Mailbox Monday 3-9-2009

It's time for this week's edition of Mailbox Monday! Ok all you book lovers out there - I received five ARC's this week, so in no particular order we have:



The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash which I received from Berkley Trade (Penguin) via Shelf Awareness.

Claire's father always said that in their family, genius skipped a generation. Maybe he was right. The daughter of a legendary landscape photographer and the mother of a painter whose career is about to take off, Claire has carved out a practical living as a commercial photographer. It may not earn her glory, but it's paid for a good life in a beautiful house on the beach.

When her father suddenly dies, Claire loses faith in the work she has devoted her life to - and worse, begins to feel jealous of her daughter's success. But as she helps prepare a retrospective of her famous father's photographs, Claire uncovers revelations about him that change everything she believes about herself as a mother, a daughter, and an artist. . .

Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean was received from Broadway Books (Random House via Shelf Awareness.

"From London to Cairo, in the glittery world of high society before WWII, Dean taps into an exotic and distant world in her page-turning debut. After 18-year-old Virginia belle Delia marries older British aristocrat Ivor Conisborough, they decamp to London and get to work on producing an heir for the aging viscount. Delia is agog at her new friends in high places, but her idyll is trampled when she learns a painful secret about Ivor. Even so, Delia is endlessly infatuated with London, and she eventually has two girls, Petronella and Davina. The family, to Delia's chagrin, is relocated to Cairo on a long diplomatic mission, and here the novel really sings, as Hitler's campaign hits closer to home and everyone seems to have ulterior motives. Davina and Petronella, meanwhile, grow into young women who think of Cairo as home and fall in love with men they meet there. Dean beautifully captures the mood and color of the era - her descriptive passages are marvelous and complement the layered intrigue, romance and deception." (Publishers Weekly)

I received Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell from Danielle at Sourcebooks! Look for my review of Jill's book An Offer You Can't Refuse in early April.

Even the worst mistake of your life can lead to true love in the end. . .

Miranda's track record with men is horrible. Her most recent catastrophe is Greg. He seems perfect - gorgeous, witty, exciting. And he and Miranda are in love. . . until Miranda discovers he left his wife when he found out she was pregnant.

With the help of her friends, Miranda plans the sweetest and most public revenge a heartbroken girl can get. But will Miranda learn from her mistake or move on the next perfect man and ignore the love of her life waiting in the wings. . .

Rachel's Tears by Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott with Steve Rabey was received from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

"I am not going to apologize for speaking the Name of Jesus. I am not going to justify my faith to them, and I am not going to hide the light that God has put in me. If I have to sacrifice everything. . . I will."

"This will be my last year Lord. I have gotten what I can. Thank you."

- excerpts from Rachel's journals.

Rachel Scott was a typical teenage girl who was incredibly dedicated to following and serving Christ. Though she was mocked for her beliefs, at times doubted her faith, and constantly struggled with personal issues every teenager faces, she remained faithful to God. Then on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School, she was killed while affirming that faith.

To this day, more than a million lives are impacted each year as her story is told to students all over the country. Rachel's Tears, which has sold more than 350,000 copies in 6 languages worldwide, is a moving meditation on the life, death, and faith of Rachel as seen through the eyes of her parents and through the writings and drawings from her journals.

Last is Life Sentences by Laura Lippman which I received from Harper Collins through Shelf Awareness.

Author Cassandra Fallows has achieved remarkable success by baring her life on the page. Her two widely popular memoirs continue to sell briskly, acclaimed for their brutal, unexpurgated candor about friends, family, lovers—and herself. But now, after a singularly unsuccessful stab at fiction, Cassandra believes she may have found the story that will enable her triumphant return to nonfiction.

When Cassandra was a girl, growing up in a racially diverse middle-class neighborhood in Baltimore, her best friends were all black: elegant, privileged Donna; sharp, shrewd Tisha; wild and worldly Fatima. A fifth girl orbited their world—a shy, quiet, unobtrusive child named Calliope Jenkins—who, years later, would be accused of killing her infant son. Yet the boy's body was never found and Calliope's unrelenting silence on the subject forced a judge to jail her for contempt. For seven years, Calliope refused to speak and the court was finally forced to let her go. Cassandra believes this still unsolved real-life mystery, largely unknown outside Baltimore, could be her next bestseller.

But her homecoming and latest journey into the past will not be welcomed by everyone, especially by her former friends, who are unimpressed with Cassandra's success—and are insistent on their own version of their shared history. And by delving too deeply into Calliope's dark secrets, Cassandra may inadvertently unearth a few of her own—forcing her to reexamine the memories she holds most precious, as the stark light of truth illuminates a mother's pain, a father's betrayal . . . and what really transpired on a terrible day that changed not only a family but an entire country. (Description from Harper Collins website)

Visit Mailbox Mondays over at The Printed Page and see what everyone else received!

(All descriptions are from book covers unless otherwise noted.)

The Sunday Salon 3-8-2009

Well, this is my first Sunday Salon and what a week it has been. I participated in my first Book Carnival and gave away five of my ARCs that I had read and reviewed. It was a lot of fun and it was great to see my followers increase! It was also a lot of work though keeping track of all the different entries for each book - but I think that it was well worth it and look forward to doing it again in the future!

I had a lot of comments on my header (needlepoint wolves). Yes, I did stitch this myself. I hope to start showing some projects that I am working on from time to time in posts on my blog. I have yet to get those posts up and running in any sort of sensible time frame though! You can keep watch on my header though, as I will change it from time to time - probably based on the seasons - and everything that I show will be something that I have done myself.

I was able to review three books this week - Kiss by Ted Dekker, This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury, and The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick (ok - random thought - these all had K's in them in prominent places - kind of weird as my initials are KKKH. . .)

I will be taking a little blogger holiday this week starting on Wednesday - but I hope to be able to generate some auto posts for the days when I will not be able to get to the computer! And look forward to lots of reviews when I come back next week!

Currently I am reading (and will be posting a review this week for First Wild Card Tours) The Stones by Eleanor Gustafson. This is a wonderful fiction book that tells all about the life of King David! I am also reading Marked By Passion by Kate Perry and A Lever Long Enough by Amy Deardon.

During my blogger holiday, while the rest of my family enjoys the snowy slopes of Big Powderhorn Mountain, I will be snuggled up by the fire reading any of the following books that I plan on taking with me: Seeing Red by Susan Crandall, Flirting with Temptation by Kelley St. John, Just Another Girl by Melody Carlson, Scream by Mike Delosso, Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney, To My Senses by Alexandrea Weis or Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans by Dan Baum. Does anyone have any recommendations on who I should start with? The only author that I have read before would be Melody Carlson.

Well, that about does it for me - Have a great week everyone!!

Winners of Book Carnival Giveaways!

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaways for the 5 books! I was ecstatic with the amount of entries that I received. Also a big thanks to everyone who has signed up to follow my blog! I hope you find some good books to read here!

Without further ado - the winners are:

For the Love of Pete - Techyone (86 entries)
I Do Again - Ibeeeg (60 entries)
Walking with Wolf - Alyce (46 entries)
Drinkwater - Meg (69 entries)
Gatekeepers - WindyCindy (97 entries)

I will be sending emails out shortly so get me those addresses!

The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick (Book Review)

Title: The Kingmaking
Author: Helen Hollick
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Historical Fiction
Available: Now

First sentence: He was ten and five years of age and, for the first time in his life, experiencing the exhilaration of the open sea and, for this short while, the novelty of leisure.

So begins the book, The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick. We join Arthur at 15 on a ship bound for Caer Arfon and Gwynned - home of Cunneda and his daughter Gwenhwyfar. He has been brought on the voyage by Uthr Pendragon - much to the chagrin of Uthr mistress, Morgause. She cannot understand why Uthr favors the boy. She sees him as the bastard child of one of the servants - being raised as a foster son by Uthr's brother.

As the story unfolds, Uthr is killed in a battle with Vortigern - fighting to be the rightful King of Britain. Arthur is devastated until Cunneda announces that he - Arthur - is the rightful heir of Uthr Pendragon. His identity had been kept hidden to protect his life from Vortigern.

When I first picked up this book - I wondered what I had gotten myself into. I was not a big King Arthur fan - and knew little about that era. However, Helen Hollick's book drew me in from the beginning. I loved that she gave the pronunciation of the names and after awhile I found myself reading them "correctly". It gave me a sense of authenticity. The book was not hard to read (like I thought it would be) due to the era, but instead was very engrossing. I even carried it with me to my son's bus stop - and it is a HEAVY book at 563 pages.

This is the first book of her Pendragon's Banner Trilogy. The other two books are Pendragon's Banner and Shadow of the King!

And now - the description from the back cover:

It is the Dark Ages of Britain, 450 AD. The Roman Empire is falling apart, leaving the British under the rule of the evil tyrant Vortigern, who stole the crown years ago from Uthr Pendragon. When Uthr dies, Arthur Pendragon is left as rightful heir to the throne, if he can win it back from Vortigern.

As the men pledge an oath of loyalty to the Pendragon Banner, a feisty and beautiful Gwenhwyfar, captivated by Arthur from the moment they meet, pledges to Arthur and even greater gift: her undying love and unborn sons.

Determined to fulfill his ultimate goals of regaining his kingship and marrying Gwenhwyfar, Arthur must first endure a difficult apprenticeship in his enemy's army. When he and Gwenhwyfar become pawns in a political triangle, Arthur is put to the test: he must choose between his kingship and the woman he loves.

The Friday 56 3-6-2009

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

The book on the top of the stack next to me is American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld -

Approaching each other, him from the gym, me from the library - this was when I walked down the aisle and he was waiting, this was when we made love, it was every anniversary, every reunion in an airport or train station, every reconciliation after a quarrel.

Friday Finds 3-6-2009

A Hundred Years of Happiness by Nicole Seitz


(Go here to watch a trailer for this book.)

A beautiful young woman. An American soldier. A war-torn country. Nearly forty years of silence.

Now, two daughters search for the truth they hope will set them free and the elusive peace their parents have never found.

In the South Carolina Lowcountry, a young mother named Katherine Ann is struggling to help her tempestuous father, by plunging into a world of secrets he never talks about. A fry cook named Lisa is trying desperately to reach her grieving Vietnamese mother, who has never fully adjusted to life in the States. And somewhere far away, a lost soul named Ernest is drifting, treading water, searching for what he lost on a long-ago mountain.

They’re all longing for connection. For the war that touched them to finally end. For their hundred years of happiness at long last to begin. (overview from http://www.nicoleseitz.com/)

Out at Night by Susan Arnout Smith

All the predators come out at night. . .

It’s the dead of night, and Professor Thaddeus Bartholomew is crawling through a field to stay alive. With moments to act, he types out a text message, a name, right as his stalker takes aim.Across the country, crime scene tech Grace Descanso has gone on vacation with her daughter to put the last few weeks behind her, but the FBI tracks her down when her name turns up on the professor's phone. Authorities found him with a hole in his chest, shot with a crossbow. While Grace doesn't know how he could know her, she can either join the investigation or become a suspect, but she can't walk away. . .

The Painter From Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein

Reminiscent of Memoirs of a Geisha, a re-imagining of the life of Pan Yuliang and her transformation from prostitute to post-Impressionist.

Down the muddy waters of the Yangtze River and into the seedy backrooms of “The Hall of Eternal Splendor,” through the raucous glamour of prewar Shanghai and the bohemian splendor of 1920s Paris, and back to a China ripped apart by civil war and teetering on the brink of revolution: this novel tells the story of Pan Yuliang, one of the most talented—and provocative—Chinese artists of the twentieth century.

Jennifer Cody Epstein’s epic brings to life the woman behind the lush, Cezannesque nude self-portraits, capturing with lavish detail her life in the brothel and then as a concubine to a Republican official who would ultimately help her find her way as an artist. Moving with the tide of historical events, The Painter from Shanghai celebrates a singularly daring painting style—one that led to fame, notoriety, and, ultimately, a devastating choice: between Pan’s art and the one great love of her life.


What great books did you find this week?? Stop over at Should Be Reading and share yours!

This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury (Book Review)

Title: This Side of Heaven

Author: Karen Kingsbury

Publisher: Center Street/Hachette Books

Available: Now

First sentence: The pain was a living, breathing demon, pressing its claws deep into his flesh and promising never to let go, not until death had the final word.

Nothing had worked out as Josh Warren had planned. After high school, his girlfriend Becky had broken up with him, he quit school and became a tow truck driver. He had a dream of opening his own tow truck business.

A year after a wild week in Vegas he discovers he is the father of a little girl, Savannah. Her mom wants child support, but Josh does not have the amount that she wants, so she stops contacting him and he is left to wonder about his child. Soon after that, an accident at work leaves Josh with severe back pain and fighting for a settlement from an insurance company. He hopes with the settlement money he can get the surgery he needs on his back, find his daughter, who is now seven, and open up his tow truck business. He has hope again as he just rededicated his life to Christ.

Josh's parents, especially his mom Annie, has felt great disappointment in Josh. They do not understand why he would want to drive tow trucks. They had expected him to go to college and marry Becky. They are convinced that Savannah is not his daughter and want him to let go of those thoughts himself. Annie feels he has thrown his life away.

When Josh is not able to search for Savannah, will Annie pick up his cause and fight to find Savannah to try to discover if she is truly his daughter? And will she take the time to discover the man that her son has become?

This book pulled me in immediately and got me emotionally attached. Then it punched me in the gut and left me crying and trying to catch my breath - only to lead me on to a victorious ending, even though it is not the one you can only imagine.

I love Karen Kingsbury and how her books evoke great emotion - at least in me. At the end of this book she shares how this story is based on her brother Dave's life, which made me cry all over again. If you haven't had the opportunity to read one of her books - this would be a good one to start with.

Go here to read the first 2 1/2 chapters as well as her letter to her readers at the end of the book

Thursday Thunks 3-5-2009

Time for this weeks set of questions from Thursday Thunks! Head on over here to play along!

1. This cat- Link- scary or cute?

I think the cat is cute - and you have to admit, the style looks a lot better than it does on this guy!

2. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes reproducing again. Good idea or don't care?

Don't care - as I am sure they would feel if I was thinking of reproducing again. . .

3. Do you smile at strangers when you make eye contact?

I try to - especially if I think they are in a bad mood. It would either cheer them up, or make them more mad. . .

4. What percentage of your sarcasm isn't really sarcasm at all?

Probably about 50% - #3 might apply here.

5. If you were to be a dog breed, which breed would you be?

I would be a labradoodle - loyal, well-behaved, but unruly curly hair!

6. Go grab the closest book. Open up to page 27. What's the 4th sentence?

"I don't know about marital fidelity in Virginia, Delia, but marital fidelity among the British aristocracy is not a highly esteemed virtue. (Palace Circle)

7. When's the last time someone put one over on you, told you a story that you totally fell for when it wasn't anywhere near true?

My husband used to do this all the time - now we gang up and get our teenage daughters!

8. Ever seen Michael Jackson in person?

Would I want to?

9. Do you have a gut?

Not like I used to - after 3 kids and a year of Prednisone it's been worse!

10. What is one thing in your kitchen you have too many/too much of?

Chocolate - might help explain question 9.

11. Ever had a colon cleansing?

I was kidnapped once and taken aboard a UFO - they didn't call it this, but it was darn close! {see question 7 - Did I get you?}

Wondrous Words Wednesday 3-4-2009

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. To join in the fun, post your words on your blog and then leave a message over at Bermudaonion's Blog!

My words this week are from The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick.

Bracae

Midden - Used like this: He twirled Gwenhwyfar round, studying an even larger grass stain on the seat of her bracae. 'God's truth! The pair of you are dirtier than midden slaves!'

Definition bracae: Breeches

Definition midden: Dump for domestic waste

Torque - Used like this: Around his throat he wore a torque of twisted gold shaped like a dragon - a great serpent beast with ruby eyes and gaping jaws, its gold scales winking in the dancing light of the torches.

Definition torque: A collar, a necklace, or an armband made of a strip of twisted metal, worn by the ancient Gauls, Germans, and Britons.

Those are my words for this week! What are yours?

February Round-Up of Books and a Look at March

I squeaked out 12 books this month - where did February go???

1. Scrapping Plans - Rebeca Seitz
2. The Valentine Edition - Robin Shope
3. It's All About Us - Shelley Adina
4. Lessons From San Quentin - Bill Dallas
5. John's Quest - Cecelia Dowdy
6. Simple Wishes - Lily Dale
7. The Spring of Candy Apples - Debbie Viguie
8. Trail of Crumbs - Kim Sunee
9. Age Before Beauty - Virginia Smith
10. I Do Again - Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs
11. Fruit of My Lipstick - Shelley Adina
12. Kiss - Ted Dekker and Erin Healy

This equals 3134 pages read.

Three challenges ended in February and I was able to complete two of them.

Lit Flicks Challenge

Naming Conventions Challenge

And the one that didn't even get started was the Cornelia Funke Challenge.

Here is a list of challenges and progress - you will see that some of them are completed, but I am not going to do a wrap up on them until they are officially over.

Well Seasoned Reader 4/3 - Completed
Christian Readers Challenge 14/5 - Completed
Book Awards Challenge 6/10
Unshelved Reading Challenge 0/3
Daring Book for Girls 3/9
Themed Reading Challenge 0/4(-6)
Numbers Challenge 0/5
The Countdown Challenge 25/45
Outlander Challenge 0/7
Genre Challenge 8/12
Whitcoull's Challenge 1/7
Chunkster 1/6
Series Challenge Season 3 2
9 Books from '09 6/9
100+ Reading Challenge 26/100
18th and 19th Century Women Writers 0/4
2009 ARC Reading Challenge 18
2009 Chick Lit Challenge 12/10 - Completed
2009 Pub Challenge 5/9
2009 Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge 1/12
999 Challenge 24/81
A to Z Challenge (authors) 10/26
A to Z Challenge (titles) 8/26
Art History Reading Challenge 0/6
Audiobook Challenge 2/12
Celebrate the Author challenge 0/12
Centuries Reading Challenge 0/4
Colorful Reading Challenge 2/9
Daniel Defoe 0/2
Decades '09 0/9
Dewey's Books Reading Challenge 1/6
Harlequin/Silhoutte Challenge 0/5
John Steinbeck 0/2
New Author Challenge 21/50
Read Your Name Challenge 6/8
Romance Reading Challenge 7/5 - Completed
Sarah Dessen 0/2
Science Book Challenge 1/3
Scott Westerfeld 0/2
Seconds Challenge 3/12
Serial Readers Challenge 7
Support Your Local Library 8/50
What's in a Name 2/6
World War II Challenge 0/5
YA Challenge 8/12
Young Readers 45/12 - Completed
5 Under 35 0

Books coming up for March:

This Side of Heaven - Karen Kingsbury
Seeing Red - Susan Crandall
Marked by Passion - Kate Perry
Flirting With Temptation - Kelley St. John
The Kingmaking - Helen Hollick
The Stones - Eleanor Gustafson
Just Another Girl - Melody Carlson
Cutting for Stone - Abraham Verghese
Nine-Lives-Death-Life-Orleans - Dan Baum
A Lever Long Enough - Amy Deardon
Desire Unchained - Larissa Ione
The Age of Orphans - Laleh Khadivi
To My Senses - Alexandrea Weis
Scream - Mike Dellosso
Diamonds in the Shadow - Caroline B. Cooney
Serial Killers: Up Close and Personal - Christopher Berry-Dee
Survivor's Club - Ben Sherwood
Working Through the Frustrations of Faith - Jason T. Berggren
Palace Circle - Rebecca Dean
Manual of Detection - Jedediah Berry
Life Sentences - Laura Lippman

You will notice some of these are left over from February - and I am sure come April I will be carrying over some of March's (hopefully none of February's though!!!)

Book Carnival Giveaway - Gatekeepers

The 5th and final giveaway is Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo. (This is the 3rd book in the Dreamhouse King series - I enjoyed them as an adult, but they would be great for kids! - Click title for my review). This is being hosted over at Bookroomreviews.

Rules:1. For one entry just leave a comment saying you would like to win.

2. For two entries - follow my blog (if you already follow REMIND ME and you get those entries also) {This is really easy - just click on one of the buttons in the left sidebar. . .}

3. For three entries - Twitter this contest and leave me the link.

4. For four entries blog about this giveaway and leave me the link in your comments.You can put all of these entries into one comment and I will create a spreadsheet to use w/ appropriate entries.

Sorry - but MUST have U.S. address for this giveaway. Also - MUST leave way to contact you in the comment.

The deadline for the drawings is Saturday, March 7 11:59 PM CST. The drawings for all giveaways will be on Sunday, March 8. Good luck!

Contest is now closed.

Book Carnival Giveaway - I Do Again

The 4th Giveaway is I Do Again by Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs. (Click title for review.) This is being hosted over at Bookroomreviews.

Rules:
1. For one entry just leave a comment saying you would like to win.+

2. For two entries - follow my blog (if you already follow REMIND ME and you get those entries also) {This is really easy - just click on one of the buttons in the left sidebar. . .}

3. For three entries - Twitter this contest and leave me the link.

4. For four entries blog about this giveaway and leave me the link in your comments.You can put all of these entries into one comment and I will create a spreadsheet to use w/ appropriate entries.

Sorry - but MUST have U.S. address for this giveaway. Also - MUST leave way to contact you in the comment.

The deadline for the drawings is Saturday, March 7 11:59 PM CST. The drawings for all giveaways will be on Sunday, March 8. Good luck!

Contest is now closed.

Book Giveaway Carnival - Drinkwater

I am posting the 3rd, 4th and 5th giveaways today - so more people have time to enter! So for giveaway number 3 - Drinkwater by Eric Hopkins. (Click on title for my review). I did not care for this book - but I have read some reviews where they really liked it. This is being hosted over at Bookroomreviews.

Rules:

1. For one entry just leave a comment saying you would like to win.

2. For two entries - follow my blog (if you already follow REMIND ME and you get those entries also) {This is really easy - just click on one of the buttons in the left sidebar. . .}

3. For three entries - Twitter this contest and leave me the link.

4. For four entries blog about this giveaway and leave me the link in your comments.You can put all of these entries into one comment and I will create a spreadsheet to use w/ appropriate entries.

Sorry - but MUST have U.S. address for this giveaway. Also - MUST leave way to contact you in the comment.

The deadline for the drawings is Saturday, March 7 11:59 PM CST. The drawings for all giveaways will be on Sunday, March 8. Good luck!

Contest is now closed.

Waiting on Wednesday: Dead Before Dark

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Dead Before Dark by Wendy Corsi Staub

Publisher: Zebra (Kensington Books)

Available April 28, 2009

When The Sun Goes Down...

The Night Watchman is ready to kill - again. After thirty-five years in prison, he is free to commit the same twisted atrocities that once made him as notorious as the Zodiac Killer and Jack the Ripper. Now, at last, his moment has come...

The Nightmare Begins...

For renowned psychic Lucinda Sloan, fame is a double-edged sword. Through her television appearances, she helps police capture America's most elusive serial killers. Unfortunately, she also catches the eye of the Night Watchman. Once this madman learns that Lucinda 'sees' murders after they're committed, it's time to play

...And The Fear Never Ends.

The first victim is someone she knows - a personal shock that brings Lucinda closer to her ex-lover, Detective Randall Barakat. Then a second murder in Chicago, and a third in Denver, makes her realize that the Night Watchman is toying with her. Each victim wears a wristwatch...each watch bears a message...and each message is a warning for Lucinda that her time is up - and soon she'll be next to die...

HUNTED - A House of Night Novel by P.C. and Kristin Cast

The House of Night is a thrillingly engaging book series from St. Martin's Press. The series follows 16-year-old Zoey Redbird, who gets “Marked” by a vampyre tracker and begins to undergo the Change into an actual vampyre.

For the first time in hardcover, with a huge initial printing, HUNTED finds Zoey Redbird at her most powerful and in her most important role yet.

The New York Times best selling mother-daughter writing team of P.C. and Kristin Cast again prove why they have become a major force in teen fiction. With over 3 million copies of their books in print, a well-publicized film option, an updated interactive website, daily-growing fanbase, and now a first national book tour, the Cast duo will command your attention with every page turn.





To read the first chapter of HUNTED, please visit the House of Night website by clicking here.


Click Play below to listen to the chapter 2 of HUNTED.

“ ”


The first 4 books in the series are below.

Marked (Book 1); Betrayed (Book 2); Chosen (Book 3); Untamed (Book4)

Book Giveaway Carnival - Walking With Wolf

Time for my second giveaway! This is being hosted over at Bookroomreviews. Please come back during the week as I will try to post a new book giveaway every day. These will all be ARC's that I have read and reviewed. The deadline for the drawings is Saturday, March 7 11:59 PM CST. The drawings for all giveaways will be on Sunday, March 8. Good luck!

Today's book is Walking with Wolf by Kay Chornook and Wolf Guindon. (Click title for my review)



Rules:
1. For one entry just leave a comment saying you would like to win.
2. For two entries - follow my blog (if you already follow REMIND ME and you get those entries also)
3. For three entries - Twitter this contest and leave me the link.
4. For four entries blog about this giveaway and leave me the link in your comments.
You can put all of these entries into one comment and I will create a spreadsheet to use w/ appropriate entries. Sorry - but MUST have U.S. address for this giveaway. Also - MUST leave way to contact you in the comment.

Contest is now closed.

Teaser Tuesday 3-3-09

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

Not that she had ever been on medication. Her father's daughter, indeed. Ric Fallows bragged about how he never took so much as an aspirin or antihistamine, and while Cassandra knew her father's stance was a kind of bigotry, born of serendipitous good health, she couldn't help absorbing his views. It amused her, a little, when he had to start taking Lipitor. (From Life Sentences, p78)

What are you going to tease us with this week?

Book Giveaway Carnival - For the Love of Pete

Ok - I have been swamped this weekend and the kids did not have school today - but I really need to get rid of some of my books - so I am going to try this Carnival for the first time! This is being hosted over at Bookroomreviews. Please come back during the week as I will try to post a new book giveaway every day. These will all be ARC's that I have read and reviewed. The deadline for the drawings is Saturday, March 7 11:59 PM CST. The drawings for all giveaways will be on Sunday, March 8. Good luck!





First up is For the Love of Pete - My honey's name is Pete and I am giving the books away to keep him sane - so thought this one was fitting to start with! (Click title for my review)

Rules:

1. For one entry just leave a comment saying you would like to win.
2. For two entries - follow my blog (if you already follow let me know and you get those entries also)
3. For four entries blog about this giveaway and leave me the link in your comments.

You can put all of these entries into one comment and I will create a spreadsheet to use w/ appropriate entries. Sorry - but MUST have U.S. address for this giveaway. Also - MUST leave way to contact you in the comment.

And away we go. . .

Contest is now closed.

Mailbox Monday 3-2-09

It's time for this week's edition of Mailbox Monday! I received a tremondous NINE books this week! I have been having computer problems though, so am late posting this - so you will get 5 this week. These 5 I received as ARCs from different places. The other 4 were Prizes! (yes - I have had a good couple of weeks with winnings - I am expecting about 8-9 more in the mail from drawings!) So when I get some more of those - I will do a week of just prize winnings!

First up is The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. I could not find a cover picture on line - but I don't think you will be disappointed! I received this from William Morrow via Shelf Awareness. (Available in June 2009)

They have always been here. Vampires

Nesting and feeding.

In secret and in darkness. Waiting.

Now their time has come.

In one week, Manhattan will be gone.

In three months, the country. In six months--the world.

The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry I also received from Penquin via Shelf Awareness. (This book was available in February)

Unwin is inexplicably promoted to detective, a rank for which he lacks both the skills and the stomach. Thus begins The Manual of Detection, Jedediah Berry's "remarkably auspicious debut" (Booklist) which is, at once, a satisfying mystery and a boundary pushing literary feat.

What little Charles Unwin knows about solving mysteries comes from the reports he has filed for the illustrious detective Travis Sivart, who has suddenly gone missing. Aided by an able, if sleepy, new assistant and a copy of the singular Manual of Detection, Unwin sets out to find Sivart, assuming that with the detective back at his job, Unwin can go back to his old job. As he closes in on Sivart, dark forces draw close to him; he is framed for murder and his umbrella, which he always carries with him, seems no match for the gun-toting goons that chase him. As he dodges these threats, mind-benidng questions proliferate: Why does the mummy at the Municipal Museum have modern-day dental work? Where have all the city's alarm clocks gone? Why is Unwin's copy of the Manual missing Chapter 18? And will it ever stop raining?

Unwin soon realizes that the greatest of Sivart's cases - including "The Three Deaths of Colonel Baker" and "The Man who Stole November 12th" - were, in fact, never solved correctly. He tackles puzzles that have eluded even the legendary Sivart by entering dreams - his own and other people's - where he finds all those missing alarm clocks and a criminal mastermind bent on total control of a slumbering city.

10 Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustrations of Faith by Jason T. Berggren was received from Audra at The B&B Media Group (Thanks Audra!)

My dad never let me use the word hate. He said it sounded too violent. But it was often the only accurate description of how I felt. Part of me understood, but another part of me rebelled.

We can all feel hate. Even in the good, productive, and meaningful aspects of life, there's frequently a level of frustration that overwhelms us when we are faced with trying to achieve certain goals - like getting in shape, making the grade, or straightening out our finances.

This is where I got stuck in my spirituality. Within these pages are the 10 things I've hated about Christianity over the years and how I've worked through my frustrations. I call it the intersection of real life, simple faith, and raw emotion.

Maybe you'll see yourself here too.

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier was received from Danielle at Sourcebooks. (Thanks Danielle!) They are bringing back this classic author with this book and also My Cousin Rachel. (I think these will be available this month)

Frenchman's Creek is the adventurous tale of Lady Dona St. Columb, who revolts from English society to the countryside, only to find her husband's estate has been secretly used as the hiding place of notorious pirate, Jean-Benoit Aubery. Instantly Lady Dona realizes he's not a rakish rogue, but an educated man -- one that she falls in love with and follows out to sea. However, when Lord St. Columb hears news of a pirate attack, he comes to his estate to aid his wife. . .

Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione, I received from Renee at Hachette Books. (Thanks Renee!) (This was available in February)

Pleasure is their ultimate weapon. ..

Runa Wagner never meant to fall in love with the sexy stranger who seemed to know her every deepest desire. But she couldn't resist the unbelievable passion that burned between them, a passion that died when she discovered his betrayal and found herself forever changed. Now, determined to make Shade pay for the transformation that haunts her, Runa searches for him, only to be taken prisoner by his darkest enemy.

A Seminus Demon with a love-curse that threatens him with eternal torment, Shade hoped he'd seen the last of Runa and her irresistible charm. But when he wakes up in a dank dungeon chained next to an enraged and mysteriously powerful Runa, he realizes that her effect on him is more dangerous than ever. As their captor casts a spell that bonds them as lifemates, Shade and Runa must fight for their lives and their hearts - - or succumb to madman's evil plans.

Visit Mailbox Mondays over at The Printed Page and see what everyone else received!

(All descriptions are from book covers or publicity sent with the books.)

Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy (Book Review)

Title: Kiss
Author: Ted Dekker and Erin Healy
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Fiction/Christian/Suspense

First sentence: The view from my therapist's window was unremarkable.

Shauna awoke after being in a coma for six weeks to a nightmare that she would like to forget. She had no idea why or how she ended up in the hospital. Actually, she couldn't remember the last 6 months. She knew who she was, who her brother Rudy was, her dad Landan, "Uncle" Trent, even her evil stepmother Patrice. However, she did not know Wayne Spade, the guy who claimed to be her boyfriend. How could she have forgotten him?

After Shauna is released from the hospital, Wayne offers to stay with her 24/7 to help her recuperate. He works for her Uncle Trent at her father's company, McAllister MediVista, so there isn't a problem with him getting some time off. She discovers that her brother Rudy is brain-damaged due to the accident that put her in the coma. The accident that they say she caused. She had been indicted while in the coma because they had found Ecstacy in her system, and in her car, and in her apartment. She couldn't EVER remember taking drugs in her life. How could this be happening to her?

Rudy had been her father's favorite ever since he had married Patrice. She had been left for Patrice to raise and Patrice was every bit the wicked stepmother - even burning Shauna with an iron. But did her father believe her? No. He believed Patrice when she told him that Shauna just wanted to be the center of attention. This drove a wedge between Shauna and her dad, which is why she now calls him Landon.

Soon, Shauna starts remembering things - but they don't seem to be her memories. Why is she remembering things that couldn't possibly have happened to her? And can she really trust Wayne or is he trying to kill her?

The underlying theme in Kiss is that God will always love you and you don't need to fear. (Shauna keeps remembering her deceased mom telling her this.) What Shauna wants more than anything is for Landon to feel this way about her. We also get to see some family and romantic relationships develop and some family and romantic relationships fall apart. You will have to read to find out whose!

This was my first Ted Dekker book (I know, I know, I must have been living under a rock!) and I loved it - the book, not living under the rock. Thrillers are hard for me to put down and this one was no exception. I was lucky enough to get a galley of Mr. Dekker's book that is coming out in April - The Boneman's Daughters and can't wait to read it!

What Kind of Reader Are You?

I have seen this quiz pop up on a couple of different blogs so I finally had to go take it -

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Literate Good Citizen You read to inform or entertain yourself, but you're not nerdy about it. You've read most major classics (in school) and you have a favorite genre or two.
Dedicated Reader
Book Snob
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

What kind of reader are you? If you decide to take it - let me know so I can go see your results!

Cornelia Funke Challenge Wrap Up

Well, sadly folks there is nothing to wrap up here - We had 3 months to read 3 books. It hurt me that after waiting a month for the first book from the library - I finally went out and bought it! But that put me behind from the get-go so must say I didn't try very hard after that. I still am the proud owner of the first two books in this series with plans on buying the third - so they will be read! Just not before Sunday when the challenge is over!

Lit Flicks Challenge Wrap Up

Another challenge that is ending tomorrow is the Lit Flicks Challenge - The books I read are below - I also watched the movies - Holes and Ten Little Indians (And Then There Were None) and who hasn't seen the Harry Potter movies? I still want to get ahold of The Handmaid's Tale as I would like to see that as a movie! Am also eagerly awaiting The Lovely Bones and The Road!

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold - move set for release Dec 2009
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie
The Road - Cormac McCarthy (Movie release for 2009)
Holes - Louis Sachar