Sunday Post #36

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

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And I'm late to getting to posting this Snowy Sunday. It's been a full weekend of holiday preparations in our house. We went to the tree farm yesterday and cut our tree. With it being covered in snow, I didn't get all the decorations done. That is the delay in my Sunday. We finished putting the bulbs on the tree this morning and did some running for the afternoon. Busy season. However, I think we have gone bigger with the tree than even last year. There is no where on our couch we can sit to watch tv. LOL!

And I've got a few ideas sparking in my head for a holiday story. I've got lots of notes that I dictated on my ipod and phone noted and ready to start writing. Scary getting started, but I'm going there. I will be strong. :)

But, into the new week with high hopes for lots to get done. We shall see what does happen though. ;) Hope you all have a great week!

What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:
Digital Magic by Philippa Ballantine

Tales of the Children by P.G. Holyfield (in audiobook while at work) An Anthology collection in the setting of Land of Caern.


Finished Last Weeks:
Cursed by Destiny by Cecy Robson

Earth Girls Are Difficult by Frances Pauli (in audiobook while at work)
Murder At Avedon Hill by P.G. Holyfield (in audiobook while at work)

Finished Podcast Book Listen:
I haven't got to the Podcasts yet.  I will, they are lining up on me.

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Last Week on the Blog:

Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)
A Touched Girls series by Robyn Jones (WITH GIVEAWAY That's still good for 6 days - 12/14/13)

Posts:
Just for Thought: Lost...

Reviews:

Progeny by S.A. Huchton

A Cursed Moon by Cecy Robson

GIVEAWAYS:



Weekly Posts:

***NEW*** Mythical Monday
Teaser Tuesday
Who? What? Where? Wend.
Throwback Thursday
Looking Forward To...
Freebies and Deals, on Nook too

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This Week to Come on the Blog:

Another two reviews for you this week.
Cursed by Destiny by Cecy Robson (with a giveaway)
The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty

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Received Last Week:

Review:

All of Us Were Sophie by Resa Nelson
Blurb:
What if the only way you could save your own life was to kill yourself?  Someone is trying to kill Sophie Rippetoe, and she has no place to hide.  But Sophie has a unique option.  Her husband designed and built a duplicator machine to make exact copies of complicated and sophisticated machine parts.  She knows how the duplicator works.  Will it work for people?  No one knows.  There’s just one problem:  the duplication process destroys the original.  The only thing Sophie knows for sure is that trying to make copies of herself will end up killing her.  Sophie isn’t sure who’s trying to kill her or why – but she has her suspicions and has gathered some evidence.  Before she takes the leap of faith to use the duplicator on herself, she leaves a trail of clues, hopeful that at least one of the Sophies she creates will figure it out in time to save herself.


Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

Girl (Songs of the Season #1) by Janine K. Spendlove
Goodreads Synopsis:
Milt knew better than to go spelunking alone. If anything happened to him, like falling down a deep shaft and breaking his leg, he’d probably die before anyone found him, and that suited him just fine. He expected to be thrilled, and he expected to have a great time. What he didn’t expect was to encounter a naked, half-drowned, red-headed woman making her way up to the main cavern entrance.

White Flag (Songs of the Season #2) by Janine K. Spendlove
Goodreads Synopsis:
Two lovers separated for a hundred years by their own selfish behavior. After all this time, can the queen and the minstrel make amends and reunite, or will their elvish pride keep them apart forever?

The World Spins Madly On (Songs of the Season #3) by Janine K. Spendlove
Goodreads Synopsis:
This third short story in the Songs of the Seasons collection tells what happens to Josh after Story disappears in the cave. When a strange and unexpected messenger brings Josh the news that Story is alive and well--or was--Josh quickly realizes there is a whole other world, full of creatures he thought existed only in faerie tales.

Operation: Montauk by Bryan Young
Goodreads Synopsis:
Lost in time after a failed attempt to kill Hitler before his rise to power, World War II soldier Cpl. Jack Mallory finds himself stranded, his whole team killed, nearly 100 Million years off course. Together with a group of other wayward time travelers, Mallory has to fight to survive in a hostile environment swarming with dinosaurs. Desperate to find a way home, the community of lost travelers searches for any solution that might send them all home and unlock the secret that shipwrecked them on the shores of time... But the jungle holds a secret from Mallory's future-past... ...and it's out to kill them all!


Free Ebooks:

The Last Legends of Earth by A.A. Attanasio
Goodreads Synopsis:
Seven billion years from now, long after Earth has been shattered by its exploding sun, an alien being regenerates lost humanity. The Rimstalker intends humans as bait for the marauding, spiderlike zotl, remorseless predators that feed on the pain and suffering of intelligent life-forms. In the Chalco-Doror system - itself a vast machine created by the Rimstalker - the reborn children of Earth build mighty civilizations, worship terrifying gods, and choose sides for the titanic final battle.

A gripping tale of struggle against alien control, a mind-bending excursion through the mysteries of time and death, a cosmic epic of creation and destruction, this grand and challenging visit to strange new worlds is both a towering epic of survival - and an intimate story of human love.

Seasons of the Moon by S.M. Reine
Goodreads Synopsis:
Contains:
Six Moon Summer, 
Rylie's been bitten.

She's changing.

And now she has three months to find a cure before becoming a werewolf... forever.

Rylie Gresham hates everything about summer camp: the food, the fresh air, the dumb activities, and the other girls in her cabin. But the worst part is probably being bitten by a werewolf. Being a teenager is hard enough, but now she's craving raw flesh and struggles with uncontrollable anger. If she doesn't figure out a way to stop the transformation, then at the end of summer, her life is worse than over. She'll be a monster.

All Hallows' Moon, 
Rylie survived becoming a werewolf at great cost. She moves to her aunt’s ranch in the hopes she can enroll in a new high school and quietly continue her life... with a few distinct changes. She transforms into a beast every new and full moon and struggles to control her murderous urges.

Without many werewolves left, it’s hard to stay in hiding. A family of hunters -- Eleanor, Abel, and Seth -- recognize the signs and follow Rylie to her new home. They want to stop her before she murders someone, and the only way to do it is with a silver bullet. Seth soon realizes the werewolf is Rylie, the one monster he failed to kill. Worse yet, he’s still in love with her.

Torn between family and love, Rylie struggles to reconcile her feelings and control the wolf within while Seth fights to do what’s right. But what is right-- obeying desire or duty?

Long Night Moon, 
Something is killing innocent people around Rylie Gresham's town. The police think it's a wild animal, but she has other suspicions. There are new kids at school, and they have a lot in common with her: gold eyes, super strength, and a habit of turning furry. It seems Rylie's not the only werewolf around anymore.

It's up to Rylie and her werewolf-hunting boyfriend, Seth, to stop the killings. But saving lives doesn't come naturally to a monster, and territory battles could risk the life of her sickly aunt--not to mention her own. Rylie has no choice but to stand her ground, protect her home, and stop the murderers before anyone else gets hurt.

Gray Moon Rising,
It’s been almost a year since Rylie Gresham was bitten by a werewolf on Gray Mountain. Now something is beckoning her back to the place she was attacked, along with every other werewolf in the world. But they aren’t the only ones heeding the call. A group of hunters notices them gathering and sees it as their chance to wipe out the entire species.

Seth is about to graduate high school when he learns of the final hunt. He secretly plans to save Rylie and his werewolf brother even though he has to play along with the hunters to do it. But Rylie doesn’t want to be saved. She’s already decided to solve her problems with a silver bullet if answers aren’t waiting on Gray Mountain.

One way or another, everything is about to end—whether it means Rylie’s liberation or the end of her life…

The Rainbow Man by P.B. Kane
Goodreads Synopsis:
When Daniel Routh, together with friends Jill and Greg, and little brother Mikey, discover a body washed up on the beach after a storm, it's one of the most exciting things ever to happen on the island of Shorepoint. And, as the man in question slowly recovers, he befriends the inhabitants of this small fishing community one by one. Only Daniel suspects something might be wrong with the newcomer, who cannot remember who he is, nor how he came to be there. To start with, this John Dee (as they label him, short for Doe) brings prosperity and happiness with him, but it isn't long before the tide begins to turn. When John begins to worm his way into Daniel's own family, trying to take the place of his late father, the teenager knows something must be done. Little does Daniel realize that he's now involved in one of the most ancient conflicts of all time-one that might decide the fate not only of Shorepoint, but of the entire world. 

This novel from the imagination of award-winning and bestselling author P.B. Kane (The Arrowhead Trilogy, Lunar, The Butterfly Man – as Paul Kane), marks his first foray into the realms of YA fiction. With great characterization, emotional impact, action and shock twists, this is a genre release that's sure to become an instant classic.

The Grimm Chronicles by Isabella Fontaine & Ken Broskij
Goodreads Synopsis:
200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm unleashed their stories upon the world. Literally. Now the characters of the Grimms’ stories walk among us. With every day that passes, they grow more evil. They are the Corrupted, and only a hero can stop them.

For 18-year-old Alice Goodenough, that means taking precious time off from her summer vacation. In addition to volunteering at the local library, Alice must stop the Corrupted who are now actively hunting her down. With the help of her magic pen and her trusty rabbit friend, the world has suddenly gotten a lot more complex. The Corrupted are everywhere, and only Alice can see them for what they truly are.

This book contains the first 3 episodes of the critically acclaimed series: Episode 1: Prince Charming Must Die!
Episode 2: Happily Never After
Episode 3: Revenge of the Castle Cats

Free Audio Books:

Tales of the Children, and anthology in P.G. Holyfields Land of Caern

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Reviews in the Works:

Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

Half Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Full Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book
Double Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Captain's Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Owners Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

The Coffee Legacy by Katharine Bordet - a podcast reading of the book

Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow
Shadow Sight by E.J. Stevens (in audiobook while at work)

Marco and The Red Granny by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

Into Destiny by S.A. Archer & S. Ravynheart

Seducing Her Rival by Seleste deLaney

Heaven by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)
Hell by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)
Earth by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)
Wasteland by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

War by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)
The Quill & The Crow by Lilith Saintcrow
Hapax by K.T. Bryski (in audiobook while at work)

Cursed by Destiny by Cecy Robson

Murder At Avedon Hill by P.G. Holyfield (in audiobook while at work)
Earth Girls Are Difficult by Frances Pauli (in audiobook while at work)

Just for Thought: Lost...

Picture taken by ME at Linn Run, Ligonier, PA.

I seem to have lost my path. Or followed what looked like a path into the woods, and it wasn't a path just simply a misleading angle of light and vegetation growth. I don't know. I'm lost. I have been feeling I don't know anything about just about everything. (This has to be not true, or I wouldn't have a day job, but it's a feeling that's surfaced.)

I think my trouble arises from lack of mental stimulation. I miss conversations that challenge me to think, expand outside of norm. I had this friend in...middle school? (I think) who spent hours on the phone with me talking over anything and nothing. Once such conversation was the Earth being round. And what if it was square, and on we went to different aspects of all sorts of things involved. I'm sure many of you have done this when you were younger, and still do. This friend has moved away and every so often we find each other (usually Facebook now).

As I've grown older, *cough* I'm not that old, but as I've aged things have taken over that time I use to spend doing this with others. I'm happy to have my family and work, but miss the little things. It was always fun to share these thoughts with others, and discuss them. I learned from these chats - about me and about the true facts. Now-a-days, I feel cooped up and no one to explore with.

While I'm on this path, I think it's part of the reason that I'm not "playing nice" with others. My brain's not sparking. Even to think about real things beyond my regime of work and life. To learn about strange new things. Everyone around me has become caught up in the mundane runs of life. Yes, I know. It's needed. I've been rather wrapped up in it as well. Life has been crazy and very, very real this year. I need the release. So, I'm ripping that wrapping off. I want to live beyond the normal every day stuff. I want more. The magic that is buried underneath everything.

When I beta read with a few authors, I feel this surface again. They don't always take my thoughts of my specific ramblings into their work, but it's fun. This is what I love doing. Speculating about anything and everything. I want to do this more. Not necessarily by beta reading other authors items, but just talking out nothing and everything. I think this will help with my creativity and make me feel that I do know about something, even if it is the same thing I talk about. ;P

No, really. When I interact with others and talk about subjects I feel I might know about something. If I don't know about it, I still talk but learn while discussing. If I am learning, I *might* have a different view about it too.

Now...to find someone to talk about nothing with...

With all this in mind, I'm going to try a few new things around the web. I the opportunity to do some podcast discussions and some discussion posts on here and Challenged Writers. We'll see what comes as the New Year passes and time calms a bit.

Throwback Thursday (135)

I found this picture of Trinity College Library, and thought it would work for this meme with a little play with lighting and adding the words.

Let's talk about those books already on the shelves, yours or the stores.

I have a post for books I'm looking forward to coming out;

Looking Forward To...

But what about all those wonderful books that are ALREADY on the shelves.

Whether it be on your shelf waiting to be read or on the shelves in the stores waiting for you to give it a good home.

So, I thought I would share a book a week that is just waiting for me to travel through it's world.

Now... where do I start? Lets go by Published Date on the books...

This Week:

This was a free ebook I picked up. It sounds like such fun to read. Now...to find time to read it.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jazz can't decide whether to scorch him with a fireball or jump into bed with him.

Jasmine Tremaine, a witch who can't stay out of trouble.

Nikolai Gregorivich, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire cop on the trail of a serial killer.

The sizzling love affair between Jazz and Nick has been off-again, on-again-for about 300 years. Mostly off, lately. But now Nick needs Jazz's help, and while Jazz and Nick try to figure out their own hearts and resist their ever-increasing attraction, they must steer clear of a maniacal killer with super-supernatural powers. They are surrounded by a hilarious cast of oddball paranormal characters, including Irma, the chain-smoking ghost who haunts Jazz's sports car, Dweezil, her ghoul of a boss, and Fluff and Puff, a pair of bunny slippers with sharp teeth and short tempers (watch your ankles)!

I've heard back from a few bloggers that they would like to join in this meme post, so I'm adding a Linky for you to join in.  Grab the picture above, and join in.  All I ask, is if you can acknowledge my blog in the post so others know where to come back to.

Cover Reveal & GIVEAWAY: A Touched Girls series by Robyn Jones

I have a new cover reveal for you all today. :) And I must say, I'm liking these covers.

A Touched Girl Series Cover Reveal Blog Hop

Soul Walker and Soul Bender have brand new covers, and we are celebrating!

Published: December 9, 2012

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Goodreads Summary: 

"I need to get you to the hospital." He was taking responsibility for me. Only my parents had that job. I stretched my hand out in protest, but the lack of depth perception had my trembling fingers grazing his overheated neck. I swore his whole body shook.

When five-year-old Anna Pierce is offered a chance to have nightmare-free nights for the small price of her voice, she jumps at it. Silence has to be better than all-consuming dreams about blood and death and fangy monsters. The bargain she strikes comes with a secondary benefit, visions of a person's future potential. The combination of visions and silence changes her very nature and soon she's diagnosed with autism. Twelve years of living in her head comes to a screeching halt the moment Peter Davis pulls her out of an icy river. 

Her new life has her twirling, tiptoeing, and crashing through unfamiliar territory, one filled with a cranky grandma, a knocked up cousin, an unpleasant cousin, a bunch of mostly good vampires, and the boy who rescued her.

To top it all off, the deal she made at five is no more. Anna is expected to talk, to figure out her resurfacing nightmares, and to control her ever-growing powers. And she'd better get it done soon because if the good vamps want a piece of a living, breathing Touched girl, the evil ones simply want. They'll take Anna for their very own.

Soul Walker is the first book in the Touched Girl Series. It's approximately 91,000 words.

Get it today at Amazon - 99 Cents

Published: March 11, 2013

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Goodreads Summary:

How much can a soul take before it breaks? 

Anna Pierce has a vampire boyfriend, a driver's license, real friends for the first time since she was five, and now she faces one of her biggest challenges, senior year at a mostly all girls Catholic high school. Sure, she's a member of the talking crowd now, but she'll never be like everyone else. How can she when the first of her kind has camped out in her dreams? 

Little dead girl Emily decides Anna's destiny can wait no longer. It's time for this generation's Touched girl to hunt. Trained in a virtual dream landscape to destroy all in her path, Anna must choose between her destiny, the one beat into her on a nightly basis, and her legacy, the one instilled in her by her parents. 

Along the way, old enemies remain dutifully obsessed, new foes lurk in the shadows, and odd Little Duckie Anna Pierce sets out to be social. 

Get it today at Amazon - $2.99

*Covers created by Jaclyn @ JC's Book Haven

About Robyn Jones:

I laugh when people fall down. It's a glitch in my programming, but even my mom has suffered this quirk. I have a BA in Studio Art from the University of Puget Sound. My boys make me laugh every day. I steal pens; I try real hard not to. I collect those free bookmarks at the checkout counter at libraries. I've had more stitches than anyone I know. I love stories; writing them, reading them, watching them. You can email me at robgirlbooks@gmail.com.

Blog / Twitter / Goodreads
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blurb & Book Review: A Cursed Moon

A Cursed Moon

By:  Cecy Robson

Publisher:  Signet Eclipse

Publish Date:  December 3, 2013

Format: ARC

Genre:  Urban Fantasy Romance

Series:  2.5 Novella in The Weird Girls series; 0.5 Novella ~ The Weird Girls, 1st Book ~ Sealed with a Curse, 2nd Book ~ A Cursed Embrace

Recommendation:  Ooooh yes. You'll want this one. Something new evolves here!

Synopsis:
Meet the furry big brother that the Wird sisters never had…

Bren is a cocky, brash hound of a werewolf who loathes the idea of belonging to Aric’s pack—much less finding a mate. But Bren’s hotheaded behavior lands him in the doghouse when he defies Aric’s authority in front of his pack, bringing up a sore subject that’s bound to make the Alpha wolf’s blood boil…

Luckily for him, no one can stay mad at Bren and his wild charm for long. And when some frightening ghosts launch a hostile paranormal takeover, Bren will team up with Celia to take down the evil ghouls before they hurt someone they both love…

Includes a preview of the upcoming Weird Girls novel Cursed by Destiny!

First Sentence:
"Damn it, Bren -- wake up!"

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles

**I read this book for an honest review from the publisher.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Ghosts have been terrorizing the town since the Tribe appeared. The Pack and Vampires, unknown to the other, have been busy fighting them. Bren, the lone wolf friend of the Weird sisters, has been trying to adjust to being part of Pack. He's not doing so well. Bren antagonizes his roommate, Dan, to the point of a deal. To get a girl at the Watering Hole after work. Bren is very good at pushing everyone's buttons, even ghosts. On a visit with Celia, Bren and Celia have their hands full when a ghost appears. Thinking they are safe for the night, they head to the Watering Hole. Spirits continue to invade Ben's night of fun, keeping him on his toes and putting his dear friends, his Pack, in danger.

This book is through Bren's eyes. We do see Danny, Aric, and Celia, along with several others by name. But getting a book through Bren's eyes gives us a chance to see the situation among the characters a little differently.  We see Bren and Dan at their best. The great friendship here. We get Bren's view on Aric and being part of his Pack. We feel Bren's strong protection of Celia and the girls along with Danny. They are his Pack.

Bren loves to get a rise out of everyone and is great at it. I love this with Bren. The thing, after I think about it, he usually is telling them the truth but not in an over kind way. The truth hurts sometimes. Bren is a strong personality - fun and laid back yet fierce too. High on the testosterone too. Love him. Bren does learn a lesson, even a small hint of a lesson, as the day goes on.

The ghosts that pop up put Bren and his friend through some dangerous and deadly moments. The book gains momentum in the ghost plot as you go, and where it ends...well Surprise, surprise! I never expected that ending! Loved it!

We get thoughts on his friends and what transpired between a few of the wolves and the sisters. The thread of the series is here as well. We left A Cursed Embrace with some strong feelings. This helps give additional views to what happened and why. And Bren uses the topic of Celia to stir up some lovely trouble. It works so well here. We get to see the wide variety of emotions among them all as he visits and pushes buttons.

Could you read this without reading the previous novels? Well, I'd say no. This novella gives away Celia's relationship and why. But the story of Bren is of it's own. So, if you don't mind ruining your surprise with previous books, okay, have at it. But, you are warned.

I would suggest reading it with the series, in order. Bren is the friend that you expect trouble yet all that fun from. Enjoy him!


Author Bio:
Cecy (pronounced Sessy) Robson is a full-time writer, registered nurse, wife, and mother living in the Great Northwest. A member of Romance Writers of America, she attributes her passion for storytelling to the rough New Jersey neighborhood she was raised in. As a child, she was rarely allowed to leave the safety of her house and passed her time fantasizing about flying, fairies, and things that go bump in the night. Gifted and cursed with an overactive imagination, she began writing in May 2009. Her Weird Girls Urban Fantasy Romance series is published with Penguin Random House’s Signet Eclipse and released to stellar praise from multiple reviewers including: Publisher’s Weekly, USA Today, and Romantic Times. THE WEIRD GIRLS: A Novella, SEALED WITH A CURSE, and A CURSED EMBRACE are now available. A CURSED MOON: A Novella, releases December 3, 2013, followed by CURSED BY DESTINY, January 7, 2014.

Find Cecy Robson:
Website:  www.cecyrobson.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/cecyrobson
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/Cecy.Robson.Author
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomCecyRobsonAuthor

Book Review: Progeny

Progeny

By:  S.A. Huchton

Publish Date:  December 2, 2013

Format:  eARC

Genre:  Romance with Science Fiction Flare

Series:  3rd in Endure series; 1st Book ~ Maven, 2nd Book ~ Nemesis

Recommendation:  Oh hell yes!  You get all your answers!  To Daniel and LYDIA!!  Eeep!  Oh, you'll want to know.

Synopsis:
Heartbroken over Lydia's unexplained departure, Daniel Brewer is barely functional. When she left the Endure, she took everything important with her: his purpose, his heart, his reason for breathing. Daniel's convinced Nick Miller has the answers to his questions, but Dr. Gorgeous isn't talking.

A world away, Dr. Lydia Ashley struggles with her choices and mistakes. With one small discovery, everything she thought was true is shattered in an instant.

The buried secrets of the Maven Initiative surface.

No one is safe.

And Daniel and Lydia must both decide exactly how far they'll go for love.

First Sentence:
One month and still nothing.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Smashwords


**I requested to read this book as a beta reader.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Lydia has left Endure and with what she learns in Brazil, she trusts no one and she's alone.  Daniel is struggling without her and no word from her.  To make it harder yet, Nick has returns to the Endure and not sharing any news with Daniel on Lydia.  Still looking for a cure to the deadly bacteria Lydia questions why she's still working this project with the secrets she learns.  But she's got the genius to figure it out, to save them and the world.  Daniel is working on finding who at the UN is involved with the bacteria.  Someone high up in the UN and military is, as we learned, is involved with the Maven Initiative.  But who? On the run for their lives, our trio will come to learn many secrets.

Hold your breath, maybe even pinch your nose!  We are diving in and it's a deep, deep pool here.  You are not going to want to come up for air.  Lydia has left Endure, for research of the current project, and other intimate reasons.  The secrets she learns will blow you and her out of the water!

OH, oh oh!  So many answers to the small questions, and HUGE ONES I've wondered about and now I get to know.  And now, there is more questions created as well. But Oh Boy this book is full of story!  You have your romance and you have your smiles and tears.  But I love what I learn of the story here with Lydia.  Even with Daniel and Nick.  Soooo much here!!

Oh goodness do I love Daniel.  He is hanging by a string with Lydia leaving unexpectedly and not talking to him.  Brooke is that thread holding him together.  A great friend and she knows a few of Lydia's secrets, so even though she can't tell she knows the truth deep down. We even learn a great deal more of Brooke.  We even see one of Daniel's past flings. *giggle* I do love this woman and her tactics.  I don't want to mention to much about Lydia as that will give away a big play here.  But she's a bit on the emotional side with all going on.  At times I had a hard time connecting with her, but I've known others to have the same responses as she.

The dual POV is amazing here so easily we get information for the case.  And even though I know I'd be just as worried and paranoid from either Daniel or Lydia's side of things, we see how crazy all the self induced stress is and keep it light for us as a reader.

In the end, I can't wait to get the fourth book!  I think we are safe at the end, at least for the moment, but I just want to make sure!



Want to start the series? Maven, the first book, is only 99c in ebook!

(click image to find on Amazon)

Barnes & Nobles.com

Sunday Post #35

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

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I MISSED YOU ALL!!! I do hope everyone is doing well and preparing for holidays.

It's Sunday. And it's the first of December. November has passed us by in a blink of an eye. I hope all my USA friends, who are coming off the Thanksgiving Day hangover, enjoyed their holiday with friends and family.

November is now behind us. I finished, and WON! NaNoWriMo. Am I done? No. Thanks to this project, I have two others floating around my head I want to get out. So, onward we go!

I've done a great deal of thinking during November as well. I'm not going anywhere, but I think I'm going to change things around a bit. Maybe even start with discussions on things that pop into my head. We'll see. But I do know I want to write more. So, being here with all the meme's...I think I'm going to cut back on the extra posts. BUT! watch for a post about that too as I'm going to need your help situating what I'll be doing.

Onward to what I got through in books during the month of November...

What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:
Cursed by Destiny by Cecy Robson

Murder At Avedon Hill by P.G. Holyfield (in audiobook while at work)


Finished Last (2) Weeks:
The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work - waiting for the episodes to come, one chapter a week! Then purchased the book to finish as I couldn't wait.)
The Quill & The Crow by Lilith Saintcrow
A Cursed Moon by Cecy Robson

Wasteland by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)
War by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)
Hapax by K.T. Bryski (in audiobook while at work)

Finished Podcast Book Listen:
I haven't got to the Podcasts yet.  I will, they are lining up on me.

~~~~~~~~~~

Last Week on the Blog:

Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)
Walker by Michelle Flick

Posts:

Reviews:

GIVEAWAYS:



Weekly Posts:

***NEW*** Mythical Monday - Freya Robertson - English Folklore that inspires Heartwood
Teaser Tuesday
Who? What? Where? Wend.
Throwback Thursday
Looking Forward To...
Freebies and Deals, on Nook too

~~~~~~~~~~

This Week to Come on the Blog:

Hmmm, I have two reviews ready for you!
Progeny by S.A. Huchton - I'm soooo thrilled to be continuing on with this series. Loving the romance!
A Cursed Moon by Cecy Robson - Mhmhm. Loving this world and seeing Bren. *giggle*

~~~~~~~~~~

Received Last Week:

These are all for the month of November.
Review:

God Save the Queen by Kate Locke
Goodreads Review:
Queen Victoria rules with an immortal fist. 

The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns.

Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle.


Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

The Quill & The Crow by Lilith Saintcrow
Goodreads Synopsis:
Essays on writing from the prolific Lilith Saintcrow, compiled from her popular blog. This first of three volumes ranges from the writer's craft to pro tips, musings on art to how to write a better sex scene and more, salted with her trademark pungent phrasing and self-deprecating wit.

Time Traveled Tales edited by Jean Rabe
Goodreads Synopsis:
Time Traveled Tales is an exciting journey through stories of time travel, possible futures, and supernatural and alien beings from authors like Aaron Allston, Maxwell Alexander Drake, R.T. Kaelin, Janine Spendlove, Michael A. Stackpole, Bryan Young, Timothy Zahn, and many others. Each story is beautifully illustrated by artist Matt Slay.

The Coffee Legacy by Katharina Bordet
Goodreads Synopsis:
An old café, an even older legend and a new threat.

When Isabelle's secret past returns to haunt her nightmares, she must take action to protect her family from a threat that is closer than she realises.

Set within the traditional Viennese café culture, The Coffee Legacy is the story of café owner Isabelle Schindler-Krug and her role in a struggle for power that stretches back for centuries.

As she tells her sons the legends behind coffee and Vienna, it becomes clear that one such legend is still in the making, with her own family caught right in the middle.

Echoes of Angels by Devyn Quinn
Goodreads Synopsis:
Julienne Blackthorne grew up in the school of hard knocks.

Dragged around the country by an unstable mother, she grew up on the fringes of poverty, unloved and unwanted. With the face of an angel and a body made for sin, her dream to reinvent herself in Hollywood goes crushingly awry. Though marriage to her manager leads to minor success as a model and D-list celebrity, her husband’s violent temper and her own crack-cocaine habit can only lead to one thing: disaster. A near brush with death leaves her broke, alone and scarred for life. By the time she emerges from rehab, her life is in ruins, and her soul little more than ashes.

But old bodies will not stay buried, and Julienne is about to learn the truth behind her own lost past. The chance to begin her life over lures her back to the family home her mother abandoned over twenty-one years ago — and straight into the unwelcome embrace of the man Cassandra Blackthorne feared most.

Morgan Saint-Evanston.

Dark. Brooding. Sexy as hell. He’s everything a woman desires, yet his own frightening secrets have tainted his heart and blackened his soul. He is a man Julienne will dare to take as her lover even as he plunges her into an occult realm, where human souls are open barter and swords and sorcery still rule…

Seasons of Insanity by Gill Ainsworth & Frank W. Haubold
Goodreads Synopsis:
A collection of horror from Stoker Award-nominated author Gill Ainsworth and The Kurd-LaBwitz Award-winning Frank W. Haubold.

At what point does an innocent girl grow to find her teddy bear is her lover?

When does a fun Halloween trick-or-treat become a dash for life--or, if you're lucky, death?

When does insanity become reality? Beware. Beyond pleasure is pain. And the next step you take may lead to a slip, a slide, a downward spiral into your own psychotic world.

Dare you open that Christmas present, or hold your lover's hand on a moonlit night? If you don't want to know, then don't turn these pages.

Glitter & Mayhem
Goodreads Synopsis:
Welcome to Glitter & Mayhem, the most glamorous party in the multiverse.

Step behind the velvet rope of these fabulous Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror tales of roller rinks, nightclubs, glam aliens, party monsters, drugs, sex, glitter, and debauchery.

Dance through nightclubs, roller derby with cryptids and aliens, be seduced by otherworldly creatures, and ingest cocktails that will alter your existence forever. Your hosts are the Hugo Award-winning editors John Klima (Electric Velocipede) and Lynne M. Thomas (Apex Magazine), and the Hugo-nominated editor Michael Damian Thomas (Apex Magazine).

Join glittery authors Christopher Barzak (One for Sorrow) and Daryl Gregory (Pandemonium) on the dance floor, drink cocktails with Maria Dahvana Headley (Queen of Kings: A Novel of Cleopatra, the Vampire) and Tim Pratt (Marla Mason series), and skate with Seanan McGuire (InCryptid series), Diana Rowland (Kara Gillian series), and Maurice Broaddus (The Knights of Breton Court series). The fantastic Amber Benson gets the party started with her floor-rattling introduction (Calliope Reaper-Jones series).

We’re waiting.

Table of Contents

Introduction by Amber Benson
Sister Twelve: Confessions of a Party Monster by Christopher Barzak
Apex Jump by David J. Schwartz
With Her Hundred Miles to Hell by Kat Howard
Star Dancer by Jennifer Pelland
Of Selkies, Disco Balls, and Anna Plane by Cat Rambo
Sooner Than Gold by Cory Skerry
Subterraneans by William Shunn & Laura Chavoen
The Minotaur Girls by Tansy Rayner Roberts
Unable to Reach You by Alan DeNiro
Such & Such Said to So & So by Maria Dahvana Headley
Revels in the Land of Ice by Tim Pratt
Bess, the Landlord’s Daughter, Goes for Drinks with the Green Girl by Sofia Samatar
Blood and Sequins by Diana Rowland
Two-Minute Warning by Vylar Kaftan
Inside Hides the Monster by Damien Walters Grintalis
Bad Dream Girl by Seanan McGuire
A Hollow Play by Amal El-Mohtar
Just Another Future Song by Daryl Gregory
The Electric Spanking of the War Babies by Maurice Broaddus & Kyle S. Johnson
All That Fairy Tale Crap by Rachel Swirsky

Earth Girls are Difficult by Frances Pauli
Goodreads Synopsis:
Eight tales of wily women from author, Frances Pauli...

Whether they are causing trouble or just getting into it, they've got what it takes to get the job done. Need a little bacon to domesticate a hell hound? Looking to seduce an Italian vampire? You need look no further. From vengeful goddesses to mythical tattooists, from train robbery to the local spelling bee, these women are well prepared and fully armed for adventure. They have the tools. They have the attitude. They're tough, tricky, and possibly just a teeny bit wicked.

Table of Contents:

Idol Games
Offerings
Bad Dog
El Emperador
Forbidden
Silent Partner
Priceless
Promises


Free Ebooks:

Haunted by Amanda Bonilla
Goodreads Synopsis:
A short story from the Sentry of Evil world… 

Working on a TV special about one of McCall, Idaho’s legendary “haunted” hotels isn’t exactly how production assistant Alyssa Shaw wants to spend her weekend. But when the hotel’s handsome caretaker finds her outside at night, Alyssa forgets all about ghosts and her annoying boss. 

Alec Bailey knows a thing or two about the supernatural world and its dangers. When the local news crew shows up to do a piece on his hotel, he knows he should send them away…especially with that unchecked demon lurking on the property perimeter. Supernatural protocol dictates he call in Jacquelyn, McCall’s own demon hunter, but he isn’t ready to say goodbye to the beautiful crew member who reminds of a time in his life long past… 

If Alec can’t keep Alyssa from the forest, she’s as good as dead. When she ventures past the iron fence, Alec realizes that he’ll have to defy supernatural law if he’s going to save her. And it may be that defiance, this time, will save him right back… 

Frostbite by Lynn Rush
Goodreads Synopsis:
Amanda gives a whole new meaning to cool…

Amanda Smith is sick of getting chased from town-to-town. So when she lands in tiny Trifle, Arizona, she hopes it’s her last move for a long time. Despite hating the smallness of the town, she settles in and finds a best friend, and even a boyfriend. Normality at its finest.

But for a girl who can shoot snow from her hands and lift a two-ton truck over her head like a bag of feathers—normal is not an option.

The scientists who murdered her mother come barreling into Amanda’s quiet life. She must decide if she’ll run again or stay and fight. The price of either choice might be her life or the lives of those she’s come to love…

Wasteland by Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan
Goodreads Synopsis:
Welcome to the Wasteland. Where all the adults are long gone, and now no one lives past the age of nineteen. Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan’s post-apocalyptic debut is the first of a trilogy in which everyone is forced to live under the looming threat of rampant disease and brutal attacks by the Variants —- hermaphroditic outcasts that live on the outskirts of Prin. Esther thinks there’s more to life than toiling at harvesting, gleaning, and excavating, day after day under the relentless sun, just hoping to make it to the next day. But then Caleb, a mysterious stranger, arrives in town, and Esther begins to question who she can trust. As shady pasts unravel into the present and new romances develop, Caleb and Esther realize that they must team together to fight for their lives and for the freedom of Prin.

Ghost in the Machine by C.E. Kilgore
Goodreads Synopsis:
"Love is like a wormhole. You stumble on to it blindly, it sucks you in and takes you somewhere completely unexpected, but you sure have one hell of a ride. You can’t fight it, because that would tear your ship apart. You can’t control it, either. All you can do is set your thrusters on glide and let it take you where it's going to take you."

Take part in an exploration of the heart through a richly built and diverse universe of cultures, planets and people. As a member of the Vesparian race that seeks to keep its entire existence secret, Orynn is thrown into the open by a request for help that she could not refuse. Seeking to reconcile past mistakes and gain a forgiveness she feels she does not deserve, the control over her empathic abilities is put to the test when the darkness that lives within her spirit threatens to once again destroy any piece of happiness that she allows herself to find. 

Joining a rag-tag crew of Central Agents, who are part of an organization that maintain a counterbalance against the encroaching Xen’dari Empire, Orynn finds unexpected friendship and a trust she struggles not to betray. When her heart grows an attachment for one of the crew members, a Mechatronic Automaton who reminds her of a lost and cherished friendship, the darkness within her fights against it and begins to rip her spirit in two. When another Agent tries to bring out the darkness in order to witness her races’ rumored capabilities, she is brought to the edge of the abyss within her soul. With a gentle push, she jumps.

As a Mechatronic Automaton, Ethan defines his world through a set of logically defined values and understandings. Encountering Orynn throws his system out of balance as he tries to decide if he should trust the feelings he is developing, or if he should follow the logic telling him that she is trying to control him for some unknown purpose. Should he keep her at a distance despite his want to bring her near, or should he follow the heart he swears he does not have? As his understanding of her develops, he begins to question all of his preconceived notions about both himself and the universe around him.

In his attempts to capture the Vesparian prey he has been hunting after for two decades, the First Commander of the Xen’dari fleet will stop at nothing and track Orynn to the ends of the universe. On a path of vengeance for a past he can’t let go of, he will do everything in his power to burn her world down around her feet until nothing is left but ash and the bitter taste of regret. The Central Agents’ mission to save a planet from a genetically created plague is put in jeopardy by the First Commander’s advances. The crew must fight against the unknown foe as they travel between systems in their search for the plague’s cure.

Orynn guides the crew through these systems with her knowledge of the cultures and peoples, giving the young captain a crash course in the uncommon races of the Outer Rim. Captain Hankarron Eros is in for the ride of his life as he tries to put aside his preconceived ideas about Vesparians and give Orynn his trust. Struggling with his own relationship woes and a reputation for rash and strategically lacking decisions, Hank fights to hold on to his Captain’s chair as the legendary legacy of his Uncle overshadows him. 

Ghosts of the past clash with hopes for the future in this first book of the series, set in a universe where nothing is as it seems at first glance and trust is a highly priced commodity.

Mechanics of Survival by C.E. Kilgore
Goodreads Synopsis:
Mechanics of Survival is available FREE!

Stranded on an unpopulated planet, an ambassador for the Xen’dari Empire and a Mechatronic Central Agent must overcome their differences and accept their similarities if they hope to survive.

Birth of an Empire: The Beginning by Catrina Taylor
Goodreads Synopsis:
Kala, a once timid Xenonian slave girl, possesses a unique psionic signature exploited by the military to create a powerful weapon of war. Climbing to the rank of Fleet Commander, the compassionate Kala stirs controversy when she pushes for peace in the chaos of the great war.

A skilled but reckless soldier from the opposing Dentonian fleet, Yatrell struggles to hone his unique talents. The skills and abilities that help him become the formidable leader are the same that may be the undoing of his entire planet. 

Brax left his clan when his psionic ability surfaced. A gentle giant, he has become an exceptional fighter whose only weakness is his desperation for acceptance. 

When the three are reunited, they become a dynamic force...and the key to peace.

Present Company by R.M. Prioleau
Goodreads Synopsis:
A master of the Dark Arts searches for his prized experiment. A commoner woman with a torn past seeks a new life. The story of death’s love and life’s fate, “Present Company” chronicles events preceding R.M. Prioleau’s novella, “The Necromancer’s Apprentice.”

Wolf Spell by M.R. Polish
Goodreads Synopsis:
With a death starts a new beginning...

Eighteen-year-old Esmerelda thinks she’s just a normal girl, but all of that changes the day of her mom’s funeral, when a warlock, intent on using her special powers, kidnaps her. Powers she didn’t know existed. Thrown in the middle of a magical battle, Es struggles to learn her magic while fleeing both vampires and warlocks, at the same time, hunting for the witches that can help defeat her adversary. The only problem is that they are dead.

Thankfully, she has the help of Jarak—her Guardian—who quickly captures her heart, but she wonders if she can win his? Just when she thinks Jarak is the one for her, Ian appears with daggers drawn to save Es from a vampire attack. Ian is cocky and rude, but there is something magnetic about him—something that attracts her to him. With her heart torn between two men, she faces the foes that are out for her blood. Can Es do the unthinkable and awaken them from their graves before time runs out?

The Penitent Damned by Django Wexler
Goodreads Synopsis:
Alex is a master thief, with dark magic to give her an edge. When she goes up against Duke Orlanko's Concordat secret police, though, she may have taken on more than she bargained for...

This is a prequel short story to The Thousand Names. It was released for free on io9 -- http://io9.com/the-coolest-fantasy-st... -- and is also available on the Kindle Store.



Free Audio Books:

Hapax by K.T. Bryski
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Apocalypse has come, and in seven days the world will be no more. Only the Hapax, the Word which began the universe, can recreate the world and avert the Apocalypse, but that Word has been lost. Brother Gaelin finds his faith crumbling as he is forced to shelter two fugitives from the Magistatiem, the college of magi which has been divorced from the Ecclesiat monks for centuries. As time slips away, the monks and magi must do more than just heal the ancient rift that divides them—they must trust in the very Being who drove them apart.

Murder at Avedon Hill by P.G. Holyfield
Goodreads Synopsis:
Lord Avedon has a problem. Generations of Avedons have watched over Avedon Hill and controlled the only pass through the Lantis Mountains. Traditions are important to the Avedon family, but one tradition has tragically come to an end. Gretta Platt, Housemistress of Avedon Manor, has been murdered. A member of the Platt family has always served the Avedons as Housemistress. until now. Only a handful of people live at Avedon Hill, and most are suspects. Arames Kragen, retired Aarronic Advisor and scholar of prophecy, arrives at the gates of Avedon Hill, hoping to gain access to the mountain pass. Lord Avedon is not in a giving mood, however.

This is the story of Arames Kragen and his attempt not only to discover who killed Gretta Platt, but also to uncover the truth about a town that apparently has more secrets than inhabitants.

The Land of Caern: It is a world where the gods, the Children of Az, can choose to be born as mortals to directly affect events in the world, and often do. It is a world where the Priests of Caern frantically search for the mortal incarnations of any of the Children, in order prevent the Prophecies of Iberian from coming to pass.

~~~~~~~~~~

Reviews in the Works:

Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

Half Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Full Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book
Double Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Captain's Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Owners Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

The Coffee Legacy by Katharine Bordet - a podcast reading of the book

Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow
Shadow Sight by E.J. Stevens (in audiobook while at work)

Marco and The Red Granny by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

Into Destiny by S.A. Archer & S. Ravynheart

Seducing Her Rival by Seleste deLaney

Heaven by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)
Hell by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)
Earth by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)
Wasteland by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

War by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)
The Quill & The Crow by Lilith Saintcrow
Hapax by K.T. Bryski (in audiobook while at work)
A Cursed Moon by Cecy Robson