Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Book Blast: Fire and Ash by Anne Patrick

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Fire and Ash by Anne Patrick

Fire and Ash is the story of female fire investigator Sadie McGregor.  When she was a child, Sadie lost her family in a horrific fire that still haunts her.  She's now been called in to investigate a fatality fire in her hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri. What Sadie and the handsome new police chief discover will not only affect those close to them, but will rock the entire community.






Reviews and Awards
"This is a beautiful, yet hard-hitting story, fluently written, presenting characters you fall in love with." 
~ Reviewed by Fennel at LASR


"A Top Pick! Another Fantastic Novel!!!! Anne Patrick's novel, "Fire and Ash" is a well-written novel that flows wonderfully. A fantastic read!" 
~ Night Owl Reviews


"A wonderful read, this book had me laughing and crying. True to life characters and vivid descriptions, along with comedy and heart stopping moments, make this a page turner you'll want to read again." 
~ Happily Ever After Reviews


"As a forensics show enthusiast, I found that Anne Patrick, in her book, Fire and Ash, goes into great, minute detail of the fire investigation, that puts you on the scent of a perpetrator.  Her unique ability to incorporate multiple plots to throw you off course makes the pages fly by to connect the dots."  
~ Onedesertrose's Christian Book Reviews Blog


"As a retired fire investigator I have to say kudos to Ms Patrick on her research. I normally don’t read romantic suspense, but this book sounded intriguing so I couldn't resist. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED" 
~Review from 'Fireboy' at Christianbook.com

 Received Four Stars from Romantic Times Book Reviews!

LASR BEST BOOK of 2010 Nominee!

'Best Inspirational' 2010 at The Romance Reviews!

#1 Bestselling Suspense eBook, and #1 Bestselling Romance eBook at Christianbook.com!

Amazon Top 100 Bestseller in Christian Fiction!

Author Anne Patrick

Anne Patrick is the author of more than a dozen novels of Romance, Mayhem & Faith, including the award winning and bestselling WOUNDED HEROES SERIES, FIRE AND ASH, and TIES THAT BIND. When she isn't working on her next novel she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and traveling to foreign countries to experience new cultures and adventures. Born and raised in Oklahoma, she now makes her home in Kansas. 









She loves to hear from her readers!







Book Blast Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/10/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Sunday, March 24, 2013

My Birthday Surprise!

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This is a sticky post. . . First let me start by apologizing to anyone who I had scheduled a review with for 3/22 - 3/26.  My husband is taking me away this weekend as a surprise for my birthday!  He gave me the note below earlier today:


HAPPY BIRTHDAY

For my lovely wife, who I love more than anything in the world, what do I get her for her birthday. . .

I thought of diamonds, cars, even stitching supplies, but nothing really seemed like what she would really like.

So in a moment of desperation, I selected a night on the town:
Unfortunately Gurnee was really busy, so it will not be our town (so please pack an overnight bag).
I think a nice dinner is in order, so a nice outfit would be good to pack.
And because I am still "concussed" from the Crazy Trail, I guarantee there will be dancing.
Swimming is an option, so just in case.

When should we do this "extravaganza" of a night?????  I hope you have no plans for the weekend of 3-22, as we will be leaving our residence about 1 in the afternoon, returning sometime Sunday afternoon.  Do not worry, no plane trips, this will be all driving.

More details to come as my concussion clears, but for now above is all I can remember (other than I really do love you).


Is this not the sweetest thing ever???   So, for those reviews I had scheduled this weekend, I will try to get them up early next week.  And for those that were scheduled at the beginning of the week - I will not be doing the reading this weekend that I thought I would be doing, so they will probably be late as well.  But this is probably the coolest thing anyone has ever done for me - so I am going to go get a good night's sleep and plan on having a good time!  Happy reading to everyone!


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Book Review: Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt

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Title: Chosen Ones (The Lost Souls, Book One)
Author: Tiffany Truitt
Publisher: Entangled Teen

 About the book: Life is bleak but uncomplicated for sixteen-year-old Tess, living in a not-too-distant future where the government, faced with humanity's extinction, created the Chosen Ones, artificial beings who are extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly. 

When Tess begins work at Templeton, a Chosen Ones training facility, she meets James, and the attraction is immediate in its intensity, overwhelming in its danger. But there is more to Templeton than Tess ever knew. Can she stand against her oppressors, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

Purchase Links:

Add on Goodreads

My Thoughts: This was a great dystopian novel!  I would love to see it made into a movie!   Tess tries to be tough and unfeeling, but her walls start to crumble after she meets James.  She is a Natural, and he is a Chosen One.  While the powers-that-be don't discourage contact between the Chosen Ones at Templeton and the Naturals working there, it is understood that any contact they may have is simply a physical relationship.  That there can be no true feelings between the two.    But let me back up.

When war has taken the life out of the Naturals, they decide to create a race to fight for them, so the Chosen Ones are created.  They are all male, no emotions, fighting machines.  For the first years of their life, when emotional attachments are generally formed, they are kept alive on machines with only videos looped over and over to educate them - to tell them how insignificant the Naturals were and how they are unbeatable. Women especially are viewed as insignificant and what caused the downfall of the human race.  For the most part, they are now sterile and if they try to have children, both they and the child die in childbirth.  This is how Tess comes to be at Templeton.  

The oldest female child is forced to serve a term at Templeton.  If for some reason, they cannot fulfill that term, then the next female child must finish it.  Tess's older sister Emma, foolishly got pregnant and died in childbirth, so Tess had to finish her obligation at Templeton.  She meets James the first day there and there is immediately a strange attraction between the two.  They know it is dangerous and that they must keep it hidden, as  theirs is not a physical relationship, but one of trust and caring.  If it is found out, they can both be in danger.

I love how you see and feel their relationship build from the beginning.  How you want to see them together, but you don't know who you can trust.  The author slowly reveals the secrets of Templeton to you and begins to reveal the power of the Chosen Ones.  You learn right along with Tess, so her shocks are your shocks as well.  

I am so happy that I already have book two, Naturals, to read! It is being released in April, so watch for my review then!

~I received a complimentary ecopy of Chosen Ones from Entangled Teen in exchange for my unbiased review.~



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Book Review: Scent of Lilacs by Ann H. Gabhart

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Title: Scent of Lilacs (Hollyhill, Book 1)
Author: Ann H. Gabhart
Publisher: Revell

 About the Book: After the summer of 1964, life for Jocie Brooke will never be the same.

 Life-changing events rarely happen in quiet Hollyhill, Kentucky, and when they do, they are few and far between.  But for young Jocie Brooke and her family, they happen all at once during the humid summer of 1964.  though on the surface things are just fine, it seems like everyone in Jocie's life has something they're not saying, something they're hiding from her -- and from themselves.  As Jocie digs into her family's past, she stirs up a whirlwind of discoveries.  Will she find the answers everyone so desperatley needs? Or will her questions lead to truths better left hidden?

 Combining unforgettable characters, true-to-life struggles, and the perfect dose of humor and nostalgia, this riveting story from bestselling author Ann Gabhart explores the very essence of new life and love.
Purchase Links
~Baker Retail~     ~Amazon~     ~Barnes and Noble~     ~Christianbook.com~

Add on Goodreads

My Thoughts: I was raised in a small town in the midwest and could really relate to Jocie and the pace of Hollyhill.  Even though the book is set in 1964, they have many of the same struggles that people have today.   Jocie is so innocent when the story starts.  Her two biggest prayers are that God will bring her a dog and will bring her sister Tabitha home.  

Seven years earlier, when Jocie was only 5, her mother left in the night, taking Tabitha, her older sister, with her.  They receive letters from Tabitha, usually asking for money so she can come home and visit, but she never does.  Jocie prays everyday that Tabitha will come home, and she prays for a dog as well.

One day out in the woods, a dog finds Jocie.  He follows her home and she is smitten.  She names him Zebedee or Zeb for short and sees that God has answered her prayers.  Since he answered the prayer about a dog, she surely believes He will bring Tabitha home.  And sure enough, within a few days, after being away 7 years, Tabitha shows up on their front porch - no longer a young girl of 13, but now a young woman of 20. 

Jocie has always been full of questions, but now she starts to question what she knows to be her family's history.  As the truth starts to come out, will it make things better to know the answers, or should some secrets stay buried.  

This book was originally published in 2005 and was rereleased with a new cover.  I found it to be very engrossing and read it in one afternoon.  It was a good lesson to me that even Christians can make mistakes, but we need to grow from every decision that we make, whether it be good or bad.  I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.

~I received a complimentary copy of The Scent of Lilacs from Revell Blog Tours in exchange for my unbiased review.~

Publisher/Publication Date: Baker Publishing, March 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3080-2
345 pages

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

A Little Bit Cupid by Jennifer Shirk (My review and Jennifer's Little Bits of Paradise!)

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Official Tour Stops

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Title: A Little Bit Cupid

Author: Jennifer Shirk

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

About the Novella: Finding love should be easy, but wedding photographer Pheobe Ward knows better. When Cupid shows up on a crazy mission to help her—and save the world in the process—Phoebe realizes love might be even more complicated than she thought. Even with Cupid showing her Mr. Right, she can’t stop thinking about his best friend, Mr. Wrong.

Cal Crawford has never had time for love, but now he’s falling for Phoebe. Which means it’s got to be just plain wrong to set her up with his best friend, right? But even though seeing Phoebe with someone else will break his heart, he can’t walk away from her.
Phoebe can’t afford to choose the wrong guy with the fate of the world at stake. But maybe Cupid has it wrong. Maybe she has to rely just a little bit on Cupid, and a whole lot more on her heart.
Purchase Links
My thoughts: This was a really cute story and you should be able to read it in under an hour.  Even with the short format, you could still feel the attraction and the tension between Cal and Phoebe, and the forced attraction between Phoebe and Adam.  Story left me thinking about all the things that would be missing in my life if love didn't exist in the world.  Great little novella.   
Other books reviewed from this author: Kissing Kendall

~I received a complimentary ecopy of A Little Bit Cupid from Entangled Publishing in exchange for my unbiased review.~

About the author: Jennifer Shirk has a bachelor degree in pharmacy--which has in NO WAY at all helped her with her writing career. But she likes to point it out, since it shows romantic-at-hearts come in all shapes, sizes, and mind-numbing educations.

She writes sweet (and sometimes even funny) romances for Samhain Publishing, Avalon Books/Montlake Romance and now Entangled Publishing. She won third place in the RWA 2006 NYC's Kathryn Hayes Love and Laughter Contest with her first book, The Role of a Lifetime.
Lately she's been on a serious exercise kick. But don't hold that against her. 
Feel free to follow her on Twitter or become a friend on Facebook. 
Social Media Links:Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferShirk 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorjennifershirk 
Website: http://www.jennifershirk.com/ 
Blog: http://www.jennifershirk.blogspot.com/ 
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3112488.Jennifer_Shirk 

            Hi, all! Jennifer here!

Thanks so much to Books and Needlepoint for having me today!     

Some of you may or may not know that I have romantic comedy out now called A Little Bit Cupid. It's set in Boston, MA. Boston is not exactly what you would call "paradise" but it does happen to be one of my favorite cities in the U.S.

Want to know what places I DO consider paradise?

Oh, good! Because I have a list. And as of yet, I have never set a book in one of these places. Maybe it's time I change that!               

                                                Ten Places I Consider Paradise

10) Napa Valley Wine Country in CA --rolling hills, vineyards, and wine. So lovely that I've vacationed there FOUR times!

9) Charleston, SC--the lush plantations, the palm trees--and the food! The hubby and I totally ate our way through this city.

8) Bonita Springs, FL --where I go and visit the in-laws when they're in FL. 

7) Marblehead, MA--true New England feel along the water, quaint shops, and the birthplace of the Navy.

6) Glacier National Park, MT-- the mountains, the views, the clean air!

5) Puerto Rico-- the aqua-colored water, the great food--and no need for passports. :)

4) The Atlantis, in Nassau, Bahamas-- true heaven, all the amenities you could ever want and more. Vacationed there four times too!

3)Newport, RI all the yachts, the lovely New England coast, and the mansions. So pretty!

2) Ocean City, NJ Yes, little NJ has a piece of paradise in the south. BEST BEACH in the east coast, in my humble opinion.

1) Home Ha! Sorry, but I do tend to me a bit of a homebody. I love stay vacations the best!
And there's my list. Have you to been to any of these places?

Well, you should check them out. And you should also check out my romance A Little Bit Cupid--not paradise, but very sweet and fun!

Thanks for having me today!

What place do you consider paradise?
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

GREAT! Book Review: Going Under by S. Walden

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Virtual Book Tour of Going Under by S. Walden is presented by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, March 19 - 21.  Ebook is currently 99 cents and definitely worth it!  Purchase links at bottom.
 
March 19th
PROMO Stops

1. Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet



 
March 20th
Review Stops
 

March 21st
PROMO/Excerpts
 





Title: Going Under
Author: S. Walden
Publisher: Penny Press

About the Book: Brooke Wright has only two goals her senior year at Charity Run High School: stay out of trouble and learn to forgive herself for the past. Forgiveness proves elusive, and trouble finds her anyway when she discovers a secret club at school connected to the death of her best friend. She learns that swim team members participate in a “Fantasy Slut League,” scoring points for their sexual acts with unsuspecting girls.

Brooke, wracked with guilt over her friend’s death, decides to infiltrate the league by becoming one of the “unsuspecting girls,” and exact revenge on the boys who stole away her best friend. An unexpected romance complicates her plans, and her dogged pursuit of justice turns her reckless as she underestimates just how far the boys will go to keep their sex club a secret.

(This is a New Adult fiction book with mature themes. It contains explicit language and descriptions of sexual violence.)

My Thoughts: I stayed up until 1AM reading this book because I just knew that I had to finish it.  It was fantastic.  The author took a very tough subject and handled it with great sensitivity.  Brooke was perfect as the teenage protagonist against this group of boys who treated the girls in their school as toys.  She was deluded, as a teenager would be, into thinking that she would be able to handle anything that came up on her own - and she wanted to avenge her friend Beth's death.  Along the way, though, she does come up with some colorful allies. 

Terry, the head chef from her job, becomes her computer hacker, and is able to get her all kinds of information that confirms her suspicions.  Gretchen, her best friend from her old school, gets wrapped up in the plot when one of the swim team members  takes a liking to her.  Then there is Ryan, they are instantly attracted to each other, though they each seem to be trying to keep their distance.  Brooke is trying not to have any romantic attachments, because she thinks it will thwart her plans for revenge.  Try as she might though, she can't stay away from Ryan.  He ends up playing an unlikely role in the end anyway.

Speaking of endings, I thought the author wrapped this up beautifully.  It could have been a tragic ending, but it contained hope and healing. I will agree with the disclaimer above though, there is explicit language and descriptions of sexual violence, but they were essential to the story.
 
~I received a complimentary ecopy of this book from Reading Addiction Blog Tours in exchange for my unbiased review.~



About the author: S. Walden used to teach English before making the best decision of her life by becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who prefers physics textbooks over fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has a Westie instead. Her dreams include raising chickens and owning and operating a beachside inn on the Gulf Coast (chickens included). When she's not writing, she's thinking about it.

She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and
follow her blog at http://swaldenauthor.blogspot.com where you can get up-to-date information
on her current projects.

Connect with her:
Blog: http://swaldenauthor.blogspot.com
email: swaldenauthor@hotmail.com
twitter: @swaldenauthor
 
 
 
Purchase Links: 
The Author is having Going Under special release day price of 99 cents.
~Amazon~     ~Smashwords~     ~CreateSpace~    




 



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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop (Mar 20 - 25)

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2nd Annual Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop

It's time for some spring cleaning!

This is your chance to clear out your overflowing bookshelf and pass some of your books on to other booklovers.  Time to pass on those books that just weren't for you or the review copies that you are never going to get read.

I am going to be giving away some fitness books that have been collecting dust on my shelves.  Hopefully someone else will put them to good use!  They are: 


by Denise Austin




by Chantel Hobbs




by Ashley Marriott and Marc L. Paulsen, MD




by Chantel Hobbs










To enter - just fill out the rafflecopter below.  This giveaway is only open to U.S.  

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