ARC Arrival: Magel's Daughter by Nancy Baker

Magel's Daughter

by Nancy Baker

North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc

Everyone in the Olina family, living and dead, knows that Magel keeps human body parts in her freezer.

From the beginning of the novel, the provocative nature of the text defies the Minnesota-nice stereotype, which is, at once, refreshing and original.

Magel's Daughter highlights the deadly manipulations and subterfuge of matriarchal power within a Norwegian family.  It is a dark comedy with a touch of magical realism.  On the surface it's a rapidly paced, episodic blitz through the last days of Karin Brix's sanity.

She's lost it by the end, and it's all her mother's fault.  Magel is a classic femme fatale who grows old and spoils everyone's lives just like her mother and her mother before her.  This is all set in Northern Minnesota, a chilly world of hallucination, incest, and severed heads.

Magel is the reigning matriarch of the family, and Karin is on her way to becoming just like her, struggling to regain herself as an artist after years of raising her two sons.  Karin is assisted in her endeavors by the hallucinations of her grand and great-grandmothers.  Karin's father's glass eye weaves through her imagination as the only sound counsel amid the chaos.

Watch for the Sequel: Magel's Ghost continues the story of Karin as she re-locates to Minneapolis, and follows the characters caught in Karin's web. Her quest for power in the art community, involves her with the grandfather, father, and son of a wealthy Minneapolis family. The ripple effect of her destructive psychosis is hilarious.

~I received a copy of this book from Bostick Communications and Nancy Baker.  Watch for my review by early February.~

 

About the author: Magel's Daughter is Nancy's first published novel, and the sequel is Magel's Ghost. The stories are dark comedies laced with magical realism, and take place in her home state of Minnesota.

She has finished her third novel, Island Adrift, the first in The Mac Books series. The novel is also laced with magical realism while giving us a more serious base to the storyline. She is currently working on the next book in the series.

Her education has taken a varied and unusual route. She holds a BFA from the college of Art and Design in Minneapolis and worked in graphic design for ten years. At the same time she took night classes at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis,Minnesota, and has been writing ever since.

Early in her writing career, she tried her hand at children's stories and adult short stories. She is married and the mother of four children who supply her with endless material.


Magel's Daughter
Publisher/Publication Date: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc, Sept 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-87839-364-1
320 pages

ARC Arrival: Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros

Goodnight Tweetheart

by Teresa Medeiros

Gallery Books

@WhatTheHeckHappenedToMyLife

Abigail Donovan has a lot of stuff she should be doing.  Namely writing her next novel.  A bestselling author who is still recovering from a near Pulitzer Prize win and the heady success that follows Oprah's stamp of approval, she is stuck at Chapter Five and losing confidence daily.  But when her publisher signs her up for a Twitter account, she's intrigued.  What's all the fuss about?

Trending Topic: True Love

Taken under the wing of one of her Twitter followers, "MarkBaynard" -- a quick-witted, quick-typing professor on sabbatical -- Abby finds it easy to put words out into the world 140 characters at a time.  And once she gets a handle on tweets, retweets, direct messages, hashtags, and trends, she starts to feel unblocked in writing and in life.  After all, why should she be spending hours in her apartment staring at her TweetDeck and fretting about her stalled career when Mark is out there traveling the world and living?

Or is he?

Told almost entirely in tweets and DMs, Goodnight Tweetheart is a truly modern take on a classic tale of love -- a Griffin and Sabine for the Twitter generation.

Read the first chapter.

About the author: Teresa Medeiros is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.  She currently has more than seven million books in print and is published in more than seventeen languages.  She lives in Kentucky with her husband and her cats Willow and Buffy the Mouse slayer.  Visit her web site Teresa Medeiros, follow her on Twitter, and join her on Facebook.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books.  Watch for my review on December 16.~ 

Goodnight Tweetheart
Publisher/Publication Date: Gallery Books, Dec 14, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4391-8815-6
240 pages

StaphAseptic - Giveaway! (Product Review)

StaphAseptic is a first aid antiseptic and pain relieving gel.  I was given the opportunity to review this product early last summer.  I thought with a little boy running around, that I would have ample opportunity to try it out - wrong.  It wasn't until my teenage daughter got a burn on her leg getting off her uncle's motorcycle the wrong way that I had the chance to try it out.  She did it at her Grandma's house the night before we were headed home and didn't really make a big deal out of it.  So we headed out the next day and when we got home she showed us this burn on her leg.  I immediately went for the StaphAseptic as I had been waiting for an opportunity to use it!

It did a great job in aiding the healing process of this burn.  About 2 weeks after it happened, my daughter was at a friend's house whose mother is a nurse.  She took a look at the burn and said she was lucky it didn't get infected because it was a worse burn than we thought and she should have seen a doctor.  I am not advocating that you use StaphAseptic in the place of seeing your physician at all!  But in our case, I am glad that I had the StaphAseptic and used it - as I contribute it to keeping her burn infection free!

Here is some information from StaphAseptic:
Uses:  First aid to help protect against skin infection in minor cuts, scrapes and burns. Temporarily relieves pain and itching associated with minor burns, cuts, scrapes, insect bites and skin irritations.

STAPH PREVENTION PROGRAM:

• Treat and cover wounds
• Don't share personal items (like towels)
• Shower after physical activity
• Properly clean gear and equipment
• Keep hands clean
• Consult your physician for all active wounds

If you think you may have a skin infection, contact your physician immediately.  Staph bacteria, including MRSA, can cause skin infections that may look like a pimple, boil, or ingrown hair and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus and other drainage.  Serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or even death.

StaphAseptic is available in a 2oz tube or single use packet. It is available online or in many retail outlets.  See complete list here.  Click on coupon to take you to a link to print one for yourself!

GIVEAWAY!

Thanks to Amelia at APB Communications and Tec Labs/StaphAseptic I have one 2 oz tube to giveaway to a lucky reader.  To enter, just leave a comment telling me who is most likely in your family to be the first to need this product.  For additional entries follow my blog or tweeter/spread the word about this contest.  Just let me know and leave link if applicable.

This giveaway is open to US residents only.  It will end on Dec 30, 2010.

~I received a 2oz tube of StaphAseptic from APB Communications and Tec Labs in exchange for my review.~

ARC Arrival: Chasing Shadows by Fred Burton

Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent's Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice

by Fred Burton with John Bruning

Palgrave Macmillan

In July 1973, a gunman stepped out from behind a tree and fired five shots, point blank, into Josef Alon, a kind, unassuming Israeli Air Force pilot.  Sixteen-year-old Fred Burton was deeply shocked by this crime that rocked his sleepy suburban neighborhood in Bethesda, Maryland.  Alan wasn't just a pilot and family man -- he was a high-ranking Israeli military official with intelligence ties.  His assassin was never found.  In 2007, Fred Burton -- now a former State Department counterterrorism special agent -- reopened the case.  From swirling dogfights over Egypt and Hanoi to gun battles on the streets of Beirut, this action-packed history shows how power is used, misused, and sold to the most convenient bidder.  Chasing Shadows spins a gripping tale of secret agents, double agents, terrorists, and heroes as Burton chases leads around the globe in an effort to solve this decades old murder.

About the author:  Fred Burton is one of the world's foremost experts on security, terrorists, and terrorist organizations.  He was deputy chief of the Counterterrorism Division of the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service and is currently a vice president at Stratfor, known as the "Shadow CIA."  He is the author of Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent and appears regularly on The Daily Show, Glenn Beck, and Anderson Cooper 360, and on Fox, ABC, and CBS radio.  He lives in Austin, Texas.

John Bruning is a military historian and the coauthor of House to House.  He lives in Independence, Oregon.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Palgrave Macmillan.  Watch for my review in April 2011.~

Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent's Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice
Publisher/Publication Date: Palgrave Macmillan, April 12, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-230-62055-1
272 pages

ARC Arrival: Aksandar by Judith Montgomery

Aksandar

by Judith Montgomery

AuthorHouse

Aksandar is a quest for truth and justice by Aziz Rashani who understands that tradition in a land of mountains and desert is a matter of surviving when unrealistic odds favor invaders who use the same tactics as Ghenghis Khan.  For him, the ideal of an independent Afghanistan is a matter of honor.  It is a matter of doing the right thing because that is the right thing to do.  Political blackmail and the corruption of ideals force drastic and dangerous change onto the streets and into the villages where the struggle goes on every day.

Ms. Montgomery has traveled extensively in Afghanistan and over the years has developed a great love and respect for the Afghan people and their struggle to survive as citizens of an independent country.  Much of that struggle to maintain their culture has not been recognized, and through Aksandar, she has put forth a meaningful picture of what it means to wait in a land where waiting means death from strangers and outsiders.  her own personal search for trugh has become the inspiration for Aksandar.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bohlsen PR. Watch for my review by early February.~

Aksandar
Publisher/Publication Date: AuthorHouse, Aug 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4490-1208-3
272 pages

The Meaning Behind - Let's Eat! - by Denise Burroughs (Guest Post)

I want to take this time to share with you the real meaning behind my book.

I came from a large Italian family. As an only child though, the traditions surrounding me growing up are things I will never forget. I started writing my book two years ago and in those two years a lot had happen in my life. Writing has given me plenty of time to think and to reflect on the things around me. One of those things being my family.

As an only child, my mother raised me as a single parent. A budget was a must for her. Times are harder today and family values have been lost. In a world that has enough problems, two parents work for the most part . Money is tight. Dinners and family time are far and few. Today's life style is all about tv, computers, video games, fast food and frozen meals. I wanted to convey in this book, the small less expensive meals that families can make together without breaking their wallet and to help the single mom who is working two jobs or the single dad. I would like to see a time again when a family can pick one night out of a week and just sit together and eat and laugh and share their day. No tv and no cell phone. Family does not have to be ten people at a table. It could be just two, a mom and her daughter or son. You are what makes your family. I believe that we all need something from the people we love and what better way to do that then to sit down at the table and eat. Food warms the heart and soothes the soul.

I'm proud of who I am and how my children value so much because of what I have passed down to them. I want the same for you and your family. At a time where so much is wrong, we can make one thing right and that's dinner.Find that time in your life to change how you spend time with each other and the people you love most. Best wishes and lots of love!

ARC Arrival: Angel Harp by Michael Phillips

Angel Harp

by Michael Phillips

FaithWords

Widowed at thirty-four, amateur harpist Marie Buchan realizes that her life and dreams are slowly slipping away.  A longed-for summer in Scotland offers far more than a change of scenery. Not only does the music of her harp capture the fancy of the small coastal village she visits, but she is unexpectedly drawn into a love triangle involving the local curate and the local duke.

The boyhood friends are estranged as adults because of their mutual love for a woman (now dead) some years before.  History seems destined to repeat itself, with Marie in the thick of it.  Her involvement in the lives of the two men, as well as with quirky characters in the community, leads to a range of exciting relationships and lands Marie in the center of the controversy over a mysterious death.  Eventually she must decide: What is the truth? And with whom will she cast her lot?

In this sparkling new novel, acclaimed author Michael Phillips takes readers on a romantic journey along Scotland's beautiful shores and into a young widow's search for love, faith, and fulfillment.  Only the Giver of dreams can show the way to all she hopes for -- and more.

About the author: Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Books.  Please watch for my review in late January.~

Angel Harp: A Novel
Publisher/Publication Date: FaithWords, Jan 26, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-446-56771-8
464 pages

Wonderful Win: Night Runner by Max Turner

Night Runner

by Max Turner

St. Martin's Press

He's on a race for answers -- every step is taking him closer to the darkest of truths.

For Zack Thomson, living in Nicholls Ward isn't so bad.  After his parents died, he developed strange and severe allergies, and the mental institution was the only place where he could be properly looked after.  As strange as it was, it was home.  He could watch as much television as he wanted; his best friend, Charlie, often visited him; and Nurse Ophelia sometimes took him bowling.  Of course, that didn't mean he had it easy.  His allergies restricted his diet to strawberry smoothies, and being the only kid at the hospital could get lonely.  But it never once crosses Zack's mind to leave. . . until the night someone crashes through the front doors and tells him to run.  Along with Charlie and a girl he may or may not be falling in love with, he does just that: run.  Under cover of night, hiding amongst the shadows, he races for the truth.

About the author:  Max Turner has been a high school science teacher for seven years.  He lives in Ottawa with his wife and two children.  This is his first novel, and the start of a series.

~I won this book from a sweepstakes sponsored by St. Martin's Press.~

Night Runner: A Novel
Publisher/Publication Date: St. Martin's Griffin, Sept 2009
ISBN: 978-0-312-59228-8
272 pages
Young Adult

ARC Arrival: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe

by Beth Revis

Razorbill

A story of love, murder, and madness aboard an enormous spaceship bound for the future.

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed.  she expects to wake up on a new planet, 300 years in the future.  But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense.  Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder.  But can she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin.  Watch for my review in January.~

About the author:  Beth Revis lives in rural North Carolina with her husband and dog, and believes space is nowhere near the final frontier.  Across the Universe is her first novel.  Visit her blog at http://www.bethrevis.com/.

Across the Universe
Publisher/Publication Date: Razorbill, Jan 11, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59514-397-6
416 pages
Ages 12 and up

New Giveaway and TV Movie Premiere! - Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson

Sundays at Tiffany's

by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

AN IMAGINARY FRIEND

Jane Margaux is a lonely little girl. Her mother, the powerful head of a New York theater company, makes time for her only once a week, for their Sunday trip to admire jewelry at Tiffany's. Jane has only one friend: a handsome, comforting, funny man named Michael. He's perfect. But only she can see him. Michael can't stay forever, though. On Jane's eighth birthday he leaves, promising that she'll forget him soon. He was there to help her until she was old enough to manage on her own, and now there are other children who need his help.

AN UNEXPECTED LOVE

Years later, in her thirties, Jane is just as alone as she was as a child. And despite her own success as a playwright, she is even more trapped by her overbearing mother. Then she meets Michael again--as handsome, smart and perfect as she remembers him to be. But not even Michael knows the reason they've really been reunited.

AND AN UNFORGETTABLE TWIST

Sundays at Tiffany's is a heart-wrenching love story that surpasses all expectations of why these people have been brought together. With the breathtaking momentum and gripping emotional twists that have made James Patterson a bestseller all over the world, Sundays at Tiffany's takes an altogether fresh look at the timeless and transforming power of love.

Sundays at Tiffany’s is now a Lifetime original move from Sony Pictures Television, which will be airing TONIGHT Monday, December 6 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, 8:00 PM CT.

Giveaway!

I have one copy of Sunday's at Tiffany's to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books.  Just leave me a comment with your email address to enter.

Additional entries:  Follow my blog and/or spread the word.  Just let me know how.  All entries can by left in the same comment.  Giveaway open to US/Canada only - no PO boxes. This giveaway will end Dec 27, 2010.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec 6, 2010)

What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too! 

It has been a month since I have done this post - so rather than try to catch up with all the reviews from November - we are just going to pick up last week and start from scratch!  Hopefully I will be able to get regular with this again as it helps to keep me on track!

Currently Reading:
When No One is Watchingby Joseph Hayes
Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms by Ralph Keyes

E-Book:
The Turn of the Karmic Wheel by Monica Brinkman

Bathroom Book:
Honky Tonk Christmas by Carolyn Brown

Audio Book:
The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris

Books Reviewed Last Week:
The Life Book by Carl Blunt

Ready- Set- Read!

Mailbox Monday (Dec 6, 2010)

It has been so long since I have had time to do a mailbox post that I am going to be doing them differently.  During the week I will be posting any books that come in to my possession - whether they are ARC's, won, purchased, traded or borrowed.  For the mailbox post you will be able to click on the title of the book if it sounds interesting and learn more about it.  Hopefully I will be able to give some of the books some more coverage that way!

In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. Mailbox Monday's host for December is Lady Q at Let Them Read Books. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!

ARC Arrivals

Adam: The Eden Chronicles, book 1 by Brian H. Winchester
Unforgivable by Laura Griffin
The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor
Beyond the Wall: A Memoir by Dolores E. Cross

Purchased

Reader's Digest Select Editions, Volume 6, 2010


Hopefully I will get a few more books up this week so my post next week should contain a bit more!

What books came home to you this week?

Kid's Korner: The Duck Song by Bryant Oden (Book Review)

Title: The Duck Song
Author: Bryant Oden
Illustrator: Forrest Whaley
Publisher: Flinders Press

About the book: This book reminded me of the old knock knock joke -
"Knock, knock"
"Who's there?"
"Banana"
"Banana who?"
"Knock, knock"
"Who's there?"
"Banana"
"Banana who?"
"Knock, knock"
"Who's there?"
"Banana"
"Banana who?"
"Knock, knock"
"Who's there"
"Orange"
"Orange who?"
"Orange you glad I didn't say banana?"

Now for the book - A duck comes upon a lemonade stand and asks if he has any grapes - day after day - the same thing - The man always tells him no - even threatens to glue him to a tree.  Until one day the man laughs and takes the duck to a store to buy him grapes - only to have the duck tell him he doesn't want them and that lemonade sounds good. 

It is very cute the way it rhymes and the illustrations are very colorful and bright. A CD comes with the book and the first song on it is The Duck Song (includes 11 other songs)- which tells the same story in a sing-song voice.  Very cute.  You can also press a button on the cover and listen to the song.

My son enjoyed the book and right away wanted to know if he could have the CD for his room.  You can listen to some of Bryant's silly songs at http://www.songdrops.com/.

~I received a copy of this book from Flinders Press in exchange for my review.~

 

The Duck Song

Publisher/Publication Date: Flinders Press, Sept 2010

ISBN: 978-0-9843955-9-0

31 pages

Ages 4-8

Let's Eat by Denise Burroughs (Book Review)

Title: Let's Eat!
Author: Denise Burroughs
Publisher: AuthorHouse

My Thoughts: This slim volume starts out with a couple of pages of helpful tidbits for the novice (or even experienced) cook.  You get baking tips, substitutions and handy information.  You will find recipes from pasta to desserts, casseroles to salads. 

The recipes are very simple and can be made from things that you can probably find in your pantry. ( My teenage daughter has already asked if she can have this cookbook when she moves out!)  I think what I liked the best is that she doesn't take for granted that you know what you are doing in the kitchen.  For example, for her potato flaked chicken she says to add cooking oil to the tray - but then says, just enough to coat it, not too deep.  It is those helpful hints that are good for those just starting out in the kitchen.

I was thrilled to see the recipe for mayonnaise cake.  My mom has made this cake for years and years and I have never seen it in a cookbook.  I am forever calling her and asking her for the recipe again, because I am always losing where I wrote it down - so now I have it in a book!  (Until my daughter steals it away from me, of course!)

~ I received a complimentary copy of this book from Pump Up Your Books in exchange for my review.~

About the Author: She was raised in the sun, she came from a large Italian family with very strong ties to their heritage. She was born in Rome, NY and moved to Miami, Florida in December of 1969 with her mother. Raised in South Florida, she attended school until 1983. Having two daughters from her first marriage, she remarried in 1995 and in 2004 moved to Tallahassee, Florida where she currently resides.

She’s the owner of a paint and body shop and a member of NAPEW (National Association of Professional & Executive Women 2007-2008). A love for cooking and a desire to share wonderful family traditions was put to paper to create Let’s Eat. There have been so many people who have inspired her in her life, but no one inspired her more than her mother. Many of the recipes in this book have been served many times over and enjoyed by family and friends. She is happy to share them all with you and hopes you enjoy every bite as they were all made with lots of love.

You can visit Denise at www.deniseburroughs.com.

Let's Eat!

Publisher/Publication Date: Author House, May 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4490-8731-9

49 pages

ARC Arrival: Beyond the Wall by Dolores E. Cross

Beyond the Wall: A Memoir

by Dolores E. Cross

WestBow Press

Dolores Cross got a wake-up call, literally and figuratively, at 2:00 one morning, from a man asking who she was and where she was.

As she glanced at the electronic bracelet around her ankle, she made a decision to answer the question of who she was.  Not just to her caller, but to all people who have given themselves to a cause, only to be accused of a crime.

This timely and inspiring memoir emerged from a respected educational administrator's harrowing year under house arrest.  Cross's ordeal became a personal journey to find new understanding, new strength, and hope.  To sustain herself, she drew upon the lessons of memories, taught by her roots, her ancestors, her family, and her personal heroes, in the face of injustice, betrayal, and relentless prosecution.

In Beyond the Wall, Cross examines the external forces that pulled her down into a darkness far from everything she believed in and had accomplished.  To weather the storm, she reflected on the life experiences that had motivated her to accept the presidency of a financially fragile college and the arduous climb from the abyss that followed her resignation.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bohlsen PR.  Watch for my review in January.~

Beyond the Wall: A Memoir

Publisher/Publication Date: WestBow Press, Apr 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4497-0094-2

268 pages

ARC Arrival: The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor

The Anatomy of Ghosts

by Andrew Taylor

Hyperion

1786, England. John Holdsworth, a bookseller and novelist fallen upon hard times, is approached by a man with an odd commission.  Lady Anne Oldershaw's husband has passed away.  Now a wealthy widow, she would like to hire Holdsworth to catalogue her late husband's extensive library in order to donate it to Cambridge University.  However, before he undertakes that task, he must complete a more pressing one:  find Lady Anne's son Frank -- who is committed to a home for the mentally unstable under the claim that he has seen a ghost -- and return him to London.

Once in Cambridge, Holdsworth finds Frank in a manic state that is somehow connected to the mysterious death of Sylvia Whichcote, the wife of one of Frank's colleagues at Jerusalem College.  As Holdsworth tries to help Frank and unravel the mystery of Sylvia's death, he is drawn deeper into the secretive Cambridge community and encounters scholars, louche young men, enigmatic women, and street urchins in ready supply -- many connected to a secret society that meets within the college's walls.

Andrew Taylor delivers his most suspenseful thriller yet with fascinating characters, numerous twists and turns, and a compelling narrative that propels the reader along to a surprise ending.

About the author:  Andrew Taylor is the author of several crime and suspense novels.  He is the recipient of the Crime Writers' Association 2009 Cartier Diamond Dagger for sustained excellence in crime writing, among other awards.  His website is http://www.andrew-taylor.co.uk/ or www.facebook.com/TheAnatomyofGhosts.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hyperion.  Watch for my review in late January.~

The Anatomy of Ghosts
Publisher/Publication Date: Hyperion, Jan 25, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4013-0287-0
432 pages

Purchased Pages: Reader's Digest Select Editions Vol 6, 2010

The Mountain Between Us

by Charles Martin

Broadway

On a stormy winter night, two strangers wait for a flight at the Salt Lake City airport. Ashley Knox is an attractive, successful writer, who is flying East for her much anticipated wedding. Dr. Ben Payne has just wrapped up a medical conference and is also eager to get back East for a slate of surgeries he has scheduled for the following day. When the last outgoing flight is cancelled due to a broken de-icer and a forthcoming storm, Ben finds a charter plane that can take him around the storm and drop him in Denver to catch a connection. And when the pilot says the single engine prop plane can fit one more, if barely, Ben offers the seat to Ashley knowing that she needs to get back just as urgently. And then the unthinkable happens. The pilot has a heart attack mid-flight and the plane crashes into the High Uintas Wilderness-- one of the largest stretches of harsh and remote land in the United States.


Ben, who has broken ribs and Ashley, who suffers a terrible leg fracture, along with the pilot's dog, are faced with an incredibly harrowing battle to survive. Fortunately, Ben is a medical professional and avid climber (and in a lucky break, has his gear from a climb earlier in the week). With little hope for rescue, he must nurse Ashley back to health and figure out how they are going to get off the mountain, where the temperature hovers in the teens. Meanwhile, Ashley soon realizes that the very private Ben has some serious emotional wounds to heal as well. He explains to Ashley that he is separated from his beloved wife, but in a long standing tradition, he faithfully records messages for her on his voice recorder reflecting on their love affair. As Ashley eavesdrops on Ben's tender words to his estranged wife she comes to fear that when it comes to her own love story, she's just settling. And what's more: she begins to realize that the man she is really attracted to, the man she may love, is Ben.


As the days on the mountains become weeks, their survival become increasingly perilous. How will they make it out of the wilderness and if they do, how will this experience change them forever?


Both a tender and page-turning read, The Mountain Between Us will reaffirm your belief in the power of love to sustain us.

Nine Dragons

by Michael Connelly

Little, Brown and Company

Harry Bosch is assigned a homicide call in South L.A. that takes him to Fortune Liquors, where the Chinese owner has been shot to death behind the counter in an apparent robbery.


Joined by members of the department's Asian Crime Unit, Bosch relentlessly investigates the killing and soon identifies a suspect, a Los Angeles member of a Hong Kong triad. But before Harry can close in, he gets the word that his young daughter Maddie, who lives in Hong Kong with her mother, is missing.


Bosch drops everything to journey across the Pacific to find his daughter. Could her disappearance and the case be connected? With the stakes of the investigation so high and so personal, Bosch is up against the clock in a new city, where nothing is at it seems.

A Dog's Purpose

by W. Bruce Cameron

Forge Books

This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog’s search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More than just another charming dog story, A Dog’s Purpose touches on the universal quest for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we here?


Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious golden-haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray mutt, Bailey’s search for his new life’s meaning leads him into the loving arms of 8-year-old Ethan. During their countless adventures Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog.


But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey’s journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders—will he ever find his purpose?


Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.

This Time Together

by Carol Burnett

Harmony Books

THIS TIME TOGETHER is 100 percent Carol Burnett – funny, irreverent, and irresistible.


Carol Burnett is one of the most beloved and revered actresses and performers in America. The Carol Burnett Show was seen each week by millions of adoring fans and won twenty-five Emmys in its remarkable eleven-year run. Now, in This Time Together, Carol really lets her hair down and tells one funny or touching or memorable story after another – reading it feels like sitting down with an old friend who has wonderful tales to tell.


In engaging anecdotes, Carol discusses her remarkable friendships with stars such at Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, and Julie Andrews; the background behind famous scenes, like the moment she swept down the stairs in her curtain-rod dress in the legendary “Went With the Wild” skit; and things that would happen only to Carol – the prank with Julie Andrews that went wrong in front of the First Lady; the famous Tarzan Yell that saved her during a mugging; and the time she faked a wooden leg to get served in a famous ice cream emporium. This poignant look back allows us to cry with the actress during her sorrows, rejoice in her successes, and finally, always, to laugh.

ARC Arrival: Kick by Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman

Kick

by Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman

Harper Teen

For the very first time in his decades-long career writing for teens, acclaimed and beloved author Walter Dean Myers writes with a teen, Ross Workman.

Kevin Johnson is thirteen years old. And heading for juvie. He's a good kid, a great friend, and a star striker for his Highland, New Jersey, soccer team. His team is competing for the State Cup, and he wants to prove he has more than just star-player potential. Kevin's never been in any serious trouble . . . until the night he ends up in jail. Enter Sergeant Brown, a cop assigned to be Kevin's mentor. If Kevin and Brown can learn to trust each other, they might be able to turn things around before it's too late.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Teen.  Please watch for my review in February 2011.~

About the authors: Critically acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers has garnered much respect and admiration for his fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for young people.  Winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award, five Coretta Scott King Awards, two Newbery Honors, and the first-ever Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, he is considered one of the preeminent writers for children.  He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.  You can visit him online at http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/.

When Ross Workman was thirteen, he wrote a fan email to his favorite author.  When Walter Dean Myers wrote back and asked him whether he would be interested in writing a book, Ross was amazed -- and incredibly excited.  Four years later, Ross is seventeen and in eleventh grade at Westfield Senior High School.  In addition to writing, Ross plays a sport every season:  high school soccer in the fall, high school wrestling in the winter, and club travel soccer in the spring.  He has attended the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, plays alto and baritone saxophones, and has competed at the state level in the National Geographic Bee.  He lives in Westfield, New Jersey.

Kick
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Teen, Feb 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-200490-1
195 pages

ARC Arrival: Unforgivable by Laura Griffin

Unforgivable

by Laura Griffin

Pocket Star Books

Tracing killers is Mia Voss's business...

And her work just got personal...

At first, Mia Voss thinks it's just bad luck when her already lousy day ends with a carjacking, but what seems like a random incident is followed by another sinister episode.  A DNA expert, Mia has made it her mission to put away vicious criminals.  Suddenly, she's become the target of one.  And the only way to protect the people she loves most is to deliberately destroy her reputation and risk letting a killer walk free.

Once, Mia trusted Detective Ric Santos, but that was before Ric let his turbulent past ruin his chances with Mia, the sexiest, most intriguing woman he's ever met.  But he can tell when she's lying -- and when she's scared.  The key to catching a sadistic madman lies within a long-buried cold case that has haunted Mia for years.  Only she can uncover the truth, but first, Ric will have to get her to entrust him with her secrets. . . and her life.

About the author: Laura Griffin started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of romantic suspense with her novels for Pocket Books.  Her books have won numerous awards, including a 2010 RITA and a 2010 Daphne du Maurier Award.  Laura currently lives in Austin, where she is working on the next book in her popular Tracers series.  Visit http://www.lauragriffin.com/ and be sure to follow Laura on Twitter @Laura_Griff.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Pocket Books.  Please look for my review in early January.~

Unforgivable

Publisher/Publication Date: Pocket Star Books, Nov 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4391-5296-6
416 pages

To Kindle or Not To Kindle? PLEASE READ

It is that time of year when my husband is trying to figure out what I would like for Christmas.  The idea of a Kindle came up.  So, I am asking other book reviewers - do you have an E-reader and do you get books for review on them?  Also - if you do have an E-reader - which one do you prefer?  For publishers - do you have many review books available for Kindle?  (or Nook, etc)?

THANK YOU!

New Giveaway - The False Friend by Myra Goldberg

It is time for a new giveaway!  I have 2 copies of The False Friend by Myra Goldberg to giveaway - courtesy of Doubleday Books.

From the bestselling author of Bee Season comes an astonishingly complex psychological drama with a simple setup - two eleven-year-old girls, best friends and fierce rivals, go into the woods.  Only one comes out. . .

Leaders of a mercurial clique, Celia and Djuna subjected each other and their three followers to an endless cycle of reward and punishment that peaked one afternoon when all five girls walked home along a forbidden road.  Djuna disappeared that day; Celia blocked out what happened.  It was assumed that Djuna was abducted, though neither she nor her abductor was ever found.

Twenty years later, Celia and her boyfriend Huck are professionally successful, but their relationship is in stasis.  When Celia's memory of that terrible day returns, she confronts her own responsibility for her best friend's disappearance and returns to her hometown to confess.  Her aging parents - their love handicapped by a lifetime of reserve - insist that she is innocent.  Her childhood friends don't believe her.  Huck wants to be supportive, but he can't ignore all that contradicts Celia's version of the past.

Deeply resonant and emotionally charged, The False Friend explores the adults that children become -- leading us to question the truths that we accept or reject, and the lies to which we succumb.

For the Giveaway:

1. Follow my blog (plz) and must leave email address

2. Additional entries - twitter, blog, etc about the giveaway and leave me the link

3.  Giveaway is open to US residents only and will end Dec 22.  Good luck!



Winners!

Dewey's Nine Lives - winner skkorman

Montana Glory -  Winners -
Linda Henderson - already won! - new winner is J.L. Jackson
Karen
Patsy












All winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to contact me or remaining books will be given away on Twitter.


Twitter winner of Simply Irresistible - Heather!

Twitter winner of Two Lethal Lies  - Still up for grabs!  Follow me on twitter (@kherbrand) and DM message me to win!

ARC Arrival: Adam (Book 1 The Eden Chronicles) by Brian H. Winchester

Adam, the Eden Chronicles, Book One

by Brian H. Winchester

TM Publishing

He was named after the moist red earth from which he was formed.  His muscular body was just past the threshold of full manhood.  By current earthly standards he would have looked to be in his late teens.  His intellect was agile, sharp, and endowed with a deep understanding of the world he had just entered -- the kind of understanding that today would take a lifetime to develop.  What he couldn't learn by logical analysis he quickly grasped through a keen intuition that was emotional and spiritual at the same time.

Adam would need all these capabilities to fulfill the charge God had given him -- to cultivate the rich land of Eden in which he had been placed, and to protect and guard it.

But guard it from what?

Adam was about to find out.  Everything about life as he knew it hung in the balance of how well he accomplished that charge.  If he did well, he would protect not only his own life, but preserve the soul of every man and woman to follow.  If he failed, the consequences would be beyond even his ability to understand.

The was in Heaven was over.  The battle for Earth was about to begin.

About the author:  Brian Winchester, founder and president of Winchester Environmental Associates, Inc., is a professional environmental scientist.  He specializes in the evaluation of natural ecological systems and the effect of man upon them, and provides technical analysis and expert testimony.  Winchester has lived, worked and studied in over 30 countries, with a geographic focus in the southeastern United States and Caribbean.  His current areas of interest include the evolution/intelligent design debate, wilderness areas not yet visited, and Genesis and the Garden of Eden.  His writings include professional and non-fiction works, but Adam is his first novel.  He and his wife Deb reside in Tampa, Florida.

~I received a complimentary copy from Creative Resources.  Watch for my review by January 15.~

Adam: A Novel (The Eden Chronicles)

Publisher/Publication Date: TM Publishing, Oct 2010

ISBN: 978-0-9826665-9-3

240 pages