New Author Challenge Wrap Up

Here are the 50 new authors that I read for this challenge:

1. - Shelley Adina - Be Strong and Curvaceous
2. - Kay Chornook & Wolf Guindon - Walking with Wolf
3. - Cormac McCarthy - The Road
4. - Alice Sebold - The Lovely Bones
5. - Sandra Cisneros - The House on Mango Street
6. - M.L. Tyndall - The Red Siren
7. - Joyce Carol Oates - Black Water
8. - Matthew Stanford, PhD - Grace for the Afflicted
9. - Karen Rose - Scream for Me
10. - Julia Harper - For the Love of Pete
11. - Melody Carlson - Lost in Las Vegas
12. -Louis Sachar - Holes
13. - Rebeca Seitz - Scrapping Plans
14. - Bill Dallas - Lessons From San Quentin
15. - Cecelia Dowdy - John's Quest
16. - Debbie Viguie - The Spring of Candy Apples
17. - Kim Sunee - Trail of Crumbs
18. - Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs - I Do Again
19. - Virginia Smith - Age Before Beauty
20. - Ted Dekker and Erin Healy - Kiss
21. - Helen Hollick - The Kingmaking
22. - Eleanor Gustafson - The Stones
23. - Mike Dellosso - Scream
24. - Caroline B. Cooney - Diamonds in the Shadow
25. - Kate Perry - Marked by Passion
26. - Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell - Katt's in the Cradle
27. - Claudia Mair Burney - Deadly Charm
28. - Deborah Raney - Yesterday's Embers
29. - Donna Lea Simpson - Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark
30. - Jill Mansell - An Offer You Can't Refuse
31. - Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott - Rachel's Tears
32. - Adam Blumer - Fatal Illusions
33. - David Cristofano - The Girl She Used To Be
34. - Melissa Marr - Wicked Lovely
35. - Karen White - The Lost Hours
36. - Jenny B. Jones - So Not Happening
37. - Andy Andrews - The Noticer
38. - Kendra Leigh Castle - Wild Highland Magic
39. - Libby Malin - Fire Me
40. - Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira - Mama's Got a Fake I.D.
41. - Rick Collignon - Madewell Brown
42. - Brandilyn and Amberly Collins - Always Watching
43. - Glenn Clark Douglas - The Lake That Stole Children
44. - Michael Malone - The Four Corners of the Sky
45. - Larissa Ione - Pleasure Unbound
46. - Daphne du Maurier - Frenchman's Creek
47. - Georgette Heyer - Why Shoot a Butler?
    
48. - Charlotte Grieg - A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosphy
    
49. - Laura Lippman - What the Dead Know
    
50. - Lisa Dale - Simple Wishes

New Author Challenge

A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy by Charlotte Greig (Book Review)

Title: A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy
Author: Charlotte Greig
Publisher/Publication Date: Other Press, LLC/May 2009


First sentence: I woke up late that morning.


About the book: Susannah’s official boyfriend, Jason, is the perfect foil for her student lifestyle. He is ten years older, an antiques dealer, and owns a stylish apartment that prevents her from having to live in the seedy digs on campus. This way, she can take her philosophy major very seriously and dabble in the social and sexual freedom of 1970s university life. But circumstances become more complicated than Susannah would like when she begins to have an affair with her tutorial partner, Rob. Soon she is dating two men, missing her lectures, exploring independence and feminism with her girlfriends, and finding herself in a particularly impossible dilemma: she becomes pregnant. Forced to look beyond her friends and lovers for support, she finds help and inspiration from the lessons of Kierkegaard and other European philosophers. A Girl’s Guide to Modern European Philosophy is a delightfully insightful, bittersweet coming-of-age romp, in which love is far from platonic and the mind—body predicament a pressing reality. It even succeeds where many introductions to philosophy have failed, by effortlessly bringing to life the central tenets of the most important European philosophers of modern times. (from the book cover)

My review: I really enjoyed reading this book. The book was set in the 1970's - and even though the date is never mentioned, there are many clues regarding fashion, cars, etc, that lead you to the time frame. Susannah is very engaging and she drew me in immediately. Even though she did not want to live on campus and be a normal student, she seemed to crave the quiet that she found when she stayed at her friend's empty dorm room. It was almost like she was still a little girl who seemed to think she was supposed to be an adult, but didn't know how to get there. (I guess that is why they call it a coming-of-age book. . .) It was excellent in that regard. I wanted to shake her at times when I felt that instead of taking control of her life, she was letting it just sort of happen to her. Don't be intimidated by the European philosophers that they mention. The book is divided into sections depending on the philosophers that she is studying in her philosophy class. It does a nice time laying out what they believe and how she tries to apply these belief systems to her current situations. So not only do you get an entertaining read, but you also pick up some knowledge at the same time.

About the author: Charlotte Greig worked as a music journalist in print and radio before becoming a folk singer and songwriter. She has made five albums and written a book on girl groups, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?: Girl Groups from the 50s On. She is also a playwright, for radio and stage. She lives in Cardiff, Wales, U.K., with her family. A Girl’s Guide to Modern European Philosophy is her first novel.

A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy
Publisher/Publication Date: Other Press, LLC, May 2009
ISBN-13: 978-1-59051-317-0
288 pages

Other reviews:
Devourer of Books

Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer (Book Review)

Title: Why Shoot a Butler?
Author: Georgette Heyer
Publisher/Publication Date: Originally published in 1933 by Georgette Rougier - Reprinted in 2009 by Sourcebooks Landmark.

First sentence: The signpost was unhelpful.

From the back cover: Every family has secrets, but the Fountains' are turning deadly. . . On a dark night, along a lonely country road, barrister Frank Amberley stops to help a young lady in distress and discovers a sports car with a corpse behind the wheel. The girl protests her innocence, and Amberley believes her - at last until he gets drawn into the mystery and the clues incriminating Shirley Brown begin to add up. . . In an English country-house murder mystery with a twist, it's the butler who's the victim, every clue complicates the puzzle, and the bumbling police are well-meaning but completely baffled. Fortunately, in ferreting out a desperate killer, amateur sleuth Amberley is as brilliant as he is arrogant, but this time he's not sure he wants to know the truth.

My thoughts: I am not a huge fan of this genre, having just read my first Agatha Christie novel last fall, but since I liked the Christie novel thought I would give it a shot. This one was just okay for me. It did start to pick up towards the end and I got more engaged in the story, but not sure that I would have stuck with it if I hadn't promised to read it! I am glad that I did though, as I have been wanting to try out some Heyer novels. By the end of the book I did have an idea of who the perpetrator was - but wasn't clear on why he was doing what he was doing. As Amberley began to lay out all the clues, it became clearer to me - and that is when you say -"Oh yeah, how could I have missed that?!" I do have some of her romance books to give a go next and am interested in seeing how they will differ from this mystery.

Read an excerpt of Why Shoot a Butler?

Why Shoot a Butler?
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks/April 2009
ISBN-10: 1-4022-1795-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-1795-1
329 pages

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier (Book Review)

Title: Frenchman's Creek
Author: Daphne DuMaurier
Publisher/Publication Date: Originally published in Great Britain by Victor Gollancz LTD, 1941.
Reprinted by Sourcebooks Landmark, March 2009

First sentence: When the East wind blows up Helford River the shining waters become troubled and disturbed and the little waves beat angrily upon the sandy shores.

My summary: In chapter 2, when we first meet Dona (Lady Dona st. Columb) she appears to be a selfish, spoiled brat. Running away from London, from her husband, from her life - which she felt was smothering her. She was looking for escape. She did not like the woman she had become and was afraid that that was all there was to her life. She travels to Navron, their country estate, of which she has not seen in over 6 years. With her in her escape are her 2 children and their nanny, Prue.

She settles into life at Navron very easily and enjoys the solitude and the quiet that it brings her. On one of her walks she discovers a creek that flows through the trees on the property. Before she knows it, she has been taken 'prisoner' by a pirate whose ship is docked in her creek. This pirate is the Frenchman.

They soon realize that they are very much alike in their search for escape and adventure. Their unlikely friendship quickly turns to love. The Frenchman has been plundering many of Dona's neighbors and relieving them of their treasures. These neighbors finally band together, putting out the call to Harry, Dona's husband in London, as well as others to come and help catch this pirate.

What will Dona choose? Her new life as a pirate with the man who has become more important to her than she could have ever guessed? Or her husband and children and a life in London that seems stifling? With either choice comes loses that will be hard to bear. Which would you choose?

My thoughts: I loved this book. For some reason I tend to avoid books that were published before I was born. I am not sure why this is, as I always seem to enjoy them. Maybe because many of these were books or authors that we were "supposed" to read in school.

After reading the first chapter of The Frenchman's Creek, I didn't know how I was going to make it through the book. Before I knew it, I was so caught up in the story that I did not want to put it down.

Her writing is so easy and flowing that it was wonderful to read -

The wheel of La Mouette lifted under her hands, and the ship heeled over in the freshening breeze, and all this, she thought, is part of what we feel for each other, and part of the loveliness of living, the strength that lies in the hull of a ship, the beauty of sails, the surge of water, the taste of the sea, the touch of the wind on our faces, and even the little simple pleasures of eating, and drinking, and sleeping, all these we share with delight and understanding, because of the happiness we have in one another. (p162)

I have owned My Cousin Rachel, Rebecca, and Jamaica Inn for at least 15 years and have not read them. I am definitely going to read them after enjoying Frenchman's Creek so much!

Stay tuned for my winners of Frenchman's Creek and My Cousin Rachel which were supposed to be announced 2 days ago!

Frenchman's Creek
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks Landmark/March 2009
ISBN 10: 1-4022-1710-2
ISBN 13:978-1-4022-1710-4
280 pages

Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione (Book Review)

Title: Pleasure Unbound (Demonica Series #1)
Author: Larissa Ione
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Publication Date: 2008
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Why read: I read this in preparation for the next 2 books in the series which I have received as ARC's.

First sentence: Had Eidolon been anywhere but the hospital, he would have killed the guy pleading for his life before him.

My summary: Eidolon is a doctor and the head of staff at UGH - Underworld General Hospital. On staff are his two brothers, Wraith and Shade. But as you can tell by the name of the hospital - this is no ordinary hospital. It is a hospital for demons.

Eidolon is a Seminus demon as are his brothers -but they all had different mothers. At the age of 100, Seminus demons begin a stage called S'genesis. If they don't find a mate before that process, they will feel the urge to procreate with any and all females after the maturation cycle is completed. They will also be able to shapeshift into the male of any demon species.

Eidolon meets Tayla when she is brought into his ER. Even though she is an Aegi slayer, a human trained to kill demons, because of UGH's charter, she cannot be turned away. To make things even more convoluted, upon examination they discover she is 1/2 demon and doesn't know it!

And so begins the romance between Eidolon and Tayla - both of whom struggle with their desire to be together and their revulsion as to the other's lineage and profession.

Tayla's mother died when she was 16 - she was killed by a demon - a Soulshredder. Tayla was taken in by the Guardians and trained to be an Aegi. They are the only family she has ever really known.

When she discovers she is 1/2 demon - she doesn't know to which world she belongs. Add to that the fact that someone is killing demons for their body parts - and her cell of the guardians seem to be involved - and the mystery deepens.


My thoughts: This was a book I didn't think I would enjoy as much as I did. WARNING - there is "mature sexual content" and language. If you are a fan of this genre and haven't started this series - now is the time!


Pleasure Unbound
ISBN: 044640103X
ISBN-13:9780446401036
Publication date: July 2008
416 pages

The Four Corners of the Sky by Michael Malone (Book Review)

Title: The Four Corners of the Sky
Author: Michael Malone
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: May 12, 2009
ISBN-13: 9781570717444
Genre: Fiction


First sentence: In small towns between the North Carolina Piedmont and the coast the best scenery is often the sky.

Jack Peregrine was a con man - not just any con man - but one with a six year old daughter, Annie. When danger gets too close, Jack takes Annie to Emerald and Pilgrim's Rest (his childhood home) and leaves her with his sister Sam and her friend Clark. He promises to return for her, but in the meantime, as it was her 7th birthday, he gives her an airplane, The King of the Sky. This plane has been housed in Sam and Clark's barn since Annie was just a baby.

Sam and Clark have shared a residence for many years - but Sam is gay and Clark is once widowed and once divorced. They raise Annie as their own, eventually adopting her. Annie only sees her father once, briefly, while she is in high school. She has raced through life at top speed and continues when she heads off to Annapolis to become a Navy pilot. At 26, she finds herself headed back to Pilgrim's Rest for her b-day, having even raced through her first marriage - now headed for divorce. I believe when she arrives back at Pilgrim's Rest, that this is where the story really begins. She is greeted with a FedEx from her father, balloons from Sam and Clark, and a tornado (which will symbolize her next few days!) The FedEx from her father states that he is dying and would like her to fly The King of the Sky to St. Louis and meet him there.


This book started out great for me. I flew (no pun intended) through the first 100 pages and couldn't wait to keep going. Then I hit the middle and felt like the air went out of my balloon. It picked up speed again though and I soared to the end. (ok, I'll stop with the puns. . .) I am glad that I finished it.

My favorite character was probably Dan Hart, even though we do not get to see much of him. He is the Miami detective who has been tracking Annie's father. I enjoyed his instant rapport with Annie and their attraction. I also enjoyed steadfast, no-nonsense Clark. He was always there for Annie and even though his puns were corny, you knew you could always count on him (like the one that went something like this "It is better to have loved a short man than not a tall.")

I am not sure how I felt about Annie. I don't really felt like I really got to know her - that I never really got below the surface. Now maybe this was the point - because of her dad "abandoning" her and never even knowing who her mother was - she kept everyone at arm's length.

I can say that I liked this book - I didn't love it like I thought I would, but I am glad that I stuck with it all the same. The thing that bothered me from the beginning - was that in 1982 one of Annie's favorite movies was Top Gun - and the movie didn't come out until 1986. (I remember where I was when I saw it the first time - only because I was a later Navy wife and was in the bathroom at NTC, San Diego where the "famous" bathroom scene was filmed - there is even a plaque in it!) Now I was reading an uncorrected advance copy, so maybe this has been changed in the final version. . . Michael Malone has won the Edgar, the O. Henry, the Writer's Guild Award and the Emmy - so I am sure that I will give him another try! (As an aside - I will say that I have struggled with a headache all week as I was trying to read this, so that may have had an effect on my perceptions!)

The Lake That Stole Children by Douglas Glenn Clark (Book Review)

Title: The Lake That Stole Children
Author: Douglas Glenn Clark
Publisher: CreateSpace
Available: Now
ISBN-13: 978-1438243580
Genre: YA
This ARC was provided to me by the author and Bostick Communications.

First sentence: The fisherman led his small son and daughter to the river's edge and handed each a fishing pole for their first lesson.

This was a short story/book (only 40 pages) written very much like a fairy tale. It would be a good story to read to an elementary age child or to be read alone.

My take on the story was this: A fisherman's family was living very disconnected - without much feeling for themselves or each other. They were referred to in the beginning of the book as the fisherman, the fisherman's wife, son, and daughter. They all seemed to be living their own lives and the son was especially sad. The sadness enveloped him - in this case as a large glass fish which took him down to the bottom of the lake.

This seems to bring the family to action - and as they become alive and actually "feel" - their names also become known. The father battles against his son's sadness to bring him and all the other sad children home.

This story had a good message and was simple to read and easy to understand. It was very descriptive - like the following example. This is were I interpreted that the girl was finally "feeling."

The girl was so afraid she couldn't move. She thought of running home for her mother. But home seemed too far away. She felt sick about disobeying her father again. But then her bones began to hum and fill her with an unfamiliar song - a song that made body tremble and caused a flutter in her chest that felt like the soft wings of a bird trying to escape. (p28)

Always Watching by Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins (Book Review)

Title: Always Watching (Book 1 Rayne Tour Series)
Author: Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins
Publisher: Zondervan
Available: May 2009
ISBN-13: 9780310715399
Genre: Teen Fiction
I read this book for the First Wild Card Tour yesterday. (Click Always Watching to read the first chapter)

First sentence: It's not my fault I have to kill.

Shaley loved being on tour with her mom Rayne and Rayne's band. Since she was just 16, the hardest thing was leaving all her friends behind for months at a time. Thankfully, she had Tom to hang out with backstage. He was her mom's hairdresser and make-up artist and her closest friend on the tour. Her best school friend, Brittany, was flying in to spend a week on the tour with her.

Before they could leave the concert to go get her friend, Shaley's world comes crashing down. Someone murders her friend Tom and she is the one that finds his body.

The next three days as they wrap up in San Jose and head for Denver are filled with mysterious gifts, photos, messages, paparazzi and more murder.

This was a fun quick read and I look forward to learning more about these characters as the series continues. This book contains the 1st chapter of the 2nd book, Last Breath, and it doesn't skip a beat!

Mama's Got a Fake I.D. by Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira (Book Review)

Title: Mama's Got a Fake I.D.
Author: Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah
Available: Now
ISBN-13: 9781400074938
Genre: Christian Living/Women

This ARC was provided to me by Staci at Waterbrook Multnomah for Mother's Day Tour! Thanks Staci!

First Sentence: Motherhood changes you.


How many moms out there can say that after they had children they did not lose some part of their identity. I would guess not many. Even though I worked after my first two children were born, the assumption was that since I was a mom, I must "have" to work - because why would I leave my kids in daycare if I didn't have to. I had never considered not working before or after my kids were born - I enjoyed my job and had always felt like I would be doing something in the working world. But even though I didn't quit my job, I did sacrifice other areas of my life. I didn't read a book for years, didn't cross stitch, and stopped playing the piano. I am not saying that some of this was not my fault, but I don't think that other people in my life helped me to not "lose" this part of me.

As I got older and had my third child, I did quit working and choose to stay at home with him. Now the assumptions became that I was only a stay at home mom. What happened to the mom who could manage a department? Who actually had adult conversations (ok, there is some argument as to whether they were actual "adult conversations" there) for 9 hours every day. Who had men and women friends who didn't know anything about my kids? What happened to the girl who was going to be a doctor/psychiatrist/social worker way back when?

Rosalie wrote,"I look at it this way: [We need to] keep casting our nets out there, seeking to find ways our gifts can be used that [are] fulfilling. I feel God hems us in at times for his own purposes. He uses our children and their needs to hem us in; he uses our husbands' conflicting schedules; he uses job application rejection. I just pray that I fulfill what it is he wants me to do within the hedge he has erected, and I pray that some day he will free me for more personal fulfillment beyond the precious role of mother." p 148

With this third child I finally began to realize all the parts of me that were no longer "present". That is what this book is about. How do we get back to who we were meant to be - without sacrificing our family - but at the same time not sacrificing ourselves for our family. God made us to be so much more than moms. Especially with all the technology of today, many of the things that wives and mothers had to do can now be done quicker or bought, etc - so how can we fulfill our roles in today's society to full capacity.

While we may at times feel discontent with our role or abilities as mothers in general - or if we're honest, at times with our kids' behavior in particular - that's not what I mean here. The contentment that needs to seep into our hearts, minds, and souls is for the hemmed-in times, when we see the hedges growing around us and feel like jumping right over them. You know, when it feels like nothing is happening, no gifts are being used, no passions are fired up, as if God has taken no consideration whatsoever of our personal temperaments when it comes to our role as mothers.
No matter how much we love everything and everyone inside our hedged yard, it's the stuff on the outside - the parts of our identities that don't seem to fit within a current season in motherhood - about which we need to seek contentment. That way, we can focus on where God wants us looking and why he wants us looking there. p152-153

If you have ever struggled with whether or not you are doing the whole "mothering" thing correctly - or wonder how you ended up with those 1 or 2 or 6 kids - then you should read this book. If you have a friend, or a sister, or a cousin who is a mom, read this book and help her to discover her full potential. Or get a group of women together and everyone read it. There are wonderful questions at the end of each chapter that can be used for discussion.

My heart raced a bit as I worked through the ways I empowered my kids through blessings - and the ways I needed to do better. And then my pastor said the words that nearly made me jump up and shout "Hallelujah!" "When you bless someone," he said, "you give them a picture of themselves that is honest, affirming, and empowering. That's a blessing."
So while I wasn't shouting out loud, inside I was shouting hallelujah! At this point I was thinking beyond all the ways I could give my kids honest, affirming, and empowering pictures of themselves. I was thinking, We moms gotta do this for each other! We gotta bless each other - give each other this honest, affirming, and empowering picture of who God made us to be. That's the real secret. p176-177

Madewell Brown by Rick Collignon (Book Review)

Title: Madewell Brown
Author: Rick Collignon
Publisher: Unbridled Books
Available: May 2009
ISBN-13: 978-1-932961-65-2
Genre: Fiction
This ARC was provided to me by Unbridled Books.

First sentence: Of all of them, Obie Poole was the only one who ever came back.

This is the story of Madewell Brown, told in flashbacks by his friend and fellow ballplayer Obie Poole. Obie and Madewell grew up in South Cairo, Illinois and together with a band of other boys created the South Cairo Greys - an African-American baseball team. For most of the players, the team was the only family they ever really had. As you can tell from the first sentence, Obie is the only one who ever returned to South Cairo - all the other ones dropped out or died or were killed while they were on the road. Madewell just walked off the pitcher's mound in El Paso, Texas and Obie never did know what happened to him.

Many years later, back in South Cairo, a young girl named Rachel wanders by Obie's house - he recognizes her at once as the granddaughter of Madewell Brown. Over the years they form an unlikely friendship, as she provides him company and an outlet for all his stories - and he provides her a link to her past and becomes her surrogate grandfather. When Obie dies, he leaves his few possessions to her - among them a box filled with his memoirs. As she begins to read, she longs to believe that his stories of his baseball days were true.

In Guadalupe, New Mexico Ruffino Trujillo tells his son Cipriano a tale about a black man that he encountered out on the Mesa when he was a boy. It is the last and pretty much the only story, that he shared with his son about his childhood. Cipriano is perplexed by the story, but searches and finds a canvas bag in his father's shed with the name Madewell Brown on it. It is old, waterstained, covered with dust. Inside is an old blanket, some clothes, a photo of the South Cairo greys and a letter addressed to Obie Poole. Not knowing what to make of his father's story or what to do with the belongings, he mails the letter. It falls into the hands of Rachel.

As the stories converge, Madewell's history is told and what really happened up on the Mesa is divulged. It is told in simple language, but hints at the violence and racism that existed in that time.

This is the fourth book in Collignon's Guadalupe series, and I enjoyed it enough that I am going to look for the first three. It was an easy to read book, which would be good for a lazy summer day sitting on the porch with a glass of tea.

The first four books are Perdido, The Journal of Antonio Montoya, and A Santo in the Image of Cristobal Garcia.

Fire Me by Libby Malin (Book Review)

Title: Fire Me - A Tale of Scheming, Dreaming, and Looking For Love in All the Wrong Places
Author: Libby Malin
Publisher: Sourcebooks
ISBN-13: 9781402217579
Available: May 2009
Genre: Fiction/Romance

This ARC was provided to me by Danielle at Sourcebooks - Thanks Danielle!

First sentence: Sometimes Anne Wyatt wished she could feed parts of her life into a shredder.

Anne works in the communication department at Burnham Group in DC. She works for Mitch Burnham - owner - and ex-boyfriend. It has been over for a couple of years (he had still been married at the time) but she had convinced herself that his wife didn't matter. She had broken it off with him, but it was still a blow to her self-esteem every time she saw him with someone else.

That wouldn't be happening much longer as she was resigning - today. She had found another job across the country in San Francisco at St. Bartholomew's Childrens Hospital. All she needed was to get Mitch alone for a minute so that she could tell him. Well, that wasn't happening this morning. He came in on his cell, closed his office door - and called a meeting as soon as he surfaced.

During the meeting, Mitch announced that he was going to have to lay someone off as profits were down. The person would be compensated with a nice severance package and he would make his announcement at the end of the day.

Annie's mind goes into overdrive and she plans to do everything possible to make sure she is the one who gets fired. Unfortunately, she is not the only one with that idea. Sheila, her counterpart in the office, begins to do some wacky things also! And Ken, her co-worker and secret admirer, spends the day trying to fix her gaffes. Ones he believes she is making because she is under so much pressure!

This book takes place all in the period of about 24 hours - which makes it unique in the books that I have been reading lately. I worked in the corporate world for 10 years before I became a stay-at-home mom. Her and her coworker do and say things that I wouldn't even have dreamed of doing when I was working (of course, I wasn't trying to get fired!) But that didn't stop me from imagining what the results would have been!

This was a light entertaining read - even though I felt it had the same buried message on different scales for each character. The message to embrace your life, embrace your future. Find out what makes you happy. It might be tough getting there, but if it is what you want, what you dream about - stop dreaming and get to it! It will be worth it.

Libby Malin also is offering readers an additional chapter to find out what happens between Anne and Ken at http://www.libbymalin.com/.

Wild Highland Magic by Kendra Leigh Castle (Book Review)

Title: Wild Highland Magic
Author: Kendra Leigh Castle
Publisher: Sourcebooks
ISBN: 9781402218569
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Available: May 1, 2009
This ARC was provided to me by Sourcebooks - Thanks Danielle!

First sentence: The dungeons stank of death.

Catriona MacInnes, along with her sisters Skye and Poppy, are half werewolves, half witches growing up in sunny California with their father, Freddie. Never taught how to use or control their powers, never knowing they weren't unique - they were surprised when their father announced a family trip to the Scottish Highlands. A trip to meet his brother Duncan, Alpha of the MacInnes Pack.

Upon arriving at Iargail, the ancestral home of the Macinnes', Cat could see that it was going to take some time to mend the rift between Duncan and her father. Uncle Duncan immediately warmed to the three sisters though.

Cat soon runs into Bastian an Morgaine, a wizard prince staying in a cottage on Duncan's land. Hiding out would be how Duncan sees it, but since he is his daughter-in-law's brother, he lets him stay.

Bastian is hiding things though. The first being a narial - this is a shadowy creature that only prowls in the dark and has been tormenting Bastian's family for years. He slowly takes chunks of their soul until they break. Bastian's family had this curse put upon them by the king of the daemons. He is also hiding Lucien Andrakkar, a dragon. Bastian rescued Lucien from the Blighted Kingdom where he had been held and tortured by the daemons for a year. He is hoping that this dragon will help rid him of the narial. If Lucien will just give Bastian some of his blood, by his own free will, Bastian might have a chance to defeat the curse.

Things heat up quickly between Cat and Bastian and their kisses leave "marks" on their bodies - and souls. Unbeknownst to Cat, she has mated with Bastian for life. Bastian soon realizes that by mating with Cat, he has doomed her to his fate.

I adored this book. I loved the way that it was set in the Scottish Highlands, which you immediately think "past-times" - but it is set in the present, so there are different references to pop culture which made it amusing. The characters were werewolves, or dragons, or wizards - but this didn't read like a fantasy novel. The characters were so human, the emotions so strong, that this is who I would expect to run into in the Scottish Highlands! I was 2/3rds of the way through the book, when I mentioned to Danielle that I hoped it was the beginning of a series. She told me it was actually the third book! It read very well as a stand alone. Now I can't wait to get my hands on the first two books of this series - Call of the Highland Moon and Dark Highland Fire!

To meet Kendra and read a little more about the book - please hop on over to Yankee Romance Reviewers where the celebration is just starting!

The Noticer by Andy Andrews (Book Review)

Title: The Noticer
Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective
Author: Andy Andrews
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Available: 4-28-2009
Genre: Inspirational
ISBN-10: 0785229213
ISBN-13: 978-0785229216
I read this book for Thomas Nelson Publishers.

First sentence: His name was Jones.


What a great little book this was to read. Only 160 pages in length, so it was very quick, but it is packed full of good advice. Advice on how and why to change your "perspective."

The stories ranged from a young homeless man (the author), to a couple on the brink of divorce, to an elderly lady who feels her usefulness has passed. After they all encounter a mysterious old man named Jones, their lives change. All because he allows them to see their lives and their futures with a different perspective. Just by asking them very simple questions, and leading them to see their problems from a logical perspective, they can begin to understand how to change those things they think are problems or obstacles.

For several minutes, we both sat silently, watching the gulls soar
overhead, listening to the surf break on the beach. Then Jones began to gather the empty cans and place them in the plastic bag. Standing, he extended his hand and helped me to my feet. "Incidentally," he said with a smirk, "you ate sardines and Vienna sausages in the sand. I dined on surf and turf with an ocean view." He slapped me on the back. "It's all about the perspective." (p 15-16)

One chapter touches on the principles of the Five Love Languages - illustrating 4 of those languages as animals.

• Spoken Words of Approval as being a puppy dog. You respond and need this verbal affirmation.
• Favors and Deeds like a goldfish. You don't care if the other person is around, can't hear them - but you depend on them to feed you and clean your bowl.
• Physical Contact like a cat - You like to be touched, petted, scratched - just like a cat shows their love to you by rubbing against you.
• Quality Time would be a canary - You don't need to really do anything for them, but they just want you in the room.

Please watch the book trailer to find out about all the different scenarios he tackles in this book.

I think this would be a great book to share with anyone! It is written in such a way that I think it could impact young adults as well as senior citizens. The lessons he teaches transcend any age. They are mainly based on not being so wrapped up in yourself, but just to take the time and effort to notice those around you. When you do, you will see how it changes your perspective.

“Most people think it takes a long time to change. It doesn’t. Change is immediate! Instantaneous! It may take a long time to decide to change . . . but change happens in a heartbeat!” (p 110)

To see more about this - go to The Noticer Project at www.TheNoticerProject.com.

So Not Happening by Jenny B. Jones (Book Review)

Title: So Not Happening
Author: Jenny B. Jones
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: YA Fiction/Christian
Available: May 5, 2009

ISBN-10: 1595545417
ISBN-13: 978-1595545411
I read this for the First Wild Card Tour.

First sentence: One year ago my mom got traded in for a newer model.

Bella's life has been turned upside down. In the blink of an eye she has gone from living in NYC with her "plastic surgeon to the stars" father and her charity, fund-raising mom - to living in Truman, Oklahoma. On a farm, no less, with her mom, new step-dad, and two step brothers. The oldest which seems to be going to great lengths to make her life impossible.

To make matters worse, she manages to alienate herself further when she blogs at her old school's website (Hilliard School for Girls) about the lack of fashion, brains and everything in between at Truman. This information spreads quickly throughout Truman High School, her new alma-mater.

As a form of punishment she is placed on the school's newspaper staff, where she meets the 'sorta hot' editor Luke. His first assignment for her is to sit in the school's trash dumpster and see if she can dig anything up.

She manages to overhear a conversation between two football players which puts her on the scent of a real story. A story that may or may not explain the apparent suicide of a player the previous year, a car crash that landed one student in a nursing home wasting away and why her stepbrother is so hostile to everyone.

Even though Luke tells her to stay out of the story she thinks she has uncovered and stay focused on her "trash" story, Bella can't seem to contain her nosy nature.

Come join her in an adventure which threatens her life as well as her younger stepbrother's, takes her to a sweaty wrestling gym and to a railroad overpass.

This was a cute read. Although Bella is a Christian, you don't see a lot of evidence to support this. She spends a lot of time lamenting about her suddenly awful life and why everyone should feel sorry for her. She doesn't bother to consider that her presence in her new home may make others uncomfortable as well. She was in many instances where she could have called on God, but just sort of relied on luck. (It also seems to be missing how her mother went from her somewhat shallow life in NYC to becoming a Christian and marrying this man in Oklahoma because she felt it was God's will.) I do sort of think that a lot of Christian teens live this sort of self-centered life these days. I think that part of being a teen is learning to let go of believing you are the center of the universe. There also seems to be a lack of good role models for today's teens. Bella was a good person, but she could have taken a more "cross-centered" approach to many of her problems.

The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano (Book Review)

Title: The Girl She Used To Be
Author: David Cristofano
Publisher: Hachette Books
Available: Now
Genre: Fiction
My ARC was provided to me by Miriam at Hachette Books.

First sentence(s): Name me. Gaze into my eyes, study my smile and my dimples and tell me who you see.


Melody was six years old when she and her parents witnessed the brutal slaying of a man by Tony Bovaro. Thought to be the only witnesses, they fled the scene and returned to their home. Somehow the FBI tracked them down and convinced them to testify against this Mafia boss. Even though they lost the case, Melody and her parents were forced to go into the Witness Protection Program.

She has had eight names in the last 20 years - not including the one she was born with. Since her parents where killed by the mafia when she was in high school, whenever she becomes bored with her life - she calls up her federal contact and claims that she has been "found." She has no friends, no family, no freedom, no career, no security, no past and she feels no future.

But then she meets Jonathan Bovaro, the son of Tony Bovaro. Jonathan gives her something her federal agents have not been able to - security and freedom to be "the girl she used to be."

I liked this book. I can't say that I fell in love with it, but I did like it. It was a very original story - or maybe an original take on a story - with an ending that I did not see coming. I think the author did a good job of expressing Melody's feelings of loneliness and despair. Despair in the sense that she would never be able to live her own life, but would always be in this invisible prison.

Jonathan was quite a surprise for her, and I think his feelings for her were a bit of a surprise for him, too. He had tracked her down many times - on orders to kill her - but was really trying to keep her safe. Their relationship had a lot of undercurrents to it involving safety, trust, family. Their lives were so irrevocably intertwined though that I think it was inevitable that they would eventually meet.

If you want a nice, easy story, with a surprise ending - then this one is for you.

The Lost Hours by Karen White (Book Review)

Title: The Lost Hours
Author: Karen White
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Fiction
Available: Apr 7, 2009
This book was made available to me by Dorothy for the Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tour.

If you missed Karen's guest post - you should go back and take a look - It was fabulous!

First sentence: When I was twelve years old, I helped my granddaddy bury a box in the back garden of our Savannah home.


Piper Mills has been raised by her grandparents since the age of six, when her parents were killed in a car crash. A crash that she walked away from. She goes on with her life, believing that she will be free from tragedy. Living in Savannah, her grandparents encourage her to become an equestrian. On the eve of realizing her dream of going to the Olympics, Piper takes a fall off her horse that almost kills her. Her broken bones heal, leaving her with a limp, but her broken spirit does not.

All Piper remembers of her grandmother is a woman in the background, with no spirit, no opinions, no life. She has been in a nursing home due to Alzheimer's for years. When Piper's granddaddy dies, she is give clues that lead her to believe there is more to her grandmother's story. Sadly, her grandmother dies before she can learn what that might be.

Armed with a tin box full of scrapbook pages, a key to a hidden room, an angel charm, and a knitted blue baby sweater and blanket, Piper sets off to discover the grandmother she never knew. Along the way, maybe she will reawaken the Piper that has been sleeping for so long.

This was my first Karen White book, though The House on Tradd Street has been on my TBR list for awhile. I really, truly enjoyed this book. It was so easy to become immersed in the story and to visualize Asphodel Meadows and Savannah.

Gripping the wheel tightly, I angled the car and turned, finding myself suddenly enveloped in the canopy of an ancient live oak alley. I stopped the car, looking at the old trees that barely resembled the live oaks of Savannah's squares despite the generous shawls of Spanish moss. These trees were darkened and withered, despite enough leaves to show that they were alive. But the limbs were bent and gnarled, the knobs at the forks like the bent shoulders of mourners at a funeral.(p54)

Ms. White combines tragedy, family, mystery and a touch of romance for a heartwarming story that life does go on.

And now for a little bit about the author:

They had her at hello. From her first moments in Charleston and Savannah, and on the South Carolina and Georgia coasts, novelist Karen While was in love. Was it the history, the architecture, the sound of the sea, the light, the traditions, the people, the lore? Check all of the above. Add Karen’s storytelling talent, her endless curiosity about relationships and emotions, and her sensitivity to the rhythms of the south, and it seems inevitable that this mix of passions would find its way into her work.

Known for award winning novels such as Learning to Breathe, the recently announced Southern Independent Bookseller Association’s 2009 Book of the Year Award nomination for The House on Tradd Street, and for the highly praised The Memory of Water, Karen has already shared the coastal Low country and Charleston with readers. Spanning eighty years, Karen’s new book, THE LOST HOURS, now takes them to Savannah and its environs. There a shared scrapbook and a necklace of charms unleash buried memories, opening the door to the secret lives of three women, their experiences, and the friendships that remain entwined even beyond the grave, and whose grandchildren are determined to solve the mysteries of their past.

Karen, so often inspired in her writing by architecture and history, has set much of THE LOST HOURS at Asphodel Meadows, a home and property inspired by the English Regency styled house at Hermitage Plantation along the Savannah River, and at her protagonist’s “Savannah gray brick” home in Monterey Square, one of the twenty-one squares that still exist in the city.

Italian and French by ancestry, a southerner and a storyteller by birth, Karen has lived in many different places. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she has also lived in Texas, New Jersey, Louisiana, Georgia, Venezuela and England, where she attended the American School in London. She returned to the states for college and graduated from New Orleans’ Tulane University. Hailing from a family with roots firmly set in Mississippi (the Delta and Biloxi), Karen notes that “searching for home brings me to the south again and again.”

Always, Karen credits her maternal grandmother Grace Bianca, to whom she’s dedicated THE LOST HOURS, with inspiring and teaching her through the stories she shared for so many years. Karen also notes the amount of time she spent listening as adults visited in her grandmother’s Mississippi kitchen, telling stories and gossiping while she played under the table. She says it started her on the road to telling her own tales. The deal was sealed in the seventh grade when she skipped school and read Gone With The Wind. She knew—just knew—she was destined to grow up to be either Scarlet O’Hara or a writer.

Karen’s work has appeared on the South East Independent Booksellers best sellers list. Her novel The Memory of Water, was WXIA-TV’s Atlanta & Company Book Club Selection. Her work has been reviewed in Southern Living, Atlanta Magazine and by Fresh Fiction, among many others, and has been adopted by numerous independent booksellers for book club recommendations and as featured titles in their stores. This past year her 2007 novel Learning to Breathe received several honors, notably the National Readers’ Choice Award.

In addition to THE LOST HOURS, Karen White’s books include The House on Tradd Street, The Memory of Water, Learning to Breathe, Pieces of the Heart and The Color of Light. She lives in the Atlanta metro area with her family where she is putting the finishing touches on her next novel The Girl on Legare Street.
You can visit Karen White's website at www.karen-white.com.

Fatal Illusions by Adam Blumer (Book Review)

Title: Fatal Illusions
Author: Adam Blumer
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Available: Now
Genre: Christian/Suspense
First sentence: As dusk settled over the suburban Cincinnati neighborhood, the sodium-vapor lights along the quiet street blinked and came to life on cue.

Marc and Gillian were a couple in crisis - though at first they did not seem to realize this. Marc was an assistant pastor and one of his duties was Christian counseling. Stacey, on of his parishioners, had been coming to counseling as she said she was trying to reconcile with her husband. Marc felt that she was developing a crush on him, so had a female staffer take over her counseling. Stacey continued to call him and send him e-mails, which Marc tried to ignore.

Gillian had given birth to stillborn twins six months ago. She was still grieving, visiting their graves and writing them letters. Neither confided in the other the obstacles they were up against.

On the day that Stacey's feelings got out of hand, Gillian finds a love letter that she had written to Marc, hinting at an affair. Before Gillian can confront him about it, Stacey shows up at their house and shoots Marc in the chest, accusing him of attempted rape as she runs from his home. Fortunately, he survives, but he and Gill are further apart than ever.

Together, accompanied by their 16-year-old daughter Crystal, they take a sabbatical to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in hopes that the media circle will die down in their absence. Little do they know that they are moving to the same remote area as the Magician Murderer, a serial killer who has killed 4 girls in Cincinnati. Girls that all resemble their daughter Crystal.

This book was hard for me to put down. You are instantly immersed in the murders and through them begin to know Detective Riley. A veteran cop and a Christian who is on the brink of retirement. But he can't seem to let go of this case.

Between the loss of the babies, Marc's shooting and Stacey, Marc and Gillian have lost faith in each other and where is their faith in God? You cheer them on that they will somehow be able to see how the other is hurting and open up to the love they once had for each other and the love that God still has for them.

There are a lot of twists in this book, but the way it came together in the end was very believable! As everyone begins to close in on the killer, I found myself urging them on - trying to tell them how close they were. I also loved the way it brought everything around to believing and trusting in God. I highly recommend this book! You can read the first chapter here.

Purchase book here.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (Book Review)

Title: Wicked Lovely
Author: Melissa Marr
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: 2007
Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal
I read this because it is the first in a series and I received the third book as an ARC.

First sentence: The Summer King knelt before her, "Is this what you freely choose, to risk winter's chill?"

Aislinn has been taught three things all her life - 1) Don't stare at the faeries. 2)Don't speak to the faeries. 3) Don't ever attract their attention.

Now the faeries we are talking about here is not the garden variety "Tinkerbell" faeries. These are human size, invisible faeries. Some are beautiful - love to sing and dance - and others are horrible to look at and torment whomever they want whenever they want.

For many years Aislinn - or Ash, was home schooled by her grandmother. Her mother, Moira had died in childbirth. Ash's grandmother can also see the faeries. She has taught Aislinn those three important rules. They have also learned that only the strongest faeries can tolerate steel or iron, so they have fortified their house with iron bars.

Ash has a best friend named Seth who has always stood by her. She has wanted to take their relationship up a notch, but is afraid to lose him as a friend. Seth lives in 2 train cars that he has converted into a home - so Ash feels safe there, as the faeries tend to stay away. Seth, however, does not know of her incredible Sight.

Ash discovers that there are two faeries following her, Keenan and Donia. When Keenan dons his "glamour", which allows him to be visible to mortals, and talks to Ash - she is terrified. She tries her best to be nonchalant and brush him off, but after this first encounter, he only becomes more persistent. He enrolls at her school as a student and basically starts stalking her. She is the first mortal that has not fallen immediately for his charms.

You see, Keenan is the Summer King and he has been searching for his Queen for centuries. Whoever believes enough to pick up the Winter Queen's staff will either become the Summer Queen, or, if she is not the chosen one, will be filled with winter's chill. Donia was the last girl to take the test and fail. She has been destined to a life with Keenan, whom she loves dearly, but can never truly be with. Her fate lies in the hands of any future mortal girl who takes the test. She will remain filled with winter's chill until someone takes her place - and worse yet, she has to discourage any takers from trusting Keenan.

Ash finally breaks the rules that she has learned and confesses all to Seth. Being her true friend, and secretly in love with her, he believes her without question. Together they set out to discover what Keenan wants with her.

As Ash is pulled further and further into the faery world, will her love for Seth be able to keep her "grounded"? (OK bad pun) Will she be able to fight the pull she feels whenever she is around Keenan? And how does the Donia and the future of both the mortals and the summer faeries rest with Aislinn?

Aislinn leaned in - almost toppling over as she did - but she didn't bite the strange fruit. Instead she whispered, "Why don't all the other faeries glow like you do?"

Keenan lowered his hand. "All the other what?"

"Faeries." She gestured around them, but it was as empty of faeries as it was of humans. (p180, Wicked Lovely)

I had never read a faery book before and I am hooked! Even though this is a young adult book, I found it very entertaining. It is the first book of a trilogy - following is Ink Exchange and then Fragile Eternity. Our library had a three week wait for Ink Exchange and I don't want to wait, so I have already ordered it off of Amazon. I hope to get it soon! Fragile Eternity I was lucky enough to get as an ARC.

Visit these blogs for other reviews of this book:
Bloody Bad Book Blog
Dear Author
Juiciliciousss Reviews

Rachel's Tears by Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott (Book Review)

Title: Rachel's Tears
Authors: Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Biography/Religious
ISBN: 978-1-4003-1347-1
This book was made available for me to read from Thomas Nelson.

First sentence: The events of April 20, 1999, have generated miles of print in newspapers and magazines and months' worth of coverage on TV and radio all over the world.

In a few days, on April 20th, it will be the tenth anniversary of the Columbine tragedy. Two boys, armed with guns and bombs, killed 12 students and a teacher before turning the guns on themselves. One of those students was Rachel Joy Scott.

Rachel was not the most popular, or the smartest, or the prettiest - but she had a light shining within her. This light was the love and personal relationship she with the Lord. This light was Jesus living inside her.

Not until after her death did her parents even realize the depth of Rachel's personal relationship with Christ. This was discovered through the numerous journals and drawings that she left behind.

Rachel's Tears gives us a glimpse of this amazing girl's short life. Told through stories and observations from her parents, family and close friends, we see what a special girl Rachel was. She reached out to anyone who was needing, regardless of race, popularity, looks, etc.

Through writings from her journals we see her deep love for God and her willingness to serve Him and do His will. We also her humility and her struggles.

Dear God,

Why do I feel dry in Your Spirit? Why do I feel that the fire has died withing me, yet so many claim they see he light of You, oh God, burning brightly? Why do I have to feel moments of doubt, distrust, disbelief, stages of anger and stages of loneliness when it comes to You, Father? Why do I lose focus of you during praise and worship as well as prayer? Why can't I completely be consumed by You? Why can't I be used by You? Why do I feel self-righteous at times? Why do I feel afraid? (Rachel's Tears, p111 - an entry from her journal)

This book has touched me in many ways. It makes me see how I would like to be with my walk with God - how I would like my family to be. It shows how God can take a tragic situation and use it for His good. It shows how one person, one child, can change so many.

An Offer You Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell (Book Review)

Title: an offer you can't refuse

Author: Jill Mansell

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Romantic Fiction

Available: April 2009

ISBN: 9781402218330

This book was made available to me for review from Sourcebooks. Thanks Danielle!

First sentence: There are some places where you might expect to bump into your boyfriend's ultra-posh mother.

Lola and Dougie were very much in love. Though only 17 and 18, they had promised each other forever. This changed in the blink of an eye. Dougie's mother was not a big fan of Lola's. She didn't think that Lola belonged in her son's "privileged" life, so she offers Lola 10,000 pounds to leave Dougie and convince him that it is over. Lola is outraged and is bound and determined to tell Dougie what kind of mother he has. Before she has a chance to speak with him, her circumstances change and she is forced to accept his mother's bribe.

Now, 10 years later she is working as a bookstore manager and living in Notting Hill. Coming to the aide of a woman in distress manages to land her face to face with her old love. Can she fan the flames and reignite his desire for her? Or will the truth of what she did keep them apart forever?

This is a great chick-lit book! The story has a host of secondary characters that are just as entertaining as Lola. They also each have their own story to add to the mix! We have Blythe, Lola's fashion-challenged mother; Malcolm- Blythe's monopoly-loving boyfriend; Gabe - the neat-freak, next door neighbor - who also happens to be Lola's best friend; Sally - Dougie's sister and Gabe's eventual flatmate - and she is as messy as Gabe is neat. Let's not forget Dougie himself and his current girlfriend Isabel - who is both beautiful and intelligent. Throw in a couple of celebrities and a long lost relative and you have a delightful read. I found this book hard to put down. If you like Sophie Kinsella, I think you will like Jill Mansell.

Jill is a current sensation in the UK - this is her first book to be published in the U.S. She has a second one due out in June - Miranda's Big Mistake.

Come back later this week as I will be interviewing Jill Mansell - my first author interview! You can find out how to win a copy of her book then!

For other reviews:

Diary of an Eccentric

My Friend Amy

Bookopolis

Savvy Verse & Wit

A Bookworm's World

Booking Mama