Intriguing new mystery title from Blaze favorite Samantha Hunter: Past Tense review

Past Tense by Samantha Hutner

Publisher: Kindle Editions

Publish Date: June 18, 2010

Ebook

My Review:
I have read Samantha Hunter's Harlequin Blaze titles in the past and have always enjoyed them.  She brings a little suspense into her romance titles and has always done a great job with it.  Past Tense is her first foray into the mystery genre.  I think she has done a wonderful job.  Past Tense had a way of sucking me right into the story beside of Sophie as things happened.  I felt like I got to know Sophie as she came to know herself and like I took part in every scene.  I was just so absorbed in the story as a whole.

Ms. Hunter does a marvelous job with the characters.  Sophie stands out the most as the main character and she is easy to relate to.  In her late 20s or so and she's still trying to find her way in life and tragedy has struck in the past and strikes again at the beginning of this book.  Roger is Sophie's fiance and also a police officer.  He contrasts nicely with Sophie and you can see his love for her even though he can't seem to accept the supernatural world that Sophie seems inclined to become involved with.  Gabe is great, a psychologist, and a ghost hunter.  He's the best of both worlds and he's interested in helping Sophie find out about her past and put things to rest.  All three make a great relationship triangle and while it's not at all the focus of the book, it makes a great side story and all three characters help propel the plot.  I liked all three and if you are like me, for a long while you weren't sure which man was right for Sophie.

The main part of this book is the mystery and Ms. Hunter does an excellent job on moving the mystery forward without giving too much away.  I was even surprised at one point by something that happened. Ms. Hunter did such an excellent job at leading you to believe one thing even though it was never stated.  I am rarely surprised like this and found it very refreshing.  As the mystery builds I found myself unable to put the book down.  Who is behind the death of Sophie's friend?  And who is the ghost that was there?  These questions are brought to a conclusion that I did not see coming.  The ending is tidy and finishes the book off nicely, but it's also left open to further books which I hope will be forthcoming.

All-in-all this is an excellent paranormal suspense.  I loved the tarot and ghost element.  I've never been into tarot, but like the way Ms. Hunter presents it in this book, so if you don't like tarot, don't let that scare you off.  Sophie is a very likable character and I liked seeing her world, it is a world I am unfamiliar with so I find it fascinating.  This is a book that mystery lovers don't want to miss!

So please read Past Tense and then let Samantha Hunter know that you want to see more of Sophie Turner in the future!  I know I do.

My Rating: 4.75/5.0

About the Book:


Sophie Turner runs Talismans, a Boston tarot parlor, where she reads tarot and keeps her family’s psychic legacy alive. However, in spite of her tragic family history and Tarot Alley’s reputation for being a mystical hotspot, Sophie has no psychic powers of her own – or so she thinks. Engaged to straight-as-an-arrow Boston PD Detective Roger Paris, and finishing her college degree in Computer Science, she’s ready to start a brand new life that has nothing to do with her paranormal past.

When the murder of her friend and client Patrice Bledsoe leaves Sophie traumatized, she can’t trust her own memory about what happened. She remembers a ghostly encounter moments before Patrice was killed, but she can’t remember anything about the murder, making her a prime suspect. Sophie doesn’t understand why the ghost appeared or why she was compelled to read his cards, revealing a story of violence and betrayal, but she is determined to find the truth about her friend’s murder.

It’s not the last time Sophie sees the tragic ghost figure, and she begins to believe her ghost is real when she’s plagued with visions she can’t ignore. When her skeptical fiancé won’t listen, she asks ghost hunter Dr. Gabe Mason for his help, leading her down a path of no return in more ways than one.
About the Author:
Check out Samantha Hunter's guest post which is an interview with Sophie Turner, the main character in Past Tense here, there is also a giveaway for two of Sam's latest Harlequin Blaze titles.

You can check out Sam's book at the Amazon.com link below and be sure and check out her website and blog as well.

FTC Information: I bought this book for my Kindle for my reading enjoyment.  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 Blogger Hop: July 16-19

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:

RIGHT THIS INSTANT, WHAT BOOK ARE YOU DYING TO GET YOUR HANDS ON (PAST, PRESENT, OR FUTURE)?

 

I'll have to go with the same answer as Crazy-For-Books on this one:  Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins is at the top of  my list.

 

Second up wound be the next book in the Sophie Turner series by Samantha Hunter - do you hear me Sam - I really want another book, the first book in the series is Past Tense and you can see the review here.

 

Also I'm patiently (or not so patiently) waiting on my copy of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater - it should arrive any day now. 

 

Thanks for stopping by on the hop - I'll be hopping around all weekend.  Be sure and check out my sidebar - I have several great giveaways going right now.

Book Extravaganza Giveaway

Welcome to Book Extravaganza hosted by Bookworming in the 21st Century and The Neverending Shelf.  Check it out for more information and lots of giveaways during this weekend.

I'm participating with two ARCs I received extras of.  Do you want to know what you are playing for?  (Sorry I couldn't resist - I'm in Survivor withdrawal).

So my strange humor aside, I am giving away 1 ARC of each of the following to one lucky winner. 

Okay finally, the ARCs:

 Warlord by Ted Bell - out October 19th, 2010

Gentleman spy Alex Hawke has all but given up on life. The British-American M16 counterterrorism operative lost the woman he loved on his last mission, almost a year ago, and has sought refuge at the bottom of a rum bottle ever since. But late one night at his home on Bermuda, he receives a wake-up call…literally.

His Royal Highness Prince Charles, an old friend, desperately needs his help. Someone is threatening the lives of the British Royal Family. And the death threat Charles has received carries a signature identical to one found in a book that belonged to his uncle, Lord Mountbatten — the beloved family patriarch who was assassinated 30 years before. Someone from the past has the British crown in his sights again, and has proven once before that these threats are not to be taken lightly. This is just the call to duty Hawke needs to get back in action — if the madman doesn’t wreak total havoc first.

Warlord is adventure-thriller fiction of the highest order — told with verve and swashbuckling panache by a master of the art.

Hailey's War by Jodi Compton - Came out June 15th

Twenty-four-year-old Hailey Cain has dropped out of the US Military Academy for reasons she won't reveal. She has had to leave Los Angeles and it would be too big a risk for her to return. Now working as a bike messenger in San Francisco, Hailey keeps a low profile, until her high school best friend Serena Delgadillo makes a call that will turn her whole life upside-down. Serena is the head of an all-female gang on the rough streets of LA. She wants Hailey to escort the cousin of a recently murdered gang member across the border to Mexico. It's a mission that will nearly cost Hailey her life, causing her to choose more than once between loyalty and lawlessness, and forcing her to confront two very big secrets in her past...

I just realized both books have "war" in the title and that was not even planned.  So please enter below.  Giveaway open to US/Canada only, and runs from 7/16 12:01am - 7/18 11:59pm.  Winners announced early next week. 

Make sure you check out the other giveaways going on this weekend and stop by and thank Bookworking in the 21st Century and The Neverending Shelf for putting on this wonderful event!

Guest Post: Author Samantha Hunter interviews Sophie from Past Tense + Giveaway

Today I welcome author Samantha to My Reading Room.  You may recognize the name from the great Harlequin Blaze novels that she has written over the years, now she is branching out into mystery (though most of her romances have had an element of mystery in them).  From what I have read from the book, you don't want to miss out on this one.  So without further ado - please welcome  Samantha Hunter.

I wanted to do something fun for this blog, and so I decided an interview with the main character from my Kindle-published mystery, Past Tense, Sophie Turner, would be interesting to do as a way to let you get to know her, and introduce a few elements of the book. So I will pose a few questions to her, and then you can feel free to do the same to her, or me, and we'll do our best to answer in comments.

Sam:  Sophie, how did you get started reading the tarot?

Sophie: Well, my Aunt Doris owned this shop, and I lived her with her and my father, upstairs. She read cards, and when she and my father were killed, I took over running the shop. I didn't know much about it at first, but I just taught myself and went from there. Most people who come in for readings are just looking for someone to talk to, and the cards can provide us a thing to focus on, a way to bring out elements of the conversation. I try not to predict things, but to use the cards to get insight into whatever questions they ask. I really just try to listen and help people as much as I can.

Sam: What was it like, growing up in Tarot Alley, in a tarot parlor?

Sophie: Well, I can't remember a lot of it -- when my aunt and my father were killed, I suffered a fall that left me with some injuries, including memory loss. I can remember making cookies with my aunt, and going to baseball games with my Dad. But I don't remember too much about the shop -- the police said it's because they were killed here, and I guess I just blanked it all out.

Sam: Are you happy now?

Sophie: I think so, yes. I'm engaged to a police detective, Roger, who is wonderful, though he really isn't crazy about the paranormal or my working here. He wants me to sell the store so we can start a new life, and I can do something more. . . .

Sam: Normal?

Sophie: Yes, I suppose. Roger is big on normal.

Sam: But Patrice's death is throwing a curve into that, I'm sorry to say. Especially with the ghost that appeared right before she was killed. I don't imagine Roger believes in ghosts, either.

Sophie: No. He gets really upset when I bring it up. He means well. He thinks I am just overwhelmed by what happened, but I know it's more than that. It's caused some problems between us, for sure. Roger is not happy with me looking into this, but I have to find out what happened. I don't think we can move on until I do that.

Sam: Like working with Dr. Gabe Mason, a local ghost hunter?


Sophie: He's not really a ghost hunter -- they call him a ghost therapist because he tries to figure out why they are here -- which is what I need to do. I think the ghost I keep seeing has something to do with Patrice's death, and I have to know what it is.

Sam: But Gabe is pretty cute, huh? Maybe Roger is jealous?

Sophie: I don't think so. . .maybe. But he has nothing to be jealous of. Gabe and I are just working together.

Sam: Um, okay, if you say so. So with your shop, the investigation, college, and two good-looking guys in your life, you sure have your hands full.

Sophie: Everything will settle down when we get past this. Then I can get back to normal.

Sam: Well, there are always surprises along the way.

Sophie: Like what?

Sam: I've said enough. I'll leave that for you to find out on your own.

Writing Past Tense was a labor of love, and a lot of fun. I hope you'll check it out. :)

Thank you so much for joining us today Sam and Sophie, so run and check out Sam's new book Past Tense.  My review will be coming soon.  You can check out Sam's book at the Amazon.com link below and be sure and check out her website and blog as well.

About Past Tense:

Sophie Turner runs Talismans, a Boston tarot parlor, where she reads tarot and keeps her family’s psychic legacy alive. However, in spite of her tragic family history and Tarot Alley’s reputation for being a mystical hotspot, Sophie has no psychic powers of her own – or so she thinks. Engaged to straight-as-an-arrow Boston PD Detective Roger Paris, and finishing her college degree in Computer Science, she’s ready to start a brand new life that has nothing to do with her paranormal past.

When the murder of her friend and client Patrice Bledsoe leaves Sophie traumatized, she can’t trust her own memory about what happened. She remembers a ghostly encounter moments before Patrice was killed, but she can’t remember anything about the murder, making her a prime suspect. Sophie doesn’t understand why the ghost appeared or why she was compelled to read his cards, revealing a story of violence and betrayal, but she is determined to find the truth about her friend’s murder.

It’s not the last time Sophie sees the tragic ghost figure, and she begins to believe her ghost is real when she’s plagued with visions she can’t ignore. When her skeptical fiancé won’t listen, she asks ghost hunter Dr. Gabe Mason for his help, leading her down a path of no return in more ways than one.
















Giveaway:
Update:  Final details - Sam is giving away a set of her Spring Blaze titles:  Blazing Bedtime Stories and Make Your Move.  I have Blazing Bedtime Stories and can't wait to read that one.

 

To enter is simple, just comment.  For 5 extra entries ask Sam or Sophie a question (I'll count up the extra entries so you don't have to comment 5 times).  Come back here later during the day for the final details, but know that Sam's Blaze titles are great (I have read several of them) and most do have a mystery/suspense element to go along with the steamy romance.  Open to US/Canada only.  Giveaway runs through 7/22.


About the Books:


Blazing Bedtime Stories:

Bestselling authors Kimberly Raye and Samantha Hunter invite you to experience a little magic, a little mystery... and a lot of really hot sex!

Cupid's Bite by Kimberly Raye

When dark falls in Skull Creek, Texas, Lucy Rivers has the most incredible lover in her bed! Between the blindfolds and his bold lips, she's finding an ecstasy she only dreamed about. Her nighttime Cupid pierces her with his every erotic want...and then some! Too bad he's only there until the sun comes up....

I Wish He Might... by Samantha Hunter

Nina Larson has a personal genie...seductive, sexy Alec! Her every wish is his command...and does she ever have some X-rated wishes! Each desire he fulfills propels her into another, even hotter one. But Nina holds the key to Alec's freedom. Problem is, she's not sure she can surrender the most fantastic sex of her life!

Make Your Move:

Jodie Patterson's posh bakery is all about satisfying cravings. Her signature aphrodisiac cookies have been flying off the shelves...and giving Jodie some delicious ideas of her own.

Behind his owlish glasses, Jodie's business partner, Dr. Dan Ellison, is the male equivalent of the Naughty Professor. Jodie is more than ready to indulge her fantasies with this wolf-in-geek's-clothing as long as they set some ground rules: sex is sex, business is business and nothing will change. Yeah, right! After that first addictive kiss, it's time to see if they can really satisfy each other's appetites....

Once Upon a Read-A-Thon Completion

So now the Once Upon a Read-a-Thon hosted by Pure Imagination, Reading Angel and Candace's Book Blog is finished. What a great 3 days it was.  Since I work 40 hours a week and have to do things for my family my time was limited.  But I did read as much as I could and I enjoyed following the twitter feed and visiting some blogs (I will do more of that as the week continues).

I didn't manage to post daily updates, but I did update on twitter and I am posting my final update.  My goal was to read 3 boks and I did that by lunchtime on Wednesday and that was 3 books from start to finish.  I continued to read this evening but did not have time to finish another book, but did get quite a bit read on Past Tense by Samantha Hunter (who I will be hosting a guest blog for tomorrow).  It was a book I forgot about when listing my books to read for the read-a-thon.


I'm not sure of the total time spent, but I spent 3 hours at the gym reading and then 3 hours of lunches, plus whatever I could get in in the evening.  It helped that DH was gone last night so I got uninterrupted time then (or as uninterrupted time as you can get with a 5-year-old at home).  Tonight the time was more limited as our older son was home (he spends a lot of the week during the summer staying with my parents) and we of course had to watch a few episodes of Lost.

No matter the time spent - I had a blast reading and finished some really good books.  Here is what I finished, I did deviate slightly from my plan, but that is what I am good at.  I realized I needed some easy-going YA in there and so I pulled out This is Me From Now On and it was perfect.


Books Finished:

• Running from the Devil by Jamie Freveletti
• This is Me From Now On by Barbara Dees
• The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz

 

Books started but not finished:

• Running Dark by Jamie Freveletti
• Past Tense by Samantha Hunter

    

Thank you so much ladies for hosting this wonderful read-a-thon!

Book Review: The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Publish Date: May 25, 2010

Hardcover, 288 pages

My Review:
I have really lucked out with my YA reading lately.  Adding to my already huge number of glowing reviews this month is this one for The Tension of Opposites.

First I loved Tessa, I could relate with Tessa.  No, I never had my best friend kidnapped, but know what it's like to be that girl, the one who doesn't make friends as easy, the one who is more introverted and one who keeps just a few good friends around.  When Noelle is kidnapped, Tessa retreats into herself and into her photography, with only Darcy as a friend.  Darcy is the one who wills Tessa to take chances, like with the Senior photography class and also with her dating life with the new guy at school, Max.  Tessa is a great character because she feels real - when Noelle returns she wants to make everything normal again and she puts her whole self into Noelle and doing what she can for her, to the point that she loses herself.  What teenage girl hasn't done this whether with a friend or with a boyfriend.  Tessa is a pleaser, she doesn't think of herself, but she is not spineless, she has a backbone and through the book she learns more about herself than she ever thought possible.

The secondary characters of Noelle, Max and Darcy are very important to Tessa's development and I enjoyed getting to know all of them and their interactions with Tessa.  The character development in this book was pivotal and Ms. McBride does an astounding job developing them and using them to move the story forward.

Next is the plot, which is primarily character driven and just amazing.  I found myself turning page after page wondering what would happen next.  What would Tessa feel, what would she do, could she save Noelle from herself.  Seeing the kidnapping from the best friend's point of view was a wonderful way to write this book.  I think The Tension of Opposites will resonate with me for some time to come.

So if you are looking for a non-paranormal young adult novel that will appeal to the young and old alike, I can highly recommend The Tension of Opposites.  It has been getting raves from the blogging community and after reading it I can see why.  I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book and wish I could come to know Tessa, Max and Noelle even more.

My Rating:  4.75/5.0

About the Book:
It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.

For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?

And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.

A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.

About the Author:
Kristina McBride has dreamed of being a published author since she was a child and lived across the street from a library. After graduating with a bachelor’s in English Education, Kristina taught high school English for eight years. After having her first child and completing her Master’s in Education, Kristina decided to quit teaching and take a crack at her dream. Kristina lives in Ohio with her husband and two young children, stealing as many moments as she can to write, write, write.

Author website
Her Blog
Twitter
Facebook

I won this book from Reclusive Bibliophile and I'm currently giving this one away, see sidebar, giveaway ends 7/16

FTC Information: This book was won from another blog and came off of my shelf to be read.  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.

Waiting on Wednesday - July 14

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I'm currently reading The Van Alen Legacy which is the 4th book  in the series and I'm sure as soon as I finish I will be eagerly awaiting:

Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz (Book 5 in Blue Bloods Series)

Release: October 26, 2010

After inheriting the dark Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler fled to Florence--with her forbidden love, Jack. Now the two of them must embark on the mission Schuyler was destined to complete: to find and protect the seven gates that guard earth from Lucifer, lord of the Silverbloods.

As the Blue Blood enclave weakens yet further, fate leads Schuyler closer to a terrifying crossroads--and a choice that will determine the destiny of all vampires.

So what are you waiting on this week?