Ending Tonight @ Midnight! Dark Hunger!

Ends tonight @ midnight!

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Waiting On Wednesday~ Kindred In Death by J.D. Robb

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking The Spine.

If you haven't visited her blog, you should! Thanks Jill!!

my pick this week:

Kindred In Death by J.D. Robb

When the newly promoted captain of the NYPSD and his wife return a day early from their vacation, they were looking forward to spending time with their bright and vivacious sixteen-year-old daughter who had stayed behind.Not even their worst nightmares could have prepared them for the crime scene that awaited them instead. Brutally murdered in her bedroom, Deena’s body showed signs of trauma that horrified even the toughest of cops; including our own Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who was specifically requested by the captain to investigate.When the evidence starts to pile up, Dallas and her team think they are about to arrest their perpetrator; little do they know yet that someone has gone to great lengths to tease and taunt them by using a variety of identities. Overconfidence can lead to careless mistakes. But for Dallas, one mistake might be all she needs to bring justice.

The In Death series is written by J.D. Robb (a.k.a. Nora Roberts) and centers around NYPSD Leiutant Eve Dallas & her HOT, hunk of a husband Roarke. This IS my favorite series of all time. Kindred In Death will be available November 2009 and is the 30th installment of the series (not including the novella's that have been published!).

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme,
hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!

You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add

the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

Sam walked over to the bar, sliding onto a leather bar stool with antique brass legs. "That scotch looks good".

He smiled. "It is good".

He never smiled like that, without pain, anger or mocking sarcasm.

Dark Lover by Brenda Joyce

page 231

Tour Stop~ The Calling by David Mack

Meet the answer to your prayers.

HEAR THE CALLING.

No one would guess by looking at Tom Nash that he's extraordinary, and that's just fine with him. A tall, broad-shouldered jack-of-all-trades from Sawyer, Pennsylvania, Tom has a knack for fixing things. He also hides a secret talent: he hears people's prayers. Stranger still, he answers them. Maybe it's because he's a handyman, but Tom feels compelled to fix people's problems. Which is all well and good — until the soul-shattering plea of a terrified girl sends him on the darkest journey of his life…

SEEK THE TRUTH.

Heeding the call and leaving his home for New York City, Tom discovers a secret world beyond the range of mortal perception — a world of angels and demons and those who serve them. With the guidance of a knowing stranger named Erin, Tom learns that he himself is one of The Called, born with a divine purpose and a daunting task: to help the powers of Heaven in the war against the agents of Hell, an army of fallen angels known as the Scorned. Thrust into an epic battle of the sacred and the profane, Tom Nash must find the girl who prayed for his help — because her fate will determine whether humanity deserves to be saved, or damned for all eternity…

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Pocket (July 21, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416579923

About the author:

David Mack is the national bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including Wildfire, Harbinger, Reap the Whirlwind, Road of Bones, and the Star Trek Destiny trilogy — Gods of Night, Mere Mortals, and Lost Souls. His first original novel, the supernatural thriller The Calling, debuted in July 2009 to critical acclaim.In addition to novels, Mack's diverse writing credits span several media, including television (for episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), film, short fiction, magazines, newspapers, comic books, computer games, radio, and the Internet.Upcoming novels in 2009 by David Mack include The 4400: Promises Broken, Star Trek Vanguard: Precipice, and an expanded edition of his Mirror Universe tale The Sorrows of Empire. Coming in 2010 are More Beautiful Than Death, an adventure inspired by the 2009 feature film Star Trek; and Zero Sum Game, the second book of the Star Trek: Typhon Pact miniseries.Mack has been to shows in every Rush concert tour since 1982, and he finally met two-thirds of the band in 2007. He currently resides in New York City with his wife, Kara.

David Mack's webiste: HERE!

my thoughts:

"Please, God…don’t let them kill me.” Imagine being woken from your sleep, hearing this prayer. That's what happens to Tom Nash, you run of the mill. everyday handyman. Tom knows it's not his imagination and that he has to find the young girl who whispered this prayer. That's what he does. He helps those people, whose prayers he hears. So he packs up, kisses his very pregnant wife good-bye and heads to New York. He knows he has to save the girl. Luckily for him, he has a very understanding wife!

I think David Mack has a hit on his hands, with the opportunity for an excellent series! I hope he continues with Tom Nash! The characters are so well written, the settings described in such detail that I sank into this book. I have never read any of Mr. Macks previous work, but I will be on the look out for his future books! *hint* He has a book coming out later this year about "The 4400" and it picks up where the show left off! I can't wait! I loved "The 4400" and hated how it ended!

I have always wondered how authors come up with ideas like this? I would love to have an imagination that can create characters that are extraordinary, everyday people, who come alive on the written page.

I would suggest that if you enjoy a good urban fantasy/paranormal that has little or no romance in it, this would be the book you should read!

And The Winner is...

And the winner of

"Best Friends Forever"

by Jennifer Weiner is:

Sue who said...
My best friend is Natalie. We've been friends for ten years. We live in different states, but I still talk to her as much as possible.

I will be sending you and email soon!

Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti

An international sensation, this addictively readable tale asks the question: Why is it so impossible to get a relationship between two middle-aged misfits to work? The answer lies in the story of Shrimp, a young widowed librarian with a sharp intellect and a home so tidy that her jam jars are in alphabetical order; Benny, a gentle, overworked milk farmer who fears becoming the villageÂ’s Old Bachelor; and an unlikely love that should not be as complicated as it seems. Reminiscent of the works of Carol Shields, this quirky, humorous, beautifully told novel breathes new life into the age-old conundrum that is love.

my thoughts:

Benny & Shrimp is the tale of two thirty-somethings, who meet at the cemetary while visiting their loved ones who have passed on. This book was told from both perspectives, each alternating chapters. Shrimp, whose husbands grave she visits almost everyday and Benny, who visits his parents grave most days.
This book was interesting since the heroine is a plain Jane librarian, who lives in her well organized, spotless, bland apartment and the hero happens to be a dairy farmer who lives in a farm house that hasn't changed much in the last 50 years. There are no big, detailed sex scenes, neither hero or heroine transform into a gorgous person. This was just a funny, satisfying read that ended in such a way that I hope & look forward to a sequel! This book will give any single person, over the age of thirty, hope that there really is someone out there for everyone.

Ends at Midnight! Giveaway for Best Friends Forever!

If you would like to enter to win my copy of

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner go HERE!

Contest ends tonight at midnight

One winner will be announced on the 10th

via a post & email!

My Guilty Pleasures Blog~ GIVEAWAY!!

OK! I've started cleaning out my closet and this is what I have so far!

THIS GIVEAWAY INCLUDES:
(and more may be added!)

BOOKS:

The Imposters Daughter by Laurie Sandell

The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos

Tamed By A Laird by Amanda Scott

Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger

Cemetary Dance by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

I Can See You by Karen Rose

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti**

AUDIOBOOKS:

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Myron Vicki
Any Minute by Joyce Meyer

About the Contest:
Open to US & Canadian addresses.
No PO Boxes please.

One winner will be chosenDeadline is: midnight August 29th

To Win:

Leave a comment with your name & your email address
I will notify the winners by email & on my blog

Please respond within 72 hours with your mailing information!

**added after inital posting!

And The Winners Are~ for "The Castaways" Audiobook

And the winners are:

catss99

Lee P

DCMetroreader

Congratulations!

I will be emailing you shortly for your address!

Almost Forgot...The Castways Audiobook giveaway ends at MIDNIGHT!

Go HERE to enter to win!

End at MIDNIGHT!

I've disabled the comments on this post!

Upcoming Giveaway...

Just a heads up...I'm going to have a giveaway.

A HUGE giveaway.

I'm going to clean out my "already" read pile of books that I've received since starting this blog and I will be posting it this weekend! I can't keep them all, I'm running out of room! I will probably post the giveaway sometime on Sunday.

New Giveaway Policy...

I have been pondering, worrying over the "new" giveaway policy, and I've decided to just go ahead and keep it the way it originally started out, with a couple of minor changes. Unless it states otherwise, all giveaways will now end at Midnight, on a Friday night so I can post & email the winners on Saturday (when I'm not working). Instead of having 48 hours to reply back to the email that I send, the winners will now have 72 hours (Saturday, Sunday & Monday!).

Thanks to Bookinwithbingo for her wonderful and oh so simple solution to the problems I was having! Thanks bunches! I can't believe I didn't think of copying & pasting!

Giveaway Winners for "I Can See You" by Karen Rose

And the winners for "I Can See You" are:

elaing8

janetfaye

missy

throughthehaze

donnas

Please check your email!

Please reply back within 72 hours!

Congratulations!

Giveaway~How To Tame A Modern Rogue by Diana Holquist

Ally Giordano’s beloved grandmother actually believes that she's living in her favorite romance novel in Regency England and Ally doesn't have the heart to set her straight. But now Granny Donny's last wish is for a retreat to the country and Ally can't refuse her...until she demands that Sam Carson accompany them. And though his smiles turn her knees into jelly, Ally knows better than to trust a playboy...and she definitely knows better than to try to change one. Or does she?

Read an excerpt.

Check out the Fun Facts.

Visit Diana Holquist’s website.

Follow @DianaHolquist on Twitter.

About the Contest:
Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.
Five winners will be posted on August 15th.
To win:
Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)
Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)
Your third comment, should you choose to do so, should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)

Giveaway~So Into You by Sandra Hill

Angel Sabato has been in love with best friend Grace O'Brien for 10 years--but he's only just realized it. Too bad she doesn't take him seriously when he tells her about his feelings. Now Grace is left to wonder if her problems from the past are keeping her from opening herself to love. But she brushes these "useless" musings aside, concentrating instead on the work she's doing as an apprentice to folk healer Tante Lulu and keeping up with the old woman's good deeds. Unbeknownst to Grace, Tante Lulu has decided to try her hand at matchmaking again. And Tante Lulu has never failed before!

Download the short story prequel, SAVING SAVANNAH.

Watch the video.

Visit Sandra Hill’s website.

About the Contest:
Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.
Five winners will be posted on August 15th
To win:
Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)
Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)
Your third comment, should you choose to do so, should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)

Blog Tour Stop~ Seduce Me by Robyn DeHart

Fielding Grey is the second son of the Marquess of Eldon and fortune hunter by night. He's on a mission for the Legend Hunters--a group of wealthy, titled, and heart-breakingly gorgeous men, each of whom are after the find of the century--he has his eyes set on obtaining the illustrious Pandora's Box. But before he finds it, he encounters an equally alluring treasure--the woman bold enough to look inside. Esme Worthington can't resist taking the tiniest peek inside when fate drops the real Pandora's Box in her lap. Thus, she unleashes one of Pandora's irresistible curses: the curse of lust. Now, both Esme and Fielding must deal with this passionate curse--or blessing?--before unknown implications of Pandora's Box overpower them both.

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Forever (July 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446542008
• Authors website: Robyn DeHart

my thoughts:

I really enjoyed Esme & Fieldings story. More than I thought I would. It took me a few pages to really get into the book, but once I did, I found that I was very interested in reading more about Pandora's Box. I'm not really sure how acurate the myth is, in relation to the book, but I thought it was very interesting how she used it. I didn't really care much for Esme & Fielding as separate characters, but once they got together, that is when I began enjoying the story.

Now for the really good stuff:

Thanks to Anna @ Hachette Book Group

I have 5 copies of "Seduce Me" to giveaway!

About the Contest:

Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.

Deadline is: midnight, August 17th

To win:

Leave a comment with your name & email address

For an added chance, be a follower (please leave a separate comment)!

I will notify the winners in a post.

Please respond within 72 hours with your mailing information!

Last Call~ I Can See You (ends at midnight tonight!)

Evie Wilson was the victim of the villain in DON'T TELL, an assault which resulted in paralysis on one side of her face. After her injury, Evie retreated into the virtual realm, seeking refuge from the public eye by interacting with online friends. Now, with the help of a surgeon, Evie's face is restored and she is ready to return to the real world. However, she remains connected to the Internet for her graduate thesis on using the virtual world as therapy to improve self-esteem. She has become an online shopkeeper who sells faces and bodies to users interested in building a new avatar on a website called "Shadowland." In her new role, Evie maintains "surveillance" over her test subjects to ensure they don't become too caught up in the intoxicating virtual realm.Meanwhile, homicide detective Noah Webster has been investigating a string of suspicious suicides that he believes are connected murders. Noah's investigation leads him to Evie when one of her online test subjects is found dead of apparent suicide, but Evie believes otherwise. Evie is shocked to find herself drawn to someone for the first time in many years and she's reluctant to trust Noah. However, he's the only one who believes her story about the suspicious death of her test subject, and he soon discovers that many of the apparent suicides in his case had avatars in "Shadowland." As murder victims connected to the website begin to appear more frequently, Noah asks Evie to be his virtual guide in the investigation. However, they don't realize that the killer is closer than they think--and that he holds a special grudge against Evie.

Go HERE to enter!

Any comments left on this post will NOT be included!

Thanks!

Waiting On Wednesday~ Bed Of Roses by Nora Roberts

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking The Spine.
If you haven't visited her blog, you should! Thanks Jill!!

My pick this week: Bed Of Roses by Nora Roberts

available October 27, 2009

This is the second novel in Nora Roberts’s celebrated Bride Quartet series

As little girls MacKensie, Emma, Laurel, and Parker spent hours acting out their perfect make believe “I do” moments. Years later their fantasies become reality when they start their own wedding planning company to make every woman’s dream day come true. With perfect flowers, delicious desserts, and joyful moments captured on film, Nora Roberts’s Bride Quartet shares each woman’s emotionally magical journey to romance. In Bed of Roses, florist Emma Grant is finding career success with her friends at Vows wedding planning company, and her love life appears to be thriving. Though men swarm around her, she still hasn’t found Mr. Right. And the last place she’s looking is right under her nose. But that’s just where Jack Cooke is. He’s so close to the women of Vows that he’s practically family, but the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship. When Emma returns his passion—kiss for blistering kiss—they must trust in their history…and in their hearts.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a Noraholic. I love all that is Nora! You can visit her website here. Her husband owns "Turn The Page" bookstore, where you can buy her books and you can have them autographed! There is also a great messageboard that she visits regularly, ADWOFF! My review for the first book in the series, "Vision In White" can be found here!

Teaser Tuesday...

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme,

hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

• Grab your current read



• Open to a random page



• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page



• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)



• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  

My Teaser:

"I'm not stupid, John." "I never meant that you were,"he contended, even though he didn't figure she'd been valedictorian at that university she said she'd attended.

Page 54~ Simply Irresistable by Rachel Gibson

More...AND THE WINNERS ARE...

I had a couple of people say they've already won

"Knight of Desire"

from another blog, so random.org chose another 2!

Commchick

katsrus

Please email me your mailing address!

Congrats!

More...AND THE WINNERS ARE...

I received 2 emails today that CherylS22 & Elaing8 both had won "Tamed By A Laird" from another blog, so random.org worked some overtime, choosing 2 new winners! And those winners are:

Jenny N

throuthehaze

Please email me with your addresses!

Congrats!

AND THE WINNERS ARE...for Tamed By A Laird!

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

scottsgal

elaing8

cheryls22

budletsmom

Jane

Congratulations!

Please email me your address!

Quick reviews & Rachel Gibson

Sex, Lies & Online Dating~
Sex...What is it about men anyway? Bad cars, bad jobs, even bad teeth-nothing convinces them that they can't snare a Size Two Babe with a D-cup chest. And after way too many internet dates with men named "luvstick" and "bigdaddy 182", Lucy Rothschild should know. Lies...But sitting across from her now is "hardlucnman", and he seems different-sensitive, honest, and hot! He says he's a plumber, while Lucy claims she's a nurse! She's really a mystery wtire, dating online while researching her next book. Hey, everone liew a little, don't they? And online dating...But Quinn's really an undercover cop hunting down a serial killer, and he sees Lucy and his top suspect. And while he could really go this smart, sexy woman with the killer bod-if that's the only thing "killer" about her-he knows he needs to wine and dine her and discover the truth. Hey, he realized the dating can be deadly-but this is ridiculous!

I'm In No Mood For Love~
Bridesmaid Gone Wild. What is Clare Wingate doing? One minute she's suffering in a pretty-in-pink gown she'll never wear again, and the next thing she knows it's the morning...and she has the nastiest hangover of her life. To make matters worse, she's wearing nothing but a spritz of Escada and lying next to Sebastian Vaughn...her girlhood crush turned sexy, globehopping journalist. Somewhere between the toast and the toss of the bouquet she'd gotten herself into a whole lot of trouble. Clare had the right to go wild-after all, she's been knocked off her dyed-to-match shoes after finding her fiance in a compromising postion with washing machine repairman. Clearly he society wedding if off. But Sebastian pushed all the wrong buttons-and some of the right ones too. Clare is in no mood for love-not even for lust-wants to forget about Sebastian and his six-pack abs ASAP. But he isn't in the mood to go away, and his kiss is impossible to forget.

Tangled Up In You~
Maddie is determined to uncover the untold story about the town's sordid past—her past. As a child, Maddie lost everything, and now she's back at the scene of the scandal—a local establishment that's always belonged to the Hennessys—determined to uncover the truth, and nothing is going to stand in her way. Especially not a black-haired, blue-eyed Hennessy.
Everyone in Truly knows that the Hennessy men are irresistible, and the current owner, Mick, is no exception. His late father was a skirt-chasing heartbreaker who ended up causing disaster for two families. So far, Mick's managed to keep the ladies in line, but when he claps eyes on Maddie, with her luscious curves and tempting lips, he can't resist getting tangled up with her.
But Maddie is keeping secrets, not the least of which is her true reason for being in town. And when Mick discovers what‘s really going on, there is going to be a whole lot of trouble in Truly.

Not Another Bad Date~
What does a gal have to do to get a good date in this town?
Adele Harris can't even begin to answer that question. She's had so many lousy dates that she's sure she's cursed. Why else would every man she goes out with suddenly act like he's lost his mind—and his manners? Adele thought life couldn't get any more confusing . . . until she learns the marriage of her seemingly Miss Perfect sister is on the rocks. So she goes back to their hometown to give her a shoulder to cry on, only to run smack into Zach Zemaitis . . . the one who got away.
Texans love God, family, and football, though not always in that order
Zach, a former pro star, knows all about football. As for the other two, well, he's doing his best. But when Adele comes charging back into his life—still all lush curves and beautiful, big blue eyes—he wonders if his best is good enough. After all, he did her wrong. Can a woman with her track record ever really believe that he's serious this time . . . or is he destined to be another bad date?

my thoughts~

4 books about 4 friends who happen to be writers. A book for each friend-Lucy writes mystery, Clare writes romance, Maddie writes true crime and Adele she writes paranormal/science fiction. These books were well written, funny and I loved the female main characters! I did not read the books in order (or course) and it didn't really matter. I would suggest these books for anyone who is wanting a quick, funny book to read. My favorite? Oh, it was definately "Not Another Bad Date"!

Visit Rachel Gibson's website here!

New Giveaway Policy...what do you think?

I had thought to start a new giveaway policy August 1st. Then the unthinkable happened. Someone deleted all of her entries to a couple of giveaways because I had said that I wouldn't be notifying the winners, except in the comment section of the post. I have seen other giveaway bloggers who do this and it seems to work fine. Heck, I've had winners email me before I even had a chance to email them. So, I'm trying to come up with a way to notify winners, without offending anyone, but if I don't get the email out right away, it will still work.

Let me backtrack for a minute.

The reason I had even considered changing the way I do things is this: My work (you know, where they pay me) is picking up. I'm receiving more books to review, so I'm reading every spare minute I can squeeze a page in. I'm falling behind on getting those emails out. NOT THE EMAILS TO THE PUBLISHER. Once I get the address' for all the winners, I immediately send them to who they need to go to.

So I'm trying to come up with a compromise (cause hey, I want people to be happy and hopefully enter & WIN some books!). I mean that is what this blog is here for.

1. Keep things the way they are now. Email & post the winners.
2. Just post the winners*edit* in a new post!
3. Email & post the winners once a week. Like on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

Think about it, there's a poll over at the top of the sidebar! Your vote does count!

Chic Lit & Rachel Gibson...

Chic Lit... It's been awhile since I've read alot of straight chic lit. And to be honest, I never really understood until recently what qualified as "chic lit".

Anyway, about a month ago, I was yard saling one Saturday and came accross a neighborhood sale, so obviously I had to make the rounds. I came accross a family having a sale and they had NO ONE there, so I stopped just to take a look. The first thing I see is a box (you know the kind that holds copy paper) overflowing with paperbacks. So I start looking and inside are books buy Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Rachel Gibson, Nora Roberts, etc. You get the idea, all chic lit. So I start going through making my selections and the woman walks up to me with a couple of bags. Yes that's how many I had already chosen. We start talking and finally I just get exasperated and ask how much for all of them. (Now she had already said the books were a buck a piece. I bet I had at least 15-20 books in my hand). Do you know how much I paid for a box of books that I've already read only 3 out of? $6. Yep, thats it. So I (of course) paid her the $6 grabbed the box and hauled a*s outta there before she could change her mind. So right now, I have a box of books in my trunk, waiting to be read. Now, I will say that I went through them and immediately took some to my UBS for credit. I just did not think they sounded interesting enough to read, or I'd already read them (the Nora Roberts).
So the point I was going to make: I sat down Saturday to read "Not Another Bad Date" by Rachel Gibson. I read it in less than 6 hours and laughed my way through it. Rachel Gibson is now on my list of "must buys". I've already went to the bookstore and bought all of her books they had available! I can't wait to sit down and read them all! The characters she creates are hillarious! I'll be doing some short reviews for these books within the next couple of days.

Audibook Giveaway~$20 Per Gallon by Christopher Steiner

$20 PER GALLON

By Christopher Steiner, read by John Wolfe

Imagine an everyday world in which the price of gasoline (and oil) continues to go up, and up, and up. Think about the immediate impact that would have on our lives. Steiner will probe how the liberation of technology and innovation, triggered by climbing gas prices, will change our lives. The book may start as an alarmist's exercise.... but don't be misled. The future will be exhilarating.

About the Contest:
Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.
3 winners will be chosen by random.org
Deadline: Friday, August 28th
To win:
Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)
Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)
Your third comment, should you choose to do so, should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)