knaak Richard
Koestler Arthur

L.
Lawrence D. H
Lee Harper
Lewis C. S
Lewis Michael
Lowry Lois

M.
MacCullough Carolyn
Mead Richelle
Meyer Stephenie
Montgomery Lucy Maud
Mitchell Margaret

N.
Nabokov Vladimir
Nietzsche Friedrich
Niffenegger Audrey
Noel Alyson

O.
Orwell George

P.
Picoult Jodi

Q.
No Authors Yet !

R.
Rand Ayn
Rice Anne
Riordan Rick
Rose M. J
Rowling J. K
Roy Arundhati

S.
Saintcrow Lilith
Segal Erich
Shakespeare William
Shelley Mary
Sparks Nicholas
Steinbeck John
Stiefvater Maggie
Stockett Kathryn
Stohl Margaret
Stoker Bram

T.
Tolkien J. R. R
Tolstoy Leo

U.
No Authors Yet !

V.
Verne Jules
Vincent Rachel
Voltaire

W.
Westerfeld Scott

X.
No Authors Yet !

Y.
No Authors Yet !

Z.
Zink Michelle
Zusak Markus

SILVER BORNE Review - Patricia Briggs

SILVER BORNE by Patricia Briggs
Publisher: Ace
Pages: 320
ISBN#: 9780441018192
My Recommended Age Group: Older Young Adult to Adult
Released: March 30, 2010
Other work: Moon Called, Blood Bound, Iron Kissed, Bone Crossed, Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega 1), Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega 2), and others.

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From Goodreads:
Being a mechanic is hard work. Mercy Thompson, for instance, just spent the last couple of months trying to evade the murderous queen of the local vampire seethe, and now the leader of the werewolf pack - who's maybe-more-than-just-a-friend - has asked for her help. A book of fae secrets has come to light and they're all about to find out how implacable - and dangerous - the fae can be. OK, so maybe her troubles have nothing to do with the job. But she sure could use a holiday ...

My thoughts:

The fifth in the Mercy Thompson series, SILVER BORNE by Patricia Briggs continues the story of the coyote Mercy, as she tries to find her place amongst wolves. In some ways this book took Mercy’s story beyond anything we’d seen before. The action was great, the story progression was fantastic and overall I found this a very enjoyable addition to an already great series.

Poor Mercy – girl seriously needs a break! If she’s not fighting crazed werewolves, angry vampires, or power hungry Fae she’s…well…she’s never not doing any of that! One thing that I love about Briggs’ books is her ability to expand the world she has created to always give the reader something new and interesting to latch on to. With so many different creatures at her disposal and a wide array of events that could unfold on Mercy, I can honestly say that I have never once been bored reading her books.

I will say that Briggs’ readers will probably notice something a bit different in SILVER BORNE. Mercy is still an awesome character, Adam is his normal hot, powerful self, and Sam still fights with a ton of internal conflict. What seemed to change in this installment was the flow of the writing and pace of the story. In Briggs’ previous books, there really weren’t any scenes that just seemed to be there to take up pages; nothing was particularly slow or boring. I would say that the pace of her stories was perfect and led the reader through at just the right speed. SILVER BORNE almost seemed like the other books, but hyped up on a bit of caffeine.

Now don’t get me wrong – I absolutely loved SILVER BORNE and thought that the elements Briggs presented in the story really helped to strengthen the series; however, much of the book felt rushed. It took me three days to read this which was long for me. There were some sections that I had to go back and reread to make sense of what was going on, but once I did I just became that much more engrossed in the story. So, the pace and feel of this story were off compared to earlier books in the series, but it was still a fantastic book and one that I feel is vital to Mercy’s world.

One thing that I love about series books is the ability to visit a character time and time again. Series provide a way to visit your favorite characters time and time again with constantly changing stories. Some series basically provide the same story or build on the same story throughout multiple books. That’s great and I have many favorite series that do so. Series like the Mercy Thompson books are a completely different ballgame. What I love about Briggs and her stories is that she always gives us something new in each book. Moon Called introduced us to Mercy and the wolves, Blood Bound introduced us to the vampires of her world and Iron Kissed delved deeper into the world of the Fae. Beyond that it feels like Briggs has been focusing on a different element of her world in each book. I love it. When I pick up one of her Mercy Thompson books, I know that I’m going to see something new and interesting.

Writing: 9
Interest: 10
Passion: 10
Originality: 10
Characters: 10
Pace: 8
Overall: 57/60 - A

Book Cover: 3/3

Overall I would have to say that SILVER BORNE was a great read. Sure, those familiar with Briggs writing may sense something a little off, but I don’t believe that it detracted from the story. The addition of some nice drama and Mercy’s continuing self-discovery really helped to make this a great book and one that I am quite proud to display on my shelf.

**Don't forget - Patricia Briggs is on tour!  Check out her tour schedule and go say Hi if you can.**

Monday Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren and originally inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.  Typically posted during the weekend, the idea of IMM is to share with you the books that arrived on my doorstep during the previous week.  Of course, since I tend to slack on the weekend and do homework instead of blog, my IMM post typically arrives on a Monday and is therefore - Mailbox Monday!

This week was a wonderful week for my in terms of my literary crack.

*Note: Read the Goodreads descriptions at your own risk. If the book is in series (which they all are), chances are the description will contain spoilers. Just look at the pictures and scroll past if you don't want to run the risk.*

For Review (thank you!):

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs (March 30, 2010)

From Goodreads:

Being a mechanic is hard work. Mercy Thompson, for instance, just spent the last couple of months trying to evade the murderous queen of the local vampire seethe, and now the leader of the werewolf pack - who's maybe-more-than-just-a-friend - has asked for her help. A book of fae secrets has come to light and they're all about to find out how implacable - and dangerous - the fae can be. OK, so maybe her troubles have nothing to do with the job. But she sure could use a holiday ...

Purchased:

Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

From Goodreads:

Mated to werewolf Charles Cornick, the son -and enforcer -of the leader of the North American werewolves, Anna Latham now knows how dangerous being a werewolf is, especially when a werewolf opposes Charles and his father is struck down. Charles's reputation makes him the prime suspect, and the penalty for the crime is execution. Now Anna and Charles must combine their talents to hunt down the real killer -or Charles will take the fall.

Traded for:

Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward

From Goodreads:

Rehvenge has always kept his distance from the Brotherhood-even though his sister is married to a member, for he harbors a deadly secret that could make him a huge liability in their war against the lessers. As plots within and outside of the Brotherhood threaten to reveal the truth about Rehvenge, he turns to the only source of light in his darkening world, Ehlena, a vampire untouched by the corruption that has its hold on him-and the only thing standing between him and eternal destruction.

Darkness Calls by Marjorie M. Liu

From Goodreads:

Demon hunter Maxine Kiss, inked with living tattoos, is on a mission to rescue the man she loves from a bloodthirsty army. To save him, Maxine has only one choice: to lose control-and release her own powers of darkness.

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

From Goodreads:

Gemma, 16, has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order.

THE TRIALS OF THE HONORABLE F. DARCY Review - Sara Angelini

THE TRIALS OF THE HONORABLE F. DARCY by Sara Angelini
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pages: 352
ISBN#: 9781402221101
My Recommended Age Group: Adult
Released: October 1, 2009

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From Goodreads:

A sexy, bold adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice that re-paints favorite characters in twenty-first century colors.

Judge Fitzwilliam Darcy, a legal expert on both sides of the Atlantic, is ready to hang up his black robe and return to the life of a country gentleman—until he meets Elizabeth Bennet, a fresh-faced attorney with a hectic schedule and no time for the sexy but haughty judge.

Tempers and sparks fly in Judge Darcy's courtroom— and outside, in a series of chance encounters that give each of them pause—as the two match wits and try to fight their overwhelming attraction. When they meet up in England at an international law conference, they embark on a hot, heavy affair. Back in the States, though, ethical considerations intrude, and each is subjected to a torturous period of soul-searching before they can find their way back to each other...

My thoughts:

Gone are the days of petticoats and carriages. In the century of the business suit and BMW, romance is a whole different story…or is it? Sara Angelini gives us a hilarious retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but from a modern stand in THE TRIALS OF THE HONORABLE F. DARCY.

When I received this book, I thought it would be cute and I was sure it would be a good read. Something to keep me entertained on a rainy day. What I didn’t expect was how often I would laugh or how much I would really get into the story. I know the Pride and Prejudice story – it’s nothing new. Ms. Angelini, however, managed to make it a new and refreshing tale that really captured my attention.

The best way for me to describe THE TRIALS OF THE HONORABLE F. DARCY is a mix between Legally Blonde and of course, Pride and Prejudice. Lizzie was adorable and I immediately fell in love with her. Ms. Angelini also managed to make the modern Darcy just as annoying as the original and just as attractive at the same time. Even though it’s a well known story, I still had that feeling of anxiety as I read on to find out what would happen next in their struggling relationship.

If I had to pick one thing that made THE TRIALS OF THE HONORABLE F. DARCY a winner, it would be Ms. Angelini’s writing style. Some books have great stories, but if the pages are difficult to read, that story doesn’t really come through to the reader. This book was quite easy to read and had such a liquid flow that it felt like the story played out in front of you more than just say there waiting to be read. The sign of a great book, to me, is when you end up reading half the book in one sitting and don’t even realize it. Reading page after page with no sense for the passage of time in real life means the reader is completely engrossed in the book. That’s what happened to me here. I read this in three sittings only because I decided it would be a good idea to break for eating and sleeping. Otherwise, I could easily see someone curling up with this, a fuzzy blanket, and a mug of hot chocolate, ready to waste the day in a bubble of literary pleasure.

Some people don’t like classic retellings – I know that. Some feel that the story, even if told in a different way, will never live up to the original. Whether this lives up to the classic or not, I have to say that it was a great book and Ms. Angelini put enough of herself into it to make it a wonderful read despite a reader’s prior feelings on Pride and Prejudice.

Writing: 9
Interest: 9
Passion: 10
Originality: 10
Characters: 10
Pace: 9
Overall: 57/60 - A

Book Cover: 3/3

In all, I highly recommend this. This was one of my favorites for 2009 and Ms. Angelini is an author I’m definitely going to have to keep my eye out for.  Check out the guest post she did with us not too long ago.

Stuck In My Thoughts

I was playing around with Glue today, having just installed it on Chrome, when I realized that there is a series of books I just can't get over.  Part of being new to Glue means that I've been going through the books, music, and movies to choose my likes and dislikes.  When I came to Jennifer Haymore's A Hint of Wicked and A Touch of Scandal books...I just had to stop.

I really love these books.

A previous post of mine discussed my thoughts on positive reviews and I'll be the first to admit that I give many positive reviews; however, these books go past just positive reviews.

A Hint of Wicked and A Touch of Scandal play with your emotions in such a way that the joy and the grief in the books become completely palpable.  I don't really consider myself an emotional person, yet these books made me cry.  I can't be exact with the numbers, but I think these books are two out of maybe five that made me cry and actually had my heart beating audibly in my chest.  

I don't know how best to describe what these books do to me.  I think the best way to put it is that if the house was on fire and I could go back in to grab a book or two without injuring myself, there is no doubt that these books would be in my hands in an instant.

Just needed to share.  That's the point of this blog; to get these ideas out of my head and onto paper (or the screen) so that my brain can clear out a bit.

UnderCover Friday - SILVER BORNE by Patricia Briggs

There were so many books I wanted to feature for today's UnderCover Friday post, but I just couldn't decide on one.  What it finally came down to was release dates.  I decided that among the list of covers I recently fell in love with, the next feature would be the next one to be released.  That being said, let me welcome you to UnderCover Friday.

SILVER BORNE by Patricia Briggs
Release Date: March 30
Publisher: Ace
ISBN#: 9780441018192

*Normally I would include the book's description from Goodreads, but I don't think I can without releasing spoilers.  So, for now, if you want the description, click on the book title link above.*

I know, you don't even have to say it - lovely!  What I truly love about the Mercy Thompson series covers is the changing artwork within the image.  If you haven't noticed before, Mercy's tattoos tend to change and if you pay attention, often give us hints of what we might discover in the story.  Aside from that, the artistry is just plain lovely.  I'll include the other Mercy Thompson covers below for you.

I'm still trying to decide if the cover of SILVER BORNE will beat out Bone Crossed as my favorite.  The verdict is still out.

Now, on to you.  What cover caught your eye this week?

I'm Positive That I May Be Too Positive

I was just sitting here, writing away and procrastinating on homework (whose bright idea was going back to school anyway?) when I get the wonderful little ding that signifies a new email finding its way to me.  Seriously, that sound is like crack.  I love getting email.

Anyway, said email was my daily subscription from The Story Siren, which of course only served to make my happiness even brighter.  The post that spurred me hopping over here to share my thoughts was I Love It, I Hate It, Get Over It.  You know in my mind, The Story Siren has become so prolific that sometimes we forget that just like our favorite authors, she is a real person with her own opinions and thoughts.  That's why I just love it when she breaks from her normal routine and lays everything out for us.  She's not afraid to share her opinions - positive, negative, whatever.

This post discusses something that has been troubling me for a while now.  Recently, she has been getting more and more questions about why her reviews are always so positive.  I suffer from this same problem (although luckily nobody really points it out to me).  I do realize that a majority of my reviews are positive reviews.  I hope that doesn't make readers less likely to come back or make my reviews any less meaningful.

I can't change the way I review.  Well okay, I suppose I could change, but why would I?  I write my thoughts as they come to me with no censorship.  If I like a book, I like a book.  I'm not going to pour through a story, looking for negative aspects simply because I've filled my quota of "positive" reviews for the month.  Yes, I have a rating scale of A-F.  Why?  Because I don't want to deal with adding the extra graphics of stars to what I already consider an overly busy blog.  A-F = 5-1 stars.  Also, I probably use this rating system because I'm still recovering from the trauma of high school.

Have I ever given a book an F?  No.  In fact, I don't think I've ever given but one, maybe two books a C.  Those books received that "grade" simply because they were books that I didn't want to finish and yet felt obliged to do so.  I still wouldn't call those negative reviews, however.  I know I've mentioned it before - I am a firm believer that there is something positive in every book if you just take the time to look.  Therefore, it would make sense that the majority of my reviews are positive reviews.

Another fact that The Story Siren pointed out, and one that I completely agree with, is that typically we are drawn to books that we think we might like.  I would say that right now, 90% of the books that I review are books that I buy or borrow (usually buy since I can't stand to let books go once I have them ... my precious...).  It's no secret that the economy stinks right now.  I'm probably not going to spend my money on a book that doesn't interest me and with so many books that I want to read, the chances of me borrowing a book that doesn't interest me is slim.  If there is something about a book that makes me pick it up, I would have to say that normally I am going to find something in there I like.

So, analyzing why I pick up the books that I do and how I view books when I read them, it should be no wonder that many of my reviews are positive.  I know that readers want some sort of quick rating system so that they can see it and move on if they don't want to read the full review.  In my case, I suppose you'd really just have to focus on the breakdown of the score and the paragraph following it.  Those will typically tell you my favorite aspects of the book and what audiences I would recommend it to.  Of course I hope people actually read my reviews and see my thoughts.  I think those are a better judge of my opinion of the book than a simple letter grade.

Like some others, if there is a book that I can't stand so much that I can't finish it, I obviously won't review it.  I don't think it's necessarily fair to review a book unless you've read the entire thing.  Maybe the redeeming quality of the book is within the last chapter.  Perhaps it's a personal thing and someone else would completely fall in love with this book.  Whatever it is, I don't feel right reviewing a book that I can't finish and typically these would be the only ones that I give a "negative" review to.

What are you thoughts on positive and negative reviews?  Do you find negative reviews helpful or adversely, have you found positive reviews unhelpful?

Thanks to The Story Siren for opening up this conversation.

A TOUCH OF SCANDAL by Jennifer Haymore Giveaway

I recently read and reviewed Jennifer Haymore's newest book, A TOUCH OF SCANDAL, the follow-up to A Hint of Wicked. This was an absolute pleasure to read and I'm thrilled to be able to share it with you.

Thanks to the publisher, Forever, I have five copies to giveaway to some lucky readers.

This contest will end April 8, 2010 at midnight Eastern.  Sorry, but this contest is only open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.  We can't ship to PO Boxes so make sure you have an alternate mailing address.

The entry form can be found below. There are a few options for additional entries should you want them. I'll include the links you will need below:

A TOUCH OF SCANDAL review
Jennifer Haymore on Facebook / Twitter



This has been part of a tour with the publisher, Forever. Other participants over the next two weeks include:


http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com
http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com
http://www.booksoulmates.blogspot.com
http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com
http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com
http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com/
http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com
http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com
http://www.longlivechicklit.wordpress.com
http://smexybooks.blogspot.com
http://www.thebookgirl.net
http://www.rundpinne.com
http://booksandmakeup.blogspot.com
http://www.findingtimetoread.com
http://www.mgpblog.com
http://www.eclecticbooklover.com
http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com
http://brokenteepee.info
http://www.saveyspender.com
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com
http://www.justshortofcrazy.blogspot.com 
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com
http://www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com
http://razloversbookblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.renees-reads.blogspot.com/
http://triciareads.blogspot.com

A TOUCH OF SCANDAL Review - Jennifer Haymore

A TOUCH OF SCANDAL by Jennifer Haymore
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 432
ISBN#: 9780446540278
My Recommended Age Group: Adult
Released: April 1, 2010
Other work: A Hint of Wicked

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From Goodreads (edited to remove A Hint of Wicked spoilers):

The last thing our hero expects to find while tracking his sworn enemy is the delectable, mysterious Kate. This beautiful servant girl rouses a longing our hero had never hoped to feel again. But when she turns out to be the sister of the man he seeks, he's convinced he's been betrayed.

Kate knows her duty to her family, yet how can she ignore our hero's powerful pull on her heart? Or the heady temptation of his stolen-and sizzling-kisses? Scandal has followed our hero. Now the greatest shock of all is on its way - the one that can separate our hero and Kate forever.

My thoughts:

Just like that, Jennifer Haymore has once again caught my attention and left me completely captivated. Her tales of romance, deception, and adventure continue in A TOUCH OF SCANDAL, the sequel to A Hint of Wicked. Admittedly I was a little nervous about reading this book. A Hint of Wicked was so emotional and so good that I honestly didn’t any of her other books could live up. We’ve all witnessed a sequel that didn’t quite meet our expectations and I didn’t want to see this from Ms. Haymore.

Well, I certainly didn’t need to be worried!

Following in the footsteps of A Hint of Wicked, A TOUCH OF SCANDAL holds the same heart wrenching emotion that we saw earlier. There are probably readers out there who have not experience A Hint of Wicked yet so I will try not to release too many spoilers, but it’s going to be difficult. I’ll let you in on the story, but will attempt to refrain from using too many names if I can avoid it. Honestly, the names of the characters really don’t matter as much as the situations that Ms. Haymore puts them in and the way she develops the story.

Our hero of this story is on a mission to hunt down his enemy and attempt to rescue a young girl whose reputation is on the line. Heart-broken and practically destroyed, our hero is fairly single minded in his anger until one beautiful sight stops him in his tracks. Kate, a beautiful and alluring servant girl draws our hero in like a moth to a fire. Hardly expecting his heart to ever mend, our hero is shocked when he finds himself drawn to her. Perhaps there is hope yet for this man’s battered soul.

Just as our hero finds himself inexplicably drawn to Kate, this lovely girl finds herself falling for him. Class and status issues aside, secret kisses and stole caresses find their way between the two. Everything could fall apart however when our hero discovers that his beautiful Kate is in fact the sister of his enemy.

If there’s anything I can expect from Ms. Haymore, it’s a dose of romance followed by a delicious helping of tension. This is the kind of story that gives you goose bumps and has you reading early into the morning simply to find out what happens next. We love our hero and Kate. We want them to be together but Ms. Haymore certainly isn’t going to make it easy on us. Her talent is in creating a wonderful story that is as much a work of art as it is an addiction.

Fair warning time: A TOUCH OF SCANDAL does have adult themes and graphic scenes.

Writing: 10
Interest: 10
Passion: 10
Originality: 10
Characters: 10
Pace: 10
Overall: 60/60 - A

Book Cover: 3/3

It isn't very often that I give a full 60/60 for a book so obviously I would highly recommend A TOUCH OF SCANDAL. A Hint of Wicked lived on in my mind for months after reading the book and I have no doubt that this story will follow suit. Ms. Haymore’s clear imagery and smooth writing style make these books complete winners. Her ability to reach out and stir our emotions around is fantastic and something that really makes her a wonderful author. If you haven’t experienced her books yet, I highly recommend you start with A Hint of Wicked and then move on to A TOUCH OF SCANDAL. I’m pretty confident in saying that if you love romance fiction, you will absolutely fall in love with these books.

In closing, I just have to say thank you to Ms. Haymore for giving us another book worth gushing over for a while. I waited anxiously for this installment and was can honestly say that it was worth the wait.

This has been part of a tour with the publisher, Forever. Other participants over the next two weeks include:


http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com
http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com
http://www.booksoulmates.blogspot.com
http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com
http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com
http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com/
http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com
http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com
http://www.longlivechicklit.wordpress.com
http://smexybooks.blogspot.com
http://www.thebookgirl.net
http://www.rundpinne.com
http://booksandmakeup.blogspot.com
http://www.findingtimetoread.com
http://www.mgpblog.com
http://www.eclecticbooklover.com
http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com
http://brokenteepee.info
http://www.saveyspender.com
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com
http://www.justshortofcrazy.blogspot.com 
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com
http://www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com
http://razloversbookblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.renees-reads.blogspot.com/
http://triciareads.blogspot.com

Patricia Briggs Tour Schedule

If you're a fan of shapeshifters, chances are you've heard of Patricia Briggs and her books.  Her Mercedes Thompson series originally caught my eye and then my heart.  From there I fell in love with the offshoot she created with some side characters.  The Alpha and Omega series is utterly fantastic.  Briggs gives us strong female leads who still manage to hold on to reality.  They have their quirks and their own personalities.  Truly, her characters are among the top of my favorites.

As we celebrate the March 30th release of Silver Borne, the fifth in the Mercedes Thompson series, Briggs will begin a promotional tour.  Although I will be unable to attend (why is everything always on the "wrong" side of the state - no offense, Seattle) I'm sure there are many of you out there that are dying to get to see her.

Below are her tour dates.  Go, visit, and take pictures for me.  When you get back home link your pictures here and we'll create a post all about the awesome fans who visited the tour.

March 30^th in SEATTLE

UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE@ 7 PM

4326 University Way NE

Seattle, WA  98105 

March 31^st in PORTLAND

POWELL'S BOOKS @ 7 PM

Cedar Hills Crossing

3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd

Beaverton, OR  97005 

April 6^th in LOS ANGELES

BARNES AND NOBLE #2743 @ 7 PM

7881 Edinger Ave.

Huntington Beach, CA  92647 

April 7^th in SAN DIEGO

MYSTERIOUS GALAXY @ 7 PM

7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd: Ste 302

San Diego, CA  92111 

April 9^th in HOUSTON

MURDER BY THE BOOK @ 6:30 PM

2342 Bissonnet St

Houston, TX  77005 

April 10^th in MINNEAPOLIS

UNCLE HUGO'S SCIENCE FICTION BOOKSTORE @ 1 PM

2864 Chicago Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN  55407

Feel the jealousy! Hope everyone has a good time and don't forget to come back and share your adventure!

Waiting on Wednesday - GLIMMERGLASS by Jenna Black

We all know it and I won't make excuses for it. Typically it is the cover of a book that first draws my attention. This week's Waiting on Wednesday feature first caught my eye because of the gorgeous cover; however, I was surprised that the title also caught my curiosity.

GLIMMERGLASS is a debut young adult novel for Jenna Black. I'm excited to see how it turns out.
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: May 25, 2010
ISBN#: 9780312575939

From Goodreads:

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, Dana decides she’s had it with being her mother’s keeper, so she packs her bags and heads to stay with her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Soon, she finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone wants something from her, even her newfound friends and family. Suddenly, life with her alcoholic mom doesn't sound half bad, and Dana would do anything to escape Avalon and get back home. Too bad both her friends and her enemies alike are determined not to let her go . . .

Sounds good!