Sunday, March 18, 2012

In My Mailbox (18)



In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. To see this weeks list of participants go here.

I had a great week, here is what I received in the mail and through Netgalley:

Just Down the Road by Jodi Thomas
Berkley Publishing
Harmony, Texas, is a place where dreams are born. As the townspeople face unexpected endings and new beginnings, they also come face to face with themselves—and what’s most important in life...

When Tinch Turner lost his wife, he gave up on living. Now he spends his nights brooding, boozing, and brawling. When one of his escapades lands him in the ER, he finds himself staring up at the beautiful new doctor in town. For the first time in years, he feels a spark, but Addison Spencer wants nothing to do with the unruly rancher—or any man for that matter. She’s only in Harmony four months, long enough for the trouble she left behind to be over. But then a vulnerable little boy barrels into both their lives, forcing them out of the past—and into a future where love is just down the road...

In the meantime, as Reagan Truman grieves her beloved uncle, she finds comfort in the makeshift family she’s made in Harmony—and in a new baby, the first born in the Wright Funeral Home in 45 years, proving to everyone that life does go on…
Since Tinch Turner lost his wife, he's spent his nights brooding, boozing, and brawling. When one of his escapades lands him in the ER, he finds himself staring up at the beautiful new doctor in town, Addison Spencer-and for the first time in years, he feels a spark. Meanwhile, Reagan Truman finds comfort in the makeshift family she's made in Harmony-and in a new baby, the first born in the Wright Funeral Home in 45 years, proving to everyone that life does go on


Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper
Pocket Star, Jane Jameson #1
Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed twenty-five dollars in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot, and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood.
Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and endure daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She's forced to forgo her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy, mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn't enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What's a nice undead girl to do?

 Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper
Pocket Star, Jane Jameson #2
Following Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs, the second in a hilarious, smart, sexy romantic series about an out-of-work librarian who is turned into a vampire.

With her best friend Zeb’s Titanic-themed wedding looming ahead, new vampire Jane Jameson struggles to develop her budding relationship with her enigmatic sire, Gabriel. It seems unfair that she’s expected to master undead dating while dealing with a groom heading for a nuptial nervous breakdown, his hostile werewolf in-laws, and the ugliest bridesmaid dress in the history of marriage. Meanwhile, the passing of Jane’s future step-grandpa puts Grandma Ruthie back on the market. Her new fiancÉ, Wilbur, has his own history of suspiciously dead spouses, and he may or may not have died ten years ago. Half-Moon Hollow’s own Black Widow has finally met her match. Should Jane warn her grandmother of Wilbur’s marital habits or let things run their course? Will Jane always be an undead bridesmaid, never the undead bride? Combining Mary Janice Davidson’s sass and the charm of Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, this is an incredibly satisfying read for fans of paranormal romantic comedy.

 Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Molly Harper
Pocket Star, Jane Jameson #3
Nothing sucks the romance out of world travel like a boyfriend who may or may not have broken up with you in a hotel room in Brussels. Jane Jameson’s sexy sire, Gabriel, has always been unpredictable. But the seductive, anonymous notes that await him at each stop of their international vacation, coupled with his evasive behavior over the past few months, finally push Jane onto the next flight home to Half Moon Hollow — alone, upset, and unsure whether Gabriel just ended their relationship without actually telling her.
Now the children’s-librarian-turned-vampire is reviving with plenty of Faux Type O, some TLC from her colorful friends and family, and her plans for a Brave New Jane. Step One: Get her newly-renovated occult bookstore off the ground. Step Two: Support her best friend, Zeb, and his werewolf bride as they prepare for the impending birth of their baby . . . or litter. Step Three: Figure out who’s been sending her threatening letters, and how her hostile pen pal is tied to Gabriel. Because for this nice girl, surviving a broken heart is becoming a matter of life and undeath...




NIV Boys Bible by Zondervans Bible
Zondervan for FIRST Wild Card Tour
A Bible just for boys! As part of the 2:52 series for boys, the 2:52 Boys' Bible, NIV, is the 'ultimate manual' for boys ages 8 to 12. Based on Luke 2:52: 'And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men,' this Bible helps boys become more like Jesus mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially-smarter, stronger, deeper, and cooler. The 2:52 Track takes boys through the Bible. Each reading highlights people, stories, and Scriptures that help boys grow toward maturity and manhood. Additional features include 'Make It Stick' - Special entry spaces for everything from fun doodles and sketches to quick responses to the text; 'Get a Load of This' - Interesting and sometimes humorous info about Bible facts, Bible times, and Bible characters; and 'Gross!' - Gross and gory facts in the Bible.

 Sacriledge by S.J. Parris
Doubleday
A gripping historical thriller set in sixteenth-century England and centered on the highly secretive cult of Saint Thomas Becket, the twelfth-century archbishop murdered in Canterbury Cathedral.

London, summer of 1584: Radical philosopher, ex-monk, and spy Giordano Bruno suspects he is being followed by an old enemy. He is shocked to discover that his pursuer is in fact Sophia Underhill, a young woman with whom he was once in love. When Bruno learns that Sophia has been accused of murdering her husband, a prominent magistrate in Canterbury, he agrees to do anything he can to help clear her name.
    
In the city that was once England's greatest center of pilgrimage, Bruno begins to uncover unsuspected secrets that point to the dead man being part of a larger and more dangerous plot in the making. He must turn his detective's eye on history—on Saint Thomas Becket, the twelfth-century archbishop murdered in Canterbury Cathedral, and on the legend surrounding the disappearance of his body—in order to solve the crime.
    
As Bruno's feelings for Sophia grow more intense, so does his fear that another murder is about to take place—perhaps his own. But more than Bruno's life is at stake in this vividly rendered, impeccably researched, and addictively page-turning whodunit—the stability of the kingdom hangs in the balance as Bruno hunts down a brutal murderer in the shadows of England's most ancient cathedral.

Monarch Beach by Anita Hughes
St. Martins Press, Netgalley
When Amanda Blick, a young mother and kindhearted San Francisco heiress, finds her gorgeous French chef husband wrapped around his sous-chef, she knows she must flee her life in order to rebuild it. The opportunity falls into her lap when her (very lovable) mother suggests Amanda and her young son, Max, spend the summer with her at the St. Regis Resort in Laguna Beach. With the waves right outside her windows and nothing more to worry about than finding the next relaxing thing to do, Amanda should be having the time of her life—and escaping the drama. But instead, she finds herself faced with a kind, older divorcee who showers her with attention… and she discovers that the road to healing is never simple. This is the sometimes funny, sometimes bitter, but always moving story about the mistakes and discoveries a woman makes when her perfect world is turned upside down.



The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge by Christine Nolfi
from the author
A savage rape on hallowed ground. Secrets buried for decades by the town’s most influential family.

Now Ourania D’Andre will learn the Great Oak’s secrets as construction begins at the Fagan mansion. She can’t afford to turn down a job that promises to stir up the long-buried guilt—and the passion—she shares with powerful Troy Fagan.

She’s already juggling the most important job of her career with her new responsibilities as a foster mother for young Walt and Emma Korchek. And there’s a hard, older man on the construction crew with eyes void of emotion—cold and killing. The secrets of his brutal past will pose a grave threat to the children in her care. Will she find the courage to face him?

 Hiding in Plain Sight by Amy Wallace
Netgalley, Harvest House Publishers
In a quiet town with a thriving Mennonite community, police officer Ashley Walters finds her threadbare faith and way of life challenged by the Plain people whose simple dress and welcoming manner open her eyes to a God she left behind. Peace eludes Ashley until she realizes the answers she seeks aren't found in starting over but in returning to the simple truth that it's God who overcomes the world, not her.
Written for women who desire action-packed suspense, romance, and an escape into the peaceful world of the Mennonites, Hiding in Plain Sight delves into the painful struggle to fit in and the search for peace that so often eludes our fast-paced lives.


The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking by Denene Wallace and Peter Reinhart
Netgalley, Ten Speed Press
The first gluten-free baking book from legendary bread maker and James Beard Award-winning author Peter Reinhart, with 80 world-class recipes suitable for wheat sensitive, diabetic, and low-carb/low-sugar dieters.

Bestselling author and beloved baking instructor Peter Reinhart turns his attention to healthful breads, pastries, cookies, cakes, and more in The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking, crafting baked goods that are suitable for special diets and taste just as good as the originals. The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking is a comprehensive and long-term lifestyle prescription for the millions of Americans who are sensitive to gluten, diabetic, orneed to reduce carbs to prevent illness. Reinhart and Wallace teach readers how to make their own seed and nut flours; stock their pantries; make a gluten-free, low-carb sugar substitute; and more. By using nut and seed flours instead of starches, Reinhart and Wallace have crafted no-sacrifice, easy-to-bake recipes that revolutionize baking for special diets—and satisfy anyone’s craving for warm bread or decadent cake.

What did you get in your mailbox this week?  Make sure you leave me a link and I will be sure and stop by your blog.



Friday, March 16, 2012

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop


Welcome to the
2nd Annual Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop
March 17th to 22nd
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not a Writer and 


My giveaway is open to US/Canada and the winner will get to choose 3 books from the selection below.  Giveaway ends March 22.  Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure and check out all the other great giveaways as well below my Rafflecopter.  Good Luck!






Most of the books are ARCs, here's a list of each book and what format it's in:

Chasing Mona Lisa (Trade Paperback), The Underside of Joy (Hardcover),  Lovesick by Spencer Seidel (Arc)

The Legacy of Eden (Arc), Family Storms by V.C. Andrews (paperback), Night Road by Kristin Hannah (Arc)

Populazzi (Arc), A Long Long Sleep (ARC), City of Bones (audiobook)

A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie (Arc), The Vision by Jen Nadol (Arc), Blood Ties by Mari Mancusi (Arc)

Horns by Joe Hill (Trade Paperback), Iron House by John Hart (Arc), 40 by Travis Thrasher (Arc)

The Sixes by Kate White (Arc), Dead of Wynter by Spencer Seidel (Arc), Blood of the Reich (Arc)


Lost in Shangri-La (Arc)


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Book Review: On One Condition by Diane Alberts

 
On One Condition by Diane Alberts
Publisher: Entangled Press
Publish Date: February 2012
eBook, 112
Fiction, Contemporary Romance






My Review:
First up I'm a sucker for a story where both parties are sure they won't fall in love with each other.  And this is just that type of story.  When Johanna and Damon marry both tell themselves that they will get through the year of marriage with their heart intact.  Of course, we as readers know that will never happen, but the fun is in watching them fall in love.  And there is a lot of fun in On One Condition.

This is a short romance so a lot has to happen and Ms. Alberts manages to pack a lot into this diamond of a book.  I found myself involved in the story.  I really liked Johanna and her spunky personality and Damon and his drive and desire to win Johanna over.  As I mentioned before of course I loved that neither one wanted to fall in love.  And of course it made it interesting the neither thought the other was in love with each other either.  The back and forth between the two and the sparks between them really drove the book.  The added plus was the romantic side of Damon.

In this short of a book a huge amount of character development does not get to take place but I felt it had the right amount for the amount of pages.  I think Ms. Alberts did a great job with the motivations and back stories however brief of the characters.  I cared about them.  I understood them and I liked watching them grow and change through the book.  I loved watching them fall in love.

If you are up for a great little romance then this is just the book for you.  It has romance, secrets and problems for the main characters to work through, and great characters who ultimately fall in love.  On One Condition is one of those perfect books for a pick-me-up and perfect for lovers of contemporary romance.  I loved it and look forward to reading more from Ms. Alberts in the future.

One of my favorite quotes that shows the interplay between the characters nicely (and the sense of humor of the author) is this one:
She held up a palm. "Hold up. You Googled me? Really?"

"Actually...I used Bing."
How you can not love that?

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

Be sure and check out my interview with author Diane Alberts and the giveaway of On One Condition here.


About the Book:
OCD kindergarten teacher Johanna hates Valentine’s Day. She hates romance, hates commercialism, and definitely hates her school’s annual charity date auction. She never expects her pre-auction night of drinking to land a sexy Brit in her bed. Or for that Brit to show up at the auction, bid thousands just to talk to her again, and get down on one knee in front of everyone and ask her to marry him.

Viscount Damon Hayes has never met anyone like Johanna. She’s neurotic, fascinating, and fun. She also doesn’t care about his title and doesn’t want his money, which makes Johanna perfect to fulfill a surprise clause in his father’s will: marry within three months and remain married for a year, or lose his fortune. A relationship is out of the question, but when passions ignite and the two fall in love, their marriage of convenience becomes anything but.


About the Author: 

Best-selling author of all things romance. Diane believes strongly in a happily-ever-after for everyone. She especially loves tortured heroes and heroines, as can be seen in her stories. She is repped by the fabulous Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. 

Diane Alberts lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband, four kids, and a bird. She lives in the mountains-but wishes it were the beach. She has been writing since she was in elementary school, but only recently fulfilled her dreams of being published in 2011. Enjoys dyeing yarn and knitting in her “spare” time.

She loves interacting with readers, so feel free to email her at: diane@dianealberts.com.

Website 
Twitter
Facebook

FTC Information: I received this book from Entangled Publishing for an honest review. 


Author Interview & Giveaway: Diane Alberts (On One Condition)

 Today I welcome Diane Alberts, author of On One ConditionOn One Condition is a delightful romp of a marriage of convenience with a very particular and spunky heroine who hates Valentine's Day and a extremely hot and likeable hero who needs a wife to keep his fortune.  You can tell just from that little bit that this will be an interesting book and it is.  I love the interplay between the characters.  But for now I would love for you to get to know the author a little bit then come back later and check out my review.  Also you have a chance at the end of the interview to win a copy of On One Condition so check that out as well.  Welcome Diane Alberts!


Thanks so much for having me today!

Describe the area you write in.
~looks around room~ I’m in my bedroom, so I have a bed on one side, and a shelf on the other. The window is cracked open, since it’s seventy degrees out, and birds are singing. It’s a lovely, serene scene—if you ignore the dirty clothes on the floor and the unmade bed.

What's your favorite season?
This, right here, today. Spring, where everything is warm and sunny and new. I love the feeling of rejuvenation spring brings.

Crystal:  I have to agree with you, our weather here on the NC coast is beautiful this week, makes me want to be outside all of the time!

Describe your ideal reading space (no expense spared here).
It would have a lock that I could bolt so that no one could come in and distract me, and its own bathroom. I’d have a Keurig and a mini-kitchen, so that I wouldn’t have to leave the room. Could I have a servant boy to rub my shoulders as I type, too? Or is that too much?

Crystal: Servant boys are definitely allowed, this is an ideal reading space!  And our shoulders do need rubbing (making notes for her own reading space and wondering if her husband would mind said servant boy) ;)

What is a typical day like in your life?
I have four kids, so I get three of them off to school. Then, I take care of my three year old the rest of the morning, and my husband is home going to school full time—thank you GI Bill and Marines—so he usually makes lunch. Then, at naptime, I get to write. It’s when all the magic happens.

Crystal: Wow, 4 kids, I think I just complained about my busy life in an email to you, please disregard.  I only have 2 kids and feel like they take up all my time!  You are superwoman, superwoman who writes!

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Hawaii or England. I know, their kind of polar opposites, but I want to go to both. England for the rich history and the castles, and Hawaii for the warm weather and clear water.

Tell us a little bit about On One Condition.
I like to think of it as a modern day Cinderella tale—where Cinderella is bitter about love and relationships, and Prince Charming is a bit naive in the world of normal people. It is a shorter story, so I tried to mainly focus on the love story as Johanna and Damon learn how to communicate and trust one another, but I also touch lightly upon Johanna’s past and Damon’s failures as a modern-day millionaire.

But mostly, it’s about Johanna and Damon finding their stride, and getting their happily ever after.
  
What made you choose to write in the Contemporary Romance genre?
I honestly have no idea. All my life, I’ve been a Historical Romance kind of girl. But when it came time to pen my first novel, out came Contemporary Romance. And I haven’t stopped loving it since. In my journey as a Contemporary Romance Author, I’ve found a huge love for the genre, and a lot of new authors to follow.

Which character really spoke to you when you were writing On One Condition?
Johanna, she was very determined not to be fooled by Damon’s charming ways—but Damon can be very persuasive when he wants. When he met Johanna, he knew he wanted her…and he goes after her without hesitation.

What are you working on now?
A Historical Romance, that is almost finished. Also, I just finished a bunch of shorter stories that are all Contemporary Romances—even shorter than On One Condition—and I also just completed a full length novel that’s a dark YA book called Outwitted.

Book Blurb:
Kindergarten teacher Johanna hates Valentine's Day. She hates romance, hates commercialism, and definitely hates her school’s annual charity date auction. She never expects her pre-auction night of drinking to land a sexy Brit in her bed. Or for that Brit to show up at the auction, bid thousands just to talk to her again, and get down on one knee in front of everyone and ask her to marry him.

Viscount Damon Hayes has never met anyone like Johanna. She’s neurotic, fascinating, and fun. She also doesn't care about his title and doesn't want his money, which makes Johanna perfect to fulfill a surprise clause in his father's will: marry within three months and remain married for a year, or lose his fortune. A relationship is out of the question, but when passions ignite and the two fall in love, their marriage of convenience becomes anything but.

Author Bio:
Best-selling author of all things romance. Diane believes strongly in a happily-ever-after for everyone. She especially loves tortured heroes and heroines, as can be seen in her stories. She is repped by the fabulous Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. 
Diane Alberts lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband, four kids, and a bird. She lives in the mountains-but wishes it were the beach. She has been writing since she was in elementary school, but only recently fulfilled her dreams of being published in 2011. Enjoys dyeing yarn and knitting in her “spare” time.
She loves interacting with readers, so feel free to email her at: diane@dianealberts.com.

Sample Chapters:

Buy links:
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

Books On Board

Amazon UK


Giveaway
Thanks to Diane, she is giving away one copy of the eBook, On One Condition.  Open International, ends, 3/23/2012.  Fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter.




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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Book Feature: The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose #LostFragrancesVirtualBookTour

 The Book of Lost Fragrances by M. J. Rose
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: March 13, 2012
Hardcover, 416 pages 
Fiction, Suspense, Historical & Present
 ISBN: 978-1451621303



buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery





*** My Review will be coming later today ***


About the Book:
 
A sweeping and suspenseful tale of secrets, intrigue, and lovers separated by time, all connected through the mystical qualities of a perfume created in the days of Cleopatra--and lost for 2,000 years.

Jac L'Etoile has always been haunted by the past, her memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up surrounded by as the heir to a storied French perfume company. In order to flee the pain of those remembrances--and of her mother's suicide--she moved to America. Now, fourteen years later she and her brother have inherited the company along with it's financial problems. But when her Robbie hints at an earth-shattering discovery in the family archives and then suddenly goes missing--leaving a dead body in his wake--Jac is plunged into a world she thought she'd left behind.

Back in Paris to investigate her brother's disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend the House of L'Etoile has been espousing since 1799. Is there a scent that can unlock the mystery of reincarnation - or is it just another dream infused perfume?

The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses history, passion, and suspense, moving from Cleopatra's Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet's battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris. Jac's quest for the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past.


About the Author: 
M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of eleven novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her next novel THE BOOK OF LOST FRAGRANCES (Atria/S&S) will be published in March 2012.  Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio.  Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the '80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors - Authorbuzz.com.  The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype.  She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit her WEBSITE. You can also find her on Facebook.



March New Release Giveaway Hop


Welcome to the March New Release Giveaway Hop hosted by by Book Twirps  and Refracted Light Reviews.

I believe this is my first time participating in one of these but it should be fun.  I have several books you can choose from that are released this month and are up for review in my schedule.  The giveaway is open to US/Canada and the winner may choose one of the following books (you can click on the book covers to see the Goodreads descriptions), I may add more books as I read more and find more.  You may enter through the Rafflecopter below.




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