Monday's Beginnings (32)

So, here we are again... Monday!

First I just want to say, I hope you all had a great Easter Weekend, if you celebrate, and if not - I hope you had a wonderful weekend too!  We had a great weekend here with visiting family and a wedding too.  The weather was amazing for this early in April.  I am really loving it!

Now, how are you faring in reading at the beginning of this week?  Are you starting a new book for the week or finishing one up?

I am still bouncing around through books.  I still have Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie, for a book discussion with a great friend.  I still have Strange Brew in the works, as it is an anthology and I just read a few stories here and there.  And now I am also adding in The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan.  I am hoping to have a busy reading week.  Don't know if I will get any reviews up this week, as they are all longer reads.

I did get my review up for Dead, Undead, or Something in Between by J.A. Saare.  If you would like to read my review it is here.

My Wishing List... it is still growing, thanks to all of you great people.  I have added two new books to the list.  The wonderful authors out there in the world are going to be happy to hear you are all doing them great justice.  And with adding books to the list is the getting of books addiction as well.

Books I have received in the mail:

I received The Last Track By Sam Hilliard as an ARC from Goodreads.  I entered to win this read and guess what... I DID!  Here is the summary from Goodreads:

Imagine if being late meant a child disappeared forever. That is the fear that drives Mike Brody: the man you want, when the one you love is missing.


Mike is more than just a master tracker. An ex-Special Forces operative, Smoke jumper, and now extreme adventure tour guide, he also possesses a unique ability to tap into the memory and emotional state of those he pursues.

In The Last Track, a police detective recruits Mike to help find an asthmatic boy lost in the dense woods surrounding a dude ranch in Montana. An unwitting murder witness, the boy burrows ever deeper into the rugged terrain, fearful of being found. As Mike and a local officer search for the boy, the killer follows them. While the investigation expands, his ex-wife, a well-connected journalist, uses her contacts to unravel the truth behind the murder.

Her discoveries threaten to snare them all in a treacherous conspiracy . . .

White Cat By Holly Black was a win for me from Melissa @ Books and Things.  Thank you Melissa!  This one looked good to me.  Here is the summary from Goodreads:
 

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.


Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love -- or death -- and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

 
Now this brings us to my purchase of the week:

I have had my eye on this book, and am now reading it.  Barnes and Nobles has it as a feature for the month of April.  Here is the summary from the back of the book:
 

At the heart of the kingdom lies a secret.
 
A secret so deadly it could tear the realm in two.
 
Only Wynter Moorehawke can uncover the truth.
 
When young Winter Moorehawke returns to court with her dying father, she finds her old home shadowed with fear.  The king has become a violent despot, terrorizing those he once loved.  His son and heir Alberon has fled into exile and now there are whispers everywhere of rebellion.  Meanwhile, Alberon's half-brother Razi has been elevated to his throne.  He struggles to meet his King's demands while remaining loyal to his beloved brother and to his friend Wynter.
 
Now she must choose - her father or her dreams, her friend or her king, her duty or her love.

 
I have not got much reading done today, yet.  I am hoping to get some reading done here before bed tonight.
 
So, now to you... How are you faring this week so far?  Does it look like a good reading week for you?  Here is to hoping you have a great week in words and pages.

Awards Time!

Okay, I need to make a BIG apology.  I am very guilty of delaying in passing out awards, very delayed.  Please forgive me.  I have been trying to visit as many sites as possible, and reading - as reading is what brought me here and everyone has amazing reviews to share and amazing books to buy.

I will try to get a few awards passed out each week to get them all passed out.  If you have already received one of these, I am sorry to pass it on to you again.  But, I have to say thank you to all my followers!

So, here we go with a few for now...

I have to thank The Book on the Hill for this Award!  Thank You!!

These bloggers leave awesome comments – they make you laugh, think, and offer encouragement and support. In other words, they’re freaking awesome.

Those I am Awarding this Award to:

Zia @ My Life in Not So Many Words

Chaity @ Lovin & Livin Life in the 808

Alexia @ Alexia's Books & Such...

Cecile @ All I want and more...

Melissa @ Books and Things

Simcha @ SFF Chat

Petty Witter @ Pen and Paper

I have to thank Book Obsessed, who is now at BookLovers Inc., and Ryan at Wordsmithonia for this award.  Thank you both!!

What to do:

List 10 things that make you happy.

Try and do at least one of them today.

Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.

Link back to the person that tagged you.

10 Things that make me happy:
1.)  My Family
2.) Watching my son play football, as he really enjoys himself
3.)  Hearing my son laugh, truly laugh
4.)  Reading
5.)  Seeing there are comments on posts, and reading them
6.)  Discussing books as I read through it
7.)  Relaxing with a good flavored hot tea
8.)  Getting books in the mail
9.)  Leaving comments on all your friendly blogs, and reading the responses
10.)  Eating cheeseburgers and hotdogs on the grill on a wonderful summer day

The Blogs Awarded this Award:
Michelle @ The True Book Addict
Laura @ The Calico Critic
Lindsey @ The Book Guru
Ninefly @ Story on a page
Nikola @ Nikola's Book Blog
Jackie @ My Ever Expanding Library
Jackie @ Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories
Bells @ Hanging with Bells!
WonderBunny @ Cookies, Books & Bikes
Stacey Stew @ A Romantic Heart

Book Review: Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between

By:  J.A. Saare

Re-Published:  May 2011, by Mundania Press with New Cover!

Publisher:  Eternal Press

Publish Date:  February 2010

Genre:  Fiction, I think maybe Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance.

Format:  Paperback,

Series:  1st book of The Renfield Syndrome (Rhiannon's Law's)

Recommendation: Yes, if you like a strong female character, a little necromancy magic, action, sexual tension, and love with a surprise here and there.

Book Synopsis:
One bad corpse can ruin your whole day.

No one knows better than Rhiannon Murphy that one bad corpse can ruin your whole day.

She left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start.  A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her - until now.

The deliciously good-looking vampire, Disco, knows her secret.  When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he's not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.

But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it's only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market.  Someone or something is killing vampres to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn't their first stroll around the undead block.

First Sentence:
Rhiannon's Law #27: When you're working in a gentlemen's club and one of your dancers takes off those heels, alert the big guns, an ass kicking is on the menu.

My Review and Summary:
The story starts with Rhiannon doing her job, tending bar in New York at an exotic dance club.  Disco, a friend of Cash's who became a kind aquaintance while she was on the job, has been coming in regularly lately (now that Cash hasn't been in).  Rhiannon keeps putting him off when he comes in wanting to talk to her, as she's not fond of vampires.  Rhiannon knew what Cash and Disco are, as she is a necromancer and can see the dead - so she gets a feeling from vampires (as they are dead) and ghosts.  Finally, after Disco's persistance Rhiannon agrees to meet after work.  Rhiannon soon learns Disco need her help and doesn't give her the option to say no.  Rhiannon figures the only way to return to her simple mundane life is to do the few things he needs and be done with it.  Rhiannon is to green to realize what is out there in the world, to harm her or help her, and life will never be the same.

To me there was action, sexual tension, and love all mixed into one here, and I enjoyed it.  This book does have vampires in it, but they are not the main part of the book.  Yes, the plot surrounds the vampires in search of who is killing them but Rhiannon and her necromancy ability is the main story here.  I was pleasantly surprised in a few twists of the plot and story line which I enjoy when a story does this to me.

I enjoyed the character building in the story for Rhiannon, Disco, and the secondary characters.  I felt the growth of the relationships between the characters was genuine for them.  Rhiannon learns a lot in this book about herself, her powers, and the world.  She has a lot to learn yet, which will be great to read in the next book.  Rhiannon, what can I say of this character?  I loved her!  She is just a regular person, who happens to see ghosts.  Rhiannon shies away from a ghost when she sees them, not knowing what they want or why.  Rhiannon does have her own ugly past she is trying to leave behind, but she doesn't wear it on her sleeve for pity, it has steeled her into a harder person - a fighter.  She does have a mouth, as she speaks her mind and many times it's not in the language many think woman should use.  But for me that is part of what made her wonderful to read, and even more personable to me and many times I got a chuckle out of her comments.  It was mentioned to her by other characters, "Do you kiss her mother with that mouth?"  We also got a look into her thoughts as they where in italics.

I enjoyed the start to this series, and looking forward to where the future takes Rhiannon, Disco, and all their friends.



I received this book from the author for review after mentioning I would love to read this book and review it.

This book qualifies for my Speculated Fiction Challenge at BookChickCity.

Balderdash (28)

is a weekly meme hosted by Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

This is very easy to do!

If you comment on blogs you can do this too.

Write down all the word verifictions you get while posting comments on other peoples blogs.

You then play Balderdash with them.

In case you don't know how to play:

You take the made up word and come up with an authentic sounding definition for it.

Do this for a week and then post your best or favorite ones every Thursday.

Here are mine for this week:

oxygem - a beautiful crystal rock found in nature, made when oxygen is evaporated from the mixture of water and sediment leaving an eye catching gem of various colors.

grotholo - a term used in reference to a gothic angel with a halo.  These are the fallen angels who have turned to wearing the black and gothic look to shy away from the light, in which they lost their wings.  Yet they still have the faded halo of heaven which still possesses them with individual powers to help humans in various ways depending on their abilities.

lubclash - that crashing sound from the other room of something falling and when you go to look nothing is visibly out of place and blame the ghost of the house for the sound.

geomism - a term to cover the complete study of geometry in crystalized structures.

Tuesday Teaser (21)

Teaser Tuesday

is a weekly event.

Sponsored by MizB of Should be Reading.

Here's how it works:

Grab the book you are currently reading (anything at all)

Open the book to any random page.

Share 2 "teaser" sentences from anywhere on the page.

Please Make Sure They Are Not Spoilers!

(Don't Give Too Much Away)

Just enough to pique our interests.

List the book and author so other participants can get their hand on it if they choose to read it as well.

This week:

 

"Necromancers don't have it easy. We can see the dead, communicate with the dead, and in some cases, we can control the dead. That's a very dangerous ability when you live in a world where dead things co-exist among the living."

 

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between

By J.A. Saare

Monday Beginnings (31)

So, here we are again... another Monday...

How are you faring in reading at the beginning of this week?  Are you starting a new book for the week or finishing one up?

I seem to keep bouncing around in my books.  I am reading Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie for a book discussion with friends of mine (which we are discussing over at Barnes and Nobles forum).  I have started Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between by J.A. Saare.  Then the book I am also carrying with me, but seem to have put on the back burner as I am really getting into Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between is Strange Brew - an anthology.  I am hoping to get lots of reading in, once again.  I try hard but sometimes don't make my mark.

I got some reading done today, but not as much as I wanted to.  I am planning on getting another hour in this evening before bed.  I think I am going to have to get through Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between as it has caught my attention here in reading.  I am on page 123 out of 238, so I am hoping to work hard to get done within the next few days.

As for my Wishing List... It is growing as usual. I have added two new fantasy books to the list.  The wonderful authors out there in the world should be very proud of all you bloggers as I just keep adding to the list.  And even though I am adding to the list I have a small addiction... buying the books.  I have a stack of books here twenty-seven books deep to get to, and I keep adding to the stack.  I just have a small problem as I have to buy books.

The book I purchased this week is:

Shadow Prowler By Alexey Perov:
(Synopsis provided by Goodreads)

An army is gathering; thousands of giants, ogres, and other creatures are joining forces from all across the Desolate Lands, united, for the first time in history, under one, black banner. By the spring, or perhaps sooner, the Nameless One and his forces will be at the walls of the great city of Avendoom.


Unless Shadow Harold, master thief, can find some way to stop them.

Epic fantasy at its best, Shadow Prowler is the first in a trilogy that follows Shadow Harold, the legendary thief of Siala, on his quest for a magic Horn that will restore peace to the Kingdom of Siala. Harold will be accompanied on his quest by an elfin princess, Miralissa, her elfin escort and ten Wild Hearts, the most experienced and dangerous fighters in their world...and by the king's court jester (who may be more than he seems...or less.)

So, now to you... How are you faring this week so far?  Does it look like a good reading week of you?  Here is to hoping you have a great week in words and pages.

Balderdash (27)

is a weekly meme hosted by Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

This is very easy to do!

If you comment on blogs you can do this too.

Write down all the word verifictions you get while posting comments on other peoples blogs.

You then play Balderdash with them.

In case you don't know how to play:

You take the made up word and come up with an authentic sounding definition for it.

Do this for a week and then post your best or favorite ones every Thursday.

Here are mine for this week:

 

Ariess - the name of a goddess whose name was a play on words.  The name is to mean airless.  The Goddess is the one worshipped for all animals and vegetation under the sea and lakes - anything that lives under the water.  She has beautiful, shiney scales as her skin, which reflect amazing shades of colors.

Sharain - a jungle tribal people who are tall with narrow features.  These people live in the large, lush trees of the jungles.  They are quick at climbing and running the limbs, never touching the ground they can roam the whole jungle.

flamar - a word given to the flare and flash of sparkles and glamour of shiney materials, jewelry, and makeup that is overdone.

syluide - the solitude a patient has at a psychiatric facility in a thriller/horror book or movie, just before everything goes to hell.

Now for my sons words and definitions this week:

gremiti - a board game that takes five days to play and it IS real life for this time, you can choose different games and areas.

plawk - a kind of hawk that never dies and are very rare to find, only five have been sighted.