Today is day 3 of The Missing Book Tour. Be sure to stop by Not-Really-Southern Vamp Chick for her review and another excerpt from the book!
Here is the complete list of stop on The Missing Book Tour:
The Book Vixen – 6/28
The Fiction Enthusiast – 6/29
Not-Really-Southern Vamp Chick – 6/30
The Bibliophilic Book Blog – 7/1
I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read – 7-2
And be sure to come back here, to The Book Vixen, on Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 for The Missing Re-release Giveaway!!
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 vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.
Title: Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between
Author: J.A. Saare
Format: eBook
Genre: paranormal romance
Source: review copy
Published: February 2010
Buy the book: Eternal Press | All Romance | Kindle
My Thoughts
Fiction Vixen read and reviewed Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between, and for her she was hooked from the first line. That was all it took to put this book on the top of my wishlist!
Rhiannon is a bartender extraordinaire at a strip club. She is also a necromancer (she can communicate with the dead). She is extremely independent with a tough-as-nails attitude and takes shit from no one. Yet there’s a soft, tender side to her. She’s had a rough upbringing, to say the least, but that only gives her strength to fight on. I love Rhiannon! She was constantly cracking me up!
I walked past the receptionist, smiling at her shocked face when she told me in a superficial voice to have a nice day, and I gave her a parting gift – my middle finger.
Disco, a drop dead gorgeous (pun intended) vampire, has an in-house necromancer but Goose can’t see the twice dead (dead vampires). Rhiannon can, which makes her not only extremely rare but also extremely valuable. So Disco seeks out Rhiannon and recruits her to join forces with him and Goose to find out who’s killing vampires. Rhiannon is reluctant at first but finally decides to help. Which is a good thing because Disco doesn’t take “no” for an answer.
Disco doesn’t hide his affections for Rhiannon but remains a complete gentleman and is not pushy. I like the pace that their relationship takes. It’s not rushed and it doesn’t feel forced; it is worked at slowly and flows naturally making it believable. Disco and Rhiannon are two bad-ass peas in a pod. Here is one of my favorite, laugh out loud hilarious conversations between Rhiannon and Disco:
“Do you pick random people for your happy meals, or do you play with your food?”“It depends. Define play with your food.”
“As in, do you fuck them beforehand or just take them home and bleed them dry?”
I’m laughing out loud just from typing that out! Here’s another one of my favorite quotes; this one gave me chills:
“Do something for me,” he whispered against my hair.“Anything.”
“Call me by my real name.”
Saare’s vampires are similar to your average vampire: pale, cold, extremely fast, gorgeous except her vampires have beating hearts which I thought was an interesting twist. Holy water melts their skin and they do not sleep in coffins. And these vampires do not sparkle in the sun.
I truly enjoyed reading Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between. It had its laugh-out-loud hilarious moments, plenty of sexual tension and it had suspense. I was quite surprised on how it ended though. It was a huge WTF moment for me when I got to the last page. I tried clicking Next Page on my Kindle only to find that there were no pages left! The reader is left with a HUGE cliffhanger ending. And it only makes me want to read The Renfield Syndrome that much more!!
The Book Vixen’s Rating 
Today is day 2 of The Missing Book Tour. Be sure to stop by The Fiction Enthusiast for her review and another excerpt from the book!
Here is the complete list of stop on The Missing Book Tour:
The Book Vixen – 6/28
The Fiction Enthusiast – 6/29
Not-Really-Southern Vamp Chick – 6/30
The Bibliophilic Book Blog – 7/1
I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read – 7-2
And be sure to come back here, to The Book Vixen, on Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 for The Missing Re-release Giveaway!!
LOVE LOST
As a teenager, Taige Branch was able to do things with her psychic gift that others couldn't understand - except for Cullen Morgan, the boy who stole her heart. He did his best to accept her abilities, until his mother was brutally murdered - and he couldn't forgive Taige for not preventing her death.PASSION FOUND
Now a widowed father, Cullen Morgan has never forgotten Taige. but what brings her back into his life is another tragic event. His beloved little girl has been kidnapped, and Taige is his only hope of finding her.A LOVE THAT NEVER DIED
Working together against the clock, Cullen and Taige can't help but wonder whether - if the find his daughter in time - it isn't too late for the overpowering love that still burns between them...
Title: The Missing
Author: Shiloh Walker
Format: paperback, 313 pages
Genre: paranormal, romance
Source: review copy
Published: re-released July 6, 2010
Buy the book: The Book Depository | Kindle
My Thoughts
The Missing is the second book by Shiloh Walker that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed Broken so when Ms. Walker asked if I would put together a book tour for the re-release of The Missing, I couldn’t say no.
I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive at first with the psychic element of the book but I was okay with the way things panned out. I wasn’t turned away by it; instead it drew me in.
I felt for Taige, really felt for her for all the trials and tribulations she had endured. She lost her parents at a young age thus has to live with her God-fearing uncle, who thinks she’s a demon child. She’s stuck with this so-called “gift” where she has psychic dreams and visions. Not only does a power like that make you feel obligated to do something with it, it also leaves you feeling guilty when you can’t.
Taige meets Cullen when she’s 15 years old in the summer of 1992. Cullen is on vacation with his family in Alabama where Taige lives. For him, it was instant attraction. He was determined to get to know Taige but she was a little reluctant at first, not wanting to be just a summer fling. But over the course of four years, the relationship between the two has definitely blossomed.
Then fate takes a turn for the worse when Cullen’s mother gets brutally murdered. Cullen blames Taige for not saving her in time. After a tension-filled romp, he tells Taige that he doesn’t want to see or talk to her again. Twelve years pass. Cullen has never stopped thinking about Taige. But now he needs her; his daughter has been kidnapped and he knows Taige is the only one that can help him find her.
I like the connection that is made between the characters. The storyline (and timeline) was thought out and planned very well. Without going into too much and giving anything away, there is a twist in the story that gave me chills.
The Missing took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I laughed at times, I cried at times. Then there was the time that I wanted to strangle Cullen with my bare hands. The chemistry between Taige and Cullen is undeniable, even through the rough patches. (And when I say rough, we’re talking like 40 grit sandpaper rough.) The intimate, sizzling love scenes had me salivating for more. Ms. Walker writes some good, dirty, borderline erotic love scenes (or maybe they are “erotic”…?). You, too, will be asking for more!
The Book Vixen’s Rating
Where to find Shiloh Walker online
website | twitter | facebook
And now I will leave you with an excerpt to tickle your fancy ;)
The Missing-Excerpt One
“Try,” she said grimly. Her eyes were stark and cool, the dull, leaden gray of a winter sky. Everything about her had gone cold and distant.Apprehension gnawed at him, but then she twined her fingers with his. “Things are moving a little too fast for me right now, Cullen,” she murmured. Her gaze lowered, and her lashes shielded her eyes from him. “I know I threw a lot at you, but none of it is easy for me to talk about. I just can’t do it right now. I don’t even know which way is up. I need some time to level out.”
A sigh escaped him. Reaching up, he cupped her chin and lifted it so he could see her eyes. “This isn’t done, Taige.” Cullen stroked her lower lip with his thumb. He bent his head and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “We got enough going on right now, that’s for certain. But this isn’t done. And while you’re leveling out, there’s something you need to keep in mind. I meant every word I said before, when I told you that I still love you and that I want you back in my life.”
Cullen slanted his mouth over hers, cupping his hand over the back of her skull and holding her still. Under his mouth, she was soft and sweet. She sighed into his mouth, and when he slid a hand up her side, she arched into him with a moan.
Urging her backward, he covered her body with his. Her hands slid under his shirt, her fingers cool and agile, stroking over the sensitive skin of his lower back and then dipping under the waistband of his jeans.
“You certain you want to do this out here?” she murmured against his lips. “We’re going to get sand everywhere.”
Be sure to check out the next stop on The Missing Book Tour at The Fiction Enthusiast tomorrow! She will have her review up with another excerpt for you to enjoy.
Thanks to Jessica from CSN, I received a $40 gift certificate good at any of CSN’s 200+ stores in exchange for a review. I decided to use the certificate towards the purchase of a bookcase for the kids’ room. My kids love books and they have lots of them. Unfortunately, they had no place to put their books. Books were getting lost and ruined so the choice was clear.
The bookcase arrived a lot faster than I had expected! I placed the order on June 7th and the bookcase was delivered on June 11th.
The packaging was very good. No rips, tears, holes or any other type of damage. Everything was placed into the box in a very orderly fashion. Nothing was missing (always a good thing). The only tool needed was a Philip’s screwdriver; everything else needed to assembly the bookcase was included in the packaging.
Assembly took 45 minutes. It probably would have only taken 30-35 minutes but my husband got distracted and installed the middle shelf upside down. The illustrated assembly instructions could have been a little more detailed. I would have liked to see the grooves that were on the actual pieces on the illustrations. It would make it a bit easier to figure out which direction each piece goes.
We chose the 32” Nantucket Bookcase because it matches the decor and furniture we have in the kids’ room. And as you can see from this picture, it matches my daughter’s bed pretty good. The kids love having a place to put all their books. I love not having the mess. Win win!
All in all, I love it! CSN has over 200 stores to shop. You can get everything from shoes, bags, lighting, cookware, a sleeper sofa, luggage and more. I’ve already made another purchase from them!
The Book Vixen’s Rating 
Meet lieutenant Howard "Six-Pack" Paxton--one of the handsome, hard-bodied firefighters of staion five. Four-alarm blazes have nothing on him.
Howard may love being a fireman and riding his Harley, but there's nothing he values more than his bacherlorhood--until a feisty, curvaceous teacher named Kat McKenna falls into his arms at the scene of a blaze and melts the six-foot-six tower of bronzed muscle.
But just as passion ignites between them, and they begin to explore new heights of sexual ecstasy, a ruthless arsonist with a deadly secret and a thirst for vengeance becomes their worst nightmare.
Meet Zack Knight, firefighter and paramedic—the handsome genius of Station Five. He can take on any blaze, but needs a certain kind of woman.
Zack fights fires and saves lives, yet his own thirst for life has run dry—-until he comes to the rescue of the hardheaded, sharp-tongued exotic dancer named Corrine Shannon who sparks a carnal appetite that has the normally shy hero burning out of control.
But just as they are consumed by the flames of passion, they find themselves under fire from two relentless enemies with fifty million reasons to succeed. Dangerous men who will stop at nothing to get what they want, even if it means putting a permanent end to their love—and their lives. Can they withstand the heat-—or will their newfound romance be extinguished as fast as it began?
Julian Salvatore has earned his reputation as a ladies' man, but chasing women is also a way to outrun a terrible secret. Then he meets defense attorney Grace McKenna, a beautiful ice-queen more than willing to give Julian her body, even if he can't seem to melt her heart...
But when a series of murders rocks Nashville, Julian is targeted by the killer. As he comes face to face with demons, he and Grace must race to uncover the terrible truth—or become the next victims...
The author of When Alex Was Bad and The Firefighters of Station Five series provides another titillating two-pronged mission: seduce...and eliminate.
Jude St. Laurent is a former assassin for SHADO, a covert homeland security agency. After a mysterious accident, he's lost all memory of his former life, and embraces his new identity as a hedonistic artist. But when he's haunted by visions of the past, he turns to his new personal assistant for help-and she knows just how to make him forget.
Jude doesn't know that Lily Vale is a secret agent who uses sex to manipulate her targets-and always gets her man. But her mission takes a turn when Lily realizes that there's more to this case, and Jude, than meets the eye. If she's going to save them both, she'll have to find out who's pulling the strings...
Title: Aces Up (Amazon)
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Around the World ARC Tours
Published: August 2010 by Delacorte Books
Seventeen-year-old high school senior Shannon Card needs money. And lots of it. She's been admitted to Wellesley, but her dad just lost his job, and somehow she has to come up with a year of tuition herself. But Shannon's dream of making big bucks waitressing at the local casino, the Collosio, disappears faster than a gambler's lucky streak. Her boss is a tyrant, her coworker is nuts, and her chances of balancing a tray full of drinks while wearing high-heeled shoes are slim to none. Worse, time is running out, and Shannon hasn't made even half the money she'd hoped.When Shannon receives a mysterious invitation to join Aces Up, a secret network of highly talented college poker players, at first she thinks No way. She has enough to worry about: keeping her job, winning the coveted math scholarship at school, and tutoring her secret crush, Max. But when Shannon musters up the nerve to kiss Max and he doesn't react at all, the allure of Aces Up and its sexy eighteen-year-old leader, Cole, is suddenly too powerful to ignore.
Soon Shannon's caught up in a web of lies and deceit that makes worrying about tuition money or a high school crush seem like kid stuff. Still, when the money's this good, is the fear of getting caught reason enough to fold?
This fun, sexy, recession-proof story is a bubbly summer read with surprising depth—great for fans of Sarah Mlynowski.
I think most of us have heard of Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert; a memoir of one woman’s journey of self-discovery after a divorce. I’ve never had the desire to read this book.
Until now.
I’m not big on non-fiction, especially memoirs. But then I saw Julia Roberts on Oprah talking about this book and the movie (which comes out in August) with such passion. Julia Roberts grabbed my attention and has inspired me to read it. Yes, I’m a Julia Roberts fan so her being a part of the movie has a big influence on my wanting to read this book but you should have heard her talking about this book. She got the book and was only 30 pages into it when she had to stop, buy a copy off online for her BFF and wait for her BFF to get the book so they could read it together. Wow.
So now I want to read it. I want to know what all the fuss is about over this woman, her journey and this book. But I’m afraid to go at it alone. This is where you come in. I’m getting a book club of book bloggers together to read Eat Pray Love.
Reading will commence on July 1st and we’ll finish the book by July 31st. We will have weekly discussions to talk about the book, the characters, what we like, what we don’t like – just like a book club would do.
Are you interested? If yes, then fill out THIS FORM.
This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls "Anne Lamott’s hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister") is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.
Written by an anesthesiologist, this insider’s account takes the reader on a journey that unveils the way hospitals work and offers important information about surgeries and the surgeons that perform them. Personal stories combine with staff experiences to reveal hidden truths about the operating room and illustrate the quirky, strange, and bizarre occurrences that shape a regular hospital day. Answering questions such as:What do doctors talk about during surgery?
If a surgical instrument falls to the floor, is the five-second rule observed?
Is real life just like ER, Grey’s Anatomy, and House?
This is a must-read for the curiosity seeker and anyone who has or will be on the operating-room table.
Title: Operating Room Confidential
Author: Paul Whang, MD
Genre: non-fiction, medical
Format: paperback, 193 pages
Source: publisher, Netgalley
Published: April 2010
Buy the book: Book Depo
My Thoughts
Operating Room Confidential is a fascinating inside look at what goes on in the operating room. Dr. Paul Whang is a Staff Anesthetist at a busy urban hospital in Toronto who works alongside surgeons and nurses, assisting in all sorts of surgeries. Anesthetists may not be the main contender in the operating room but they get in on all the action. Whereas a doctor may only see certain operations based on their practice and expertise, an anesthetist will get to see practically every type of surgery imaginable.
An anesthetist not only puts a patient under, they also monitor the patient during the surgery. I had envisioned anesthetists sitting by the patient, reading a newspaper while the surgery is taking place. This is so not the case! They ensure that your heart is okay, that you have enough oxygen going to your vital organs and that your body temperature is where it should be.
Here are just some of the topics in Operating Room Confidential that interested me:
Another topic that interested me was the psychological test based on a theory that describes personality in four dimensions (how you relate to others, how you take in information, how you make decisions and what kind of life do you want to lead) and how a combination of these dimensions and personality characteristics are found in certain specialties (i.e. Orthopedic Surgeons, General Surgeons, Psychiatrists, Plastic Surgeons, Anesthetists, Cardiologists, and Neurologists).
Dr. Paul Whang shares some of his experiences and funny stories. Here are a couple of funny quotes from the book that I thought were hilarious…
About having a medical instrument named after you:
Despite the honor, there are certain instruments I’d rather not have my name associated with – I’m not sure how Dr. Pratt really felt about the Pratt Rectal Speculum.
About wanting to work at a private cosmetic clinic for Dr. Stubbs, a penis enlargement surgeon:
Wow, your name is Dr. Whang. Did you know that I learned the technique of penis enlargement in China with…and I’m not kidding…with Drs. Long and Dong. So you can just see my advertisement: Penis enlargement surgery with Dr. Stubbs. Trained by Drs. Long and Dong. Anesthesia by Dr. Whang.
Dr. Whang didn’t get the job but he certainly has one funny story to tell!
If you’re a fan of medical drama shows like ER, Grey’s Anatomy or House, then Operating Room Confidential is a must read! Dr. Paul Whang gives the reader an insightful look at what goes on in the operating room. I love getting a behind-the-scene look at something we don’t normally get to see.
Did you know that parts of Albert Einstein’s brain are preserved for study in a jar of formaldehyde at Princeton University?
The Book Vixen's Rating
Thirty-eight-year-old divorcee Holly Burrows has had enough of battery-operated love. Prompted by an ad left at her law office, she investigates Hunk Du Jour, a website designed to foster ‘adult connections’. After weeks of sexy emails and phone calls with surf hunk Kent, she's ready to test their chemistry in person. But first she has to get through lunch with her colleague Alex, a man with a brain as agile as his body. When their consultation ends with a bang, she barely remembers the man she'd lined up for dessert. Now she thinks she's juggling two hot young guys. How can she choose between her two gorgeous cubs – and why do they remind her of each other?
Usually girls smell too much like flowers or vanilla, but Kiara has a distinctly sweet raspberry scent that’s totally turning me on. And while my mind is telling me I’m flirting with her just to prove a point, my body wants to play “you show me your perky privates and I’ll show you mine.”
p. 136, Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Ridin’ West for the holidays…
Mistress Christmas
When accountant Holly North is quilted into filling in at a Christmas-themed strip club, she fears she’ll be recognized—or worse, exposed as a fraud. Instead she’s shocked at how deliciously wicked it feels to don a velvet mask and the Mrs.-Claus-as-dominatrix outfit.
Detective Nick West is determined to find out who robbed his friend after a lap dance. Visions of revenge vanish faster than a flying sleigh when he encounters Mistress Christmas, a leggy brunette with a lush mouth made for mistletoe—and a holiday wish: for a secret Santa to sweep her away for a night of anonymous sexual pleasure.
Miss Firecracker
One year ago carpenter Willow Gregory accidentally won the Miss Firecracker crown. Now she’s ready to cut loose, but celebrating didn’t include waking up in a sexy stranger’s bed. Nor agreeing to work off the damage she caused to his friend’s bar—or go to jail.Normally, bartender Blake West could ignore a drunken, horny, naked beauty queen. But there’s something about Willow that makes him want to blow his Mr. Nice Guy persona all to hell. It was supposed to be a no-heartstrings-attached affair, but every grinding kiss, every stolen touch leads to another…
Warning: These stories contains naughty holiday innuendo, love scenes hot as spiced cider, sweet and feisty heroines, and smokin’ heroes with big…bottle rockets and candy canes.
The Rules
-Open to US & Canada residents only.
-You must be 18 years old or older to enter.
Extra Entries
+2 for tweeting. You must leave the direct link to your tweet in order to get the extra entries.
To double your chances at winning, check out Jackie’s blog for another chance to win!
Places to find Jackie online:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Giveaway ends Wednesday, June 30th, 2010. Giveaway open to US & Canada residents only. Must be 18 years old or older to enter. Winner will be chosen randomly. Winner will be selected, emailed and announced on my blog some time after the giveaway ends. Winner will have 72 hours to claim their prize before a new winner is selected. Prize to be mailed directly from Jackie. The Book Vixen and Jackie are not responsible for lost or damaged prizes once prizes have been mailed. Good luck to all who enter!
Today I am giving away a *signed* copy of The Wish List by Gabi Stevens and a couple of bookmarks! Gabi Stevens has generously donated this prize for my Birthday Giveaway. Thank you Gabi Stevens!!
In the magical world, a TIME OF TRANSITION occurs every seventy years. Old Council members step down and new ones are chosen; but the biggest change is the appointment of the new Fairy Godmothers. Unlike their role in storybooks, Fairy Godmothers protect the barrier between the magical and the human world.Three new godmothers discover their destinies in this three book series. Only this time the Transition won’t be smooth.
The Rules
-Open to US residents only.
-You must be 13 years old or older to enter.
-(1) winner will receive a *signed* copy of The Wish List and two bookmarks.
Extra Entries
+2 for tweeting. You must leave the direct link to your tweet in order to get the extra entries.
GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
Places to find Gabi Stevens online:
Website | Blog | Twitter
Giveaway ends Wednesday, June 30th, 2010. Giveaway open to US residents only. Winner will be chosen randomly. Winner will be selected, emailed and announced on my blog some time after the giveaway ends. Winner will have 72 hours to claim their prize before a new winner is selected. Prize to be mailed directly from The Book Vixen. The Book Vixen is not responsible for lost or damaged prizes once prizes have been mailed. Good luck to all who enter!
Today is a little bit different. I’m doing a giveaway along with an interview. Please welcome Shari Maurer!
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.
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
Every person's story has a beginning, middle and end, but the path that leads from one stage of life to the next is rarely predictable. Renee's journey begins when she is a carefree college student, studying in Italy with her best friend, Audrey. During that idyllic summer abroad, Renee meets a handsome local, and falls deeply in love. But like all summer romances, the affair comes to an end when she returns to North Carolina. Back home, Renee fulfills everyone's expectations - including her own - by marrying her longtime college boyfriend. Over the next two decades, she raises a family and lives a predictable, if in some ways unfulfilling life. When Audrey announces that she's dying of cancer, Renee drops everything to spend Audrey's last days by her side, unaware that her unconventional best friend still has a few surprises up her sleeve . . . surprises that will turn Renee's world upside down, and offer her a chance to re-live the choices of her past in a way she never dreamed possible.
Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.
Lion's Share is not your typical "coming of age" story. But for Gen-Xers, Gen Next, and anyone who remembers the 1950's rebels, Russ Lippitt has crafted a provocative tale centered around the anarchial world of a rebellious young 'greaser' named Billy. Billy's saga takes you deep into the street rod underworld life; not of drag-racing, mind you, but of the psyché that grips the young anti-society 'punks' that rule this unseemly world. Hang on tight, for the ride of your life, and perhaps, you too, will discover your Lion's Share.
In a world where the most stressful thing seems to be winning a soccer game or what to wear in the morning, you take some really basic things for granted.
Like the love of your parents.
Or hanging with your friends.
Or the beating of your heart.
When you’re 16 years old, it never occurs to you that you might die. Emmi Miller’s got a fabulous life. She has tons of friends, does great in school and is an all-star soccer player who played in Europe last summer. It even looks like Sam Hunter, a totally cute baseball player, might be interested in her. And then she gets a virus. No biggy, right? Until the virus goes to her heart and weakens it so much that, without a transplant, Emmi will die.
Will Emmi get a heart in time? Is Sam too good to be true? What about her new friend Abe, who has also had a transplant and guides her through these scary times — is he just being supportive or is there more going on between them? And will Emmi realize it before it’s too late?
Sarah Matell's a whiz at tuning race engines and winning races. Winning Craig, the local drag race hero, proves more difficult. He only has eyes for gorgeous women who are hot in the sack, not grubby tomboys. Sarah’s world gets an overhaul when her father hires Gordon Devine. Soon she’s torn not only between two men she wants, but between the drag race winner she is and the woman she feels pressured to become.
Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison by Piper Kerman A compelling, often hilarious, and unfailingly compassionate portrait of life inside a women’s prison, by a Smith College graduate who did the crime and did the time.
When FBI agents knocked on her door to investigate a ten-year-old crime, Piper Kerman barely resembled the reckless young woman she was shortly after graduating Smith College. Happily ensconced in a New York City apartment, with a promising career and an attentive boyfriend, she was suddenly forced to reckon with the consequences of her very brief, very careless dalliance in the world of drug trafficking a decade earlier.Following a plea deal, she spent 15 months at “Club Fed,” the infamous women’s correctional facility in Danbury, CT, where she not only gained a unique perspective on the criminal justice system, but also met a surprising and varied community of women living under exceptional circumstances. In Orange Is the New Black, Piper Kerman tells the dramatic story of those long months under lockdown, in a place with its own codes of behavior and arbitrary hierarchies, where a practical joke is as common as an unprovoked fistfight, and where the uneasy relationship between prisoner and jailer is constantly and unpredictably recalibrated.
Revealing, moving, and enraging, Orange Is the New Black is a bold and wholly original entry in the canon of prison literature.
Their forbidden love may get them both killed.
Bella is a red werewolf, sole survivor of the fire that killed her entire pack.
Devlyn is a beta male werewolf in a pack of grays.
Forced to flee her adopted gray pack when the alpha male becomes a vicious threat, she struggles to live as a lone wolf, until Devlyn, the gray male who rescued her as a pup, comes to bring her home.
When a local red werewolf goes on a killing spree, Bella and Devlyn must flee the murderer, the police and their vengeful pack leader. With the full moon rising, and her heat upon her, Bella can't resist the pull to her destined mate, even if means Devlyn will have to face the wicked alpha male in a fight to the death...
A sizzling paranormal romance based on extensive research on how wolves live and behave in the wild, creating a fascinating world of nature and fantasy.
Hell has finally frozen over. After nine long years, Breanna Parker has come home to be her sister's maid of honor. Just her luck that the first person she runs into is her ex-fiance, Troy Youngwolf—the man who eloped with her ex-best friend and broke her heart. Now a widowed father and sheriff of their Florida home town, sexy bad boy Troy wants another chance and won't take no for an answer. However, every time Breanna looks at Troy or his little girl, her heart breaks anew. She can hardly wait for her sister to get hitched so she can escape back to her urban family in Ft. Lauderdale. The risk is too high that Troy may discover her most closely held secret, one with the potential to destroy them both…perhaps this time forever.
Title: Always a Bridesmaid
Author: Elaine Hopper
Format: eBook
Genre: romance
Source: review copy
Published: March 2010
Buy the book: The Wild Rose Press | Kindle
My Thoughts
I had not heard of Always a Bridesmaid until the author asked me if I would like to read it. I read the blurb and needless to say it caught my attention. Always a Bridesmaid is full of chemistry, sexual tension with a tinge of mystery/secrecy. Before reading the book, the title had me thinking it was going to be a bit like the movie 27 dresses; except now I know Always a Bridesmaid runs deeper than that. There is also a bit of paranormal element in the storyline but it’s not the main focus (which is why I didn’t categorize this book as “paranormal”).
The book starts off with a heated encounter between Breanna and Troy. The reader can feel the tension in the atmosphere right off the bat. It’s obvious that Breanna has a grudge against Troy but we don’t yet know why. The chemistry between Breanna and Troy is hot! I could feel the tension and emotions right through my Kindle.
I didn’t sympathize with Troy at all. He made a big mistake and completely betrayed Breanna. If I were Breanna (The irony! Oh is there an inside joke to that statement.), I definitely would not forgive Troy for what he did. But the circumstances surrounding his choices have changed now; he’s a widower and has an 8-year old daughter to care for. But his love for Breanna remains the same, if not stronger. He feels like she is the one he should have ended up with but that mistake he made while in a drunken stupor ruined that possibility. Or has it?
The ending felt a bit rushed. The book is pretty short as it is, at only 144 pages long. I think the book could have go on quite a bit longer, thus being able to fill in some of the gaps. I would have liked to have read more about Trey’s heritage and his past. His heritage is not touched on until the end, where he goes on a quest, but it wasn’t elaborated on. Another void I found and wanted to know more about was Trey’s father. His father is mentioned a couple of times and it’s obvious that he’s no longer in the picture, but why? What happened to him? And even though Troy has a daughter she only makes a few appearances and we don’t hear much about her either. Kids come with the package so I thought we would have had seen a little more interaction with her character.
Always a Bridesmaid had a great start but I felt that the ending fell short. I wished it was a bit longer so it could have given me a better feeling about the outcome between Breanna and Troy. But even with its faults, I still enjoyed reading this book.
Today I am giving away 2 books! J.A. Saare has generously donated these prizes for my Birthday Giveaway. Thank you J.A. Saare!!
Let’s see what’s up for grabs, shall we?
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 vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.
Trueblood vampires. Those set apart from common’s by right of blood. Graced with extraordinary abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition - they are the most powerful and feared among their kind. The secret lies within, a legacy evolving from the truest form of magic, and their living bloodlines are the key.An average morning is what Emma Johnson envisions when she visits Joe’s Café for a steaming cup of coffee. But the world isn't the place she imagined it to be, and neither is she…
After Emma is rescued from a horde of bloodthirsty creatures, she discovers she is the daughter of a powerful Vampire from the House Deviard, her rescuer, Caleb, having been sent to see her safely home. For Caleb is also unique, a werewolf procured to protect the royal Vampiric bloodlines from harm - but nothing more.
Soon, the undeniable connection Emma and Caleb share evolves beyond attraction into something unexpected. When she is forced to make a choice, what path will she take - vampire or wolf?
The Prizes
(1) *personalized* copy of Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between by J.A Saare
(1) *personalized* copy of Crimson Moon by J.A. Saare [Can I enter my own giveaway?]
The Rules
-Open to US residents only.
-You must be 13 years old or older to enter.
-(2) winners. One will win Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between and the other will win Crimson Moon.
Extra Entries
+2 for tweeting. You must leave the direct link to your tweet in order to get the extra entries.
GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
Places to find J.A. Saare online:
Website | Blog | Twitter
Giveaway ends Wednesday, June 30th, 2010. Giveaway open to US residents only. Winners will be chosen randomly. Winners will be selected, emailed and announced on my blog some time after the giveaway ends. Winners will have 72 hours to claim their prize before a new winner is selected. Prizes to be mailed directly from J.A. Saare. The Book Vixen and J.A. Saare are not responsible for lost or damaged prizes once prizes have been mailed. Good luck to all who enter!
Let’s take a look at what’s up for grabs, shall we?
True Vision by Joyce Lamb
Still The One by Robin Wells
Taste of Temptation by Cheryl Holt
The Demon In Me by Michelle Rowen
The Rules
-Open to US residents only.
-You must be 13 years old or older to enter.
-There will be 4 winners. Each winner will get one book. No two winners can win the same book. I will try to give each winner their #1 choice but preference will go to winners in order selected by random.org.
Extra Entries
+2 for tweeting. You must leave the direct link to your tweet in order to get the extra entries.
GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
Places to find Fiction Vixen online:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Giveaway ends Wednesday, June 30th, 2010. Giveaway open to US residents only. Winners will be chosen randomly. Winners will be selected, emailed and announced on my blog some time after the giveaway ends. Winners will have 72 hours to claim their prize before a new winner is selected. Prizes to be mailed directly from Fiction Vixen. The Book Vixen and Fiction Vixen are not responsible for lost or damaged prizes once prizes have been mailed. Good luck to all who enter!
Today I am giving away a *signed* copy of Masquerade by Stella and Audra Price along with some swag! Stella and Audra Price have generously donated this prize for my Birthday Giveaway. Thank you ladies!!
Meanwhile, back in the Afterverse...
As the first General of the Conglacio and Head of the second house, Oscar pretty much keeps a low profile. He rules his family quietly and he watches the bastard prince, Gabe, for signs of him throwing Casha’s kingdom down the drain. As one of Casha’s closest confidantes, he’s dedicated to preserving the kingdom and returning the true heir to the throne.Uriel, daughter of the third house of Conglacio, a beautiful and sexy creature, who had been coddled and protected most of her life, has a very special secret even she doesn’t know about. A meeting at the palace with the bastard prince brings Oscar into her limited world and her life gets turned upside down, for the better. Oscar, seeing the beauty, cannot figure out why she looks so familiar.
The Rules
-Open to US residents only.
-You must be 13 years old or older to enter.
Extra Entries
+2 for tweeting. You must leave the direct link to your tweet in order to get the extra entries.
GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
Places to find Stella and Audra online:
Website | Blog | Twitter
Giveaway ends Wednesday, June 30th, 2010. Giveaway open to US residents only. Winners will be chosen randomly. Winners will be selected, emailed and announced on my blog some time after the giveaway ends. Winners will have 72 hours to claim their prize before a new winner is selected. Prizes to be mailed directly from The Book Vixen. The Book Vixen is not responsible for lost or damaged prizes once prizes have been mailed. Good luck to all who enter!
I seem to have lost the paper Adrienne gave me with my locker combination on it, and I’m definitely not about to go ask her for another one, so the combination takes me six tries, and when the door finally opens, a smooth cream envelope falls out. “Shannon” is written on the front in red cursive script.
p. 16, Aces Up by Lauren Barnholdt
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
