Friday, October 8, 2010

The Iron Wagon by Al & Joanna Lacy

Book Description:
At twenty-one, Paul Brockman is the newest deputy U.S. marshal in his father's arsenal of lawmen. Bold and courageous, Paul proves to be every bit as skillful with a revolver as the chief U.S. marshal, John "The Stranger" Brockman.
Five ruthless outlaws escape Yuma Prison but are soon captured, and Paul must transport them back to Arizona in an iron wagon. During the hazardous journey, Paul encounters Lisa Martin, whose parents were murdered by renegade Indians. The lovely young woman desperately needs his help and Paul is just the deputy to deliver Lisa to her destination. Could she be the answer to his prayers for a wife?
But when the wagon comes under attack from Apaches, Paul is forced to think beyond his physical strength to get everyone out alive.

My Thoughts
I very much enjoyed this book! It is the third book in a new series about John "The Stranger" Brockman. This book covers about 8 years in the lives of Brockman and his family. John Brockman is a US Marshall and his wife is a nurse. At the beginning of this story, Beanna (his wife) has been injured and is having to relearn how to walk. Their children are growing up and learning valuable lessons from their parents that will allow them to pursue their dreams.
The characters are well defined and very enjoyable. It is very easy to laugh and cry with them. I am sure if you read this book in context, it would be even more powerful, but it can stand alone.....although it has ME wanting to go out and find the other books in this series so that I can see what is happening in the lives of these people. The gospel story is told in several way on several occasions in this book and is very clear and consise.
I would give this book a 5/5. It is definately worth the read...while you are getting it, pick up the rest in the series!!

Thank you to Librarything for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinion stated above is 100% mine.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Giveaway Two Lethal Lies by Annie Solomon

Book Description:
A love to die for... On the run since his daughter was born, Mitch Turner has concealed a truth so dangerous, its discovery could jeopardize both their lives. But when a series of shocking murders hits their newfound home, the trail leads straight to Mitch. With the police out for blood and his daughter ripped from his arms, he has nowhere to turn--until a beautiful stranger offers her help. Neesy Brown has made mistakes in her life, yet she refuses to believe this mysterious man is a killer. There's a strength in his broad shoulders that draws her to him and a weariness in his eyes that she longs to ease. As the murders tear her small town apart, she vows to help Mitch find his missing child. But a cunning predator is pulling them deeper and deeper into his fatal game. And the price of losing is the child--and the future--they could both share...

Thanks to Hachette Book Group I have 3 copies to Giveaway!!! Here are the rules:

  • You must be a follower to participate
  • Leave Me a Comment on THIS post with your e-mail (no e-mail you can't win)
  • US & Canadian Residents only
  • No PO Boxes
  • Hachette Book Group will be sending the copies to the winners
  • You have 24 hours to respond if you are contacted as a winner, if you miss the deadline, a new winner will be chosen and contacted.
  • Contest is open until October 25, 2010
  • Winners will be chosen using a randomizer
  • Directly from Hachette: Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail.

Two Lethal Lies by Annie Solomon

Book Description:
A love to die for... On the run since his daughter was born, Mitch Turner has concealed a truth so dangerous, its discovery could jeopardize both their lives. But when a series of shocking murders hits their newfound home, the trail leads straight to Mitch. With the police out for blood and his daughter ripped from his arms, he has nowhere to turn--until a beautiful stranger offers her help. Neesy Brown has made mistakes in her life, yet she refuses to believe this mysterious man is a killer. There's a strength in his broad shoulders that draws her to him and a weariness in his eyes that she longs to ease. As the murders tear her small town apart, she vows to help Mitch find his missing child. But a cunning predator is pulling them deeper and deeper into his fatal game. And the price of losing is the child--and the future--they could both share...
My Thoughts:
This book sucks you right in! Mitch has been on the run with his daughter since she was born. For Julia, his daughter, he decides they can stay in one place for a while and settle down, but then life gets complicated quickly. He is accused of being a murderer, serial killer, everyone is after him, his brother Dutch, a complete psycho, claims Mitch's daughter as his own. Now there is no one to turn to except the lovely Neesy Brown. She helps Mitch and they have to find Julia before more bad things begin piling up!
The twists and suspense in this book are great. You have to fall in love with Mitch. He is a caring dad and wonderful guy, even if he is proficient at lying! Neesy is a loving, The romance kind of takes a back seat, as it should, to the suspense of finding Mitch's daughter, but it is still there and great. Mitch's escape from prison relies almost completely on luck and no skill but other than that, the characters seem so real! You will stay up at night to finish this book.
I rate this a 4/5. It is a fast paced, suspenseful read.
Thank you to Hachette Books for providing the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

GiveawayScout

I'm adding my blog to GiveawayScout starting today. It is a website that people subscribe to so they can learn about great giveaways going on in the blogging world! www.giveawayscout.com is where to look at/for it! Check it out if you are a blogger and sign up to get your giveaways announced for you in multiple outlets!

Vigilante's Bride by Yvonne Harris

Book Description:
Robbing a stagecoach on Christmas Eve and kidnapping a woman passenger is the last thing Luke Sullivan expects to do. He just wanted to reclaim the money stolen from him, but ends up with a feisty copper-haired orphan thrown over his shoulder who was on her way to marry Sullivan's bitter enemy. Emily McCarthy is an orphan out of options. Forced to marry because she was too old for her orphanage, she doesn't take kindly to her "rescue." Still she trusts God can turn any situation to good especially when it seems Sullivan may just be the man of her dreams. But Sullivan's crossed a dangerous man unused to losing and Emily may just be the prize he's unwilling to sacrifice.

My Thoughts:
This book was so-so. Luke Sullivan is a ranch foreman and the leader of a group of vigilantes, at least he was until one of the rustlers told him a secret that brought the past to the present for him. Luke returns 'home' to the orphanage where he grew up but robs a stage and kidnaps a lady along the way. The lady he kidnaps is Emily and she is to wed Luke's enemy Axel. Emily sees Luke's 'rescue' as interference and is quite a handful, until she meets her betrothed and changes her mind. The only problem is, Axel hasn't changed his!
I just couldn't get into the two main characters of this book. Emily was a snotty little stinker who is entirely too uppity. Luke is never wrong and a bit dense though extremely smart at the same time. I did like the messages of God and his love that were there throughout the book and I liked several of the supporting characters. Molly seems to be a very smart woman who has a wonderful heart and I love the story of how she took Luke in! I also enjoyed all the children and how they were portrayed and the Indians. Not to mention the animals in the book, especially Luke's horse are great.
Overall a 3/5. It has a good message and the story line is ok, but the characters needed more developing.

Thank you to BethanyHouse for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Giveaway Simply Irresistable by Jill Shalvis

Maddie Moore's whole life needs a makeover.
USA Today bestselling author JILL SHALVIS lives in a small town in the Sierras also run by quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books are, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website at www.jillshalvis.com for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountain adventures.
In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother-a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington.

Starting over won't be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career-if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.

The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes-and mouth-are making it hard for her to remember that she's sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie's struggles to overcome the past, though she's about to discover that there's no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.

Thanks to Hachette Book Group I have 3 copies to Giveaway!!! Here are the rules.

  • You must be a follower to participate
  • Leave Me a Comment on THIS post with your e-mail (no e-mail you can't win)
  • US & Canadian Residents only
  • No PO Boxes
  • Hachette Book Group will be sending the copies to the winners
  • You have 24 hours to respond if you are contacted as a winner, if you miss the deadline, a new winner will be chosen and contacted.
  • Contest is open until October 25, 2010
  • Winners will be chosen using a randomizer
  • Directly from Hachette: Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail.

Simply Irresistable by Jill Shalvis

Book Description:
Maddie Moore's whole life needs a makeover..
In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddies leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother - a ramshackle inn nestled in the coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington.
Starting over won't be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career - if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.
The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes - and mouth - are making it hard for her to remember that she's sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie's struggles to overcome the past, though she's about to discover that there's no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. I would say it was fun but there were some super serious parts! Maddie has decided to start over. She's left her abusive boyfriend, job and life behind and moved to Lucky Harbor. She and her half sisters have inherited an inn from their late mother. Along the way she runs into, almost literally, Jax. Jax is a super sexy former lawyer, mayor of the city, carpenter, and all around good guy. Maddie has sworn off men but Jax is making her change her mind, slowly, but he is a man who takes his time!
I thought this was a really fun book. The serious parts are well written and very realistic but they aren't 'overpowering'. I love the chemistry between Jax and Maddie that she swears doesn't exist. Both characters are so great. Maddie, always the peacemaker and though she is hot thinks she is ultra plain. Jax who is a good guy but has to keep secrets and gets caught in the middle of things more often than not. The supporting characters are great as well, I love both the sisters. Of course I also am completely in love with both Jax good friends.
I rate it a 4/5. I'm going to definitely read the rest in the series!


Thank you to Hachette Books for providing the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Guestblogger George Hudson author of Drama & $10 Amazon Giftcard!

Good morning all! Please join me in welcoming my guest blogger today author George Hudson!!

Title: Drama

author: George Hudson
Genre: urban fiction

Bio:
George Sherman Hudson was born and raised in Atlanta Ga.. After being continuously rejected by different publishers because of the subject matter contained in his books while serving time, this father of two did some research and started G Street Chronicles, the urban book publishing company that's ran by him with the help of his COO and fiancé Erica Jones . While George is continuously working hard to make G Street Chronicles a recognized name in the literary industry, he's also working hard on his highly anticipated REAL series. George has authored five books in all. His debut book Drama is in stores now. Having published more than 10 titles in the first year of business George is determined to make G Street Chronicles an urban lit powerhouse.


Synopsis:
The drama just doesn't stop in the lives of Deb, Tammy, and Lisa. Deb, the hard worker and savvy entrepreneur is blessed with a multimillion dollar contract, but has to enjoy the success without the comfort of her man whose fledging music career has him busy from state to state. Tammy has everything a diva could want, a multimillion dollar home, expensive cars, clothes, jewelry, and she thought love.

Drama is a book a lot like sex in the city with black characters, each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character. They take turns telling their side of the story. It has everything, humor, emotions, great characters, and a lot of drama.


Guestblog:
Since I am an author and publisher of Urban Literature, I though you all would be interested in the history of Urban Lit. This is a genre of fiction known variously as "street lit," "ghetto lit," "urban lit" or "hip-hop lit" has begun registering impressive sales, catching the attention of the publishing industry. Previously sold as typewritten photocopies on street corners, these pulp-fiction books now appear in slick paperbacks available in bookstores and online, for instance on my website: http://www.gstreetchronicles.com. I found most of the following information on
Wikipedia.
Urban Fiction was (and largely still is) a genre written by and for African American's. Although my book Drama has universal appeal.. In his famous essay “The Souls of Black Folk,” W. E. B. Du Bois discussed how a veil separated the African American community from the outside world.[1] By extension, fiction written by people outside the African American culture could not (at least with any degree of verisimilitude) depict the people, settings, and events experienced by people in that culture. Try as some might, those who grew up outside the veil (i.e., outside the urban culture) simply could not write fiction truly grounded in inner-city and African American life.
In 1965, The Autobiography of Malcom X was published. Because this non-fictional read captured the realistic nature of African American urban life for coming-of-age young men, the book has consistently served as a standard for reading among African American teenaged boys.
In the 1970s, during the culmination of the Black Power movement, a jailed Black man named Robert Beck took the pen name Iceberg Slim and wrote Pimp, a dark, gritty tale of life in the inner-city underworld. While the book contained elements of the Black Power agenda, it was most notable for its unsparing depiction of street life. Iceberg Slim wrote many other novels and attained an international following. Some of the terminology he used in his books crossed over into the lexicon of Black English.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, urban fiction in print experienced a decline. However, one could make a cogent argument that urban tales simply moved from print to music,[3] as hip hop music exploded in popularity, with harsh, gritty stories such as "The Message" and "Dopeman," set to a driving, strident drum rhythm. Of course, for every emcee who signed a recording contract and made the airwaves, ten more amateurs plied the streets and local clubs, much like urban troubadours telling urban fiction in an informal, oral manner rather than in a neat, written form. Hip Hop lit in print form, though, is thriving.[
Toward the end of the 1990s, urban fiction experienced a revival, as demand for novels authentically conveying the urban experience increased, and new business models enabled fledgling writers to more easily bring a manuscript to market. With this new wave of renaissance street lit comes a whole new ballgame when it comes to promotion and exposure. Aside from hand-to-hand sales, which seems to work best in a genre where word-of-mouth has proven to be worth more than any large ad campaign, the Internet has increased the authors and publishers the ability to reach out to the genre's readers. With Internet savvy, many self-published authors who once had no shot of recognition are now household names.
You are all invited to my website to investigate the books that fit this genre very well.

I'm glad to know the history behind that genre, I've never heard/read it before!
Now how awesome is it that on top of a guest blog, you are being offered a $10 Amazon Gift Card?!?!?
Here are the rules:
1. Read the Post and make an educated comment or question, including your email address but your comment can't be JUST an email address or 'enter me please'. Make an effort!
2. Contest is open for 7 days
3. Show some love, tell others about the amazing guest blog and giveaway!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Last to Die Giveaway Winners!!!

Ok, here are the winners for my Last to Die giveaway:
Karen, Chris, & Karen! Now I will send an email to the winners and they will have 24 hours to respond with their contact information. If a winner(s) doesn't respond by the deadline, a new winner(s) will be chosen.

List Randomizer
There were 25 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1.14. Karen
2.23. Chris
3.19. Karen
4.22. aalorenz
5.17. rubynreba
6.18. Wanda
7.21. sarirose
8.20. mrsshukra
9.13. Momma Teri
10.4. Marjorie
11.9. elaing8
12.5. PoCoKat
13.8. Jessi E.
14.2. Man of la Books
15.7. Vampires and Tofu
16.16. Headless Fowl
17.25. sunshine9
18.12. Cheryl F {The Lucky Ladybug}
19.3. Linda Henderson
20.15. Maureen
21.6. Pam S
22.10. Loretta Canton
23.24. grannyvon
24.11. Judy
25.1. BlueberryMuffin
Timestamp: 2010-10-03 13:37:29 UTC

Friday, October 1, 2010

And Then There Was One by

Book Description
One is the loneliest number.
Nine years ago, Katie and Scott Monroe were blessed beyond their wildest dreams with identical triplets, Sammie, Alex, and Jackie. Three beautiful daughters and two adoring parents formed the picture-perfect party of five. But this tight-knit family unravels when the three little girls go to see a movie, but only one emerges from the darkness of the theatre. How could Sammie and Alex vanish without a trace?
Plunged into the abyss of a parent's worst fear, Katie and Scott hang by a thread-waiting, worrying, not knowing, and confronting the terrifying realization that the kidnapping may not have been a random act.
Who took Sammie and Alex? Why? Where are they? When will they be found? And what if they're never found, or not found alive? When Jackie, the remaining triplet, crumbles under the weight of grief and survivor's guilt, Katie and Scott struggle to hold out hope and hold on to what remains of their family.
Until-or unless-Sammie and Alex are found safe, this picture-perfect family can't be put back together again.

My Thoughts:
This was a scary book! I started it and just couldn't put it down. Katie is a psychologist that specializes in victimized children. Scott is a retired baseball player, now baseball announcer. Jackie, Alex and Sammie are the identical triplets of Katie and Scott. The three girls go to the movies with their cousin Danielle but decide to split up and go to different movies. When Danielle and Jackie come out to wait on the two siblings, they never emerge from the theater and have just disappeared!
I enjoyed this book, it scared me senseless! It is a very real look at a family's attempt to survive and stay together during a tragedy. At first, I was a little annoyed with how protective Katie was, almost smothering to the girls, but it is understandable. Especially if you factor in her job and the fact that her husband is a public figures, her protectiveness makes sense, but in the end isn't enough. Jackie has horrible survivors guilt and you can feel the emotions from each of the family members, but most especially Jackie. I felt so terrible for the cousin that 'lost' them, Danielle! Scott, the father, is very likable and relatable. The story unfolds quickly and the characters are realistic and very well developed. There is stressful suspense and a few unforeseen twists. I will be reading this book again soon because I'm sure there are more things to be learned from this book!
This book is a 4/5. If you are a parent it will terrify you! If you just want a good suspenseful read, this is it.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinion stated above is 100% mine.