Giveaway Reminder and Waiting On Wednesday: Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos

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

Description:

There's no place for pride in this Austen misadventure.

Chloe Parker was born two centuries too late. A thirty-nine-year- old divorced mother, she runs her own antique letterpress business, is a lifelong member of the Jane Austen Society, and gushes over everything Regency. But her business is failing, threatening her daughter's future. What's a lady to do?

Why, audition for a Jane Austen-inspired TV show set in England, of course.

What Chloe thinks is a documentary turns out to be a reality dating show set in 1812. Eight women are competing to snare Mr. Wrightman, the heir to a gorgeous estate, along with a $100,000 prize. So Chloe tosses her bonnet into the ring, hoping to transform from stressed-out Midwest mom to genteel American heiress and win the money. With no cell phones, indoor plumbing, or deodorant to be found, she must tighten her corset and flash some ankle to beat out women younger, more cutthroat, and less clumsy than herself. But the witty and dashing Mr. Wrightman proves to be a prize worth winning, even if it means the gloves are off...

Why?

In a world filled with reality shows, this would fit the bill to fill my life with humor!  I know I'd try out for this show!  

Besides, who doesn't love Jane Austen?  

So what are you waiting on?

Cana

DON'T FORGET THAT TODAY IS THE LAST DAY FOR MY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Reminder: Birthday Celebration Giveaway Ending Soon!

Hello everyone, this is just a reminder that Birthday Celebration Giveaway will end tomorrow night at the strike of midnight (kind of like the spell for Cinderella, only if you find a prince chasing after you at that time, you might want to re-think your life!).  So don't forget to sign up!

Happy Reading!

Cana

It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading is hosted by Book Journey . Each week we spotlight the books we are reading, planning on reading or just finished reading.


What I read last week:

and a few that I'll never tell :)

Currently reading:

What I'm going to be reading next:

What I won this month:

Courtesy of Paranormal Wastelands

So what are you reading?

Cana

Kiss Me Deadly (Bewitch the Dark, #2) by Michele Hauf

Description:

Death cocktail is what the vampires call a witch's blood. It's poisonous--a drop will destroy a vampire within minutes. Nikolaus Drake is the rare vampire who has survived his first taste. Now he's on the hunt for the witch who almost brought him to his demise--Ravin Crosse.

A witch who spends her nights hunting vampire tribes, Ravin has three obligations to fulfill to set her soul free. One of those obligations--crafting a love spell--twists her world upside down when Nikolaus draws the spell from her veins. Natural enemies rarely make the best bedfellows--but is it possible their intentions are really, truly the same? Can Nikolaus's tribal loyalty survive if he surrenders to desires far darker than his own?

My Review:

Kiss Me Deadly (Bewitch the Dark, #2) by Michele Hauf

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So vampires and witches are really the thing, but as usual, this Ms. Hauf tries to give it a new spin. This is a world where a witch's blood is deadly to vampires; Where vampires live in tribes and slayers are still an issue. Thus when this story starts, Nikolaus Drake (a vampire) has gained back most of his strength after surviving an attack by Ravin Crosse (Slayer and a witch). After almost dying from the witch's blood, he has become a phoenix (an extremely rare, extremely powerful vampire). In attempt for revenge, Nikolause and Rave get caught in a backfired love spell... Which makes things a little bit difficult, and a whole lot interesting.

With the introduction into Ms. Hauf's world of vampire and witches, it is a dark world, with little to look forward to, except some sex scenes (nothing explicit) and a whole lot of flashing back. There are appearances by the Devil, imps, werewolves, and demons, it is a decent novel for a quick summer read.

You hope everything will work out for the characters, though I wished for a little bit more rounding out of their characters. It takes almost to the end of the book before you understand Ravin's prejudices and Nikolaus' back story. There were times that I did get caught up in the book (yelling at a character is a common problem for me), and I did wish for everything to work out for the characters.

I wish that the book had a better flow, or at least that the flow would have been consistent. At times I was extremely bored with the side stories or the main story's dialogue, and would skip pages to get back to a better part of the story.

As I said before, a good quick summer read.

Cana

View all my reviews

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Description:

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

My Review:

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hmmm, what to say about Cat and Bones- I think words are too hard to describe. First, Cat is a smart-mouthed, vampire killing woman who is still insecure about who she is and what she is. Bones is a several hundred year old vampire who decides to take on the task of training Cat, even though she had already tried to kill him. Through the hunt for some really bad vamps who have decided to make a slave market out of young women, Cat and Bones get close---

Well, I must say that I loved the chemistry between Cat and Bones. First, who doesn't love a relationship that starts out with one trying to kill the other that then later turns into a hot, steamy, loving relationship. I love how Cat had two sides to her: the confident, vampire-killing badass and the insecure, half-vamp who would hide that part of her if she could. Bones was the mostly patient teacher- both in regards to killing vamps and learning to love herself (which in part was through him loving her).

I must say that I was a little irritated how it ended. I like that it wasn't a completely happily ever after ending, but UUURRRRGH! I felt that she took the easy way (and that is all you are getting, since I don't want to give any SPOILERS!).

As a whole, love the book! Great writing and great characters. Looking forward to reading more by Ms. Frost. Highly recommend.

Cana

View all my reviews

Follow Friday (5)

Q. In some books like the Sookie Stackhouse series the paranormal creature in question "comes out of the closet" and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish this would happen with in real life?  


Oh, I am a huge fan of anything Celtic.  So, definitely I'd want the fae to reveal themselves.  But, then there are the elemental creatures of myth that would be amazing to be revealed to the world (i.e. dryads, centaurs, nymphs, etc.)... So pretty much anything absolutely amazing should pretty much reveal themselves to the world!


Happy Reading!


Cana

Busy, Busy, Busy

So this week is going to be extremely busy.  I'll be off the blog pretty much for the week, until August 26.  Please don't forget to sign up for the Birthday Celebration Giveaway.

Happy Reading

Cana

The Mystery of Hurtleberry House by C.L. Ragsdale

Description:

Most people would be excited to be hosting their own TV show. However, most people do not work for Reboot, a television station better known for employing the rejects of the “legitimate media” than the quality of its programming.
Such is the fate of Irene Waters, a once promising Christian reporter struggling to recover from a counterfeit scandal that ruined her career and left her questioning her trust in God.
As her employment options are limited, she finds herself assigned to a cheesy paranormal investigation show called “Irene's Eerie Adventures”. She and her cameraman, the talented but reckless Troy Stenson, are quickly dispatched to their first assignment, a rumored haunted house. At first glance their subject, Hurtleberry House, does not look promising even for the less than ambitious goal of “Good Television”. Putting aside the nonsensical name, the house is undergoing major renovations making filming itself a challenge. Even worse, the residents are cliché and the ghost is camera shy.
Fortunately for the Reboot team, all is not as it first appears as circumstances soon take a turn for the weird if not the supernatural. For Irene soon discovers that everything they thought they knew about the house and its ghost has been brought into question with the apparent goal of tricking a low budget TV show into coming out to film. But why and who is behind it? The flamboyant owner who appears to be a true believer in the family ghost? Her sensible sister with the grating personality who seems determined to protect her flamboyant sibling? The helpful but cranky elderly caretaker who could have ulterior motives? Or the handsome, but oddly redundant handyman who appears to have few skills and no apparent part in the renovations?
Irene will have to draw upon her until now unknown deductive skills and renewed faith in God to solve the real mystery of Hurtleberry House. A goal somewhat hampered by her efforts to curtail, with varying degrees of success, the enthusiasm of her cameraman to exploit the sensational. Whether it actually exists or not.

My Review:

The Mystery of Hurtleberry House by C.L. Ragsdale

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So if Nancy Drew was a Christian who grew up to be a news reporter for an obscure network as a debunker of ghosts -- This would be her story.

Irene Waters is a news reporter who is trying to heal after what her last network did to her. Troy Stenson has a bad habit of putting himself into dangerous situations. Together they are teamed up to debunk the story of the ghost of Hurtleberry House.

I love how you think you know who is the villain, but until the last 20 or so pages, you don't know exactly. I think it gives a great beginning to the Reboot Files series. Also there is an underlying mystery that you have to continue the rest of the series to figure out... I really want to know who those strange people are at the end of the book!

You will get to learn some big words (Irene says a lot of them), and you will even get to learn the meaning of hurtleberry (read the book or find a dictionary to find out).

The great thing about this book/novella is that is a quick read, but it is even quicker because you are trying to figure the whole thing out! I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a quick read and loves a good mystery.

Cana

View all my reviews

Blood and Guitars by Heather Jensen

Description


When Aurora meets Trey, a famous singer and musician, she's only hoping to get her fill of human blood for the week. The last thing Aurora expects is for Trey to make her feel alive for the first time since she was, well, alive. It begins with a casual painting lesson at her art studio, The Waking Moon, and quickly turns into a forbidden romance. Aurora is forced to hide her true identity from Trey, while keeping her relationship with the human a secret from other vampires in her Brood.

Trey's band is recording a new album and with Aurora as his muse, Trey is writing songs like never before. After being hired by their record label to paint the cover of the new album, Aurora has a legitimate reason for spending so much time with Trey and his band mates. Aurora can't deny the unexpected connection she has with Trey, which is fueled by glimpses into his emotions every time they share a kiss. Caught between two worlds, Aurora must attend celebrity award shows and vampire rituals, find time to feed, and protect Trey from the dangers of the night, all while preserving her secrets.


My Review

Blood and Guitars by Heather Jensen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So meet Aurora, a vampire who is an artist- a painter to be exact- who is a bit rebellious. She one night is looking for her next meal (i.e., blood), when she meets Trey - A rock star-, and instead of making him dinner, she starts dating him. In the process of trying to hide this from the other vamps and trying to keep her vamp secret from Trey, you get to see how secrets can lead to trouble... Sometimes more than you can bite.

When I started reading it, I was instantly draw to Aurora... I mean, who doesn't love a painting vampire (giving a point to show they have a soul). I like how Ms. Jensen creates her own type of vampire. They can go into the sun (No they do not sparkle!), garlic isn't a problem, and yes they have special talents (but those are only available when the moon is out at night). Trey is a down to earth rock star (that seems a bit unbelievable compared to the vampires :P), and he instantly falls for Aurora. For him it was love at first sight, though they both didn't really know it. Thankfully, it wasn't made as an easy romance, but it gave a lot of great potential for what was coming towards the end.

The movement of the first half of the book is like a quick dance, you are constantly trying to follow the music, the movement of the book. It is from to POV, which alternates depending on what is going on.

As a whole, this book was very good. Unfortunately for me it either needed to end when she revealed her vampirism or it need to have a clean conclusion. It kind of left me hanging, and I hate books that leave me hanging.  It is a good book, and I think if you like music, vampires, and painting, this book might be right up your alley.

Cana

View all my reviews

Don't forget about the Birthday Celebration Giveaway!

So this month is my birthday month (August 24 is the day to celebrate), and to celebrate all things me -- Here at Place of Reads are going to be hosting our FIRST giveaway!  Only 2 weeks left in this giveaway!  Make sure you sign up on the previous blog (August 13 Birthday Celebration Giveaway! )

Happy Reading,


Cana

Follow Friday (4)

Welcome to Follow Friday Hosted By Parajunkee.com andAlisoncanread.com

This weeks question:

Q. If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?

Ooh, so many options, and that always depends on the book... And there are so many books I'd want to be in.  I know I'd want to be the side kick or the funny friend of the main character- The one you know is there, and you like, but isn't in every chapter.  Or, I'd like to be the villain, the one that is killed at the end, but leaves a mysterious message about another worse-than-me villain on the way in the next book (I love that in books!)

Now what books I'd be in?  Well I think anything paranormal or fantasy based.  Maybe even a retelling of a fairy tale.... Yeah, definitely that one.  I would love to be a shifter or some magical being-- Especially fire or water based. Fire because I have that kind of temperament, water because I love the colors of water.  

So what about you?

Cana

Check out Gripped Into Book's giveaway!

Gripped Into Books has reached their 1000 follower mark, and it is time to celebrate!  So here is what is up for grabs!

Prize Pack 1

My Soul to Save | My Soul to Take | My Soul to Steal | Here Lies Bridget
Inside Out | Outside In | The Iron King | The Iron Daughter

Prize Pack 2

Summer and the City | The Carrie Diaries | Riches | Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
You against Me | The Stranger | The Iron Queen | My Soul to Steal

Prize Pack 3

Bite Club | The Secret History of the Pink Collection| Pride and Premiership | Hereafter

Mercy | Exile | Torment | Angels Fury

Prize Pack 4:
(Choose any book of your choice)

 Prize Pack 5:

The Ultimate Swag Pack

RULES:

- To enter, please fill out the form below

- Entrants must be 13 years of age or older

- Deadline Spetember 9 2011

- Open Internationally
-Must be a FOLLOWER to enter

- ONE ENTRY PER PERSON!