Borrowed Heart By Linda Lamberson

Evie Sanders is pretty good at heeding that gnawing feeling she gets when trouble rears its head -- or at least she used to be. Things change when she meets Quinn Harrison one morning after class. Evie would never do anything intentionally to hurt her long-distance boyfriend or jeopardize their relationship, but she finds it increasingly difficult to resist Quinn. Just when things can't seem to get any more complicated, Evie is involved in a fatal car accident. Yet, her death marks a new beginning -- and her new existence as an immortal. It's not long before Evie and Quinn's paths cross again, and she finds herself trying to walk a fine line between bending the rules she must now obey and breaking them.

~My thoughts on this book~

I fell in love with all of the characters, and the story did not go in the direction that I thought that it would. I can't wait for the sequel called "Peace of Mind" that comes out this year.

http://youtu.be/JULSE8gKg0y

Psyched Out By M.A. MacAfee

Can a human pacemaker implanted in a dog cause the animal to take on human traits? Absolutely! Ollie Kline would answer, and he ought to know. An aspiring psychic detective with a cardiac pacemaker, Ollie is killed in a drive-by shooting outside the Pastime where he tends bar. He awakes inside Mugsy, a pug dog, who also has a heart problem and who receives Ollie's recycled pacemaker. Aware his cardiac device was stolen from his corpse, Ollie wonders what other body parts were taken. Ollie uses his telepathic powers to enlist the help of Nora Cole, the sister of Mugsy's owner. On receiving Ollie's thoughts from the dog, Nora fears she's lost her mind. To verify her sanity, she agrees to help Ollie find his killers. Ollie, Nora, and Mugsy, the pug dog, conduct an investigation which leads them on a merry romp into the illegal side of the human body-parts trade, as well as the dark underbelly of the funeral business. They encounter creepy mortuary workers, graveyard ghosts, and a few brushes with the law -- antics which underscore a common truism: adversity is the wellspring of humor.

~My thoughts on this book~

This book was "different", told from the viewpoint of a murdered mans soul who has found himself in the body of a pug dog. Believe it or not, I felt that the author could have gone into more details of what it was like to live inside the body of a dog. To me, the author was sketchy in this area. But, on the other hand, Ollie using his psychic powers to enlist the help of his owners sister was outstanding.

This book would be a good beach read or something to take on a weekend trip. I was a little disappointed with the ending, however.

Blood Lawby Jeannie Holmes

To stop a vampire killer, she’ll have to slay her own demons first.

A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up—beheaded, crucified, and defanged, the same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father was murdered decades ago. For Alex, the professional has become way too personal.

Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right.

my thoughts~ Jeannie Holmes is a new to me author, and I can say that I am already reading the second book, Blood Secrets! I enjoyed Alex & Variak, the case they had to solve was complex, and even though I thought I knew who did it, I wasn't even close!

AyJay's Millions: An A.J. Carlin Mystery By Jack Wasserman

The most unique PI to ever come down the pike, Jack Wasserman's A.J. Carlin is a noir tour de force who throws all stereotypes out the window. Full of riveting twists and shocking turns combined with well-developed characters and crackling dialogue, AyJay's Millions: an A.J. Carlin Mystery is a first-rate mystery with an unforgettable finish.

~My thoughts

I really liked this book. I am a sucker for a good mystery novel, and this one was something different. I thought I knew how the book was going to end by the time I made it to the middle, but I was wrong and I love when that happens.

Cancer: It's a Good Thing I Got It! By David A. Koop

David Koop had it all -- a storied business career, beautiful son, and prospects as far as the eye could see. Then a surprise cancer diagnosis turned his life upside down. It was osteo sarcoma -- a form of bone cancer -- and it was growing on his spine. Doctors told him to get his affairs in order.

More than three years later, Koop continues to beat the odds. Cancer: It's a Good Thing I Got It! is his eye-opening account of a remarkable journey through hospitals, treatments, friendships and emotions as he struggles to maintain a positive attitude and will to live. In this frank and uncensored look at one man's battle with cancer, Koop reflects on his life before and after the diagnosis. The surprising conclusion will leave you awed at the strength of the human spirit: far from a death sentence, the medical woes unleash a powerful self-assessment that leads Koop to a whole new sense of purpose -- and the love he has sought all his life.

Full of humor and occasional grief, this memoir of a life still in progress will move you to make changes for the better. You'll come away inspired to live your life to the fullest and embrace the gift of personal relationships. And you'll find hope for meeting the unexpected challenges that can strike when you least expect.

~My thoughts on this book~
Being a cancer survivor myself, I was really looking forward to reading this book and I was not disappointed in it. The author shares all of his emotions, trials, good and bad days with the reader. The book is written in such a way that you feel like you are sitting and chatting with the author, one on one. This is a book that I will keep and definitely suggest to friends and family to read.


http://youtu.be/rk7BENa0ed4

A Life of My Own By Denise Skelton

I'm going to do this review a little different because the trailer that I found tells you about the book in the same words that the back of the book itself does and I don't want to be repetitive.

About the Author: Contemporary author Denise Skelton is an avid reader who's often found reading four or five books simultaneously. Born and raised in Baltimore, MD, Denise is a part of a close knit family and is lovingly supported by her husband, sons, daughters and wonderful friends. A former soldier and private investigator; she uses the experiences of her life to craft passion, realism, and suspense into her novels.

~ My thoughts on this book~

I loved it!! I empathized with Liz. I was so proud of her when she walked away from the relationship she was in and made a wonderful life for herself. I found myself wishing I could do the same thing, just pick up and start over...and, who knows, I may just do that someday.

http://youtu.be//77CdPF39FuU

Horizonby Sophie Littlefield

Of living things there were few

But they carried on

Cass Dollar is a survivor. She's overcome the meltdown of civilization, humans turned mindless cannibals, and the many evils of man.
But from beneath the devastated California landscape emerges a tendril of hope. A mysterious traveler arrives at New Eden with knowledge of a passageway North - a final escape from the increasingly cunning Beaters. Clutching this dream, Cass and many others decamp and follow him into the unknown.
Journeying down valleys and over barren hills, Cass remains torn between two men. One - her beloved Smoke - is not so innocent as he once was. The other keeps a primal hold on her that feels like Fate itself. And beneath it all, Cass must confront the worst of what's inside her - dark memories from when she was a Beater herself. But she, and all of the other survivors, will fight to the death for the promise of a new horizon…

my thoughts~ After reading the first 2 books and the novella, I couldn't wait to start Horizon. Horizon picks up about 3 months after Rebirth. Cass, Dor, Smoke and the others made it New Eden (sounds great, right?) Cass has started drinking again, but only after Ruthie goes to sleep and she is shirking her duties. Who of us hasn't slacked when things seem to be just too much? I know I have. Everywhere I've read, it refers to these books as 'series'. I certainly hope so! I would like to visit Ruthie when she is older and maybe see Feo again...

Sacrifice By Alexandrea Weiss

Nicci Beauvoir fell in love with the artist, David Alexander, in To My Senses, and then uncovered his killer in Recovery. Nicci is back to finally confront David's dark past in Sacrifice.

Stunned after seeing a man she believes to be her beloved David Alexander in a crowd outside of the St. Louis Cathedral, Nicci goes on a desperate hunt for the truth about David's demise. But to get the information she desires, Nicci must team up with David's former boss, the ruthless Simon La Roy. Nicci decides not to tell her fiance, Dallas August, about her involvement with Simon. As Nicci becomes hopelessly entangled in Simon's sinister plans, Dallas discovers her secret, and tries to protect her. But one night on a deserted French Quarter street, Nicci unexpectedly learns what really happened to David Alexander. Now she must engage in a deadly game of intrigue to keep what she has unearthed from Simon La Roy.

In a final confrontation, a revengeful Simon forces Nicci to choose between her life and revealing all that she has discovered. But what mystery is Nicci protecting and is it worth her future happiness? For Nicci there can be no happy ending unless she keeps what she knows about David Alexander hidden from the world. It's a decision that will cost her everything. Is Nicci willing to pay the price? In the end, there can never be a happily ever after without a little.....sacrifice.

~My thoughts on this book~
I was lucky enough to be able to review the book Recovery, and also review this book that follows up where that book left off. Just like the previous book, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I don't know alot about New Orleans, but there were places mentioned through out this book that I have visited on vacations there in the past. Ms. Weis brings the reader up to date on how Nicci and the new man in her life, Dallas, have been doing since the end of the last book. Then Nicci is faced with a decision that will change her and Dallas' relationship forever. This book has found a new home next to it's prequel on my home library shelf.

Rebirthby Sophie Littlefield

The end of the world was just the beginning.

Civilization has fallen, leaving California an unforgiving, decimated place. But Cass Dollar beat terrible odds to get her missing daughter back—she and Ruthie will be happy. Yet with the first winter, Cass is reminded that happiness is fleeting in Aftertime.
Ruthie retreats into silence. Flesh—eating Beaters still dominate the landscape. And Smoke, Cass’s lover and strength, departs on a quest for vengeance, one that may end him even if he returns.
The survivalist community Cass has planted roots in is breaking apart, too. Its leader, Dor, implores Cass to help him recover his own lost daughter, taken by the totalitarian Rebuilders. And soon Cass finds herself thrust into the dark heart of an organization promising humanity’s rebirth—at all costs. Bound to two men blazing divergent paths across a savage land, Cass must overcome the darkness in her wounded heart, or lose those she loves forever.

my thoughts~   While I was reading Rebirth, I caught myself holding my breathe, waiting to see what would happen next. I like how Ms. Littlefield has made Cass 'real'. Cass' alcholism is always in the forefront of her mind, right behind her daughter, Ruthie. Cass isn't perfect, she's made a lot of mistakes, and probably will continue to make them. But reading Rebirth left me wanting more. You know, as in the next book! Horizon comes out later this month, and hopefully another not to long after it!

Survivors (an Aftertime novella)by Sophie Littlefield

Cass Dollar outlasted the fall of civilization. But surviving Aftertime requires the kind of toughness that can conquer the violent landscape of California and still retain its humanity.

When a young boy and his dying grandmother are brought to the Box, the survivalist community where Cass takes shelter, she realizes that without her help he won't be long for this unforgiving new world. But while the Box is a haven from the roaming marauders—and the flesh-hungry Beaters—it forbids children within its confines. The boy will be turned out to fend for himself. All that stands between him and the brutal wilderness is Cass's protective instincts, and the stubborn resolve that's gotten her this far Aftertime.

my thoughts~ A quick and easy read that really hasn't added anything to the continuing story, yet. It does introduce Feo, an 8 or 9 year old who Cass tries to take under her wing. But sometimes things don't work out the way you think they will. Next up is Rebirth, the second book in the Aftertime series!

Aftertimeby Sophie Littlefield

The world’s gone.

Worse, so is her daughter.

Awakening in a bleak landscape as scarred as her body, Cass Dollar vaguely recalls surviving something terrible. Having no idea how many days—or weeks—have passed, she slowly realizes the horrifying truth: Ruthie has vanished.
And with her, nearly all of civilization. Where once-lush hills carried cars and commerce, the roads today see only cannibalistic Beaters—people turned hungry for human flesh by a government experiment gone wrong.
In a broken, barren California, Cass will undergo a harrowing quest to get her Ruthie back. Few people trust an outsider, let alone a woman who became a zombie and somehow turned back, but she finds help from an enigmatic outlaw, Smoke. Smoke is her savior, and her safety. For the Beaters are out there. And the humans grip at survival with their trigger fingers. Especially when they learn that she and Ruthie have become the most feared, and desired, of weapons in a brave new world...

My thoughts~
I requested to review the 3rd book in this series, without knowing there were to 2 more books and a novella that came before! So of course, when I found out it was part of a series, I just had to read them first. I enjoyed reading Aftertime, all though it did take me a minute to get used to there being zombies, or Beaters as they are called in the book, instead of werewolves, vampires, etc.
I hope if the world goes to Hell in a hand basket, that I have a "Smoke" by my side. Here is a man who leaves his "home" with others like him, to help Cass get her daughter back. They encounter the "rebuilders", Beaters, a town that was created and serves as a "stop over" & home to people who have something to trade for drugs, alchol, sex, water, food and a Cult of women who believe the Beaters can be healed with prayer. I think this is my first adult Dystopian read, and I have to say that I enjoyed it!

My Email Was Highjacked!

So awhile ago, I noticed I couldn't get onto my MGP email account. It seems as though someone jacked my email and sent out 1 email. That's all I could find! So, I have taken back control of my blog & email and you will be seeing more of me! It's wonderful to have a job again, so I can afford satallite tv, internet and so many new books! But with my job comes less time to read and to blog (insert the saddest face ever!) But I will be reading & blogging whenever I can! Even if it's from my Nook, during quiet time! That is if it's ever quiet, lol. So back the email issue. Thanks to whoever jacked it, I had gotten lax on changing my password as often as I should. Well, not anymore!

I Love You More...Than Chocolate By Melanie Milburn

This book was originally a song, and inside the back cover, you have a CD of Miss Melanie singing the song, I Love You More Than Chocolate. When Melanie would tuck her children into bed at night, she made sure they knew how much they were loved. She told them she loved them more than anything -- even chocolate! Her children knew she was a chocoholic, so they had no doubt, they knew they were loved!

~My thoughts on this book~

I really wanted to read this book because as my niece and nephews were growing up, we would always end a goodbye with "I love you more..." The title of this book brought that habit back to mind and made me smile.

I plan to share this book with my niece, who is expecting her first child in March of next year, and I hope that she read this book to my great-nephew as he is growing up. The book is the perfect length to keep a childs interest, and the rhyming will make it easy for a child to learn to recite the book by heart along with the CD that is included.

I guess you can tell, I would recommend this book.

Me and My Manny By M.A. MacAfee

To ease her loneliness, Judy Mason orders a wooden replica of her husband, Harry, a sailor aboard ship at sea. Instead of Harry's fascimile, the anatomically incorrect manny turns out to be a caricature of him. No matter. Her girlfriends are not only envious that she has found a friend and potential business partner in the dummy; they also want to borrow him and pay for his company by the hour. But their husbands soon become suspicious, most of all Harry who, when he returns home from sea, is convinced that the dummy is out to take him over. Harry's jealousy, his odd behavior, and strange goings on in their apartment building near Seattle, convinces Judy that he may be right. To put an end to Harry's uncanny switch from man to manny, Judy resorts to extremes. As usual, the outcome of her efforts is a series of comical blunders with hilarious consequences. The idea that sex sells endures, and, as in Me and My Manny, so does making fun of it.

~My thoughts on this book~

This is a keeper. To begin with, I wasn't really sure how I would take to the concept of a woman replacing her husband with a mannequin. But, then, as she tells him herself in the book, the mannequin isn't a replacement. "You're not being replaced, " I told him. "You're being celebrated."

The ending was a surprise, something I hadn't thought of as I read through the book. Other scenarios went back and forth, but nothing close to the actual conclusion of the book. I would highly recommend this book.

Whats In A Name 2011~ Complete!

This was the first year that I participated in the What's In A Name challenge & I loved it! I can't wait until next year to see what the categories will be!

A book with a number in the title:
One Foot In The Grave by Jeaniene Frost


A book with jewelry or a gem in the title:
With This Ring by Amanda Quick

A book with a size in the title:

Dream A Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

A book with travel or movement:
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison


A book with evil in the title:
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead


A book with a life stage in the title:
The Iron Daughter by Julite Kagawa

What I've been up to....

Hello! I know it's been awhile, I once again do not have internet at home. AND, I am working! Well volunteering for now at a Day Care! It will be paid soon, they will be expanding and then I'll have internet at home! I'm still reading (I've read all 18 of the Stephanie Plum series and many more!) As a matter of fact I have The Next Always by Nora Roberts on my Nook to read next! I have also started couponing, not to the extent as the Extreme Couponers, but I'm saving a little each week, that will be put into an account marked...Britt & Rylan!  And each week the money saved will be put into the account.

Okay, so I've read Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich~
My Thoughts~
It's about the same as all the others. It's the same thing over and over. I'm still reading because I keep hoping that Stephanie will just put her big girl panties on and pick which guy she's going to be with. And I'm really excited that One For The Money comes out in January!

Well, that's it for now. I will post when I can! Have a safe & joyous Christmas!  
 

Kiss of Frostby Jennifer Estep

At Mythos Academy, teen warriors in the making train to take up their roles protecting humankind. With her snarky, self-deprecating voice and strange gift of psychometry - the ability to know an object's history just by touching it - Gwen Frost is an outsider both to the students of the Academy and the rest of the world. But now that she's taking private tutoring with the Academy's most notorious young Spartan, and has Nike's own sword to protect her, she's ready to make mark...


my thoughts~ I'm just going to start out with what I didn't like about this book. There's only one. I wish that the big 'secret' that is holding Logan & Gwen apart would come out already! I want to see them work past it and become what I think they are supposed to become! LOL! Other than that I loved Kiss of Frost! There's some pretty intense moments in this book, and there was one in particular that brought tears to my eyes. I'm glad that Gwen is now making friends at Mythos, and really, I think making one or two at a time is better than the hero/heroine walk into an unknown and BOOM! they are the most popular kid in school (or close to it!). I'm not going to put any spoilers here, if you want to know what happens, you will just have to read the book! You won't be disappointed! 

In My Mailbox 11/13/11

~For Review~




Uncaged by Paul McKellips




The Pony Principles by Keith Elkins




Pscyhed Out by M.A. MacAfee




Me and My Manny by M.A. MacAfee




Ayjay's Millions by Jack Wasserman

Casatigate My Sins By Elicia Clegg

It has been said perception is reality, and yet, what if the reality in question was twisted and corrupted to a disheartening degree of depravity? Would the corruption have the power to shift the human consciousness and control the very nature of what is and what is not?

In Elicia Clegg's newest novel, five teenagers: Michael, Suzy, Christopher, Beth and Leigh, will have to answer that very question. Their souls will be thrown into a pit of malevolent despair where they will come face to face with their archetypal selves. Their characters will be tested, they will be deceived, given half-truths, and face punishment for crimes they did not commit. Will any surrender to the ever growing lies, or will they escape the void of light and breathe life once again?

~My thoughts on this book~

I had a difficult time keeping up with everything that was going on in this book. The five main characters are friends that spend alot of time together. When one of the girls faces a crisis, they all come together to help her out. While doing so, they all face a bigger crisis that leads the reader to find that some of the characters have a history that no one is aware of.

The Parrot's Perch By Karen Keilt

Brazil...Electric. Exciting. Hot. Brazil is famous for its world class beaches, beautiful women, Samba and soccer, but even its gently swaying palms and sultry nouveau beat can't cover up the sound of screaming.

Soon to be a major motion picture The Parrot's Perch scores high as it weaves together a chilling tale based on actual events in a triple play of greed, deception and betrayal conjuring up images of unsurpassed beauty and unimaginable horror.

Bright iridescent feathers, resplendent tropical hues, fast cars, and the ultra privileged life in the equestrian circuit are the lives of Catlin Lauria and her big brother, Freddy. But evil has found them, and it won't back off until someone makes a final pay-off.

A sexy-successful-girl-next-door, an uber-cute-party-boy, drugs, Carnival and the good life; dirty cops, corruption and torture, this story has it all, and you won't be able to put it down for a second, wondering "Can this world be real?" It is. Fasten your seat belts as you take this journey of revenge, retaliation, and redemption; it's gonna change your life.


~My thoughts on this book~

Wow!!!!!! I was intrigued at the title of this book, and once I got to the part of the book that tells what the Parrot's Perch actually is, I was shocked. I'm not going to give it away, you'll have to read the book to find out, but you will probably be like me and have a hard time putting this book down until you have finished reading it. The author actually signed my copy, and I plan on keeping it in my personal library. There were a few errors in spelling, but not enough to take away from the story. It is terrible to know that people are actually treated like this in foreign countries; and the people don't have to be foreigners, these people were citizens!!! This book makes me feel even more blessed to live in America.