On My Wishlist (11)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every  Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't  actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an  event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready  for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more  click here.

Fragile by Shiloh Walker

Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony

Deeper by Megan Hart

What's on your wishlist?

Teaser Tuesday: The Tear Collector

I'm silent as Scott sits down next to me, and I wrap my arms around him. He leans into me, and after an awkward moment, I kiss him.

p. 119, The Tear Collector by Patrick Jones






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

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

From Book to Movie: Dear John

Dear John is one of my favorite books by Nicholas Sparks. When I heard that it was being made into a movie, I knew I'd have to see it. The book was a heart wrencher so I know I'm going to be crying like a baby when I watch the movie. The beautiful Amanda Seyfried looks like a great fit for Savannah and I like Channing Tatum as John (isn't he a hottie?!!). I plan on watching it with a couple of my girlfriends who assure me that my sobbing won't embarrass them. I will definitely get this on DVD to add to my collection.

 

 

Dear John comes out February 5, 2010.

I Haz Me Some Bookcases!

I finally went and got me some bookcases! I can't tell you how exciting this was for me. You see, I didn't have any bookcases. Not a one. Sad, isn't it? This is where my books hung out before:

Most of my books were on top of my computer desk. They just kept piling up and piling up. I was running out of room and it was becoming a bit of a safety hazard so I went to Ikea yesterday and bought 2 bookcases. I first looked online and consulted with a fellow vixen (cause nothing's more exciting than talking about bookcases!). I went into Ikea with a particular bookcase in mind and came out with a completely different selection. Once I saw the bookcases (the ones I ended up buying) I knew those were the ones. They're absolutely beautiful. As soon as I got home I put those bad boys together.

And here they are!

f

And there you have it. Needless to say, I'm in bookworm heaven. Being able to look at all my books in their new home puts a huge smile on my face. Although, I still find myself glancing up to the top of my computer desk to get a look at my books. It's so empty up there now! And just look at all that room-to-grow in those bookcases!! And in case you were wondering, the 2nd bookcase, the one with the most books on it (the one that doesn't have the Twilight books on it) is my TBR pile. Didn't realize how big my TBR pile was until it was staring me in the face!

Review: Broken by Shiloh Walker

TITLE: Broken
AUTHOR: Shiloh Walker
FORMAT: ARC, 327 pages
GENRE: Romantic Suspense
SOURCE: Received ARC from the author
AVAILABLE: March 2, 2010 

DESCRIPTION:

Shattered

Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman in St. Louis when a new neighbor catches his eye. He’s tempted by her beauty—but he knows from experience that anyone desperate enough to live in his building is damaged goods. Besides, he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else.

Desperate

Sarah McElya is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She’s not an abused wife, and she’s not a criminal. But she does have a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can’t risk telling him the secrets she’s hiding. There’s just too much at stake.

Driven to desire…

But Quinn must get closer to Sarah when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case, and he discovers that there is something more complex and dangerous to her than he thought. Now, both Quinn and Sara will have to expose their true feelings—as well as their fragile hearts—if they hope their love will survive…

My Thoughts: 
Quinn is a bounty hunter for a private detective agency. He comes from a broken past and a broken home. He was first raised by his mother who was constantly in a drunken stupor or in a drug-filled haze. When his mother died from an overdose, Quinn was placed with his father and found out he has a twin brother. Quinn's image of a family life was completely shattered until he moved in with his father and brother.

Sara has been on the run for 2 years. It's not for the reasons you'd expect but she's on the move. She doesn't stay in a place too long before moving on. Right after moving into a quaint little apartment, she runs into her neighbor Quinn. She's instantly attracted to him but decides that she needs to keep her distance to protect her secrets.

This was a great read! I hadn't read anything by Shiloh Walker before this so I wasn't sure what to expect. I read the book description and thought, okay, let's give this a whirl. The description doesn't give you you even a hint of the twists to come in this story. I was definitely pleasantly surprised. I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for everything to unfold. I enjoyed reading this book so much, I gulped the last half of the book in one sitting.

I had a small problem with Elena, a character from Quinn's past. I'm hoping once I read Fragile, my questions about her will be answered and I'll overcome this. Broken is not part of a series per se so you can read it as a standalone.

I also got a little lost and confused when reading the little tidbits of conversation from Sara's text messages or when she was thinking about her past. But it all made sense and came full circle towards the end.

This book is full of sizzling sex. It certainly released all that built up sexual tension from the YA books I've recently read (don't get me wrong, I love YA. But sometimes I need some action!). Broken is all about release. Tantilizing, titilating, stimulating sex.

Here is a small taste from a scene that takes place in a restaurant:

“So which is it, Sara?” he asked, his gaze lingering on her mouth. “Do you want to know what kind of trouble you’re asking for?”

Sara was so tired of doing what her brain said was the right thing. The safe thing. The smart thing.

She wanted to listen to her body. Listen to her heart. So for the first time in ages, she let her heart, her body dictate her mouth. Smiling up at him, she whispered, “Why don’t you tell me what kind of trouble it is…then I’ll make up my mind.”

And a bit later:

He crowded her against the padded back of the booth. The hand lying on her thigh slid higher, higher…Instinctively, she clenched her knees together, trapping his hand. He didn’t let that keep him from rubbing his fingers against her covered sex.

Walker left me lusting for more. I found her writing enticing and delectable, especially the love scenes. I did not want the book to end. I got into the story and it was a fast read. I will definitely read more of her work. If you enjoy reading romance and suspense, then I highly recommend this book! 

The Book Vixen Rating:

On My Wishlist (10)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every  Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't  actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an  event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready  for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more  click here.

After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy

Split by Stefan Petrucha

The Secret of Lying by Todd Mitchell

Once Bitten by Clare Willis

Almost to Die For by Tate Hallaway

What's on your wishlist?

Teaser Tuesday: Broken

He'd attempted to flirt and he'd ended up two seconds away from trying to strip her naked. He wasn't entirely sure, but he suspected flirtation was supposed to be a little more subtle.

p. 114, Broken by Shiloh Walker





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

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

Makeover and a Giveaway!

I got a blog makeover courtesy of Rachel at ParaJunkee's View. She took the elements I wanted and put them together beautifully. Didn't she do a fabulous job?!! Be sure to check out her awesome designs. And let me know what you think of the new look!! 

Feel free to grab my *new* button! If you had my original button on your blog, it should have updated to the new one all by itself :D

<a href="http://thebookvixen.blogspot.com"><img alt="The Book Vixen" src="http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/ae195/TheBookVixen/TBVBlogButton1.jpg"/></a>

*The Giveaway has CLOSED*

In celebration of my makeover, I am having a giveaway!! There will be two (2) winners. Each winner will get one book of their choice ($15 maximum) from The Book Depository. This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE, as long as your country is listed HERE. To enter, you must fill out the form. Entries in the comments will NOT be counted and will be deleted.

Fill out this FORM to enter!

There are a couple of ways to get extra entries:

• +1 for being a blog follower (new or old)
• +1 for tweeting about this giveaway (psst! There's a *share* button on the bottom of this post that allows you to tweet from here.) 
• +3 for Parajunkee (because she created the new look) and for Fiction Vixen (because she created the original Book Vixen header and button). I'll put these extra entries in for you ladies :D

Giveaway ends January 31st, 2010. Winners will be randomly selected, emailed and announced here shortly after. Winners will have 72 hours to contact me or a new winner will be selected. Good luck to all who enter!

I'm over at Book Chick City today!

I'm being featured at Book Chick City's for her *New Blog on the Block*! Go over and check it out! Show me some love :D

I Interviewed Natasha from Wicked Little Pixie

Kindle Vixen and I interviewed Natasha from Wicked Little Pixie. Check it out *here*. I was way too easy on her!! Kindle Vixen's questions had me laughing so hard, I snorted!

On My Wishlist (9)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every  Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't  actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an  event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready  for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more  click here.

Firespell (Dark Elite, #1) by Chloe Neill

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

It All Changed In An Instant by Larry Smith

Broken by Shiloh Walker

Isabelle's Boyfriend by Caroline Hickey

What's on your wishlist?

Teaser Tuesday: Dear John

Dear John, There's so much I want to say to you, but I'm not sure where I should begin. Should I start by telling you that I love you?"

p. 138, Dear John by Nicholas Sparks



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

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

Review: Halfway to the Grave, One Foot in the Grave, At Grave’s End, and Destined For an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Halfway to the Grave | One Foot in the Grave | At Grave’s End | Destined For an Early Grave
Series: Night Huntress, #1, #2, #3, #4
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: bought
Published: September 2007 | April 2008 | December 2008 | July 2009

Synopsis for Halfway to the Grave:

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.

ARC Tour: Broken by Shiloh Walker

Broken by Shiloh Walker will be released on March 2, 2010. Here is your chance to participate in an ARC tour for Broken! There are 5 spots available on the tour. Here's how the tour will work: Once I finish reading the book, I will mail it to the next person on the tour (the person living closest to me). That person will have ONE WEEK to read Broken, then mail it to the next person on the tour (I will email you the next person's mailing info). The order will based on location of the participants, shipping it to the person closest to them so that the ARC can circulate in a timely manner. Each participant is responsible for the cost of shipping the ARC, with Delivery Confirmation, to the next person.

This ARC Tour is open to book bloggers only. Edit to add: Due to time constraints, the tour is limited to US residents only and must be mailed via Priority Flat Rate Mailer (approximately $5 plus 80¢ for Delivery Confirmation).

Description from Goodreads:

Shattered
Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman in St. Louis when a new neighbor catches his eye. He’s tempted by her beauty—but he knows from experience that anyone desperate enough to live in his building is damaged goods. Besides, he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else.

Desperate
Sarah McElya is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She’s not an abused wife, and she’s not a criminal. But she does have a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can’t risk telling him the secrets she’s hiding. There’s just too much at stake.

Driven to desire…
But Quinn must get closer to Sarah when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case, and he discovers that there is something more complex and dangerous to her than he thought. Now, both Quinn and Sara will have to expose their true feelings—as well as their fragile hearts—if they hope their love will survive...

You can read a sneak-peak of Broken here.

The ARC Tour rules:

1. You must email me ( thebookvixen @ gmail dot com ) when you receive the ARC.
2. You will have ONE WEEK to read the ARC before you must mail it off to the next person.
3. You must get Delivery Confirmation and email me the confirmation number.
4. You will have ONE WEEK from the date you mail the ARC to post your review.
5. You must post your review on your blog and one additional site (Goodreads, Library Thing, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, etc.). Email me the links to your reviews and I will link to you.
6. The last person on the tour must mail the ARC back to me.
7. By registering for the ARC tour, you agree not to scan/copy/digitize the ARC and respect author copyright.

If you cannot commit to ALL of these rules, then please don't sign up. It is imperative that the ARC gets circulated quickly to everyone on the tour so we can all get our reviews up before the release date.

**The 5 ARC Tour participants have been chosen**

I will randomly select 5 people to be on the tour. I will select, email and announce the winners on Thursday, January 14, 2010. Winners will have 24 hours to email me their mailing info before a new winner is selected (we're on a time crunch). If you have any questions about this tour and/or the rules, please email me at thebookvixen @ gmail dot com before signing up.

I would like to give Shiloh Walker a HUGE thank you for providing the ARC!!

Happy New Year

Good bye 2009 and Hel-looo 2010!

 

2009 was a great year of reading for me. I actually got back into reading after a hiatus and it all started with Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Not only did she get me back into the reading saddle she also opened up my world to paranormal romance. Every one was recommending that I read Twilight (my husband's 16-year old niece, my sister-in-law, my co-worker, and I think even Fiction Vixen) but I wasn't into vampires. Sure, I'd seen the books at every single bookstore and the covers drew me in but I'd keep telling myself that I wasn't into vampires. The first Twilight movie had come and gone and I had no desire to see it. In fact, I completely missed the first wave of Twilight-mania.

 

My husband's niece kept insisting that I give it try. We had both read the Harry Potter series and she knew that I would love Twilight, once I got past the vampire issue. She kept telling me that the love story was awesome so I finally caved in and decided to give Twilight a try. I got Twilight from the library because I wasn't sure if I was going to even like it. I read it and what do you know, I found out that I actually like vampires! Move over Bella, Edward was mine! He could bite my neck any time. As soon as I finished Twilight, I rushed over to Target and got New Moon. I didn't get books 3 and 4 because I figured I'd have some time before needing them. WRONG. I finished New Moon in a day or two and rushed back to Target. But they didn't have books 3 and 4 anymore. I was in a book emergency!! None of the libraries had them available (there was a waiting list and I wasn't in a position to wait). Luckily my co-worker graciously lent me her books and I was able to finish.

 

I was completely enamored, absorbed and obsessed with Edward and Bella. After I finished reading the series, including Midnight Sun, I was in a funk. I couldn't do anything or be anywhere without thinking about them. I couldn't let go. It took me a while to move on but I finally did with the help of Fiction Vixen and Sookie. From Sookie to The Black Dagger Brotherhood to Cat and Bones, I'm totally into vampires now. And not just vampires but werewolves and fallen angels too. I was Team Edward while reading the Twilight books but I have since crossed over to Team Jacob.

 

 

In 2009, I read 46 books (I started reading around March). I'm hoping to up the ante and read 100 books in 2010. I have joined a few reading challenges to make it fun.

Here are a few of the books that I am looking forward to this year:

• Lover Mine by J.R. Ward
• Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
• Skin Tight by Ava Gray
• Torment by Lauren Kate
• Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
• Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
• 13 to Life: A Werewolf's Tale by Shannon Delany
• The Mark by Jen Nadol
• Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
• First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost
• The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard
• Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

 

2009 was also the year this blog started (in late August). I'm still a newbie in this awesome world of book blogging and only hope to make my blog better and more exciting. I hope to push out more reviews (and better reviews). And I am happy to have meet some really nice and awesome book bloggers out there!

 

Happy New Year!