Book Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Pub Date: June 12, 2012

Hardcover, 303 pages

ISBN: 9780385742016

 

My rating: 4.5/5.0

My Review:
I can't remember reading a book about merpeople before so this was a first for me. And it was a very good first. I was enthralled by the story that Ms. Brown creates in Lies Beneath and the backstory to the White family of mermaids and Calder the merman. I love that she interwove the backstory into the story so it wasn't all thrown at you at once, it unwound itself through the story and kept me interested through the whole book.

Calder was a great character. Torn between what he is supposed to be and how he feels, he is a great tortured hero. But he's not too tortured. He comes across a little more clueless at times, and that makes him a little more cute. But the truth is he know what he is and he knows he's not Disney's idea of a mermaid like Lily is thinking. And Lily. I love Lily, such an antithesis herself. She dresses like she thinks a poet should dress, she rebels in ways, but she adores her parents and would do anything for them. I love her. And her ideals are beautiful. There is a quote towards the end that I would love to share. I highlighted it as I read the book on my Kindle, but I don't want to share because I don't want to give anything away. But it shows the beauty of Lily's thinking. She's such a pure spirit to Calder's tortured soul. And she's happy so that's nice for a change. She's an interesting character that makes the book very enjoyable.

The characters do a great job pushing the story along, but the plot also does a great job. At the center of the plot is Calder and his three sisters who are the ultimate in bad guys. But you get the feeling there are varying degrees of badness in the sisters. I'll let you be the judge of that. The plot moves along swiftly and made it hard for me to put the book down after about 100 pages. The first 100 pages were interesting, don't get me wrong, but it really took off after that point. And by the end it moves so fast your head is spinning. But it's not a bad spin. It wasn't one of those, why did the author wait until the last minute spins, because she didn't, she wraps everything up nicely, but there is an opening for the book(s) that follow. I cannot wait to see where Ms. Brown takes this series next.

With fascinating characters and a fast-moving plot, Lies Beneath made the merpeople angle very interesting to me. Intense, interesting and hard-to-put-down are ways that I would describe this book. I don't want to give anything away because it's just one of those books you have to read to understand. And I suggest if you like YA with a darker side that you read this one. It's different, it's intense and it's a great read.

About the Book:

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

***I received this book through Netgalley for The Teen Book Scene for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Author Interview and Book Spotlight: Alma Katsu, The Reckoning

Today I welcome Alma Katsu, author of The Reckoning which came out this week and is the followup to the The Taker.  I have The Taker on my shelf and I need to read because it sounds so very amazing and I am dying to read The Reckoning as well.  So sit back, have a cuppa and enjoy this visit with Alma Katsu and then learn a little more about the new book, The Reckoning.

What's the first sentence of The Reckoning?

“We were nearly at the Victoria and Albert Museum when we saw the crowds spilling out of the entrance and across Cromwell Street, forcing our taxi to stop in the middle of the road.”

The “we” in this case is the heroine, immortal Lanore “Lanny” McIlvrae and her lover, Luke Findley. They’ve come to (secretly) see an exhibit of treasures Lanny collected over her lifetimes, now donated to the V&A as in an attempt to put her past to rest and start a new life.

  

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I knew I wanted to be a writer from when I was twelve. I was a voracious reader as a kid. I grew up in a small town, in a crazy family and books were my escape. Since books were my world, it only made sense to try to create a niche of my own, right? I took it all very, very seriously, writing short stories in high school for my friends to read, and stringing for local newspapers. Everything changed when I graduate from college and ended up going to work in intelligence—yup, CIA and the National Security Agency. I came back to writing fiction later in life, and was lucky, lucky, lucky to sell The Taker and two more books to Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster. Just goes to show that you should never give up on your dreams.

  

If you had to pick a character who really spoke to you in The Reckoning who would it be?

That’s hard! I tried to bring in as many new characters (if in minor roles) as characters returning from The Taker… Obviously, I got to be very close to Adair and ended up feeling pretty sorry for him—he goes through such an incredible transformation! It’s probably pretty evident that The Reckoning is based on Beauty and the Beast and Adair gets to be the poor confused Beast, tormented in his own right, a monster helpless in the face of love.

 

How did you feel when you finished The Reckoning?

Relieved! They say the second book is the hardest to write, what with expectations (mostly in the writer’s head) and fears. Plus, you don’t really know how to write novels—you know how you wrote one novel, your first one. Luckily, I have an excellent editor and she kept my nose to the grindstone and made sure The Reckoning is every bit as magical and twisty as The Taker.

 

What do you have in the works right now?

I’m finishing the third book in the trilogy, The Descent, right now. I’ve been anticipating bringing the story to its conclusion and have to say it’s been tremendously satisfying writing this book! Then there’s something I’ve been calling a spin-off book: it’s not part of The Taker story but picks up a thread in the Reckoning about a group of heretical monks who stumble across a piece of real magic—and how it corrupts them. Lastly, I hope to finish up a YA novel I started recently. I got the idea to try YA from Melissa Marr. She is so incredible brilliant you’d be a fool not to take her advice!

Thanks Alma for taking the time to join us for an interview today!


Alma Katsu's website


About The Reckoning
Publisher: Gallery Books
Hardcover, 352 pages
ISBN-13: 9781451651805

SECOND IN ALMA KATSU’S GRIPPING SUPERNATURAL TRILOGY THAT BEGAN WITH THE TAKER
 
Lanore McIlvrae is the kind of woman who will do anything for love. Including imprisoning the man who loves her behind a wall of brick and stone.

She had no choice but to entomb Adair, her nemesis, to save Jonathan, the boy she grew up with in a remote Maine town in the early 1800s and the man she thought she would be with forever. But Adair had other plans for her. He used his mysterious, otherworldly powers to give her eternal life, but Lanore learned too late that there was a price for this gift: to spend eternity with him. And though he is handsome and charming, behind Adair’s seductive façade is the stuff of nightmares. He is a monster in the flesh, and he wants Lanore to love him for all of time.

Now, two hundred years after imprisoning Adair, Lanore is trying to atone for her sins. She has given away the treasures she’s collected over her many lifetimes in order to purge her past and clear the way for a future with her new lover, Luke Findley. But, while viewing these items at an exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Lanore suddenly is aware that the thing she’s been dreading for two hundred years has caught up to her: Adair has escaped from his prison. He’s free— and he will come looking for her. And she has no idea how she will save herself.

With the stunningly imaginative storytelling and rich characterizations that fascinated readers worldwide and made The Taker a singular and memorable literary debut and an international sensation, Alma Katsu once again delivers “a powerful evocation of the dark side of romantic love” (Publishers Weekly) in her breathtaking new novel.

Book Excerpt & Giveaway: Love is Murder Anthology - Wed to Death by Vicki Hinze

Today is the stop of Vicki Hinze and her story Wed To Death on the Love is Murder anthology tour.  I love Vicki Hinze and picked her as my author and I loved this story.  It's short, sweet, has great suspense and great romance.  Everything you come to expect from Vicki Hinze in a very small package.  So enjoy a small excerpt and make sure you follow along with the blog tour.  Also make sure you enter my giveaway below and come back later for my review of the whole anthology.

Vicki Hinze – Wed to Death

Her mother screamed.

Startled, Sara English paused in the middle of refilling her maid of honor’s champagne flute. She shushed her mother and followed her horrified gaze around the table past her groom-to-be, Matthew, to his uncle Paul. Why was he listing in his chair? Paul’s skin was as gray as winter sleet. Chills streaked up her spine. “Matthew, what’s wrong?”

“I –I don’t know—“

Paul crumpled, fell nose down onto his plate.

                       

Bio:
Vicki Hinze is an award-winning author of twenty-five novels, four nonfiction books and hundreds of articles published in as many as sixty-three countries. She’s recognized by Who’s Who in America and in the world as an author and an educator. Her first published novel, a romantic suspense, was a bestseller that sold in nearly a dozen foreign countries. Since then, she’s shifted writing focus several times. After cocreating the first single-title open-ended continuity series, she turned to military life and has been credited with a Career Achievement Award for being one of the first to write military romantic suspense, military  romantic intrigue and military romantic thrillers. Three years ago, she shifted her focus to Christian fiction, blending romantic thrillers with spiritual elements. Her willingness to take risks and blaze trails has won her many prestigious nominations and awards, though she does it because she loves the adventure of stretching boundaries. Learn more about Vicki at www.vickihinze.com and visit her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Vicki.Hinze.Author.

Giveaway:

BookTrib is giving away one copy of Love is Murder to a reader of my blog.  Fill out the Rafflecopter below, the only entry is a free entry, all other entries are optional.  Open to US/Canada only, the book will be mailed by the publicist.  Ends 7/3/12.










a Rafflecopter giveaway

***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 Spotlight: Windswept by Cynthia Racette

	Windswept Cynthia Racette

 

Windswept is a romantic novel of redemption and family values and fighting for what is important. Sailing Windswept has always been a family affair and many of Caroline and David Hartford’s fondest memories have taken place on Chesapeake Bay sailing in all kinds of conditions and exploring the bay. 

When husband David is unfaithful and commits the ultimate betrayal by bringing his mistress aboard Windswept, Caroline’s world is shattered. He leaves her and she is forced to rely solely on herself for the first time in her life. She has to be a single parent to her daughter, Lily, and to decide if she can forgive David for tearing her family apart. 

As David and Caroline work to put their marriage back together, events and other people conspire against them, over and over.  Their relationship begins to heal, but the couple is caught in a horrific storm and waterspout on the bay, heading straight for Windswept. They want a chance to love again but Mother Nature might have other ideas.

Cynthia has been writing all her life, as a newspaper reporter, editor and novelist. She even asked for (and received) a play typewriter for Christmas when she was about ten.

To be near her children and granddaughters, she and her newly retired hubby, moved to the Buffalo, NY area. Through her daughter, who is also a writer, she got hooked up with RWA (Romance Writers of America) and good things started to happen.

She is now writing more novels, taking lots of trips and relaxing by the pool on gorgeous summer days in Western, NY.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Book Review: Finding Home by Lacey Wolfe

Finding Home by Lacey Wolfe
Publisher: Ruby Lioness Press
Pub Date: May 11, 2012
ebook
ISBN:  9781938397103


My rating: 5.0/5.0

My Review:
Finding Home is a lovely romance novella. I love that it can be read quickly yet it's a fully satisfying romantic read. I enjoyed getting to know Julie and Mark in the setting of Clearwater. The small town made a great backdrop for the story (I'm a sucker for small towns with nosy and good people).

Even though this is short in length, I still felt like I got a good feel for both of the main characters. The background built slowly so I could get to know them and they could get to know each other (well slow for a novella). Nothing between them ever felt forced or hurried. I felt the author paced the friendship and romance between Mark and Julie very well and made it very believable. She also created a great antithesis to Mark with Jeremy.

Great romance, a few spicy scenes, and a warm lovey feeling is what I felt left with when I finished Finding Home and that's exactly what I wanted going into the book. Ms. Wolfe has written a delightful novella that will satisfy any romance readers heart and make them sigh with longing and love at the end of the book. I'm also excited to hear there will be another book set in Clearwater later and we'll get to see more of Julie and Mark. Please hurry up and write Ms. Wolfe!

About Finding Home:
Julie Miller has returned to her home in Clearwater, Wyoming after discovering she is pregnant. All she wants is her mother to comfort her after her boyfriend told her to either have an abortion or leave. The only problem is, when she gets to her mother’s house, she doesn’t find her mom—she finds a half-naked man cooking breakfast.

Mark Thomas has moved to Clearwater to escape his past. He needs a fresh start to try and forget the things that haunt him, and Clearwater seems like the perfect place.

As if it isn’t bad enough that Julie doesn’t find her mother, a blizzard buries the town, and she is snowed in with Mark. Leaving them no choice, they begin a friendship while trying to resist the attraction they feel for one another.

Once the snow melts, Julie is free to leave. Will she choose to start a life in Clearwater or run back to New York? Meanwhile, Mark struggles to let go of his past and, if he does, is Julie his future?

Buy Links: Amazon / Nook / Smashwords / Ruby Lioness Press / All Romance

Excerpt:

The sun shined brightly through the windows. Julie wished now she had noticed the blinds were open last night. Pulling the sheets over her face, she closed her eyes for a few more minutes as she tried to wake up.

Finally, after battling with herself, she climbed out of the bed. She put her jeans back on and then pulled her hair up in a ponytail. A sudden urge to use the restroom took over, and she rushed toward the bathroom. This was something new—no bladder control. She didn’t expect to already have to pee so much.

She quickly brushed her teeth then made sure everything was tidy as though she hadn’t been there. Grabbing her suitcase, she left the room. She expected to find Chloe up front, but she was nowhere to be seen. So she stopped by the front desk and scribbled a note, thanking Chloe for the stay and saying they would talk soon. After all, she was going to need someone during this process. As young girls, she and Chloe had always gotten along.

Outside, the sun was bright. There was a chill to the air, however. The few clouds in the sky were thick and fluffy. She bet there would be a light snow shower before the day was over. In fact, she was surprised to not see any snow on the ground yet. It would be anytime now.

The drive to her mother’s house was short. She lived on the older side of town, and it was unchanged except that the trees had gotten taller.

Julie was excited to see her mom. It had been almost a year since she’d seen her.  Julie had flown her out last Christmas to visit her in New York City. She’d taken her mother everywhere, showing her every tourist spot there was to see. Her mother had loved it and said it had always been a dream of hers to travel. Julie hoped one day her mother would get to. Her father had died about ten years ago, and her mother had never remarried. She had a few close friends, though, and maybe one day they would all get together and travel.  But for now, Julie needed her mom. She couldn’t wait to have her mother embrace her and hold her tight, telling her it would all work out.

She pulled up to the house. It looked the same. A small ranch-style home painted a light blue color. It was time for a fresh coat of paint, that was sure. Perhaps she could get someone out here in the spring to spruce the place up. Her mother’s car wasn’t in its usual spot but instead pulled over near the picket fence. A pick-up truck sat where the car was usually parked. Maybe something was wrong with the vehicle, and she was borrowing the truck.

Climbing out of the car, Julie could smell bacon. A smiled crossed her face. Her mom was cooking breakfast. Shutting the car door quickly, she went up the front steps two at a time. As she turned the doorknob, she found it locked. Groaning, she dug through her purse until she found the key to the house and let herself in.

Loud music blared through the house. It was set to a local country station. This was so unlike her mother. In fact, as Julie looked around the living room and saw how untidy it was, she wondered if she was in the right house. Following the smell of food, she stepped into the kitchen. Julie froze. A half-naked man stood at the stove, flipping pancakes. It was as if he sensed he was no longer alone. He turned, and Julie thought she was going to faint.

“Hi,” the man said.

“Who the hell are you, and where is my mother?” Julie demanded.

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

Author Interview: Lacey Wolfe (Finding Home)

Today I welcome Lacey Wolfe, author of the novella Finding Home which I am featuring today.  I will start today with an interview and come later today will post the review of Finding Home, a wonderful love story. The tagline in the banner really does describe it best, "A little dash of sweet with a whole lot of spice."


Thanks for joining us today Lacey.

Describe the area you write in.

Currently, it’s wherever I can find a quiet corner. But, we are closing on our new home soon and I plan to set up an office in my bedroom. We have a cut out with a big window that I think it will be the perfect place for me and inspiration as I watch the people in the neighborhood.

What's your favorite season?

Fall. I’m a GA girl so that means temperatures in the 70’s.

Describe your ideal reading space (no expense spared here).

A big comfy chair with a blanket and one of my kitties. I want to be somewhere that if I doze off, it really doesn’t matter.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

I’d love to visit where the amish live as well as go west. I’ve never really left the south except to visit family in the north.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

Its something I always wanted to do, but was too scared of the Big Six houses and all the traveling that might follow. My kids are young and I don’t want to be away from them. When I discovered the world of ebooks, I thought I’d give it a try. And so far, I’ve been very happy. I love writing and telling stories and I like that I can get stories to my readers quickly this way.

How would you describe yourself?

If you know me, I’m talkative. Otherwise I’m pretty quiet.

What's the first sentence in Finding Home?

The first one is a little boring. So here are the first three.

Welcome to Clearwater, Wyoming. We hope you enjoy your visit.

Julie Miller rolled her eyes as she passed the sign that welcomed her back to her hometown

Tell us what is Finding Home about.

Finding Home is about a woman who basically needs her mom. She finds out she is pregnant and returns to her hometown to get the advice from her mom after her boyfriend dumps her. Only, I had to make it much more complicated. She doesn’t find her mom. She instead finds a half-naked man in the kitchen instead.

Dish, who’s your favorite character?

I loved Mark, the hero of the story. He is full of pain from his past and Julie changes everything in his life.

Mark is amazing, I really enjoyed how you wrote him.  Sometimes the heroes of romance novels seem to take a backseat, but not Mark, he's strong, he's good-looking and he's just what every woman wants in a man.

How did you feel when you finished Finding Home?

I know I wrote this story, but this is one of those ones I love. I think this story is sweet, full of love, as well as pain. I cried some while I wrote it. And when it finished, I didn’t want it to end. Luckily, I have another sweet romance that will follow this one and its called Bare Necessities. Readers will see Julie and Mark again when Julie’s cousin Ava moves to Clearwater to open a lingerie shop.

Oh good - I didn't want it to end, so I'm glad I'll see more of Clearwater and Julie and Mark!

For all of us impatient readers, what is up next for you?

The third book Accidental Love, in my Hot Bods erotic series just released. And I have a BDSM novella, Bound By Pleasure releasing in August. Finding Home is a sweet romance and I believe Bare Necessities will be releasing in October.

Thanks Lacey for joining us today!

About Finding Home:

Julie Miller has returned to her home in Clearwater, Wyoming after discovering she is pregnant. All she wants is her mother to comfort her after her boyfriend told her to either have an abortion or leave. The only problem is, when she gets to her mother’s house, she doesn’t find her mom—she finds a half-naked man cooking breakfast.

Mark Thomas has moved to Clearwater to escape his past. He needs a fresh
start to try and forget the things that haunt him, and Clearwater seems like
the perfect place. 

As if it isn’t bad enough that Julie doesn’t find her mother, a blizzard buries the town, and she is snowed in with Mark. Leaving them no choice, they begin a friendship while trying to resist the attraction they feel for one another.

Once the snow melts, Julie is free to leave. Will she choose to start a life in Clearwater or run back to New York? Meanwhile, Mark struggles to let go of his past and, if he does, is Julie his future?

Waiting On Wednesday (27)

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

I found this one in my Shelf Awareness newsletter last week and it sounds amazing. I have found myself drawn to WWII novels lately (must be my husband's influence) and this just sounds intriguing, gripping and so many other adjectives that I can't wait to get my hands on it!

City of Women by David R. Gillham

Release Date:  August 7, 2012

It is 1943—the height of the Second World War. With the men taken by the army, Berlin has become a city of women. And while her husband fights on the Eastern Front, Sigrid Schröder is, for all intents and purposes, the model soldier’s wife: She goes to work every day, does as much with her rations as she can, and dutifully cares for her meddling mother-in-law, all the while ignoring the horrific immoralities of the regime.

But behind this façade is an entirely different Sigrid, a woman who dreams of her former Jewish lover, who is now lost in the chaos of the war.

Sigrid’s tedious existence is turned upside down when she finds herself hiding a mother and her two young daughters—whom she believes might be her lover’s family—and she must make terrifying choices that could cost her everything.

Doesn't that sound really great?  What are you waiting on this week?