Book Review: Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publish Date: January 5, 2010

Hardcover, 454 pages

My Review:
I read Bleeding Violet for the YA Bloggers Debut Book Battle, and it was a stunner.  It is so different from other YA paranormals that I have read.  Dia Reeves creates a very interesting world that borders our reality and thrusts Hanna right in the midst of it.  Hanna already doesn't fit in in the real world.  Labeled as manic-depressive and suffering from the loss of her father, she sets off to find her mother.  Hanna is labeled as crazy and suffers from hallucinations so when she sees things out of the ordinary, you are never quite sure if it is the world of Portero or Hanna's mind.  When she arrives in Portero, she finds her mother, Rosalee doesn't really want her.  But Hanna stays and as she learns more about the dangerous world of Portero and makes friends, things become even more interesting.

I have to say my favorite thing about Hanna was her style.  I love to sew, and Hanna sews.  Hanna sews all her clothes and has a magnificent eye for style (I'm a little more lacking there).  I loved the descriptions of the outfits she wears and creates.  We learn so much about her and her "tough girl" act in this book and I found her interesting throughout.  Most of the other characters are secondary, though Rosalee was key in Hanna's development along with her sometimes/maybe boyfriend, Wyatt, who I loved at times and found slightly irritating at other times.

This book is just different, that is all I can really say about it.  Different and interesting.

My Rating: 4.25/5.0

About the Book:


Love can be a dangerous thing....

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna's tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.
But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she's far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe.

About the Author:

Check out Dia Reeves' website.
Follow Dia Reeves on Twitter.

FTC Information: I bought this book for my Kindle.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

 

Book Feature and Giveaway: The Last Christian by David Gregory

The Last Christian by David Gregory

Publisher: Waterbrook Press

Publish Date: May 4, 2010

Paperback,  416 pages

My review will be coming next week - this is one of the books I'm trying to play catch-up with and I'm really looking forward to reading it.


About the Book:


A.D. 2088.

Missionary daughter Abigail Caldwell emerges from the jungle for the first time in her thirty-four years, the sole survivor of a mysterious disease that killed her village. Abby goes to America, only to discover a nation where Christianity has completely died out. A curious message from her grandfather assigns her a surprising mission: re-introduce the Christian faith in America, no matter how insurmountable the odds.

But a larger threat looms. The world's leading artificial intelligence industrialist has perfected a technique for downloading the human brain into a silicon form. Brain transplants have begun, and with them comes the potential of eliminating physical death altogether—but at what expense? 

As Abby navigates a society grown more addicted to stimulating the body than nurturing the soul, she and Creighton Daniels, a historian troubled by his father's unexpected death, become unwitting targets of powerful men who will stop at nothing to further their nefarious goals. Hanging in the balance—the spiritual future of all humanity.

In this futuristic thriller, startling near-future science collides with thought-provoking theology. The Last Christian is a provocative “what if?” novel from David Gregory, best-selling author of Dinner With a Perfect Stranger.

About the Author (From the WaterBrook Multnomah site):

David Gregory is the coauthor of two nonfiction books and a frequent conference speaker. After a ten-year business career, he returned to school to study religion and communications, earning two master's degrees. David lives in Texas, where he works for a nonprofit organization.

Giveaway:
Waterbrook Press has given me 1 copy of The Last Christian to giveaway to the readers of this blog. Simply comment to enter.  Additional entries for following (rss, email, blogger, networked blogs, etc.), tweeting (1 per day), posting on your blog (sidebar is fine).  Please comment for each entry - it makes the accounting easier.   Giveaway open to US/Canada only.  Don't worry if you are first or last - I'm starting to randomize all entries before using random.org to draw a number - so it's more like drawing a name out of a hat.  Giveaway runs through June 4, 2010.


FTC Information: I received this book from Waterbrook Press for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Past Winners who have not received books - please email me

It has come to my attention that a few people have not received books from me that they won. If you will please email me your address and the book(s) you won and I will see what is going on. I know I was behind a while back and I still have a few out that I need to get out, but I have realized that I have missed some emails (not sure where they are going, but I'm not getting them). So if you haven't received something, let me know and I will try and see what is going on.  My email is crystalfulcher(at)ec(dot)rr(dot)com.

I have changed how I do my email lately, so that may be the problem, I will be looking into it because I do want to get your wins to you.  I'm also going to try and do a do you want this post re-announcing winners this weekend after I go through and see who I am missing.

Thanks!

What I'm Reading on Thursday

Kindle: Infinity (Chronicles of Nick #1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon 
I should be finishing this up this evening.  This one was a lot of fun to read and could be just the book to help me reclaim my reading mojo.  Ahh - it reminds me of reading my first Dark Hunter book when I first met Nick, and this book and the series that will follow will help the reader understand Nick better until he gets his official Dark Hunter book.  Now I think we have to wait until February 2011 for the next one - the horrors!  Oh well - time for me to catch back up on the  Dark Hunter books.

Audio in the Car:  Don't Look Twice by Andrew Gross 
I started the 3rd Disc today and this is moving right along, very enjoyable, like the reader and the character of Ty a lot.

Review Book:  Never Let You Go by Erin Healy
Soon as I finish Infinity I'll be back to this and I can't wait.

   

Reviews completed:

Secrets of a Playboy's Bride by Leanne Banks

Scream by Mike Dellosso

Other notes for today - we watched 4 episodes of Lost last night, I think that puts us midway through season 2.  My husband is so addicted that he had supper almost ready when we walked in the door at 6pm and we watched until 9:15.  I have imposed a new limit of cutoff time for older son to get a good night sleep and allow for me some time to read and unwind before going to sleep. I think it's a good thing as I slept well last night and actually woke up before the alarm this morning.

Giveaway: The Rule of Nine by Steve Martini

Thanks to William Morrow, I have one copy of The Rule of Nine by Steve Martini to giveaway. I received the giveaway with my own coveted copy yesterday and I would love to get it into one of my reader's hands. It goes on sale on Tuesday, June 1 and you could have it soon after. Here's a little more about it. More information about the giveaway is below.   I will be reading it in the next week or so and posting my review.  I love Steve Martini and can't wait to read this one.

The Rule of Nine by Steve Martini

Publisher:  William Morrow

Publish Date:  June 1, 2010

Hardcover, 400 pages

Paul Madriani Book # 11

About the Book:

The Old Weatherman dreams of a plan that could be his swan song, an attack to drive a stake through the heart of the right-wing establishment and bury it for good. Now he's found the money, the ideal weapon, and the professional who knows how to use it. And he has set his sights on the perfect target at the very seat of the United States government, in the heart of downtown Washington. It will be a strike heard round the world.
San Diego defense attorney Paul Madriani is still reeling from the trauma of a near nuclear explosion he helped avert at the naval base in Coronado. Threatened by federal authorities to keep quiet about the close call in California, Madriani is now faced with a new problem in the steely-eyed and alluring Joselyn Cole, a weapons control expert, who believes he has to go public with what he knows if they have any hope of stopping a similar event in the future.

But Madriani has been linked to the murder of a Washington, D.C., political staffer, and authorities believe a shadowy figure called Liquida—a hired assassin known as "the Mexicutioner"—may be responsible. And this man, as the last survivor of the attack in San Diego, might be driven by a bizarre and horrifying star-crossed vendetta, and might now be looking for Madriani himself. What Madriani and Cole begin to fear is that the Old Weatherman and this madman have joined forces and intend to pull the city—and the country—into a vortex of terror before Madriani and Cole can find answers to the enigma that is "the rule of nine."

The Giveaway:

One copy of The Rule of Nine by Steve Martini provided by the publisher, William Morrow, that I will mail out to the winner within a week of the close of the giveaway.  The winner will be notified by email and posted on the website and will have 48 hours to contact me with their address before I draw another name.  Giveaway ends June 3, 2010.

To Enter:

Simply comment.  Tell me if you've read Steve Martini before or just say enter me.  Additional entries for tweeting (1 per day), following me in any way (twitter, google follower, rss, email, see sidebar to follow), and 5 additional entries for telling me your favorite book you read in May.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry (I'll count the 5 entries for your favorite book in May, so you don't need to leave that 5 times).  All comments will be randomized and then I will pick a number using random.org.

Thanks!  Look for another giveaway coming tomorrow and some housekeeping of some drawings I still need to do.  I took a small hiatus but I am back now so if you are expecting a book know it will be coming very soon.  Thanks for your patience - life just gets in the way sometimes.  :)

Booking Through Thursday - May 27th

What books do you have next to your bed right now? How about other places in the house? What are you reading?

The BTT meme is hosted here, go check it out and see others' responses.

I have a pile of books on my nightstand and on my floor by the bed right now.  The last few weeks have been so hectic I need to get it all organized!  But I am currently reading Infinity: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon as my main book and Never Let You Go by Erin Healy is in my purse.

I have Burned by P.C. and Kristin Cast up next and it's from the library and the top of my nightstand pile is The Last Christian by David Gregory (giveaway soon), Welcome to Harmony by Jodi Thomas (watch for a guest post by the author and a giveaway next week), The Rule of Nine by Steve Martini (see current giveaway), Dangerous by Diana  Palmer (will also have a giveaway) and Death Echo by Elizabeth Lowell (another giveaway coming soon).  So stay tuned - lots of giveaways and if I think about it I'll post a picture of my unorganized pile so you can all be aghast or just sympathize with me.

Have a great Thursday!

Book Review: Secrets of the Playboy's Bride by Leanne Banks

Secrets of the Playboy's Bride by Leanne Banks

Publisher Imprint: Silhouette Desire (Harlequin)

Publish Date: March 2010

Mass market paperback, 182 pages

My Review:
I haven't read a Silhouette Desire in several years and I realize now that I miss reading these.  Simple yet enjoyable romance stories that whet your appetite for romance.  Secrets of the Playboy's Bride does just that.  It was a great read for an afternoon and a great way to get caught up in the world of the rich.

Secrets of a Playboy's Bride takes place in society of Philadelphia.  Calista French is a society woman. Even though she doesn't have the money any more, she has the pedigree.  But deep down inside Calista is a simple girl, she just wants to take care of her sisters, her needs are secondary.  She works, she volunteers and she visits with her sisters when she can.  The problem is she needs money and Leonardo Grant has that money.  He can provide her with a safe life and college education for her sisters.  She doesn't need a relationship or love, she just needs him to help her out and she figures he owes her because of the con he pulled with his father on Calista's father.

Leo has the fortune and the drive to be even more successful in business.  A self-made man who rose up from his adoptive father's con games.  He can't remember the time before the accident that claimed his parents' life, he only knows the hard childhood that he escaped.  Now the one thing he needs is a society wife to get him into Philadelphia society and when Calista French falls into his arms, he knows she is the perfect wife.  He, like her, doesn't really want attachments, just the wife on his arm to get him an in into society.

Neither Calista or Leo figure on falling in love, but they do just that, but both have secrets and will those secrets stand in the way of their love?

The plot was predictable in Secrets of a Playboy's Bride but that didn't make it any less enjoyable.  I also enjoyed the characters.  Calista is an admirable person and Leo makes himself out to be a bad boy, but really he's just scarred from his childhood.  When Calista and Leo come together the sparks fly and I enjoyed watching their love unfold.  They are both stubborn which is fun, but eventually they learn things about each other that help the love continue.

If you want an easy afternoon love story then this is the book for you. It's actually part of a mini-series by Leanne Banks, but this is the first one I read.  The only time the mini-series really comes into play is at the end, so I didn't feel like I missed out on anything by not reading the previous books.  Though I admit I am intrigued by the storyline of the mini-series and will seek out the other books.

My Rating: 7/10
You can also find this review at The Season Blog which is an amazing romance website and blog.  Go and check it out if  you haven't.

About the Book:
Success was one thing…acceptance, another. All his life, Leonardo Grant had yearned to be more than his rough beginnings had allowed. Now, after making millions, he believed marriage to the right woman could secure him the respect no amount of money could.

When Leo spotted Calista French, he knew he'd found his foil. But their chance meeting had actually been carefully orchestrated…and not by him. Just what was his "perfect" society wife planning?

About the Author:
Leanne Banks is a national #1 best-selling author of romance novels. She is the winner of the Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards in Series Sensuality and Love and Laughter. She is also the winner of the Florida Writers Beacon Award, the Golden Quill Award, the Georgia Romance Writers' MAGGIE Award and Booksellers' Best Award. Her books have been recognized by the Award of Excellence Contest, the Romance Writers of America Rita Contest, and the National Readers' Choice Awards.
Leanne is a popular speaker to many kinds of groups. One of her workshops was featured on the CBS Morning Show. Drop Leanne an email if you would like to find out more about having Leanne speak to your group.

Leanne believes her readers work hard on the job and for their families, so she tries to lighten the load with stories featuring a strong sense of fun, emotion and sensuality. Reader response is heartwarming. One of her favorite letters was from a woman who had been suffering severe health problems: "[Your books] did more for my health that all the medicine in the world -- as corny as this sounds, [your heroes] made me feel like life is `worth it'."

Leanne lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. She loves music, chocolate, quotes, and new adventures. (From Goodreads.com)

FTC Information: I received this book from The Season for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.