Book Review: Savor the Danger by Lori Foster

Savor the Danger by Lori Foster

Publisher: HQN

Publish Date: June 28, 2011

Paperback, 411 pages 
Fiction, Romantic Suspense
 ISBN: 9780373775828
Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor #3

My Review:
Why I read this: I've read the first two in this series and I was intrigued by Jackson who has made his appearances but who was rather mysterious, like Trace was before we got to know him in his book, so I was itching to learn about Jackson.


My thoughts:  Wow, this book was just amazing.  I loved the first two books but this has to be my favorite in the series.  So much was going on in the book, yet it seemed so simple in ways.  It all took place over a period of a few days.  A lot of it was the tension between Jackson and Alani, but it was good tension and what was cool was they already knew each other and the book opens with them knowing each other really well. ;)

Ms. Foster never ceases to amaze me in her creation of chracters.  Jackson is another amazing alpha male with a soft side for the right female in his life.  Alani is a soft female with a strong backbone with needed.  She won't be walked on, but she knows when it's best to back off as well.  I loved Alani.  She's been through a lot, but she's making her way back to a normal life and then she's thrown into a big mess with Jackson but she takes it in stride and just sticks right to Jackson's side.  She's in love with Jackson and doesn't know what to do about that but decides to enjoy the relationship as long as she can.  But then there is the conflict of who is shooting and stalking them.

Jackson has been wanting Alani forever and now he's had her and can't remember it but he's got her again and he wants more, but can't get Alani to make the confession of love and he can't figure out his feelings.  Add in the person shooting at them and his little secret that Trace is breathing down his neck about and Jackson is stretched pretty thin.  But he handles himself, staying cool.  I loved Jackson, he is the ultimate man, and so perfect for Alani.

The suspense was great, but definitely took a backseat to the romance, but was there enough for those who like suspense in their romance.  I was always wondering what would happen next and was never disappointed.  A lot went on in this book and it was tied up really nice.  It was hard to put down, so you might want to block out an afternoon if you pick this one up because you might not want to put it down.  I found myself reading while cooking and sneaking reads while waiting for stuff while working as well - it's that good.  I actually finished this several days ago and I still feel like Jackson and Alani are with me - it's that good.  And the ending is great because it leads into at least one book next year and hopefully more.  I won't say more because I don't want to spoil anything.


My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:
She may be aloof, and more pretty than gorgeous, but Alani Rivers is the kind of woman a hot-blooded mercenary can't forget, no matter how hard he tries. So when Jackson Savor wakes up next to the naked, sleeping beauty—with no memory of what happened— he knows he's been drugged…even if Alani doesn't.


After she was kidnapped, Alani vowed never to trust another man again. Still, something about this strong, sexy hero with the tender touch makes her want to believe him. As Jackson hunts down a mysterious intruder, he swears he'll move heaven and earth to keep Alani safe. But what really happened that night? And will the truth bring them closer than they ever thought possible—or put Alani squarely in harm's way again?


About the Author: 
Lori Foster first published with Harlequin in January 1996. Her second book launched Temptation Blaze and her 25th book launched Temptation Heat. Since those early days, Lori has routinely had 6 to 10 releases a year. She's a Waldenbooks, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly and New York Times bestselling author with over 50 titles published through a variety of houses, including Berkley/Jove, Kensington, St. Martins, Harlequin and Silhouette.

Website
Twitter
Facebook

FTC Information: I received this book from Tricia Carr at Media Muscle (Meryl L. Moss Media Relations) for an honest review. 

This or That with author Christine E. Schulze (The Gailean Quartet)

Today I have Christine E. Schulze, author of The Gailean Quartet joining me sharing whether she likes this or that.  I love these lists, because they are fun quick looks into the author's personality.  Also be sure to checkout Christine's giveaway going on her blog.

Tacos or Hamburgers? Hamburgers! But only if they are cheeseburgers. I actually pride myself on the un-
American oddity that I have never really ever had a taco.

Dogs or Cats? Both. While Mum and I always had dogs, this is only because I was allergic to cats.
Otherwise, we might have added a few to our menagerie.

Travel by car or by airplane? This is going to make me sound very boring after the taco remark, but I’ve
never gotten to ride an airplane. That’s why I’m a writer though; while I hope to travel someday, I get to
write about awesome places until I do.

Sports car or sedan? Umm, I’m really not that into cars and can’t properly answer this one. My mum
fancies a sports car though, only she says it would get her in trouble.

Regular soda or diet soda? Neither; I never fancied soda, except as a child I loved orange soda. But,
since discovering my allergies to milk and processed sugar, I don’t drink that either. I have though found a
brilliant replacement, an all-natural carbonated drink: Clementine Izze!

English or Math? Is this even a valid question for an author? English trumps, obviously, though Math isn’t
nearly as bad a bane as it was in grade school.

Tragedies or Comedies? Tragedy! Sometimes in my own works as well. My sweetheart finds it a bit
morbid at times how I like to off people…

Twitter or Facebook? Honestly, I’m not very into the whole social networking thing. However, I am a
member of both Twitter and Facebook. More so though, as an author, I prefer Goodreads.

Middle School Teacher or High School Teacher? Well, if you’re referring to teaching, probably neither; I
prefer Elementary where the children are not taller than I.

Movie in Theater or in home? I do love going to the theatre but only do so when it’s a movie I really want
to see because of the expense. Being at home is nice because one can be comfortable, and I can also
have snacks that cater to my food allergies of milk and sugar.

High Heels or Sneakers? Ha! If you catch me in high heels, I am either under the Imperious Curse or am
being impersonated by someone taking Polyjuice Potion (sorry, but my sweetie and I have been engaging
in a Harry-Potter-a-thon). I try to look nice but also must be comfy at the same time.

Bracelets or Necklaces? Necklaces; I’ve always loved pendants and use the magical kind a lot in books,
especially my older works. Perhaps it’s also the fact I have such tiny wrists; I have a 4.5 size ring finger,
so don’t where many of those either.

X-Men or Pirates of the Caribbean? PIRATES! I loved one; two had retarded characters and was just
plain weird with that squid man; in three, the characters finally come to their senses, and the story with
Elizabeth and Will was so tragically beautiful! And my sweetheart and I just saw four and loved it. There
was something in it for everyone. I’m still going on about the side story between the missionary and the
mermaid…

Chosen Scavenger Hunt

Today is my day for the Chosen Scavenger Hunt - I am right in the middle of this book and hope to finish it today and review it over the weekend but I must say it has sucked me right in.  So here is my excerpt for the day:

It also acted as white noise, blocking the sound of cars that stopped and started at the corner of the street directly below her bedroom window.

The hallucination began twenty minutes later, obviously the first stage in the effects of the pills.

More information about the tour can be found at: Book Sake



About the Book
When Mariah Adele Carpenter attempted to end her own life with a handful of pills, she thought
she had left the cares of the world behind. Somehow, her act of self-destruction became one of
redemption when a mysterious figure healed her – and set her on a journey that would test her
faith, her perceptions and ultimately her sanity in Paula Bradley’s heart-pounding debut novel
CHOSEN (Fiction Studio, 2011).

Mariah soon realizes that the deathbed visitation by an otherworldly figure has magnified
the nascent extrasensory gifts she’s had since childhood. Desperate to understand what has
happened, she reaches out to non-denominational minister Michael Jenkins. The gentle
Englishman becomes her spiritual guide and bedrock support when she is drawn against her will
into the minds of abducted children.

Her role in the rescue of these innocents draws the attention of FBI Special Agent Frannie
Manzetti, who sees Mariah as a path to promotion and heightened status within the department.
But can Manzetti keep her prize to herself once the women become friends? And can the agent
protect her charge once the media gets hold of a stolen tape showing her psychic ability?

When her fourth Finding hits the airwaves, all hell breaks lose. Blessed and reviled in equal
measure, she finds herself on trial for murder while another government agency develops its
own covert agenda to control her and her abilities.

As her outer turmoil intensifies, Mariah is plagued by a series of terrifying nightmares,
culminating in the discovery of an ingenious serial killer who somehow prevents her from
finding out his identity and location. His elusive nature tortures her, driving her to frightening
excesses as she becomes obsessed with finding him before he kills again.

Paula Bradley has created a heroine who is remarkably complex and achingly human in a
thriller that bristles with the tension of implicit danger and the draw of the unexplained. It will
keep readers turning pages and challenging their own long-held beliefs on the nature of faith
and the value of discovery.

Book Feature: Chasing Amanda by Melissa Foster

Chasing Amanda by Melissa Foster

Publisher:  Solstice Publishing

Publish Date: April 12, 2011

Paperback, 377 pages

ISBN: 9780615477527

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

About the Book:

Living in a rural Maryland community, Molly Tanner and her husband are enjoying their newly empty nest. But when a seven-year-old girl disappears from a local park it brings back memories of what brought the Tanners to Maryland a decade ago. Molly unknowingly witnessed another young girl’s abduction in Philadelphia and was almost destroyed by the guilt after the girl was killed. Unwilling to ignore the visions she sometimes has any longer, Molly sets out to find the young girl, jeopardizing the marriage she’d fought so hard to hold together. While unearthing clues and struggling to decipher her visions, Molly discovers another side of Boyds, where the residents--and the land itself--hold potentially lethal secrets.

About the Author:

Melissa Foster is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women. Melissa has written a column featured in Women Business Owners Magazine, and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa is currently working on her next novel and collaborating with a director to create a script for Megan’s Way. Melissa's interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, and helping women see the positive side of life. Although Melissa lives with her family in Maryland she uses ever and anything as an excuse to visit one of her favorite spots: Cape Cod.

Author's Websites:                                       

Melissa Foster’s websites:

http://thewomensnest.com/

http://melissafoster.com/

Melissa Foster’s blog:

http://melissafoster.com/blog/1

I received this book from Angela and Jodi at Team WOW for an honest review.

Guest Post: Character Tweets from Effie at the Wedding by Trac Marchini

Today Tracy Marchini, author of Effie At The Wedding is joining me today for her stop on the Teen Book Scene Tour and you are in for a treat.  This stop is character tweets and it is quite amusing so make sure you read and enjoy, I did and so did the tour coordinator.

Character Tweets:

OpheliaLuvsGeorge: Does anybody eat their whole anniversary cake top? Would it be bad luck
to eat it before a year?

EffiesList: @OpheliaLuvsGeorge Let’s add a moldy cake top to the list of reasons why wedding
cakes are ridiculous

OpheliasMom: @EffiesList Effie, be nice! You shouldn’t eat the cake anyway.

OpheliasMom: @OpheliaLuvsGeorge You have to wait the year, otherwise it’s bad luck!!!!!!!!

EffiesList: @OpheliasMom ::grabs eyes:: Sorry, just got gouged by all the punctuation marks in
your last tweet, Mom.

EffiesList: DM @OpheliaLuvsGeorge This is why mothers should be banned from FB and
Twitter. Could she not have kept

EffiesList: DM @OpheliaLuvsGeorge ….that cake comment to herself?!

OpheliaLuvsGeorge: DM @EffiesList I guess we can hope she gets bored of Twitter? I’ll talk
to her about inappropriate tweets.

EffiesList: DM @OpheliaLuvsGeorge You’re my hero.

OpheliaLuvsGeorge: DM @EffiesList I know. What are you going to do without me? :-P

EffiesList: DM @OpheliaLuvsGeorge Cry myself to sleep every night, obviously. And take
your old room, bc it’s bigger.

OpheliaLuvsGeorge: @MDGeorge I hope you like moldy cake! J

MDGeorge: FM @OpheliaLuvsGeorge I would eat two moldy cakes to be your husband! <3

EffiesList: @MDGeorge @OpheliaLuvsGeorge Gag me with a spoonful of moldy cake.
Seriously guys. Gross. http://bit.ly/n3nZ9C

MDGeorge: DM @OpheliaLuvsGeorge Sorry honey, that was supposed to be a direct mssg.

OpheliasMom: Awww, that’s very sweet @MDGeorge!!!!!

OpheliasMom: @OpheliaLuvsGeorge @MDGeorge This cake would match the dresses! http://
bit.ly/o9NOzg

EffiesList: DM @OpheliaLuvsGeorge It looks like it was attacked by pink Chiclets. http://bit.ly/
Nc8pq

OpheliaLuvsGeorge: @OpheliasMom It’s nice, but I think we’re going in another direction.

MDGeorge: DM @OpheliaLuvsGeorge Doesn’t it remind you of that gum stuff?

OpheliaLuvsGeorge: DM @MDGeorge lol, that’s just what Effie said!

EffiesList: Signing off. @OpheliasMom, try to keep the embarrassment to a minimum, please.

OpheliasMom: @EffiesList It’s not like anybody can SEE what I’m saying.

EffiesList: @OpheliasMom ….it’s Twitter.

OpheliasMom: @EffiesList But I’m only following five people?

EffiesList: @OpheliasMom How many people are following you?

OpheliasMom; @EffiesList I don’t know!!!! How would I know???

EffiesList: DM @OpheliasMom OMG! You have 600 followers… and they go to my school!

EffiesList: DM @OpheliasMom You HAVE to stop tweeting. Right. Now.

OpheliasMom: 600 people?!? I’m so popular!!!!! Hello Twitter peoples!

:::Effie signs off Twitter:::




Author website: www.tracymarchini.com

Effie At The Wedding (contemporary YA short story) is available for the
Kindle (http://www.amazon.com/Effie-At-The-Wedding-ebook/dp/B004UN57W4), the Nook (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/effie-at-the-wedding-tracy-marchini/1030871407) and on
Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/57853)

Guest Post: How Songbird Came to Be by Angela Fristoe

How Songbird Came to Be by Angela Fristoe

In October 2009 I was talking with some writers about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which a contest to write 50,000 words in 30 days held every November. A day before it started, I almost backed out. While others I knew who were participating had plans, and outlines, I didn't even have an
idea. So, when I sat down at my computer on November 1st, I just opened a blank document and started typing. I wrote the first chapter of Songbird that day.

The rest of November sped by, and I wrote pretty much a chapter a day. A few times, I would write ideas down throughout my regular work day, but mostly I sat at that empty screen and just wrote as it came to me. By the end of the month, I had thirty chapters of Songbird done. The last five chapters took another
three months to complete, primarily because I wasn't sure how I wanted Dani's story to end. I felt a lot of pressure to build up certain aspects of the story and get the word count up. Finally, I just put all of that aside and focused on what Dani was going through, had already experienced and where she needed to go. I
was done by the summer of 2010.

In February 2011, I decided to self-publish. It was a hard decision, but I don't regret it. I spoke about my decision on a writer's workshop I participate in and was then approached by two other members who were starting up Little Prince Publishing, an independent publisher. They asked if I would be interested in
publishing with them. I jumped at the chance.

I love working with Little Prince Publishing. It is very similar to self-publishing in that I have complete control and responsibility for my book, but they are there to support me in getting the book up and out there and to assist me with marketing.

The past five months have been spent revising, editing, formatting, and more recently, marketing. Marketing is by far the hardest part. The cover and book trailer were fun, but there were a lot of elements to them, and the other marketing ideas I've been working on, that I had never realized.

I'd always thought that writing 'The End' really was the end, or at least it was after revisions and edits. but I don't think Songbird will ever be done for me. There will always be more I can do to find Dani's audience and get her story out there.

Book Review: Borneo Tom by Tom McLaughlin

  Borneo Tom: In Story and Sketch: Love, Travel and Jungle Family in Tropical Asia

Publisher: Tom McLaughlin

Publish Date: August 27, 2010

Paperback, 132 pages 
Non-Fiction, Travel, Memoir
 ISBN: 978-9838082112

My Review
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book.  I think I figured I would read a few of the essays/chapters/stories, whatever you would like to call each one page section, skip around and then write my review.  I did not expect to be so captivated to take my entire afternoon and read it cover-to-cover.  Though I will confess to reading the last couple of pages in the middle, but that didn't ruin anything, it just made me want to read the rest all the more.

Borneo Tom is a collection of what I like to think of as essays or short stories of different adventures in Tom's life as he lives and travels through the Far East.  I really enjoyed the stories.  He has a very down-to-earth tone that makes you feel like you are right there with him on each of the journeys.  I like the lessons he learns and the humor he uses.  I feel like I have gotten to know Tom a little and an area of the world that I knew very little about a lot more.

I found Borneo Tom to be a fascinating read and well worth my afternoon.  And the illustrations that go along with the stories are great.  I personally didn't need them, but they do add to the book.  I want more of his stories and hope he continues to write and will be sure to check out his websites below.

If you enjoy travel-type memoirs then this is a book for you.  If you like a book you can pick up here and there, then this can be a book for you but I dare you, I think you will find it hard to do it.  I would finish a story and would immediately be immersed in the next even though I really needed to go do something else.  It was just that enjoyable to me.  So come join Borneo Tom and the others who join him on his journeys and learn more about this area of the world that he has chosen as his home at least most of the time.

My Rating:  4.5/5.0

About Tom McLaughlin

Science teacher Tom McLaughlin battled a rare neurological disease to a stand still, packed up his life and moved to Malaysian Borneo from a Washington D.C. suburb.

 

Landing in Kuching, he quickly learned the Malay language and involved himself in projects which includes orangutan rehabilitation and research about the famed naturalist, Alfred Wallace, whose thunder was stolen by Charles Darwin.

The advent of cheap air travel to many destinations in Southeast Asia transported him to many adventures. From dancing naked in an earthquake in Sumatra, to getting lost in a warren of World War II Japanese caves to walking the rim of a volcano with poisonous gas, he has jumped with foolhardiness into everything wild and wonderful, all related in his book Borneo Tom.

Reuniting with his Peace Corps family of thirty five years ago, sharing adventures with one daughter, then reconciling with another after a divorce, marriage with full kampung ceremony and then taking both daughters on his honeymoon to Bali are a few of the highlights of his remarkable personal life. Oh, but we can’t forget? His vasectomy coupled with a wife diagnosed as barren has reproduced a son, Dzul Patrick, now a few months old.
Tom teaches at the Lodge International School in Kuching, Malaysian Borneo while writing about his adventures as a US expat living in Borneo.

You can find him at:
BorneoTom.com
On Twitter
On Facebook
On Kindle!

About Borneo Tom: In Story and Sketch: Love, Travel and Jungle Family in Tropical Asia

Join award winning science teacher Tom McLaughlin as he moves from America to Malaysian Borneo as he tracks orangutans, dances naked in an earthquake, swims with jellyfish AND MORE DANGEROUSLY…falls in love.

Walk with him through a cacophony of emotions including great joy when he finds the love of his life and marries in a village ceremony, reunites with one daughter after a divorce, travels with another and flies the entire family on his honeymoon in Bali. Oh, yes, did I forget? His vasectomy and his wife’s diagnosis of barrenness produces a son, Dzul Patrick, now a few months old.

Each stand alone chapter is humorously sketched by Water Front Niki, a familiar face to all who visit Kuching. Niki’s sensitive portraits of the national bird, the Hornbill, decorates living rooms world wide.

**Proceeds from the book go for items that support the Matang Wildlife Center that rehabs orangutans and other amazing wildlife.**

Read an Exerpt!

Bukit Tinggi, Sumatra Indonesia – Women rule here. The culture, matriarchal, requires the land pass to the daughters. The custom predates the arrival of Islam and no number of Saudi Arabian missionaries, whose job it is to ensure pure Islamic tradition being observed, are ever going to change it to the Qu’ran required patriarchal system. They have tried. And believe me when I tell you, these ladies would have no part if it! Local customs and religious belief coexist side by side as they have for hundreds of years. I wandered into one particular village and stopped at a house and chatted with the owner. She was lovely lady in her 40s with two teenagers, a son and daughter. She informed http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpher husband had divorced her and left. I teasingly asked her if I could marry her and move in but I think she thought I was serious. She looked me over, considered the idea and said yes but everyday I would have to work in the nearby rice fields. There would be no freeloader man in her house, I surmised.

FTC Information: I received this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book Promotion 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.