Wednesday Wrap Up! 09/01/2010

I started the Wednesday Wrap Up with the idea to bring you all the news I have to share for the week. I hope you enjoy!

September Monthly Book Giveaway

The first thing I wanted to talk about is the monthly book giveaway. I was trying to decide which book to giveaway this month and I thought that I would let you pick. I'm going to post a poll in the left sidebar were you can vote on which book you would like to be given away this month. I'll leave the poll up for 2 weeks and then I will post the giveaway with the book that gets the most votes so that you can enter to win. Let me know what you think of this idea.

Congratulations to the two winners of the August Monthly Book Giveaway!

Andrea I

Rex Robot Reviews

Books I Received

Books for Review:

"Fire Burn & Cauldron Bubble"

by: H.P. Mallory

I received this book from the author for review.

Books in the Mail:

"Pleasure Unbound"

by: Larissa Ione

Reviews Posted This Week

"Frostbite" by Richelle Mead 

"Nauti #6 and Wild #4" by Lora Leigh, Jaci Burton

"Backseat Saints" by Joshilyn Jackson 

"Bonds of Justice" by Nalini Singh

 "Tracking the Tempest" by Nicole Peeker

  
Giveaways

Celebration Giveaway hosted by Me Enter Here

Succubus Blues Giveaway hosted by Me Enter Here 

J.K. Beck Giveaway  Enter Here

Giveaway with author Anne Marsh  Enter Here 

Warrior by Zoe Archer Enter Here

Wind Warrior Giveaway Enter Here 

Sin Undone Giveaway Enter Here

Happy Hour by Michele Scott Enter Here 

Percy Jackson Series Giveaway Enter Here

Shelf Clearing Contest Enter Here 

Poll Results

Which would you prefer to win in a giveaway?

44% Paperback

14% ebook

40% Either one 

How do you like your romance?

10% Sex with little in between

15% Super hot!

65% Hot with just as much plot

40% A little heat but a lot of love

What is your favorite romance genre?

46% Paranormal

26% Urban Fantasy

19% Historical

3% Contemporary

0% Time Travel

3% Erotica   

Huge Giveaway!!

You have to go  check out this huge giveaway. Its being hosted by Larissa's Bookish Life. In celebratoion of her 1027 follower and her bday she is giving away some awesome gift packs. You can check out all the details here.

Teaser Tuesdays

 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 & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"The very beginning of a smile tugged at his lips, his dimples just barely cresting. My blood warmed at the expression, and I had to look away."

Review: "Tracking the Tempest"

Author: Nicole Peeker
Series: Jane True #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780316056571

Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads Blurb:
Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and Ryu - Jane's bloodsucking boyfriend - can't let a major holiday go by without getting all gratuitous. An overwhelming dose of boyfriend interference and a last-minute ticket to Boston later, and Jane's life is thrown off course.

Ryu's well-intentioned plans create mayhem, and Jane winds up embroiled in an investigation involving a spree of gruesome killings. All the evidence points towards another Halfling, much to Jane's surprise... 

Darcy's Review:
This one would have rated higher for me but about a quarter of the way through I got irritated by Jane's little sex quips. One here or there would be ok, but one every 2 or 3 pages got old fast.

What I did like about this book was that Jane is growing, she is accepting her new world and trying to fit into it. As she learns more about the world she doesn't forget her human life, which comes in handy for her.

I loved how Jane acted with Ryu's co-workers, her reactions cracked me up, especially with Caleb and his lack of clothing. Julian was great too, he seemed so normal even though he lived his whole life in this supernatural world. After learning more about Con, I really felt sorry for him.

I did like Ryu the last book, thought he was good for Jane, but in this book I didn't care for him. He seemed to always want to own and control her. I did like the decision that Jane made at the end and do think it was the right one for her.

I also loved the end scene with her at the beach. I hope there is more of that person in the story in the future.

Review by Darcy at Goodreads
 

Winners!! - August Monthly Book Giveaway

I am so excited to announce the winners of my monthly book giveaway. 

Normally I will only be drawing one winner but this month I am giving away a new copy of "Water Bound" by Christine Feehan from Book Depositry and I will also be giving away a copy that I bought for myself to read. The winner of my copy is only open to followers in the U.S. or Canada due to shipping cost. Both winners will be drawn using Random.org.

So the winners are......

of the new copy from Book Depositry..........

Andrea I

and of my used copy is ........

Rex Robot Reviews

Congratulations to the winners! You have until noon on September 3, 2010 to contact me with you mailing address. Rex Robot , hopefully you live in the U.S. or Canada. If you do not I am very sorry but I will need to draw another winner.Thank you all for entering. If you didn't win this time you can try one of my other giveaways. I will be drawing a winner for the Alien Mate series tomorrow.

Giveaway Reminder and Hottie of the Week

Don't forget to enter my giveaways!

The giveaway for "Water Bound" by Christine Feehan will be closed to new entries at noon tomorrow August 31, 2010.
The giveaway for  "Alien Mate & Alien Mate 2" by Eve Langlais will be closed to new entries at noon on September 1, 2010.

Good Luck!!

Now for our new hottie of the week. I didn't get any suggestions for this week so here is my pick:

I know what your thinking. I'm to old for him but I still think he's nice to look at. :)

Review: "Frostbite"

Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Vampire Academy Book #2
Pages: 327
Genre: YA Vampire
ISBN: 9781595141750

Rating: 5/5 stars

Goodreads Blurb:
Rose Hathaway's got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian.
Then a massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladmir's on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians-including the legendary Janine Hathaway...Rose's formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks. This year, St. Vladmir's holiday ski trip is mandatory.
But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose-and her heat-are in more danger than she ever could have imagined.

My Review: 
**If you have not read the first book in this series this review may contain SPOILERS**
Ok, I loved this book! There has been a  lot of talk about how great this series is, so when I read the first book I liked it but it wasn't awesome for me. But "Frostbite" lived up to all its expectations. We see more of Rose's growth in this book. Rose starts the book acting out and being very childish which causes her to get into all kinds of trouble. Men being only one of her biggest problems.   Things are still tense with Dimitri and Rose finally decides to move on and date other people knowing that her and Dimitri can never be together. In order to get closer to the boy she is dating she gives him confidential information which then puts five students' lives in danger.
Things get very complicated in this book. Richelle does a fantastic job with this book, not only did I cry but I felt Rose's frustration and I felt sympathy for her situation. I also at times wanted to slap here and ask her what the hell she was thinking. But in the end Rose finally starts to grow up and faces the reality of her job and all the sacrifices she is going to have to make. She also gets a better understanding of why her mother neglected her for all those years. The book ended leaving me anxious for the next in the series. I can't wait to see what happens next.
I would highly recommend this series to readers that like paranormal romance and YA novels. If you don't typically like YA stuff you may still like this series because I have noticed that this series isn't as prude as most YA novels so I suggest you give it a try. I give this book 5 stars for being awesome. :) 

Review: " Nauti and Wild" (Includes: Wild Riders, #4; Nauti, #6) by Lora Leigh, Jaci Burton

Published: August 3, 2010
Pages: 343


Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Blurb:
You’ve seen them. Looking for trouble, and looking irresistible, riding into town, straddling 73 cubic inches of throbbing horsepower.

Boys so bad it takes a special kind of woman to satisfy them.

But some women are made for high speed handling…

Lora Leigh, the New York Times bestselling author of Nauti Intentions and Nauti Dreams revisits that sultry and “sinfully good”* Southern landscape with a story of a good girl gone bad--and doing it for all the hottest reasons. But she’s not the only one going down that road…

Jaci Burton, the national bestselling author of Riding Wild and Riding Temptation, lets loose in a story of a hot biker hired to keep an eye on the reckless daughter of a Nevada senator. She’s hooked up with a rival biker gang--a dangerous move that makes the wild beauty more vulnerable than she imagined… 

Darcy's Review:
This was a great book with 2 authors who's styles match up. Within this book we have 2 short stories for the authors popular series, one with hot men and even hotter action.

In Lora Leigh's story she wrapped up her Nauti Boys series. I have enjoyed this series as the boys changed over the course of the book, but I have to say that this story is the weakest in the bunch. It seemed very rushed to me and more slam bam thank you ma'am. There was great potential but it just fell a little flat. Although I loved seeing all the boys with their brood.

In Jaci Burton's story we get a great edition to her Wild Riders series. For a short story this one seemed more fleshed out. You fell in love with the characters and were hoping for Rick and Ava to get together and for Rick to accomplish what he needed to on his job.

I hope these authors continue to pair up for books like this!

Review by Darcy at Goodreads

Review: "Backseat Saints" by Joshilyn Jackson

Published: June 8, 2010 
Pages: 336 
Genre: Woman's Literature

Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Blurb: 
Rose Mae Lolley is a fierce and dirty girl, long-suppressed under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee" she's trapped in a marriage that's thick with love and sick with abuse. Her true self has been bound in the chains of marital bliss in rural Texas, letting "Ro" make eggs, iron shirts, and take her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered outside by her husband and inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy---one who shares her past and knows her future. The tarot cards foretell that Rose's beautiful, abusive husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first.

Hot-blooded Rose Mae escapes from under Ro's perky compliance and emerges with a gun and a plan to beat the hand she's been dealt. Following messages that her long-missing mother has left hidden for her in graffiti and behind paintings, Rose and her dog Gretel set out from Amarillo, TX back to her hometown of Fruiton, AL, and then on to California, unearthing a host of family secrets as she goes. Running for her life, she realizes that she must face her past in order to overcome her fate---death by marriage---and become a girl who is strong enough to save herself from the one who loves her best.

BACKSEAT SAINTS will dazzle readers with a fresh and heartwrenching portrayal of the lengths a mother will go to right the wrongs she's created, and how far a daughter will go to escape the demands of forgiveness. With the seed of a minor character from her popular best-seller, GODS IN ALABAMA, Jackson has built a whole new story full of her trademark sly wit, endearingly off-kilter characters, and utterly riveting plot twists.

Darcy's Review:
I liked this book, but found that the main character to be a contrast, there were times that I really liked and admired her, felt sorry for her, and wanted her to do what she wouldn't do, but then at other times I found that I hated her, thought she was selfish, and just plain self centered and unlikable.

While we watch Rose Mae through the story, learn her background we see why she is the way she is. She really didn't have a chance, my only hope is that the second chance she was given at the end is one that she was able to take and run with.

Whether you agree or disagree with what happens to Rose Mae along the way, this book will get you talking about what is right, what is wrong, what you would do, what you would put up with, and what is your price for freedom. 

Review by Darcy at Goodreads 

For What It's Worth: LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

For What It's Worth: LET THE GAMES BEGIN!: "We finally get to read the conclusion of The Hunger Games trilogy when Mockingjay is released on Tuesday August 24th! I have teamed up ..."

Check out this amazing giveaway their hosting at "For What It's Worth". They have all kinds of Hunger Game books and goodies. 

Supernatural Underground: Running away from bad guys

Supernatural Underground: Running away from bad guys: "By Merrie Destefano Fiction is full of bad guys. They’re creepy, they steal your seat on the bus, they follow you down dark alleys, they lu..."

18 & Over Book Blogger Tag Along Friday!!

 Ya, Ya, I know your saying not another follow. But this one is for a specific group. In order to do tag along you have to primarily have a book blog that reviews and post adult content. In other words, if you read books like erotic and adult romance and have adult pic., then you can play tag along. Sorry YA readers, but if you read both (I know some of you do)you can tag along also. Just make sure you have both YA and adult romance on your blog.

This Friday tag along is hosted by Bitten by Paranormal Romance. I have to say that she read my mind with this one. I enjoy reading adult romance and erotica and I have found that most blogs are YA readers. Don't get me wrong I do enjoy a YA book now and again actually Twilight and Hunger Games are some of my favorite books. But for the most part I like hot and steamy. So if you are interested in joining us you can get all the details at Bitten by Paranormal Romance.

Happy Friday!!

Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog. Please take a minute to look around and join in the fun.. Don't forget to enter all the great giveaways while your here. Have a great weekend!

  

ABOUT THE HOP:

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!  To join in go to Crazy for Books for all the details.

Do you use a rating system for your reviews and if so, what is it and why?

Yes, I use a rating system when I review books in order to get an overall idea of what I thought about the book as a whole and if readers just want to quickly look at what I thought without reading the whole review they can. My rating system is: 

5 Stars:

Loved this book and I highly recommend it.
4 Stars:
Very good book that I would recommend.
3 Stars:
Good book that you might want to consider reading. This could also be a book that you may enjoy more than I did based on your taste.
2 Stars:
I didn't care for it but I did finish.
1 Star:
Did not finish. Terrible.

Once again its time for follow Friday to join in and get all the details go to Parajunkee's View. 

 Happy Follow Friday!!

Review: "Bonds of Justice"

Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #8
Published: July 6, 2010
Pages: 368
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Blurb:
Max Shannon is a good cop, one of the best in New York Enforcement. Born with a natural shield that protects him against Psy mental invasions, he know ...more Max Shannon is a good cop, one of the best in New York Enforcement. Born with a natural shield that protects him against Psy mental invasions, he knows he has little chance of advancement within the Psy-dominated power structure. The last case he expects to be assigned to is that of a murderer targeting a Psy Councilor's closest advisors. And the last woman he expects to compel him in the most sensual of ways is a Psy on the verge of catastrophic mental fracture.

Darcy's Review:
This was a great addition to this series. The couple in this book were great and sometimes when there is no changeling in the couple it falls flat. Max and Sophia couldn't be more different from each other, Max human, Sophia a J-Psy, a category that we haven't heard much about until now.

Max, a no non-sense police detective, that seems to be involved in some of the more heinous crimes. Sophia, as a J-Psy, would meet criminals and go through their minds and get the details of their crimes. Their paths cross due to a serial killer that is so bad there are no words to describe. Sophia has problems of her own, related to being a J-Psy that make her a wild card. Max from the start is taken with Sophia. Their work together becomes more and more interesting the more time they spend together. Max also has ties to the changeling community which lets us check in with them. The things we learn within them set the stage for much bigger things to come. We also see some movement in the story with the unrest within the Councilor's arena.

I can't wait to see what happens next!!

Reviewed by Darcy at Goodreads

Wednesday Wrap Up!

Every Wednesday I'll be doing the wrap up. I will be sharing whatever news I have for the week including what books I've received, reviews, author spotlights, giveaways etc. 

First, don't forget to enter my giveaways the winners are going to be drawn soon!!

Last weekend I had my 24 hour read-a-thon. You can check out my stats here.

Reviews Posted:

"Water Bound" by Christine Feehan

"Call of the Wilds" by Gale Stanley 

"Infinity" by Sherrilyn Kenyon 

Books I received for Review:

 "Crushing Desire" by April Dawn
 
Goodreads Blurb:
Reena Harrison was a wickedly curious girl who has blossomed into a fiercely loyal woman. She has several suitors, but the one man she has always love ...more Reena Harrison was a wickedly curious girl who has blossomed into a fiercely loyal woman. She has several suitors, but the one man she has always loved is not one of them. After a proposal goes dreadfully wrong, fate and friends conspire to put the two together.

Joshua Sinclair has to admit he is fascinated with the tall beauty that he met when she was only a girl. After years of denying his feelings in pure military fashion, he finds himself thrown together with her in a scheme that he has little control over. How can he possibly rule his emotions when he finds himself posing as the sensuous woman’s husband? 

 "Safe Surrender" by Kristin Daniels

Goodreads Blurb:
Carli Jacobs wants revenge. When her plan to bring down the drug lord responsible for her sister’s death goes awry, she finds herself thrown into th ...more Carli Jacobs wants revenge. When her plan to bring down the drug lord responsible for her sister’s death goes awry, she finds herself thrown into the protective custody of two sexy detectives.

Wes Lucas and Ian Gray are determined to keep her safe. But there’s tension is in the air, and it’s not just sexual. Secrets are being kept. Lives are on the line, and trust is put to the test. As desire rips through each of them, heartbreaking truths will be revealed and lies will be exposed.

Are the three running away from danger, or are they headed straight for it? In Wes and Ian’s quest to keep Carli safe, will she end up surrendering her heart as well?

Books I won: 

I won "Insatiable" by Meg Cabot and some goodies from a giveaway on Supernatural Underground. Author Terri Gary was the hostess. Thank you Terri! You can visit Terri's website here.

Goodreads Blurb:  
Sick of vampires? So is Meena Harper.
But her boss is making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn’t believe in them.
Not that Meena isn’t familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you’re going to die (not that you’re going to believe her; no one ever does).
But not even Meena’s precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side . . . a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.
The problem is, he already is dead. Maybe that’s why he’s the first guy Meena’s ever met that she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena’s always been able to see everyone else’s future, she’s never been able look into her own.
And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.
Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future . . .
If she even has one.

Books I got from the Library:

"Frostbite" by Richelle Mead

(This is my next book to read then I will post my review)

Goodreads Blurb:

Rose Hathaway's got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, she keeps g ...more Rose Hathaway's got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian.

Then a massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladmir's on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians-including the legendary Janine Hathaway...Rose's formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks. This year, St. Vladmir's holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose-and her heat-are in more danger than she ever could have imagined.

Don't forget to enter my giveaways!

The end of the month is upon us and winners are going to be drawn soon.

1. "Water Bound" by Christine Feehan
2. "Burning Up" by Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra and Meljean Brook.
3. "Alien Mate & Alien Mate 2" by Eve Langlais
4. "Succubus Blues" by Richelle Mead

Teaser Tuesdays

 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 & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"I'm saying she comes off tough as nails, Wes, but I have a feeling this is going to freak her out. She needs to know how bad this is. What she's up against. I could talk to her, soften the blow a little. Maybe, you know, work my magic. Ease her fears some."

Twilight Crossword Puzzle

I found this crossword puzzle online at Twilighters Anonymous.com and I thought that it might  be fun for some of my Twilight fans.

Just click on the picture to enlarge.

Hottie of the Week

Check out or new hottie of the week.

Gerald Butler is our pick this week. Thank you Lu for your suggestion I hope you enjoy.
Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions for the future I would love to hear from you.

Review: "Water Bound" by Christine Feehan

"Water Bound" by Christine Feehan
Series: Sisters of the Heart #1
Pages: 480
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN13: 9780515148244

Rating: 4 stars

GoodReads Blurb:
The last thing Lev Prakenskii remembered was being lost in the swirling currents of a freezing black eddy off the coastal town of Sea Haven. Just as q ...more The last thing Lev Prakenskii remembered was being lost in the swirling currents of a freezing black eddy off the coastal town of Sea Haven. Just as quickly, just as miraculously, he was saved—pulled ashore by a beautiful stranger. But Lev has no memory of who he is—or why he seems to possess the violent instincts of a trained killer. All he knows is that he fears for his life, and for the life of his unexpected savior.
Her name is Rikki, a sea-urchin diver in Sea Haven. She has always felt an affinity for the ocean, and for the seductive pull of the tides. And now she feels drawn in the same way to the enigmatic man she rescued. But soon they will be bound by something even stronger, and their tantalizing secrets will engulf them both in a whirlpool of dizzying passion and inescapable danger.

My Review:
I enjoyed this book. Rikki is a sea urchin diver that rescues a man named Lev from drowning in the ocean. Turns out he has a major head injury so Rikki brings him home with her to take care of him because of his refusal to go to the hospital. This happens to be a big deal because Rikki suffers from some phobias and has had several homes burn down in the past that resulted in deaths of people she loved. She is also a water element and is able to control all kinds of water. Because of the past she never allows anyone in her home from fear of another fire. She also has a problem talking and being around people. So having Lev in her home is a very difficult situation for her. Lev suffers from amnesia due to his injury but he is obviously some kind of assassin or spy. He is also very quit and antisocial, so they are able to relate to one another.  
Their relationship development is very hard. Rikki has a hard time making the changes necessary to include Lev in her life. Feehan does a great job building her characters and makes you really connect with them. I have to say that this book was very similar to the Drake Sisters series. This book is actually like an extension of the Drake series with mention of them in this book. The writing style was very typical of Feehan's work. I have read a lot of her books and enjoyed most of them but the books can be very similar to one another. Having said that. This is another good book by her and I think you will enjoy it. If you liked the Drake series you'll love this one as well. If you've never read any of her books before you will probably love this book. But if you are like me and have read a lot of her books and your seeing a pattern this book is not all that original. I'm going to give this book 4 stars.
 

Review: "Infinity" by Sherrilyn Kenyon

"Infinity" by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Series: Chronicles of Nick #1 
Realeased Date: May 25, 2010
Genre: YA Paranormal
Pages: 448
ISBN13: 9780312599072

Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Blurb:
  At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legend ...more At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.
Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.
But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.
As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?


Darcy's Review: 
I haven't read the series that this is based on, but I am now intrigued by it and will move it up my list to read sooner rather than later.

While some of the dialogue did drive me nuts, there were things that I really liked. One of the best aspects of this book is the relationship between Nick and him mother, it is hard not to love her. She is a very young mother of a teen boy, she manages to support them both on her stripper job and is not ashamed of it. I also love how Nick's friends know how she is and they try to help him avoid her anger.

Nick's friends are very much the odd balls, which makes for interesting things that go on, but more often than not things just get crazy and out of control.

I was surprised that with everything that Nick learned he accepted and just went on with his life. I also liked that Nick had the potential to go down the wrong road and made a choice to not do it, his mother's voice seemed to be the voice of reason for him.

I do look forward to the next book.

Review by Darcy at GoodReads

Review: "Call of the Wilds"

"Call of the Wilds" by Gale Stanley

Published: June 18, 2010
Pages: ebook

Rating: 5 stars


Goodreads Blurb:
Veterinarian, Karin Stone, escapes the crime-ridden city for a quiet life in the Pennsylvania Wilds. Surrounded by acres of unspoiled forest she tends a pack of relocated wolves. But the wolves aren't the only endangered species in Black Wolf Gorge. Wolf-shifter, Malcolm Connor, believes he's the last of his kind, left for dead by the same hunters who murdered his family. When he catches the scent of the new wildlife manager, he can't deny the attraction but he knows getting involved with a human woman will only lead to heartache. The mutilated remains of a hiker are discovered and a black wolf is captured. Karin protects the quarantined wolf and the locals are angry. When Malcolm steps in to defend her, sparks fly. Karin loses her heart but can she convince the man she loves that they belong together. Or will a jealous rival tear them apart forever? **A Siren Erotic Romance 


My Review:
The author did a great job writing this story. It was a page turner that kept me up late at night. The story flowed beautifully. It felt believable and made me feel like I lived the story. I felt all of the characters' emotions including fear, joy, anger, frustration, passion not to mention how smoking hot it was. I have to warn you that I cried so have your tissues ready.  This was a new author for me and I was very pleasantly surprised. I loved this book! The story is about a woman named Karin who moved to a small town in the country after being assaulted in the city were she used to live. She is a veterinarian working for the wildlife department and they have found a hiker that appears to be killed by a wolf. In the small town she is not respected because she's a woman yet she's tough and always keeps her head held up high, even if aggressive town members bring back memories of being assaulted in a dark alley. During a town meeting, to discuss the fate of a wolf, one man gets out of hand and Malcolm jumps in to protect Karin even before they meet.  Malcolm is a quiet man that doesn't normally get involved in town business but the wolf attack hits close to home. He is the only one left of his kind. His mate and family were murdered by humans because his sister fell in love with a human and told him their secret which got out after they got divorced. He suffers from guilt of being the only survivor and because he was unable to save his family even though he was severely injured. He has been deeply scared emotionally and physically.  For Karin and Malcolm its almost love at first sight. Malcolm feels instantly protective of her. Their relationship is extremely hot and intense. Of course they have a few road blocks along the way but you never question their chemistry. The only thing throughout the whole book that didn't feel natural to me was that Karin admits to herself that she's in love a little to soon in their relationship.  This book is definitely for those who love a good paranormal romance with a little erotica and mystery. I highly recommend this book. This book gets 5 stars for me. I do feel like I should mention that I am a big cover person and I love a good cover. Having said that, I didn't feel like the cover of this book gave the book justice. Please don't be swayed by the cover of this book. It is a must read.



*I received the copy of this book for review from the publisher or author via The Romance Reviews.

Giveaway Scout

I just found out about this website called GiveawayScout.com and all you do is sign up for a free account and learn about all the giveaways being offered by blogs and etc. You can take a look by going to the following link:
http://www.giveawayscout.com

Please leave me comments if you try this new website so that I know whether you like or dislike the site. I do not want to post about a website that gets bad comments. Thank you!

Read-a-thon: Day #2 (Update 4)

Finished!!
 I will review all the books I finish for the read-a-thon tomorrow.

Stats @ 11:00pm
TOTALS
Hours: 24
Pages Read Total: 530
Percentage of Current Book Completed: 100%
Number of books completed: 2

 I'm kind of disappointed that I only read two books in 24 hours. I read a lot slower than I thought. I had a lot of fun overall but it was not easy. I'm thankful I had my goodreads buddies to do it with me. The breaks to chat where great and needed. lol

The Versatile Blog Award!

I'm so excited I recieved another award! Thank you Becky from Breathless Books.

Here's how this award works:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)

4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

7 Things About Me:

1. I'm a book junkie. lol

2. I'm a college student majoring in Business

3. I'm an artist. Mostly oil painting.

4. I'm working on my first novel.

5. My biggest fantasy is to have my own library in my house.

6. I live in Florida and love anything to do with the ocean. (I'm very upset about the oil spill!)

7. My vampire name is Duchess of Moldovia (You can find yours here: http://www.emmadavies.net/vampire/ 

 

My 15 Versatile Bloggers are :

1. Addicted to Romance 
2. Breathless Books
3. Bree's Books
4. Eloise and Her Books
5. In the Hammock
6. Literary Addicted
7. Magic Faerie's Paranormal Review
8. Michelle's Book Blog
9. Mindful Musings
10. Supernatural Snark
11. Reading on the Dark Side
12. Pure Imagination
13. All the days of...

14. A Book Obsession 

15. Bewitched Bookworms

My Baby Boy

This is my little baby boy and I thought it would be fun to introduce him to everybody.


 
His name is Trey.
He got his name because he was born on 3/3/03.
He is 7 years old.
He is a long haired Chihuahua.
His favorite hobby is sleeping and cuddling.
Even though he's a little guy he doesn't take no crap from anybody not even the bigger dogs. So watch out! lol

One Lovely Blog Award

I'm so excited to let you know that I have received the One Lovely Blog Award. It was awarded to me by Brandi at Blkosiner's Book Blog. Thank you Brandi so much. I've put a lot of time into my new blog and I'm happy people are enjoying it. 

This is how the award works:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are some of the lovely blogs I have found recently that I think deserve to have this award (Sorry I could not include all the lovely blogs I'm following):

1. Addicted to Romance 
2. Breathless Books
3. Bree's Books
4. Eloise and Her Books
5. In the Hammock
6. Literary Addicted
7. Magic Faerie's Paranormal Review
8. Michelle's Book Blog
9. Mindful Musings
10. Parajunkee's View
11. The Romance Reviews
12. Supernatural Snark
13. Reading on the Dark Side
14. Pure Imagination
15. All the days of...

Congratulations to all my fellow bloggers!

Giveaway: "Succubus Blues" by Richelle Mead

I am going to be giving away my copy of "Succubus Blues" to one of my followers.

As most of you know I recently reviewed this book. I bought this book new and only read it one time so its still in very good condition. I do not dogear my pages and I treat my books with love. lol

I don't always buy books new because I own a Kindle and because I buy used books a lot. So, I thought some of my followers might like to inherit my new books that I have read and reviewed. Just to note, I will never give away a used book in my giveaways without stating as such.


What do you think about this idea?


To Enter:
In order to enter all I ask is that you be a follower and you leave a comment answering the above question. This giveaway is only open to followers living in the U.S. and Canada due to shipping fees. I will be drawing the winners name on September 8th 2010. Please check back to see if you won. I will be drawing a new winner if I do not hear from you within 48 hours. You can also leave your email in your comment if you want me to email you as well.

Good Luck!