BlogFest 2010 on BlogTalkRadio Tonight!

Curious about BlogFest? Want to know more about this awesome event and find out how you can participate?

At 9pm EST tonight, I'll be talking about it over on BlogTalkRadio.  I welcome/beg you to stop on by and ask whatever questions you might have.

Hope to see you there!

(Psst - if nothing else, come by just to hear me and have yourself a little giggle.  I sound like a nerd in real life.)

BLACK MAGIC Review - Cherry Adair

BLACK MAGIC by Cherry Adair
Publisher: Pocket Star
Pages: 4000
ISBN#: 9781439153819
My Recommended Age Group: Adult
Released: July 20, 2010
Other work: Published Works
Our Rating:

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Amazon link

From Goodreads:

SHE HATES USING MAGIC . . .

Ever since the death of her parents, Sara Temple has rejected her magical gifts. Then, in a moment of extreme danger, she unknowingly sends out a telepathic cry for help—to the one man she is convinced she never wants to see again.

HE’S A POWERFUL WIZARD . . .

Jackson Slater thought he was done forever with his ex-fiancée, but when he hears her desperate plea, he teleports halfway around the world to aid her in a situation where magic has gone suddenly, brutally wrong.

THEY’VE BEEN CHOSEN TO SAVE THE WORLD . . .

But while Sara and Jack remain convinced they are completely mismatched, the Wizard Council feels otherwise. A dark force is killing some of the world’s most influential wizards, and the ex-lovers have just proved their abilities are mysteriously amplified when they work together. But with the fate of the world at stake, will the violent emotions still simmering between them drive them farther apart . . . or bring them back into each other’s arms?

My thoughts:

Wow. Looking for a book with tension, jam-packed with emotions, and enough passion to knock your socks off? I think I found it! BLACK MAGIC by Cherry Adair is a fantastic story full of magic and mayhem, and that's just the two main characters!

Sara and Jackson are the stars of BLACK MAGIC and truly what make this book such a great read. Their history and the passion between them create some great sparks that leave the reader intrigued and wanting to know more.

Our two lovers were, at one point, engaged to be married. Life got in the way and now both, heartbroken, try to stay as far from each other as they can. Unfortunately the mysterious deaths of some great wizards draw them together and for whatever reason, the Wizard Council makes the pair work together to figure out what is going on. So what if their powers are multiplied when they work together? Doesn't anyone understand the pain that still drifts between them?

It was this pain, this issue that neither party had ever really healed from, that made the story so addicting. The first part of the book was spent begging and pleading with the characters to put their differences aside and finally hook up. The second part of the book was spent wondering why they ever listened to our advice in the first place and if this was going to be the straw that finally broke the camel's back and destroyed them.

Oh the drama! I love it.

The actual storyline of the book is good and intriguing, but in my opinion, figuring out the mystery is just the icing on the cupcake. Or perhaps it's the cupcake, because we all know that the icing in the best part. The story carries us along, giving us something to hold on to and follow, but it's Ms. Adair's characters that keep us hooked on the book. The sparks between them and the personal demons each has to deal with adds layer upon layer for us to dig through and discover.

If you're looking for a passionate romance, full of heat and magic, then I highly suggest BLACK MAGIC. The fantasy in the book was superb and we all know what I already think about the characters. Ms. Adair's writing style was clear and quite deftly pulled us in.

My only recommendation here is to make sure you have a large glass nearby of whatever iced beverage you prefer. Things are going to get hot!

Writing:

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Book Cover: 3/3

AND ONE LAST THING... Review - Molly Harper

AND ONE LAST THING... by Molly Harper
Publisher: Gallery
Pages: 310
ISBN#: 9781439168776
My Recommended Age Group: Adult
Released: July 27, 2010
Other work: How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf (February 2011), How to Fall for a Naked Werewolf (March 2011) - To Be Verified
Jane Jameson Series (*Really Good!*): Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson, Book 1), Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men (Jane Jameson, Book 2), Nice Girls Don't Live Forever (Jane Jameson, Book 3)
Our Rating:

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Amazon link

From Goodreads:

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.

Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.

Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?

My thoughts:

Nothing gets me into a book like a cute cover and the cover of AND ONE LAST THING... by Molly Harper is a super cute one. The hilarious image on the front, from the undies hanging on a tree to a woman about to go skinny dipping, really conveys the feel of the book well. AND ONE LAST THING... is funny, cute, and one of those books where you just can't help but smile.

Lacey had the perfect life until she discovered one critical problem: her husband was cheating. Eager to get back at him and make him pay for her embarrassment, she sends a newsletter out to pretty much everyone he knows, detailing the relationship he's been having with his receptionist. Unfortunately, as these things tend to go, this blows up in our heroine's face and not only is she scorned, but called in for the defamation lawsuit of her now ex-husband.

I can't blame Lacey for moving away. She takes solace in her cabin at the lake, with the hopes that nature can help sort out some of the problems in her life. Unfortunately she's greeted by a grumpy neighbor who isn't afraid to tell her exactly what he's thinking.

The relationship between Lacey and her new neighbor, Monroe, is what really makes this book a winner. Burned by her last relationship, we full expect Lacey to have some relationship problems. The kink that really makes the atmosphere between these two interesting is the major personality clashes. Lacey isn't used to be told that she's being an idiot and she certainly isn't used to not having the last word.

Ms. Harper gives us a story full of humor and romance, with just enough drama to make us actually feel something for the characters. She develops each character well, giving each depth and layers of personality. Her characters are actually fun to read - which I can't say for every story I've read. There are some book with good plots but drab characters. In the case of AND ONE LAST THING..., Ms. Harper gives us a book with an interesting plot - How will Lacey make sense of her life? - and adds in some robust characters to carry it along.

Fans of Chick Lit will love AND ONE LAST THING.... This is a book that many women can relate to and Lacey is a character that I would love to read about time and time again.

Writing:

Interest:

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Book Cover: 3/3

TeenFire - Voice Your Opinion

By this time I hope that most YA bloggers and fans have discovered TeenFire, the YA line by
Sourcebooks. I am loving this line and the books that it offers. Check out my review of The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells if you want to see the kinds of books this line offers. From YA romance to paranormals, TeenFire is turning out some great stories.

Recently the TeenFire Ning group has posted some discussions allowing readers to vote on the covers for upcoming books. To add to the fun, readers were asked to write a short story based on a cover of their choice for the writer's forum (which has been much too quiet). Of course the incentive here is an advanced copy of the books in question.

Now, the winners for the first book (Water Wars by Cameron Stracher - January 2011) have already been chosen, but there's still time to vote on the second book (Weight of Bones by Janet Gurtler - April 2011) and/or write a short story (500+ words) inspired by your favorite cover. I'd been meaning to hop over here and let you know about this opportunity for a while, so now that I've finally done so, you should head over and voice your opinion.

If you're curious, the links to my short stories can be found below.

Weight of Bones - A Small Thing
Water Wars - The Outcasts

COLD ROCK RIVER Review - Jackie Lee Miles

COLD ROCK RIVER by Jackie Lee Miles
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pages: 368
ISBN#: 9781402240041
My Recommended Age Group: Adult
Released: July 2010 (First Published 2006)
Other work: Roseflower Creek, All That's True, Divorcing Dwayne: A Novel, Dear Dwayne
Our Rating:

Shop at an independent bookseller!
Buy it from Amazon

From Sourcebooks:

Even the best-kept secrets must be revealed…

Seventeen-year-old Adie Jenkins is newly married and newly pregnant, though not necessarily in that order. Unready for fatherhood, her skirt-chasing husband isn’t much help. But in this stunning tale that redefines intimacy, love, and family, Adie discovers hope where she least expects it: from her sweet neighbor Murphy, from the world-wise midwife Willa Mae, and in the worn pages of the diary of a slave girl—a girl who is much closer to Adie than she thinks.

My thoughts:

COLD ROCK RIVER by Jackie Lee Miles is full of emotional and angst - perfect for those times when you want a deeper story. Having never read one of Ms. Miles works before, I can't compare it to her other stories, but I would be willing to read more of her work after this book.

Adie is the kind of character that you can't help but feel for. She's young, pregnant, and enters into a marriage that should make life easier for her. Sadly, marrying simply for the sake of her pregnancy leads to a little more heartbreak than she had been prepared for. Adie finds some joy in little Grace, the baby who turned her world upside down. Unfortunately, this joy is dulled by the infidelity of her husband and a general sense of unhappiness.

During this time, Adie befriends Willa Mae, and is thrown into a whirlwind of history and mystery. The journal that Willa Mae always carries with her serves as a sort of life preserver for Adie in this difficult time. The journal tells the tale of Tempe, a young woman going through some of the same issues. Tempe's story carries with it a sense of suspense and raises a lot of questions; the girl's life was not a happy one. When Adie begins to see connections between the ancient diary and her own life she begins to question everything she knows about her life and her new friend, Willa Mae.

I have to say that I really liked Adie's story and the combination of Tempe's thrown in there. Although we seem to figure out what is happening before it actually happens, there is still a bit of suspense to the book. The mystery and all the questions help to make this a compelling read.

The best part of COLD ROCK RIVER was the characters. They were full of life and Ms. Miles really put a lot of energy into making sure that they were robust and full of personality. Each of the characters had layers upon layers of depth and became more like real people than simply words on a page. This aspect of the story kept me reading from the first page through to the last.

While the characters may have been great, I had a very hard time getting through the words coming out of the characters' mouths in order to understand what was going on. This was not a quick read (which sometimes is good) because there were often occasions when I would have to go back and reread a section. Any sort of dialogue needed to be reread a few times.

Unfortunately for me, instilling accents in dialogue is kind of a pet peeve for me. It's great to show us the accent instead of simply telling us that it is there, but at the same time, all that work is kind of waste if I have no clue what is being said.

Overall I really liked COLD ROCK RIVER and would recommend it to anyone looking for some good Southern fiction. The story is deep and will keep your mind entertained throughout.

Writing:

Interest:

Passion:

Originality:

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Book Cover: 3/3

Meet the Blogs, Episode 7

I'm getting excited for BlogFest 2010! You ready for it? Participants and visitors alike are going to have a blast come September!

September 10-12, 2010 is going to be a weekend full of fun with hundreds of blogs participating in one massive giveaway carnival.  Hopping from one blog to another, you'll be able to enter a bunch of different and totally awesome giveaways.  In fact, you can get a sneak peak if you want by taking a look at the Tentative Giveaways.

Each week until BlogFest we will be featuring a few of the participants. You will be able to get a sneak peek at the blogs who have signed up and perhaps get a jumpstart on meeting some new faces. Go ahead and take a look!

The blogs listed here are in order of when they signed up to participate in Meet the Blogs.

Book Bookie

My blog is about books! I review them and I also have contest/giveaways. I have about two giveaways a month. I also participate in some weekly memes such as In My Mailbox, Blog Hop, Booking Through Thursday, Thursday 13, WWW Wednesday, and many more. I even started one of my own What's Cooking Tuesday. That is where I take a recipe from a cookbook that I will eventually be reviewing and I review the recipe. So at my blog I usually review YA, Chick Lit, Literary Fiction, Memoirs, and Cookbooks! I am adding my two favorite things Reading and Cooking in one blog! I am also going to try to add some more new features later on with the more I blog.

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The Bibliophilic Book Blog

My blog is about books. It's about reading what you want, when you want, and telling the whole world why you loved it, or didn't love it. As my banner says, I am spreading the love of literature....and dirty vampires.

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About Happy Books

I'm a twenty-something romance books fan from Germany and I have always loved to read. IMO reading a happy book is one of the best things in the world.

"About happy books" is a place to talk about my favourite authors and books. I write reviews about the books I truly enjoyed and post them on my blog. That's why my reviews are always positive (only one exception so far) and full of praise.

I read and review romances (contemporary, historical and paranormal), romantic suspense, chick-lit, YA and erotica.
When I read a book I want a good story (nothing too absurd or dramatic), strong characters, a lovely romance, a hea (that's a must!) and some fun (I love to laugh and smile). All in all I enjoy books that convey a happy feeling and I like authors who seem to care about their characters.

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Reading Through Life

My name is Carina, and I'm a 20-something teacher who works at an inner-city high school in Toronto. Reading Through Life is where I post about books, reading, literacy, and pretty much anything remotely connected to those three. It's my reading room and my writing pad, where I jot down thoughts and opinions on what I've read, what I want to read, and whatever else comes up that's somehow related. Regular fare at my blog is mainly book reviews, with news, weekly memes, and other thoughts mixed in.

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Writing is a Blessing

I am working on a YA novel. I started my blog to focus on the craft of writing and my journey toward publication. My blog has quickly grown to encompass book reviews and giveaways. This wasn't my particular intent when I began, but I seem to have become addicted to promoting authors, telling people about really awesome books and giving away as many as possible!

I'm a therapist and an educator, so I want to include more content on social and educational issues that I believe are beneficial to the reader. I profiled the books of two authors and conducted an interview in which the issue of sexual abuse was the topic of the story.

Essentially, my desire for my blog is to entertain, inform and help in as many ways as possible. I hope you'll stop by and stay awhile!

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Crazy Cat Lady's Library

Crazy Cat Lady's Library is a place for me to share two of the loves of my life with my friends in cyberspace: reading and cats! I might even insert an occasional personal anecdote about myself, my two gorgeous teenage daughters, or my long-suffering and uber-supportive hubster! I am fairly new to blogging and still have a lot to learn, but I am having so much fun making new friends, learning about the whole blogging experience, and of course reading and reviewing new and exciting books!

I am an eclectic reader, and will read anything from urban fantasy to contemporary fiction. I also love to read memoirs about animals (especially kitties!) and cookbooks, although I am the first person to admit I am not the greatest chef! So based on my assorted interests, you never know what you might find on my blog!

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SMS Book Reviews

A book blog focusing on non-fiction for all age and children's books from birth-18. I do review the occasional adult fiction as well. You'll also find book challenges, giveaways, memes, themed events and occasional guest posts and interviews.

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A Moment With Mystee

After months and months, well ok...maybe close to a year now, I've finally set up this blog. It's just a little slice of me and my sometimes fun, sometimes annoying life that I wouldn't dream of changing a thing in.

You'll see a huge variety here...there will be my kiddos, my dogs, some pictures, book reviews, show reviews, movie reviews, what I'm reading and wanting to read....release dates on books that I've written as well as excerpts on them.

So pretty much anything and everything. You never know what you may find.

I love reading and writing so I'll be blogging a lot I think. I'm also planning on having tons of fun with my summer Reading With Mommy & Me challenge.

Got Books? New Release Prize Pack

It's your lucky day!  Today and tomorrow are the days for the fabulous Got Books? event.  This event is a fun collection of book blogs that have come together to offer you some amazing giveaways.

Want to win a copy of MY SOUL TO KEEP by Rachel Vincent and a signed copy of SPIRIT BOUND by Richelle Mead?  Look no further!  Fill out the form below to enter.  One winner will receive both of these books.  Open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.  No P.O. boxes please.

Don't forget to stop by the main Got Books? page and see what other blogs are participating!