Teaser Tuesday - August 23

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Fifteen years old and one of the three hundred Wolverines who navigated the hallways of Carbondale Middle School, Huber suffered silently.  Each day transpired eerily the same as the last, save the variation in the creatively contrived put-downs by Scott McCormick.  Scott, a good foot taller than most kids his age and twenty pounds heavier, intimidated most students and teachers.

From Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure by B.K. Bostick

Favorite Books of Author Beth Barany + Giveaway

Some Favorite Books on My Shelf by author Beth Barany

Thanks Crystal for having me on My Reading Room.

I love to read, and was first an avid reader before dedicating myself to being a writer. And I still
read A LOT, morning, noon and night. ;-)

Most of my books on my shelf are novels: romance, science fiction, fairy tales and folk tales, science
fiction romance, paranormal romance and the occasional mystery and suspense novel. I also have
lots of nonfiction books on writing, business, and marketing; and lots of book in French, about Paris
history, and some novels and kids books in French.

I recommend all of the books below, of course! So get comfortable... By now you may find yourself
relaxing in a comfy chair, and seeing yourself reading one of these books, or not. All of these books
are my books, too. You'll feel the cozy chair under your legs, and feel the air on your cheek, and
while the sounds buzz softly around you, and while you take a deep breath while reading a book.

Here some of my favorite books in no particular order now. Except I saved the best for last. You'll
see!

1.  The Eight by Katherine Neville

A grand adventure across Europe and North Africa and across time. I've read this book at least
three times. I love the complexity and the message. Every few years I read it again!

2.  Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn

This was the first book I've read of Sharon's, and I have to say it's still my favorite. I love the strong
female lead, the unusual romance, and the grand adventure in a well-thought out fantasy land. The
rest of the books on the series are wonderful, too!

3.  Jade by Patricia Simpson

A delightful paranormal romance by an award-winning multi-published author. I love the time
travel romance, and the Seattle setting. I also love every thing she's written and feel blessed to have
her as one of my awesome critique partners.

4.  Once A Hero by Elizabeth Moon

I picked this title out of the many science fiction books Moon has written because I've reread it a
few times. I love the sensitive and strong female lead. She exhibits a strong leadership ability that
takes everyone by surprise. I love how her true self emerges in the backdrop of deep space in the
far distance future. Elizabeth Moon is a talented and compelling author; I love all the science fiction
she's done, and look forward to exploring her fantasy.

5.  A. K. A. Goddess (Silhouette Bombshell) by Evelyn Vaughn

Great adventure. Goddess protectors. A love story and romp across Europe -- what's not to love?! I'll
bet you'll enjoy this one!


6.  Henrietta The Dragon Slayer by Beth Barany
This one is my favorite. (Except for the sequel I'm working on how!) I admit I'm partial...this is
my book! I've read it at least ten times! LOL A tale of adventure, a tale of friendship, and a tale of a
strong young woman hero fighting the good fight. Enjoy!

Of your favorite books, which one have you read the most? I'd love to know!

Comment to enter to win a copy of Henrietta The Dragon Slayer. If you comment, you also enter to
the Grand Giveaway for the necklace featured on the cover of Henrietta The Dragon Slayer. 

Winners will be chosen at the end of August. Giveaway rules here: http://www.writersfunzone.com/blog/beth-barany-novelist/blog-tour/#rules

For more about Beth Barany, and her latest novel, Henrietta The Dragon Slayer, go here: http://www.writersfunzone.com/blog/beth-barany-novelist/

Book Review: The Colonel's Daughter by Laura Frantz

The Colonel's Lady by Laura Frantz

Publisher: Revell

Publish Date: August 1, 2011

Paperback, 408 pages
Historical Romance, Christian, Revolutionary War Period
ISBN: 978-0800733414

My Review:


Beautifully written, The Colonel's Lady is a mesmerizing tale of life in the harsh world of the Kentucky settlement during the Revolutionary War period in our country's history.  It's a tale of love, of loss, of war, fighting, duplicity and forgiveness.  So much is packed into this book and it is so hard to put down while reading it.

The Colonel's Lady is the tale of Roxanna (Roxie) and Colonel Cassius McLinn (Cass) and how they fall for each other despite the problems they face in the harsh elements and the things that stand between them both literally and in their minds.  It's also a tale of others in the fort and of the war itself as it is going on in the territory around the Ohio River.  This was an area I was completely unfamiliar with during the Revolutionary War so I found the history element fascinating. 

Roxie was a great character, she adapted easily.  Even though life was hard, and hers was even harder with the loss of her father, she kept going and started cooking in the kitchen, started working in the garden and just did whatever was needed of her.  She wasn't one to be lazy and wait for others to wait on her.  She's also a strong women, she carried on despite the pain she had in her heart.  Yet she was vulnerable to Cass' charms and she does fall for him.  I liked her soft side too.  I really thought she was a well-developed character and I liked watching her grow and change during the book.

Cass was also a great character.  From the beginning of the book we learn about him from Bella and what we learn is he is stern and one does not cross him.  He also is not one of many kind words.  But as he is around Roxie more, he starts to change.  Roxie is good for him and the whole fort too.  I loved watching him evolve as a man.  The change was wonderful even if Roxie couldn't fully see it.  Being privy to it as the reader was really interesting.  Ms. Frantz has a real way with character development that makes reading her books a real pleasure.

The plot pacing is wonderful, the characters are wonderful.  All-in-all, The Colonel's Lady is a 5-star book all the way.  I went in not knowing what to expect from this author.  I came out knowing I will grab up the next book she writes no matter what time frame or genre, Ms. Frantz has a true gift for writing and it shows in The Colonel's Lady.


My Rating: 5.0/5.0

About the Book:

In 1779, when genteel Virginia spinster Roxanna Rowan arrives at the Kentucky fort commanded by Colonel Cassius McLinn, she finds that her officer father has died. Penniless and destitute, Roxanna is forced to take her father's place as scrivener. Before long, it's clear that the colonel himself is attracted to her. But she soon realizes the colonel has grave secrets of his own--some of which have to do with her father's sudden death. Can she ever truly love him?

Readers will be enchanted by this powerful story of love, faith, and forgiveness from reader favorite Laura Frantz. Her solid research and deft writing immerse readers in the world of the early frontier while her realistic characters become intimate friends.

Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

About the Author:
Laura Frantz credits her grandmother as being the catalyst for her fascination with Kentucky history. Frantz's family followed Daniel Boone into Kentucky in the late eighteenth century and settled in Madison County, where her family still resides. Frantz is the author of The Frontiersman's Daughter and Courting Morrow Little and currently lives in the misty woods of Washington with her husband and two sons.


Blog

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life.  They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet.

For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.

***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.***

Book Review: The Sixes by Kate White @katemwhite

The Sixes by Kate White

Publisher: Harper

Publish Date: August 2, 2011

Hardcover, 384 pages 
Fiction, Suspense
 ISBN: 978-0061576621

My Review:
My first Kate White book was Hush last year and I was hooked so I was thrilled when The Sixes arrived in my mailbox. Add that it has a plot line about secret societies and I couldn't wait to open this book.  And it didn't disappoint.  The Sixes had great suspense, secret societies and romance, it was the perfect book to keep me entertained over the weekend.

When Phoebe shows up on campus and people begin disappearing she uses her investigative reporting techniques as a favor to her friend Glenda to try and find out what is going on.  Glenda has heard rumor of a secret society on campus and thinks Phoebe can get to the bottom of it. Phoebe is interested and goes to work and starts uncovering secrets but also becomes interested in another professor.  I love the fact that every character that Phoebe comes in contact with eventually comes under suspicion.  I never could quite figure out who the bad guy/girl was but that was one of the things that made the book exciting for me.  The suspense is well-plotted through the whole book.  Every time I felt I got close to figuring out who was doing the crimes or understanding the crimes, the story would move in another direction and I loved it.

I also loved the setting.  A small college in Pennslyvania makes a great backdrop for a story of suspense like this and for one involving secret societies.  I also loved the background of Glenda and Phoebe's friendship and how it went further into Phoebe's background during the story.  I found the characters that were central to the story to be very interesting and well-developed.

The Sixes was a very entertaining read that kept me on the edge of my seat.  I found Phoebe a character that was very easy to sympathize with and I enjoyed watching her work and seeing her come to terms with herself and her life during this book.  A great weekend read for the end of summer and going into fall.

My Rating: 4.25/5.0


About the Book:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Hush and the Bailey Weggins mystery series comes a thriller set in a college town where a student’s death sends one woman on a search for the truth and into the clutches of a frightening secret society.

Phoebe Hall’s Manhattan life has suddenly begun to unravel. Right after her long-term boyfriend breaks off their relationship, she’s falsely accused of plagiarizing her latest bestselling celebrity biography. Looking for a quiet place to put her life back together, Phoebe jumps at the offer to teach in a sleepy Pennsylvania town at a small private college run by her former boarding school roommate and close friend, Glenda Johns.

But behind the campus’s quiet cafes and leafy maple trees lie evil happenings. The body of a female student washes up on the banks of a nearby river, and disturbing revelations begin to surface: accusations from coeds about abuses wrought by a secret society of girls on campus known as The Sixes.. To help Glenda, Phoebe embarks on a search for clues—a quest that soon raises painful memories of her own boarding school days years ago.

As the investigation heats up, Phoebe unexpectedly finds herself falling for the school’s handsome psychology professor, Duncan Shaw.

Plunging deeper into danger with every step, Phoebe knows she’s close to unmasking a killer. But with truth comes a terrifying revelation: your darkest secrets can still be uncovered . . . and starting over may be a crime punishable by death.


About the Author: 
Kate White, the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, is the New York Times bestselling author of the stand-alone novel Hush and the Bailey Weggins mystery series—If Looks Could Kill; A Body to Die For; ’Til Death Do Us Part; Over Her Dead Body; and Lethally Blond. White is also the author of popular career books for women, including Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do. She lives in New York City.

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FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher 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: Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers @LisaDez, #TorChat

Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publish Date: July 5, 2011

Paperback, 400 pages 
Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal
 ISBN: 978-0765328090
Personal Demons Series #2

My Review:
I loved Personal Demons last summer.  Frannie, Luc and Gabe were just amazing and the story captivated me from beginning to end.  It was sassy, fun, and interesting and left me dying for the next book in the series, Original Sin.  I was lucky and got it in my hands when it came out, however due to my reviewing schedule I just got to reading it last week.  But it was well worth the wait.

No spoilers here, but it picks up where Original Sin leaves off and takes us for another wild ride with Luc, Frannie and Gabe and some new characters as well.  There are new revelations, new bad guys and new obstacles to Frannie and the one she loves.  The pace is fast and I easily read 250 pages in one sitting.  Ms. Desrochers has managed to keep the magic she started in Personal Demons going in Original Sin.  The books mesh together very well and while the characters do change some, the changes are believable due to the circumstances that the author creates.

The plotting and the characters were perfect to me.  This book is everything I wanted it to be and more.  I had more Frannie, more Luc and more Gabe, plus I got to learn more about the world of angels and demons that Ms. Desrochers has created.  Now she has done it to me again and I cannot wait until book three, Last Rite, comes out next May.

If you enjoy fast-paced novels that are edgy, yet about good and evil then this series is for you.  The characters are ones you will remember.  The plot will get you thinking and like me you will be anxious for the next book as well.

My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:
Luc Cain was born and raised in Hell, but he isn’t feeling as demonic as usual lately—thanks to Frannie Cavanaugh and the unique power she never realized she had. But you can’t desert Hell without consequences, and suddenly Frannie and Luc find themselves targeted by the same demons who used to be Luc’s allies.

Left with few options, Frannie and Luc accept the protection of Heaven and one of its most powerful angels, Gabe. Unfortunately, Luc isn’t the only one affected by Frannie, and it isn’t long before Gabe realizes that being around her is too…tempting. Rather than risk losing his wings, he leaves Frannie and Luc under the protection of her recently-acquired guardian angel.

Which would be fine, but Gabe is barely out the door before an assortment of demons appears—and they’re not leaving without dragging Luc back to Hell with them. Hell won’t give up and Heaven won’t give in. Frannie’s guardian exercises all the power he has to keep them away, but the demons are willing to hurt anyone close to Frannie in order to get what they want. It will take everything she has and then some to stay out of Hell’s grasp.

And not everyone will get out of it alive.

About the Author: 
Lisa Desrochers lives in central California with her husband and two very busy daughters. She can always be found with a book in her hand, and she adores stories that take her to new places and then take her by surprise. Growing up all over the United States inspired wanderlust and Desrochers loves to travel, which works out well since she lectures internationally on a variety of health care topics. Lisa Desrochers has a doctorate in physical therapy and maintains a full time practice. Original Sin is the second installment in the Personal Demons series.

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FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher 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.

Cover Interview: Constance Sharper and Airborne

Today I welcome author Constance Sharper to talk about the cover for her YA novel Airborne which I will be reviewing tomorrow.

1.  How much input did you have on your cover?

I bought this cover as is from a popular artist. Though I didn’t get it made custom (as I did with Airborne’s sequel) I chose this cover out of a selection because I found it to embrace the “Airborne” feeling.

2.  What was your first impression when you saw your cover?

My impression of the cover is that the cover did make it an impression. It was a somewhat eerie, rather mystical image that stuck with you after looking at it. And that’s absolutely why I chose it.

3.  What element on the cover do you want to stand out the most to the reader?

I’d like mystical elements like the sparkles and the vibrantly painted colors to stand out to the readers.

4.  If you could change one thing on the cover what would it be?

The model. While the model on the Airborne cover is pretty and fits the scene well, the model has recently stopped doing stock work. Without her, the model on the subsequent covers obviously had to change. I found a new model that will be on the rest of the Airborne covers and while she looks similar, I wish I could have had her on the first cover as well.

5.  What do you think your cover says to the reader?

I think it channels the genre. You can look at it and grasp both a realistic and fantastical feeling. You can already begin to grasp what the book is about. The young model and the photo-manipulation speak to the younger generation as well. It helps attract the readers that the book was meant to attract.

Book Review: The Lost by Caridad Pineiro

The Lost by Caridad Pineiro

Publisher: Forever

Publish Date: August 1, 2011

Paperback, 352 pages 
Fiction, Paranormal Romance
 ISBN: 978-0446584616
The Sin Hunters #1

My Review:
I love Caridad Pineiro's books.  Whether dealing with vampires or something new, she just seems to know how to balance the paranormal and the romance to bring me the story that I really want to read.  In The Lost Ms. Pineiro is setting up for The Sin Eater series, and it takes quite a bit of set up because this isn't your typical paranormal that we as the readily understand.  This is not vampires or werewolves.  This is a whole new world and I am excited to read about it.

The Lost focuses on Adam and Bobbie for the romance and the setup of the world that Adam and the others of his race inhabit.  I found the romance to be interesting, the chemistry was great between Adam and Bobbie.  I wanted them together, even when there was difficulty I still rooted for them and felt like they should be together and hope to see more of them in the next book as well.

The romance is front and center in this book, but the setup of the world is also a lot of the book and it jumps around a lot and is probably my only complaint.  But I understand that it had to be done.  This is a complex world that will arc over several books and the development is key to this first book and to the books that follow.  I am fascinated by the world and love that the author has branched out into something new and I really like this something new.  I can't wait to read more in this series and really see where it goes.  There is so much that can be done with it and I can't wait to see.

So if you are ready for something new in the paranormal romance genre then give The Lost a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.


My Rating: 4.5/5.0


About the Book:
Adam Bruno is no ordinary millionaire. The heir to an ancient race possessing a dark, powerful magic, he can shapeshift and create energy. His gifts make him a living weapon and have forced him to live in seclusion. But now an inhuman force hunts down Adam-just when he finds someone who makes him feel more human than he ever imagined possible . . .

Home from combat in Iraq, Bobbie Carerra wants only peace, yet soon joins Adam in a terrifying battle against paranormal enemies who hide in plain sight. She's drawn to his strength of mind and body; he's attracted to her courage and intoxicating energy. Their scorching passion can either transport them to the heights of ecstasy or-if Adam's powers rage out of control-destroy them. But when an invisible brotherhood tightens its nets and someone Adam trusts betrays him, only a heartrending decision can save them.

About the Author: 
Caridad Piñeiro is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who wrote her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project: write a book for a class lending library. Her love of writing continued through high school, college, and law school. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, her passion for the written word led to a determination to publish and share the stories she loved with others. In 1999, Caridad's first novel was released and a decade later, she is the author of more than twenty novels and novellas. Caridad hopes to continue to share her stories with readers all over the world for years to come. When not writing, Caridad is an attorney, wife, and mother to an aspiring writer and fashionista.

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FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher for an honest review through Pump Up Your Book Promotion.  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.