Book Tour: Cursebusters! by Julie Smith

Cursebusters! by Julie Smith

Publisher: Bold Strokes Books

Publish Date: May 17, 2011

Paperback, 264 pages
ISBN: 978-1602825598
Young Adult, Paranormal

** I apologize, I am running behind and have just started this book.  I hope to have all four reviews from the past two days up over the weekend.  Until then, learn more about this book below.  **

About the Book:
Budding-psychic Reeno is the most accomplished teenage burglar in California, but one tiny screw-up and poof!—she's sentenced to Bad Girl School. And that isn’t even her worst problem. Her sister Haley’s dying of an illness no one can diagnose, and now she can’t even help.

But wait, maybe she can! The school psychics have found each other and formed their own club. With the help of her gay friend Carlos and the other Ozone Rangers, Reeno finds out Haley’s disease is the result of an ancient Mayan curse. And A.B., the group's sinister non-faculty adviser, claims he knows how to break it.

All Reeno has to do is time-travel to an ancient Mayan city and steal a little item A.B. needs to save the world. Since she’s an ace thief, he has complete confidence she can execute the task before the outraged Mayans can execute her.

But can she trust A.B.? Despite his cuddly appearance, she knows he’s a merciless predator and ruthless assassin.

And he's not even human.
About the Author:
Julie Smith is a former journalist who began her career at the New Orleans Times-Picayune and then moved on to the San Francisco Chronicle, where she remained for fifteen years, absorbing gritty realism and (hopefully) street smarts, as careful preparation for a life of crime. Crime-writing, that is.

She’s the author of 20 adult mysteries featuring three female sleuths and one neglected guy: A cop (Officer Skip Langdon, NOPD), a PI (Talba Wallis, poet and computer genius, also of New Orleans), a semi-amateur detective (Rebecca Schwartz, San Francisco lawyer), and a complete amateur (Paul McDonald, crime writer, also of San Francisco). The first book in the Skip Langdon series, New Orleans Mourning, won the Edgar Allan Poe award for Best Novel.

Cursebusters!, Smith’s first YA novel, is also her first paranormal adventure. While writing it, she met a young male editor who gave her the quote she thinks most embodies the spirit of the book and her own philosophy as a YA author. It’s this: “There’s far too much emphasis in YA on the importance of girls getting the guy (or the girl—this is Bold Strokes here!) and not nearly enough on the importance of girls kicking ass.” Smith deeply and firmly believes in the importance of girls kicking ass, an opportunity they’re seldom afforded in real life—hence, every opportunity must be taken in fiction.

FTC Information: I received this book through The Teen Book Scene to review for the current tour.  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 Tour: Faith by Jennifer Haigh

Faith by Jennifer Haigh

Publisher: Harper

Publish Date: May 10, 2011

Hardcover, 336 pages 
Fiction
ISBN: 978-0060755805






*** My review will be coming later today ***

About the Book:
When Sheila McGann sets out to redeem her disgraced brother, a once-beloved Catholic priest in suburban Boston, her quest will force her to confront cataclysmic truths about her fractured Irish-American family, her beliefs, and, ultimately, herself. Award-winning author Jennifer Haigh follows her critically acclaimed novels Mrs. Kimble and The Condition with a captivating, vividly rendered portrait of fraying family ties, and the trials of belief and devotion, in Faith.

About the Author:

Jennifer Haigh is the author of the New York Times bestseller Baker Towers, winner of the 2006 PEN/L. L. Winship Award for outstanding book by a New England author; Mrs. Kimble, which won the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction and was a finalist for the Book Sense Book of the Year; and The Condition.

Her fiction has appeared in Granta, Ploughshares, Good Housekeeping, and elsewhere. She lives in the Boston area.

Visit Jennifer at her website.

Jennifer’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, May 10th: Booking Mama
Wednesday, May 11th: The 3 R’s: Reading, ‘Riting, and Randomness
Thursday, May 12th: Jenn’s Bookshelves
Friday, May 13th: 5 Minutes for Books
Monday, May 16th: Hospitable Pursuits
Tuesday, May 17th: The House of the Seven Tails
Wednesday, May 18th: nomadreader
Thursday, May 19th: Bookchickdi
Friday, May 20th: Stargazerpuj’s Book Blog
Monday, May 23rd: As I turn the pages
Tuesday, May 24th: Books in the City
Wednesday, May 25th: Life In Review
Thursday, May 26th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Friday, May 27th: The Prissy Book Snob
Monday, May 30th: Bookstack
Tuesday, May 31st: Confessions of a Rambling Mind
Wednesday, June 1st: Colloquium
Thursday, June 2nd: Proud Book Nerd
Friday, June 3rd: My Reading Room
Monday, June 6th: Reading Between the Lines
Tuesday, June 7th: A Cozy Reader’s Corner
Wednesday, June 8th: Peeking Between the Pages
Thursday, June 9th: The Book Chick
Friday, June 10th: BookNAround
Tuesday, June 14th: Rundpinne
Wednesday, June 15th: For the love of books
Thursday, June 16th: Literate Housewife
Friday, June 17th: Amused By Books

 

Book Tour: Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

Publisher: Langdon Street Press

Publish Date: June 1, 2011

Paperback, 369 pages
ISBN: 978-1-936782-11-6
Young Adult, Paranormal

** I apologize, I am running behind and about half done with this book - I hope to finish this evening and post the review.  I am really engrossed in the book so far - a very interesting world and interesting characters.  **

*** My Review is now posted here ***

About the Book:
The spell was simple... ''Cruentus Protectum'' (''Defend the Blood'')

But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds--much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.
What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?

About the Author:
Amalie Howard grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. She received a bachelor's degree from Colby College in Maine in International Studies and French, and a certificate in French Literature from the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris, France. She has also lived in Los Angeles, Boston, and New York City. She has worked as a research assistant, marketing rep, global sales executive, freelance writer, and blogger. A lover of other cultures and new experiences, especially of the culinary variety, she has traveled extensively across North America and Europe, and as far east as China, Indonesia, and Australia. She currently resides in New York with her husband, three children, and one very willful cat that she is convinced may have been a witch's cat in a past life.

FTC Information: I received this book through The Teen Book Scene to review for the current tour.  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 Tour + Giveaway: Broken Wings by Carla Stewart

 

Broken Wings by Carla Stewart

Publisher: Faithwords

Publish Date: June 3, 2011

Paperback, 320 pages 
Fiction, Inspirational Fiction
 ISBN: 978-0446556569

***My review will be coming later today or tomorrow***

About the Book:
Onstage, the singing duo of Gabe and Mitzi Steiner captured America's heart for more than two decades. Offstage, their own hearts have throbbed as one for sixty years. Only now, Gabe has retreated into the tangles of Alzheimer's, leaving Mitzi to ponder her future alone.

On the other side of Tulsa, everyone believes Brooke Woodson has found the perfect man--a handsome lawyer with sights on becoming Tulsa's next District Attorney. If only Brooke felt more sure. If only her fiancé could control his anger. If only love didn't come with so many scars.

When an accident lands Brooke in the hospital where Mitzi volunteers, the two women quickly develop an unlikely friendship birthed by providence and bathed in grace. And with Mitzi's help, kindness, and insight, Brooke learns how to pick up the broken pieces of her life.

About the Author: 
Carla Stewart is the author of Chasing Lilacs. Her writing reflects her passion for times gone by, cherished relationships, and the mysteries of God in our skid-marked world. She and her husband have four adult sons and delight in the adventures of their six grandchildren.

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Blog

Twitter Party


WHEN: Friday, June 3, 2011 - All day.
WHERE: Wherever you are.
HOW TO FIND THE PARTY: Follow @Chasing Lilacs (that's the author) and @FaithWords (they're throwing the party) on Twitter. Use the hashtag #brokenwings and join in the conversation!
LIVE Q &A from noon to 1pm Central time! Chime in with your questions, and she'll do her best to answer.

A "birdie" told me there might be giveaways!!


Giveaway
Thanks to Sarah Reck, I have one copy of Broken Wings to giveaway.  Open to US/Canada only, no PO boxes, this will ship directly from the publisher. Ends 6/9/2011.  Simply fill out the form below to enter.  For an extra entry leave a comment below telling me whether you have read Carla Stewart before and if you plan to read Broken Wings.

FTC Information: I received this book from the Sarah Reck at Faithwords for an honest 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.

Book Review: The Fine Art of Insincerity by Angela Hunt

The Fine Art of Insincerity by Angela Hunt

Publisher: Howard Books

Publish Date: May 3, 2011

Paperback, 320 pages 
Fiction, Women's Fiction, Southern Fiction

 ISBN: 978-1439182031

My Review:
Why I read this: I love novels centered in the south, throw in three sisters meeting for the weekend and working through things while cleaning out their eccentric grandmother's cottage and I had to read it.



My thoughts:  A touching book that centers on three sisters, two who have several marriages between them and one who has been married for 27 years.  But they all have questions about their lives and these questions come to a head when they meet one weekend to go through their grandmother's house before it's sold.

As the book goes between the three sisters you learn about their lives through their point-of-view and also from each of the other sister's point-of-view.  Ginger seems to be the lead character in the book as the oldest sister, but Penny and Rose are important as well.  All three have heartbreak in their lives and through this weekend start to finally learn to lean on each other.  It truly reads as three stories, but I like how Ms. Hunt weaves the three together by the end of the book.  By slowly learning about each sister I really felt I got to know each one and I enjoyed knowing them.  They were very different, but I liked the lessons they learned and the growing they did.

The scenery is secondary, but I love books set in the south.  You get the wonderful beach cottage feel in this book and that makes it enjoyable, but the scenery never really develops as it's own character.  The characters themselves are the main focus of this book.

An engaging beach read, wonderful, thought-provoking, yet light and easy to read on an afternoon on the beach, by the lake or near your backyard sprinkler.  It's the perfect summer book.


My Rating: 4.5/5.0


About the Book:
Three grown Southern sisters have ten marriages between them—and more loom on the horizon—when Ginger, the eldest, wonders if she’s the only one who hasn’t inherited what their family calls “the Grandma Gene”: the tendency to like the casualness of courtship better than the intimacy of marriage. Could it be that her two sisters are fated to serially marry, just like their seven-times wed grandmother, Mrs. Lillian Irene Harper Winslow Goldstein Carey James Bobrinski Gordon George?  It takes a “girls only” weekend, closing up Grandma’s treasured beach house for the last time, for the sisters to really unpack their family baggage, examine their relationship DNA, and discover the true legacy their much-marrying grandmother left behind . . .

About the Author: 
With nearly four million copies of her books sold worldwide, Angela Hunt is the bestselling author of more than one hundred books, including The Tale of Three Trees, Don’t Bet Against Me, The Note, and The Nativity Story. Hunt is one of the most sought-after collaborators in the publishing industry. Her nonfiction book Don’t Bet Against Me, written with Deanna Favre, spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Angela’s novel The Note (with sales of over 141,000) was filmed as the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas movie for 2007 and proved to be the highest rated television movie in the channel’s history. She often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences, and she served as the keynote speaker at the 2008 American Christian Fiction Writers’ national conference. She and her husband make their home in Florida with mastiffs. In 2001, one of her dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest dog in America.

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Blog

FTC Information: I received this book through Glass Road PR for the blog tour and an honest 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.

Deborah Cooke's Top Teen Books + Giveaway

Today I have Deborah Cooke, author of Flying Blind, which is currently on tour with Teen Book Scene.  I will have a review up on June 11, so stay tuned for that, but for now, enjoy Deborah's Top Ten Book Picks.

1. THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien

Zoë and I have this pick in common. There's nothing like epic fantasy, and this is the big kahuna.

2. NEVERWHERE by Neil Gaiman

Simultaneously playful and brilliant - but then, it is Gaiman.

3. EXIT TO EDEN by Anne Rampling

I think this is the best book Anne Rice ever wrote. An erotic romance, so not for the under-18 set, but the characterization and emotional complexity is beautifully done. 

4. POSSESSION by A.S. Byatt

Quite possibly my favourite book of all time. The movie is also great, but different.

5. THE BLOODY CHAMBER by Angela Carter

A collection of short stories, dark little retellings of fairy tales. Wonderful!

6. APRIL WITCH by Majgull Azelsson

A haunting book on my keeper shelf. I'm due to read it again.

7. SMILLA'S SENSE OF SNOW by Peter Høeg

Beautifully written, with action, mystery and compelling characters. The movie is also good, and quite close to the book.

8. WHAT THE BODY REMEMBERS by Shauna Singh Baldwin

Evocative and exotic. 

9. THE SCULPTRESS by Minette Walters

Hard to pick a fave of her books, but I'll go with this one because it was the first one I read.

10. THE REBEL ANGELS by Robertson Davies

I loved the characters in this novel, probably one of his more commercial works.

Thanks Deborah for that great list - I must admit I have only read number 1, so I have a bunch of books to check out!

Giveaway
Thanks to Deborah's publicist I have one copy of Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke to one lucky entrant.  Open to the US only.  Ends 6/8/11.  Simple enter using the form below.  For an extra entry, leave a comment with one of your favorite books of all time or if one of the books Deborah has listed catches your eye mention that.  Good luck!

Author Interview: Andrea Kane

Today I welcome author Andrea Kane, who's newest book, The Girl Who Disappeared Twice was just released.  I have it on my immediate TBR pile and can't wait to read it.  For now enjoy learning more about Ms. Kane and this book that is already garnering quite a bit of praise.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so can you tell us?

I’m writing the next Forensic Instincts novel.  It’s called THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE, and it’s another heart-wrenching, race-the-clock challenge for the FI team.

Can you tell us something about yourself that not a lot of your readers know?

I’m a walking contradiction.  I can write some really ugly scenes.  Yet I cry during Disney movies and I’ve never gotten over “Charlotte’s Web”.  It’s like I’m outside myself—a completely different person—when I write violence or psychological pain.  The truth is, I’m secretly a marshmallow!

                

Do you have any quirks that come out while you are writing?

I’m a raging perfectionist.  I’ll rewrite a paragraph till I’m old and gray.  If even one word is bugging me, I keep at it until it’s got just the right connotation.  And I need dead silence when I’m writing.  No talking.  No music.  Not a sound.  I’m NOT pleasant when those rules are broken. J

What is your daily routine as a writer?

I’m not one of those authors that can write for 12 hours straight and crank out 20 pages.  I write in about 4 hours chunks—in the morning, the evening, and late at night.  I have an energy drop in the late afternoon, so I use that time to research.  And I start every day by re-reading my printed pages from the day before.  That way, I can edit my work and also jump seamlessly back in where I left off.  I also take periodic breaks to revisit a large portion (maybe 100 pages) of my manuscript and edit it.  I simultaneously plan ahead and rework my outline, which has inevitably changed a dozen times since I last wrote it!

What inspired you to write your first book?

I wrote forever, in one format or another.  My first essay was published when I was in high school.  I reviewed books when my daughter was young and I didn’t have the time to tackle a novel.  I did that the first chance I got.  I can’t remember ever NOT wanting to write.  The hard part was imagining myself as a professional, published novelist.  I still feel grateful for being able to earn a living doing what I love!

About the Book

CAN FORENSIC INSTINCTS SAVE A LIFE BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT?

 New York Times bestselling author Andrea Kane

introduces her brilliant new team of maverick investigators

When you crave a romantic thriller that will keep you turning pages, you call on Andrea Kane, bestselling author of more than two dozen novels. From Run for Your Life, her pulse-pounding suspense debut that became an instant New York Times bestseller to Drawn in Blood, which was selected as one of the top thrillers of all time by NPR, Kane has inspired a devoted following of ardent fans in 16 countries.

After intense, top-secret training with the FBI, Kane turned her analytic mind to her newest renegade team, Forensic Instincts, and its brilliant, intuitive leader Casey Woods in THE GIRL WHO DISAPPEARED TWICE (Mira Books, June 2011). Casey and her team have been hired by veteran family court Judge Hope Willis whose daughter was abducted right under her nose.

Casey’s team of mavericks – a behaviorist, a techno-wizard, an intuitive and a former navy SEAL – pool their unconventional skills to do whatever it takes to bring the girl home. But there is more to this case than meets the eye. Judge Willis has secrets she can’t hide from Casey who has the ability to read people from even the briefest encounter.

Now Forensic Instincts must sift through every piece of evidence, each miniscule clue to uncover the truth before time runs out. They know that the difference between bringing the girl home alive and having her disappear forever could hinge on something as difficult to detect as a suspect’s rapid breathing or a dark family history, long hidden from sight.