I was Tagged

J. Kaye http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/ tagged me for the Weird and Random Meme.

Here's the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Write 6 random things/unspectacular quirks about yourself.

4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.

5. Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog.

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.


Ok so here are six things about me

1. I like to watch movies over and over again but will read a book only once, no matter how good it is! (I have really good long term memory and for this reason I won't read books but only once but it doesn't bother me with movies) Go Figure

2. I don't really like reading Sci-Fi books (I am slowing finding some I like) but I enjoy watching cheesy Sci-Fi movies on TV.

3. I am a fan of The Tudors (Jonathan Rhys Meyers is a true King), Top Chef (Watch the knives fly), Project Runway (Tim Gunn Rules), and The Amazing Race (Phil is Cool).

4. I love watching hockey (Go Avs)

5. Enjoy playing computer games

6. Also enjoyed watching The X-Files and Star Trek: The Next Generation (Yes I am a trekkie)


Since most of the people I know have already been tagged or have done this at one point or another.

The next six people who have not participated and want to do this...You have been Tagged. Have Fun

Come have a Bite

I want to thank J. Kaye for letting me read this book.

Carrie is a vampire as well as Max, and Ziggy in addition there is Bill and Nathan who are both humans. As much time as Bill hangs out with vampires he will never understand their hunger need for blood. The Soul Eater has rallied up an army of vampires. Carrie always knew this day would come and now it’s here. Carrie is ready to put a stop to the Soul Eater even if it means she has to sacrifice her life to do so.

I would not recommend reading this book without having first read the other three books in the Blood Ties series. Another reason why I recommend reading the other books first is because I didn’t really feel vested with the characters, so I had a really hard time making myself stay interested till the end. Even though I had the general concept of what was taking place in this story I still was some what confused. Then there was the ending. Something that should have been grand but instead was damped by the fact that I was just glad to have completed the book finally. All Soul’s Night is the final booking the Blood Ties series. As much as I was disappointed that I could not get into this book, I would give Jennifer Armintrout another try.

Matrimony Book Contest

Read my review here http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/2008/08/i-swear-to-forever-hold-my-peace-in.html

Mulitiple ways to enter. I will pick a winner October 11th.

Leave a comment and Please leave a email address as a few people have lost out on winning because they left no contact information.

Blog about this contest

Share with me a book you think would make a good read for a book club

Hell Bent

I was lucky enough to snag a copy of this book from the Early Reviewers Program at LibraryThing.









Attorney Brady Coyne is back in action and ready to take on his next case. The last person he expected to see was his ex-girlfriend, Alex Sinclair to walk into his office. Alex wants Brady to represent her brother, war veteran; Augustine “Gus” Sinclair. Brady agrees to be Gus’s divorce lawyer. Gus suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This may be the easiest divorce case Brady has ever handled. Brady goes to catch up with Gus and finds Gus has committed suicide.

Brady Coyne kind of had a cynical attitude about him. It was understandable though considering all the different things he had going on in his life. I do have to give it up for Mr. Coyne as he is a very good attorney. He always gets the job done. Hell Bent is the latest book to feature attorney Brady Coyne. I felt that this book could be read as a stand-alone book. It never seemed like I was missing out on anything, since I have not read any of the other books in this series. Mr. Tapply is a new author for me. I will read more books by Mr. Tapply.

I am a Survivor and Proud of it!

I want to thank Mrs. Konop Baker for sending me a copy of her book. I met her on The Debutante Ball Blog http://www.thedebutanteball.com/. A place to meet new authors that are currently working on or just released their first book.

Gail Konop Baker brings readers a heart-felt, gut-wrenching beautiful story in her debut novel. Cancer is a Bitch is Gail’s own personal story. I commend Mrs. Konop Baker on sharing her story as it takes a lot of strength and guts to turn your life into a book and not just any books but an outstanding, wonderful, incredible book. I picked up this book and started reading; before you know it I was done.

One thing that made this book really enjoyable was Gail’s sense of humor through the whole situation. There was evidence of this from things like the titles of each chapter to the comments Gail made. I have only one comment to make and that is I will never look at a chicken breast the same way again. I just feel in love with Mrs. Konop Baker and her family. Gail Konop Baker is one author to be on the look-out for as she will blow you away but in a good way. I look forward to many, many more books to come from Mrs. Konop Baker.

Check out more information abour Gail Konop Baker on her website at http://www.gailkonopbaker.com/

By George

What do you do when you discover that there’s someone else out there with the same name as you? In this charming story about two Georges, you will find out. First there is George, a ventriloquist dummy and than there is George an eleven-year old boy. This story is really told and narrated by George, the puppet as told by his memoirs that he experienced as a dummy and all the travels and people he meets along the way.

I thought it was refreshing as well as unique to see everything through a ventriloquist dummy’s point of view. The situations George, the dummy had to deal with were pretty amusing. As much as I liked gaining a different prospective I did have some trouble staying focused all the way through this book. There were some dry spots. Even with this being a factor I would still read another book by Mr. Stace. I definitely thought that Mr. Stace brought a lot of creativity to By George.

You can purchase the book here http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books_9780316018685-WhereToBuy.htm

Again I want to give a big thank you to Hachette Book Group for allowing me to give away 5 copies of this book to readers. I will pick the winners October 11th

You know the drill if you want to be entered you can leave a comment with your email address (1 entry) or blog about this contest and leave me a link (1 extra entry)

A Quest to Remember

Eleven year old, Samantha “Sam” Mae Costas live a normal, quiet life till she met Prince “Buzz” Buznor that fatal day on her grandfather’s farm. Buzz comes from a place called Innerworld. Buzz is on a mission to protect his world from the Zogs and to defeat their leader, Drogon. Buzz needs Sam’s help in order to complete his quest. Both Sam and Buzz travel to the Land of Geffen to begin their quest. Sam and Buzz go in search of the Crimson Crystal. It won’t be an easy task as they will have to fight dwarfs and monsters; through the scorching heat and even the frigid tundra’s. Who will come out victorious the Zogs or Buzz and Sam? To find out you will have to read Sam’s Quest for the Crimson Crystal.

Sam is your average, normal girl, who ends up going on a quest to Innerworld. Sam may not have any extraordinary powers like Harry Potter but she’s still up for any challenge that comes her way. Because of this, I think that readers will fall in love with Sam. I thought that Sam’s Quest for the Crimson Crystal was a cute, fun book that young adults would like to read. Don’t be fooled by the size of this book; it may be small but author Ben Furman makes up for it by making sure there is lots of excitement throughout the book.

To read an excerpt from this book you can here http://www.blackhawkpress.com/sams_quest_cc.html

Thanks to Cheryl for letting me host Mr. Furman

Written in Blood

Claudia Rose is a well-known forensic handwriting expert. Claudia’s latest client requires her expertise. Paige Sorensen’s husband has died. Everything was left to Paige but her stepchildren believe that Paige forged their dad’s signature on the will. Now Claudia has to prove that Paige didn’t have anything to do with the will. The more information Claudia gathers on the Sorensen family, the closer Claudia gets to uncovering all of the Sorensen’s family skeletons.

Who knew you could learn a lot about someone by just their signature. Written in Blood reminded me of CSI. For the fact that the show never gets old and there are twists at every corner just like Claudia had to deal with in Written in Blood. Take a road trip with Claudia as she travels to “Sin City” Las Vegas in this fast paced story that author, Sheila Lowe has weaved for readers. I look forward to many more great reads by Sheila Lowe.

Rush Home Road

Thanks to Hachette Book Group I have 5 copies to give away.





Five year old Sharla Cody is sent to live with seventy-year old, Addy Shadd. Addy is in no way related to Sharla but she is the first person who answered her door when Sharla’s mother, Colette knocked and offered to take Sharla for the summer. Addy lives in a trailer park. She is all alone, so when Colette is looking for someone to take Sharla; Addy agrees. It will be nice to have someone to talk to again. Sharla and Addy will teach each other things despite their age differences.

Ok let me first get this out of the way by say this “Oh My Gosh”. I did not realize how much this book was going to affect me. The reason is that Lori Lansens has such a distinct, prolific writing style that Addy and Sharla just came alive for me. It was like I was living in that trailer park along with Sharla and Addy. The friendship that Sharla and Addy formed with each other was precious and one to be treasured forever. I started reading this book last night and in a matter of only a few hours I had finished reading Rush Home Road. For being Lori Lansens first novel as well as the first one I have read by this author, I give it a perfect ten! Rush Home Road just became one of my new favorite books. Lori Lansens is one author to watch out for. A true powerhouse.





Purchase the book here http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books_9780316008037-WhereToBuy.htm



To enter to win one of five copies of this book. Open to US and Canada only and no PO Boxes. There are mulitple ways:





1. Leave a comment saying you want to be entered and an email address (1 entry)





2. Blog about this contest and leave a link where you did. (2 entries)





3. Share your favorite book of 2008 so far (1 entry)





4. Post about this contest on numerous sites and for every place you post about this contest will get you 1 entry.





So for example you post about this contest on LibraryThing, Shelfari, Good Reads. You have now just earned yourself 3 more entries








I will pick the winners Saturday, October 4th.

There's No Escape

Everyone around Isabelle Carson are dying. The police aren’t concerned because to them these people took their own lives. Isabelle does not want to consider that could be possible especially when two of the people were Isabelle closest friends. Isabelle knows they won’t kill themselves when they have little kids around. Isabelle calls Grant to warn him. When Grant receives Isabelle message he comes running right away to protect Isabelle but Grant might be the one that needs protecting from Isabelle. The longer Grant is around Isabelle the faster he is falling in love with her again.

When you think of Grant Kent, there is only one word to describe him…H-O-T. Grant Kent is what heroes are made of. He is tall, dark and deadly but has a heart of a lover. Right away No Escape gets your heart racing a hundred miles a minute with no end in sight. Shannon K. Butcher throws all the punches and holds nothing back. No Escape is moving at a rapid pace and if you don’t watch out No Escape will blow you away. I had no clue who was the villain in this book. The ending did not let me down. I will definitely read more by Ms Butcher.

Purchase the book here http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books_9780446510288-WhereToBuy.htm

Are you Addicted to Love?

You know the saying “Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me.” Well Rachael Henderson is really familiar with it. She had been left at the altar twice now! Watch out as Rachael is out for revenge and what better place to get your revenge then Rachael’s hometown… Valentine, Texas. A town full of romantics and believers of true love. The last person Rachael expected to see what Sheriff Brody Carlton. Rachael’s first crush.

Sheriff Brody Carlton gets called out because someone is defacing Valentine’s famous red lipped billboard. When Brody arrives at the scene, he can’t believe his eyes. He finds a woman wearing a wedding dress painting the lips black. Rachael wants to help the people of Valentine, so she creates Romanceaholics Anonymous. So people don’t like Rachael coming in and stirring up things. Before you know it the residents of Valentine are divided.

The witty banter that transpired amongst Rachael and Brody had me smiling the whole way through the book. I liked reading Lori Wilde’s latest release Addicted to Love. It was an upbeat, sweet romantic book. Addicted to Love is part of the Wedding Veil Wishes series. Addicted to Love is the first book I have read in this series by Lori Wilde but it sure won’t be the last one I read. I hope to eventually see Rachael, Brody and the rest of the townsfolk’s of Valentine, Texas again.

Purchase the book here http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books_9780446502047-WhereToBuy.htm

The Sunday Salon

Sofia will take on a very dangerous mission that will cause her to go undercover and even risk her life in order to bring justice to some powerful aristocrats here in London. It will take everything Sofia has both mentally as well as physically. Sofia though will have to keep on her toes if she doesn’t want to be caught. The handsome and dashing, Lord Deverill Osborne is keeping his eyes on Sofia. Lord Osborne finds himself enamored by Lady Sofia’s beauty in addition to what sinful secrets Sofia has hiding under her dress. Boy this is going to get interesting quickly between Sofia and Lord Osborne.

I loved Sofia. She had this mysterious aire about her that made her intriguing and fun to read about. Usually in my opinion Lords are stuck up arrogant guys but Lord Osborne surprised me. He turned out to be a good guy. I found myself liking him. The Scarlet Spy is what historical romances are supposed to be like. Andrea Pickens love for writing historical novels shows as The Scarlet Spy turned out to be a great book with lots of heart. I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of beautiful romance stories to pick up a copy of The Scarlet Spy and start reading it today.


Purvhase the book here http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books_9780446618014-WhereToBuy.htm

Fall Book Challenge

I have joined another book challenge. Lyn from Callapidder Days is hosting. You can sign up here

http://www.callapidderdays.com/2008/09/fall-into-reading-2008-are-you-ready-to.html

When: Fall Into Reading 2008 will take place throughout the fall of 2008. Shocking. The official dates are September 22nd through December 20th.

So are most of you know I do good on the challenges but don't usually stick with the list that I started with. We shall see if I do better this time. Don't count on it. LOL

Don't Look Down by Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer

Lover's Bite by Maggie Shayne

All Soul's Night by Jennifer Armintrout

Make me a Match by Diane Holquist

Judas Kiss by J.T. Ellison

Mercury's War by Lora Leigh

Red Fire by Deidre Knight

In Too Deep by Portia Da Costa

The Fire by Katherine Neville

Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter

In Pursuit of A Queen by Ruth Nordin

The Queen and Atlantis by Ruth Nordin

Ann's Quest to be Queen by Ruth Nordin

Queen of Raz by Ruth Nordin

I know I will read more then these. These are just the one's I know I want/have to read right away.

Contest Winners

Hello All. I have picked my winners for the following contests:

Joy Nash's 50 Books in 50 Days for an ARC autographed copy of Immortal: The Crossing

The winner is Ruth


The five winners for a copy of After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival goes to


hermeslyre
blueviolet
Julie P.
Alyce
Shooting Stars Mag


Congrats to all the winners and come back again for more great contests. I currently have one going for 5 winners for a copy of The Almost Moon. Enter here http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/2008/09/does-moon-shine-tonight.html


I will be posting three more contests soon. Ladies please email me your mailing address. Thank you

Books to watch out for.

I am late in posting anything today. The funny thing is I thought I already had something set up for today. LOL

Ok so no review today. I am going to do things different today and show you some books you need to add to your wish list to get.






This book is set to release March 24, 2009 by Orbit






THIS IS NOT A GAME is a novel built around the coolest phenomenon in the world. That phenomenon is known as the Alternate Reality Game, or ARG. It’s big, and it’s getting bigger. It’s immersive and massively interactive, and it’s spreading through the Internet at the speed of light.


To the player, the Alternate Reality Game has no boundaries. You can be standing in a parking lot, or a shopping center. A pay phone near you will ring, and on the other end will be someone demanding information. You’d better have the information handy.

ARGs combine video, text adventure, radio plays, audio, animation, improvisational theater, graphics, and story into an immersive experience.

Now, one of science fiction’s most acclaimed writers, Walter Jon Williams, brings this extraordinary phenomenon to life in a pulse-pounding thriller. This is not a game. This is a novel that will blow your mind.

author's website http://www.walterjonwilliams.net/




This book is set to release December 9, 2008 by St Martin's Press

The Despair has plagued the earth for five years. Most of the world’s population has inexplicably died by its own hand, and the few survivors struggle to remain alive. A mysterious, shadowy group called the Collectors has emerged, inevitably appearing to remove the bodies of the dead. But in the crumbling state of Florida, a man named Norman takes an unprecedented stand against the Collectors, propelling him on a journey across North America. It’s rumored a scientist in Seattle is working on a cure for the Despair, but in a world ruled by death, it won’t be easy to get there.










This book is set to release January 6, 2009 by Pinnacle










Once A Killer’s Chosen You…

At first, the deaths seem random. A young Portland couple brutally murdered in a game gone awry…a Chicago woman who plummeted to her death from an office building…an aspiring screenwriter asphyxiated in his New York apartment. But the macabre souvenirs television reporter Sydney Jordan receives hint at a connection that is both personal and terrifying.


The Only Thing You Have To Do…

After events in her own life went wrong, Sydney fled to Seattle with her teenage son. But instead of getting a fresh start, Sydney is plagued by strange occurrences. Someone is watching, someone who knows her intimately…someone who’s just waiting to play the next move in a twisted game.

Is Die…

She is his chosen one. Every murder is a sign, and soon, Sydney will understand why each victim had to suffer—and why she’s the next in line…






This book is set to release March 31, 2009 by St Martin's Press










One murder has haunted Lieutenant Jonathan Stride for thirty years. In 1977 his girlfriend’s sister was savagely beaten to death. Stride came face to face with the suspect – and let the man escape.


When writer Tish Verdure begins a book about the decades-old murder, Stride is reluctant to re-open the case. But Tish has new evidence that raises shocking questions about the actions of the police... and even Stride's own wife.


The new investigation scares someone who is desperate to keep their secrets hidden. Tish receives threats. A teenage girl is hounded to her death. And Stride finds himself chasing the twisted trail of a voyeur who may hold the key to two brutal crimes.


With new deaths on his conscience, Stride races toward a devastating confrontation high above the deadly waters of Lake Superior. There, he and Tish will both face their worst fears – and the truth about the past.





This book is set to release January 2009 by Mira










It was a murder made for TV: a trail of tiny bloody footprints. An innocent toddler playing beside her mother's bludgeoned body.

Pretty young Corinne Wolff, seven months pregnant, brutally murdered in her own home.Cameras and questions don't usually phase Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson, but the media frenzy surrounding the Wolff case is particularly nasty...and thorough.

When the seemingly model mommy is linked to an amateur porn website with underage actresses and unwitting players, the sharks begin to circle.

The shock is magnified when an old adversary uses the sexy secret footage to implicate Taylor in a murder – an accusation that threatens her career, her reputation and her relationship.

Both cases hinge on the evidence – real or manufactured – of crimes that go beyond passion, into the realm of obsessive vengeance and shocking betrayal.
Just what the networks love.

My Friday Find

I want to thank Joan Schulhafer for sending me this book to review. American Quest is one of two new books from The Story Plant a new publishing company.






Gloria and Bruce are lovers. Their love is a true love. One night during the Reach Out and Read fundraiser Gloria meets a mysterious man by the name of Mr. Aaron Vance. The next thing Gloria knows is she is waking up in a strange world, where she has been imprisoned by a Macul identified as Envervata. Enervata has taken Gloria because if he can make her fall in love with him then he can gain control and enslave humanity. Now in order for Bruce to save the love of his life, he will have to travel across the country to locate the Four Pillars of Humanity. But it won’t be easy. Time will not be on Bruce’s side. If Bruce doesn’t succeed then all of humankind will be destroyed forever.

I have to admit that at first I almost felt like putting this book down and moving on to another but I am glad I stuck with it as American Quest turned out to be a really good book. It moved a little slow for me at first but once the story picked up, I couldn’t put this book down. American Quest can be described as an innovative, refreshing, fantasy, mixed with paranormal elements to be a book to get familiar with. I can’t wait to read American Quest: Otherworld Quest, the follow-up to American Quest. Sienna Skyy is definitely an author to watch out for in the fantasy world. Fans of fantasy as well as new readers to this exciting genre will fall in love this Sienna Skyy and her American Quest books.




Purchase this book here http://www.thestoryplant.com/titles/AmericanQuest.html

Shadow of Colossus

The year is 227 B.C. The place is Rhodes, a Greek island.

For ten years, Tessa of Delos has been in Glaucus’s ownership as his hetaera (an owned woman). Tessa had given up all hope. It seemed like she would never experience freedom again. It looked like the only way Tessa would gain her freedom was to take her own life. The Gods had another plan; they were looking down on her that day. Glaucus befalls a terrible fate, which will ultimately change things for Tessa forever. The next couple of days will be the hardest for Tessa and will require all her strength in order to survive.

Tessa had a great personality about her. She was a pillar of strength as well as endurance. I enjoyed reading Shadow of Colossus. I found myself having a hard time putting it down. I felt Mrs. Higley writing really brought a real Greek authenticity to the story. Reading Shadow of Colossus by T.L. Higley is the first time I have read anything by this author. I love discovering new authors especially ones that I can recommend to all my friends. Shadow of Colossus was flawless in my opinion. Shadow of Colossus is the first book in the Seven Wonders series. If all the rest of the books are as amazing as this one was than this series will be a bestseller hit. I look forward to a long successful future to Mrs. Higley and her books.



You can purchase the book here http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/productDetail.asp?isbn=080544730X

To learn more about this author and her books you can find her on her website at http://www.tlhigley.com/index.html

Be Healthy

I want to thank Teresa Holler for offering to send me a copy of her book.

Holler for Your Health: Be the Key to a Healthy Family is a wealth of wonderful, in-depth knowledge that everyone needs to arm themselves with in order to live a healthy, happy life. Author, Teresa Holler is a Physician Assistant with a masters degree in Primary Care Medicine. Within the pages of this book you will discover interesting facts about every day house hold items and how they can affect the human body and not for the best. Mrs. Holler helps explain how just changing simple habits can ensure you can decrease doctor’s visits.

Even wonder what all those words on food and product labels mean and I don’t mean just counting calories or carbohydrates. Well now you will be able to speak this new foreign language. In Holler for Your Health: Be the Key to a Healthy Family, you will not only know what you are reading but also what your food is actually made of. You will never look at a label the same way again. I was aware of some of the topics discussed in this book but there was still a lot that I was surprised to discover that I didn’t know. You can bet I will put what I learned about to good use in my every day live.

Check out more information on Mrs. Holler and her book at http://www.holler4health.com/

Also here is some more information about Mrs. Holler

Even though I am the bread winner for my family, I quit work, exhausted all of our savings and dove into debt for the first time in my life just to write this book. I simply could not stand by and watch parents lovingly poison their own kids. I have to share this information with parents everywhere. Every book sold benefits the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation because no child should have to die alone in an American hospital.

Teresa wrote Holler for Your Health to arm parents with the information they need to protect children from cancer, autism and other potentially devastating illnesses because the prevention methods are largely unknown by the medical community. She believes the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation is a perfect match for the book's earnings because it helps children who are suffering from the same conditions she intends to prevent. In her words, "It is an injustice that these children are dying in the first place; how can I not help?"

Here's some main points Teresa wants to share with you

Toxic chemicals are bad for health and health is getting bad.Nearly half of all Americans now suffer from a chronic illness and cancer rates have soared from 1 in 8000 to nearly 1 in 2 in just one industrial century. It is time we stop wasting time and money on research, early detection and treatment. Simply cleaning up our environment and ridding our homes of harmful chemicals is the obvious solution.

Safety regulations are too lax and too late.Our system is broken and backwards. Chemicals are not required to have a proven safety record before they are poured into consumer products. Instead, we wait around to see what harm evolves and then argue over whether the harm was really caused by the chemical. If you agree that it is better to be safe than sorry, you have to avoid the numerous chemicals lurking in common products.

People don't need to change their lifestyles, just their preferred brands.Avoiding toxic chemicals is easier than people think. Many people say they are afraid to read Holler for Your Health because they don't want to change the way they live and don't want to feel guilty or bad about their choices. But there is no need for fear because safer products are already available; they are just indistinguishable from their toxic counterparts because of lax labeling requirements and trade secrets. Providing people with the resources they need to choose safer products is what Holler for Your Health is all about.

Parents have stepped up to the plate with a new defensive strategy: shopping.While the agencies designed to protect us waste time requesting more research and arguing over arbitrary safety levels, consumer demand is driving toxic products off store shelves. Help us keep up the momentum. All you have to do is shop smarter and spread the word!

Americans need to regain the right to choose or refuse their poison.Omitting chemicals from labels, not requiring the use of growth hormone or irradiation techniques to be disclosed on food packaging, or providing the option of unfluoridated water has taken away our right to choose which chemicals we put into our bodies. Americans deserve unbiased safety information and full disclosure so they can choose which of these chemicals they will tolerate exposure to and which they will not.

And Last but not least are some Questions and Answers Teresa has been asked.

1. Did you write Holler for Your Health intending to spark FDA reform?Absolutely not. Too many activists wait for others to protect us from harm. Time and again this has failed. Holler for Your Health is unique because it calls upon the people to make the necessary changes: one purchasing decision at a time.

2. What is the first step for people who want to reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals? Read every ingredient on every item of food you purchase. If it isn't a plant or animal, don't buy it. If you don't recognize ingredients, write them in a notepad and look them up at the Center for Science in the Public Interest website to see if they are safe (cspinet.org: There is a link to the exact location on their site on my website) so you can decide later if you would like to buy that item. *this site is listed in the Action Plan in Holler for Your Health and as a link on my website, Holler4health.com

3. How can people be sure their cleaning products are non toxic?Make sure the ingredients listed on the label add up to 100%. If they don't, don't buy it. Toxic chemicals are frequently omitted from labels.

4. How can people choose safer personal care products like baby shampoo, sunscreen, or cosmetics?Unfortunately, there is no system in place for ensuring the safety of personal care products aside from the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, which is funded and run by the cosmetic industry. In fact, 99.6% of these products contain at least one ingredient that has never been tested for safety. Fortunately, there is a phenomenal website (cosmeticsdatabase.com.) where you can look up your product to see if it is safe and then search for safer alternatives if you are not happy with what you discover. Over 75 million searches have already been performed on this phenomenal site! *Once again, this site is listed in the Action Plan in Holler for Your Health and as a link on my website, Holler4health.com

Thanks again Cheryl!

Teresa

I want to thank Mrs. Holler for stopping by to discuss her book.

Please feel free to ask any questions you have for Teresa Holler as well as any other information you want to know.

Does the Moon Shine tonight?

Thanks to Hachette Book Group http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/index.aspx they are letting me give away 5 copies of this book to 5 lucky readers. Thank you Hachette. Also because it is BBAW week this giveaway is part of these cool week.



Helen has reached her breaking point. Her life suddenly starts unraveling and she finds herself committing a terrible act. Now during the course of the next twenty-four hours, Helen Knightly will reflect back on her life with her parents, her husband and her now grown children. Helen calls the one person who knows can help her with her situation…her ex-husband Jake. While Helen waits for Jake to arrive; Helen will try to make sense of how she got to this point in her life. The people who mattered the most in Helen’s life are now all gone. As Helen looks back at her childhood, she wonders how she ever survived it. Then there was her marriage to Jake. Jake was so handsome and Helen was so in love with him. Now Helen tries to figure out how she and Jake fell out of love so fast. The next twenty-four hours will be the most trying time that Helen ever experienced.


At first I thought Helen was uncaring and whiny but as the story progressed and I understood where Helen was coming from I wouldn’t say I loved her but I did like her a little better. I really liked Jake. He was a good guy to come to Helen’s rescue even though I didn’t think that Helen deserved Jake again. The Almost Moon was a sharp, psychological thriller. It made both Helen and the reader do some deep thinking but in a good way. Thoughts that made you want to keep reading to see what would happen next and how the book would end. The Almost Moon is the first book I have read by Alice Sebold. Mrs. Sebold did a good job with this novel. If readers are looking for something new to read then they should try Alice Sebold.



Purchase the book here http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books_9780316677462-WhereToBuy.htm




To enter leave a comment with your email address and if you want 2 entries then blog about this contest and leave a link where you did. Open to US and Canada only and no PO Boxes. Contest ends Saturday, September 27th. Thanks and Good Luck Everyone.


Check out all the other bloggers conducting contests for BBAW week here http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/2008/09/bbaw-giveaways.html

Free Books!!

Yes you heard me right. You can get free books. Where you ask. Well my good friend Becky from No More Grumpy Bookseller came up with a cool idea of grab bags. For all the details head on over here http://nomoregrumpybookseller.blogspot.com/2008/09/grab-bag-giveaways.html

Here is what is up for grabs


I've got 5 Romance Grab Bags:
Historical (2 books)
Linda Lael Miller (2 books)
Sportsmen (2 contemporaries with a sort-of sports theme)
Adventure (2 books)

Mercy Street

A couple of weeks ago, four teenagers, three boys and a girl went to the park late at night. Two of the boys were shot to death and the other boy, Ryan and the girl, Courtney are now missing. The missing boy, Ryan, is the grandson of the church's secretary. Father Kevin Burch, billionaire Robert Magellan's cousin, comes to him asking a favor. Father Burch wants Robert to fund the investigation of the disappearance of Ryan and Courtney. Father Burch knows Robert can relate as a year ago his wife and son mysteriously disappeared. Father Burch hires former detective turned private investigator Mallory Russo. Mallory teams up with Detective Charlie Wanamaker. Both Mallory and Charlie are determined to solve this case even if it means Ryan and Courtney are dead. The path Mallory and Charlie travel down will be a roller coaster of deceit and suspense.

Mallory Russo is a fighter. Even with a ruined reputation, she doesn't let that stop her from achieving her mission. Charlie compliments Mallory. He tries to keep her grounded but at the same time is smart enough to step out of her way when the situation calls for it. Mercy Street is the first book in Mariah Stewart's latest series A Mercy Street Foundation. I have read a few other books by Mariah and they all have one thing in common....excitement! Excitement for the fact that you know when you pick up a Mariah Stewart book you will be in for a good quick read. Once you pick up any of Mrs. Stewart's novels you won't put them down till the very last page. I am so glad to see Mrs. Stewart on the top of her game as always.

Courtesy of FAR http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2008/August/Cheryl-MercyStreet.htm

Come play with a Witch

Here is my review for Witch like I promised.

The war continues in Witch. Mirage and Miryo are now aware of each other as well as the fact that only one of them can live. There’s presently one problem…neither Mirage or Miryo are willing to kill each other. Now what will they do as there can be no more than one witch. It is not possible to have both Mirage and Miryo living as the longer they both live the stronger their magic will get and then the magic will be too strong for Miryo or Mirage to control. Mirage

decides to take a gamble and try something with her and Miryo. What happens next will change for everyone involved. Also it seems that Mirage was not the only one to have a doppelganger; as time passes more and more doppelgangers start appearing.

I was glad to see that Mirage and Miryo were developing a really close relationship with each other as well as individual personalities. The journey that began in Warrior has really progressed with much more excitement in Witch. What took place between the pages of Witch kept me captivated till the very end. Marie Brennan knows how to bring readers into her world of mystery, mayhem, magic, and adventure. I can’t wait to see what else Ms. Brennan comes up with next.

Purchase the book here http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books_9780316027069-WhereToBuy.htm

The Sunday Salon

I am glad to share with you all a really cool and exciting fantasy books I discovered. These books Warrior and Witch were actually re-released in August. They were orginally one book called Doppelganger.

My review for Warrior will appear today and tomorrow you can see my review for Witch.

Eclipse and Mirage are bounty hunters. They will track down whomever their job requires them to follow. Their latest assignment has Mirage and Eclipse being commissioned by some witches to go after an extremely powerful witch. For Mirage this will be an interesting journey as she too is a witch. The Primes, a high counsel informs Mirage that the witch she is after is unique. The Primes tell Mirage that when witches are born, a doppelganger is formed. A doppelganger is the witch’s twin. Every doppelganger is killed so that the witch can master her powers. If the doppelganger was to survive then the witch would need to kill her/his doppelganger or their magic could consume the witch and eventually destroy them. It will be a battle to the end when Mirage comes face to face with her doppelganger, Miryo.

Warrior by Marie Brennan shocked me by how good it ended up becoming. I expected and hoped that it would be good but not this good. I am so happy as it made reading Warrior an enjoyment and not a chore. The elements Ms. Brennan incorporated into the story of Good vs. Evil in the forms of Mirage as good and Miryo as evil was cool. I would consider Warrior to fall into the fantasy category. Fantasy books and I are slow to build a relationship because of the fact that most of the early fantasy books I read were a little too out there for me but with Warrior it was different. Warrior consisted of witches, bounty hunters, and magic; which I enjoyed Warrior not because of all these things but for the reason that Marie Brennan had a good balance between fantasy and reality.

Purchase the book here

http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books_9780316027052-WhereToBuy.htm

When Twilight Burns

Victoria Gardella, vampire hunter, returns to her home in London. The homecoming she gets though is not one she was looking forward to. Instead Victoria has to deal with a vampire who is doing its killing during the day! For Victoria killing vampires is her specialty. This vampire is different. Victoria can’t locate this vampire, even using her sharp senses. As bodies start piling up, they all have one thing in common… the clues point to Victoria as the killer. As if Victoria doesn’t have enough problems to deal with; she also needs to make a choice between Max Pesaro, a vampire slayer or Sebastian Vioget, a vampire.



Both Max and Sebastian are very handsome, dashing gentlemen. I could relate to why Victoria had such a hard decision to make. If I could pick both I would. When Twilight Burns is the fourth book in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I would recommend reading all the books in the series in order from one to four. The story just continues in When Twilight Burns, so if you haven’t read the rest of the books you can get a little lost at the beginning. Ms. Gleason writes that she likes writing historical novels based on actual events because you get to play around some with the events. The story in When Twilight Burns was based around George IV’s coronation in 1821, which I thought Ms. Gleason did a great job incorporating this event into the book. I can’t wait to read As Shadows Fade, the next book in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles series.




Courtesy of FAR http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2008/August/Cheryl-WhenTwilightBurns.htm

Friday Find

Down to a Sunless Sea is a nice ecliptic collection of short stories. Down to a Sunless Sea features everything from growing up to dealing with death as well as dealing physical disabilities. Each story is only a few pages long but within those few pages are some very powerful, meaningful life lessons.

In Down to a Sunless Sea is a sweet but sad story of a son who remembers loves his mother and all the good times as well as laughs they shared together. Then there is the story of a son who is so in awe of his father shining his shoes that he wants to open a shoe shining business during the summer in Herbie. In Nicholas, the student is beyond his years more advanced then the teacher. Or how about the one titled Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Father was a Nazi. Mr. Freese makes sure there is a story for everyone big or small…young or old.

I usually am not a big fan of short story books for the simple fact that I either just start to get into the story and it ends or the author can’t fit all that they want into so few a pages that the story just sort of fizzles. So you can imagine my complete surprise when that was not the case with Down to a Sunless Sea. To my amazement I really enjoyed reading this collection by Mathias Freese. I sat down and started reading and about an hour later I was finished. After reading Down to a Sunless Sea, I am happy to report that I would read more by Mr. Freese.

Check out this author on his website at http://www.mathiasbfreese.com/

Book Contest

Head on over to Bookish Ruth http://www.bookishruth.com/2008/09/review-giveaway-keepsake-by-tess.html to enter to win a hardback copy of Tess Gerritsen's The Keepsake.

Chatting with Pamela Thibodeaux.

I am so excited to share with you all my interview with Pamela S. Thibodeaux. I discovered her a few months ago and have read some of her books and enjoyed them. I hope that after reading my interview that you will want to check them out as well.

I want to thank you for taking the time to answer some questions.

Thank you, Cheryl for having me here!

What is the best advice you’ve ever received? And what is the worst?

The best and the worst advice have been “write from your heart.” You see, writing from my heart is what I’ve always done, which is the reason it’s the best advice. However, what I write isn’t always accepted or is judged “less than” by Christian standards, which makes it the worst advice. J However, I am “true to thine own self” because I keep writing from my heart and trust God to open the doors of publication where He will.

If you were not a writer what would you be?

I am an avid reader so with all the opportunities to work with the written word, I’m not real sure, though I think I might be a reviewer/interviewer. I’m also a horse lover and have been thinking lately of following my childhood dream of working with horses. Haven’t had the opportunity to find out the details of a job like that, but there are more and more horse farms/stables/etc. blooming around here, so who knows.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Meeting different people, I enjoy people and writing enables me to meet so many whether it be online or in person at an event.

Do deadlines help or hinder your muse?

I’ve never really had a deadline “looming” as some authors put it. The editors I’ve worked with to date all understand the demands on my time and have been very amiable to work with. That said, when I have a deadline, I try to work on nothing but that particular project so that I can meet it.

What made you decide to put most of your books in E-book format?

Personally, I prefer print and all of my full-length novels are available in print. However, I am grateful for the fact that having my books available in E-format, gives me a chance to reach more readers.

How do you juggle writing all the different books and series you have?

One project at a time LOL!
Seriously, I’ve been writing for a long time. Once-upon-a-time most of my books were initially written in a notebook. The others developed as a result of typing those stories. I rarely work on more than one-at-a-time. Once I started two novels at the same time but one took off and I worked to finish it then went back to complete the other one. Although I always have ideas floating around, my time to write is so sparse that I find it difficult to really focus if I’m trying to write more than one story. When that happens, usually nothing gets done, LOL! However, if I find myself stuck or bored or just plain tired of one story, I may get on a tangent and work on a different one – I may take a break off a novel and write a short story or an article or essay.

Which comes first for you … the character or the plot?

Usually the character, but sometimes the plot idea will come with it. For instance, my novel The Inheritance evolved out of a simple thought….they say life begins at forty but for Rebecca Sinclair, that’s far from the truth. Of course I had to find out why that wasn’t true for Rebecca. J

Do you like writing series more or stand-alone books more? Is it a draw?

I enjoy writing – period, whether it be an article, blog post, short story, essay, devotional or novel, I enjoy writing.

How do you decide how many books will be in a series? Do you have another series in the works?

No, I don’t have another series in the works. Actually, I never intended to have a series. When the initial idea for the Tempered books came to me, I was out to write only two –Tempered Hearts and Tempered Fire. However, I’d jotted down a scene where a woman and her abusive husband were in an auto accident as the idea for another book. That’s all I had, the scene and the characters in it. Once Dr. Scott Hensley introduced himself to me in Tempered Hearts, I knew he was the one man who could rescue this battered woman, heal her heart, and show her the true meaning of love - hence, Tempered Dreams. I’m not real sure how Tempered Joy came about, I’m just glad it did. Now I have an idea for a 5th Tempered novel, but have no idea when or if I’ll actually sit down and write it.

What do you want your readers to take from your books?

My prayer is that every person who reads my books walks away with a truer knowledge of God and the reality of a personal relationship with Him through Christ. You see, I’m a firm believer that Jesus died so that we could be restored to a relationship with God again. The kind of relationship Adam and Eve had with Him. Anyone who has read Genesis knows that God walked with Adam and Eve and talked with them. They had a personal relationship with Him. I believe we can have that today, if we just open out minds and hearts to receive it. I believe that God is a lot more personal than many church doctrines teach. Of course He is holy and just, but He desires to walk and talk with us, just as He did in the beginning and I hope to show through my characters that this kind of relationship with Him is possible.

For more information on my books readers can visit:
My Website http://pamelathibodeaux.com/
My Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com/

They can email me: pthib-7@centurytel.net or pthib07@yahoo.com or pthib07@hotmail.com

My full length novels (Tempered Hearts, Tempered Dreams, Tempered Fire, Tempered Joy and The Inheritance) are available @ Amazon.com. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/002-3165282-8434425?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Pamela%2C%20S%20Thibodeaux

After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival

I read an incredible story. I have been reading more non fiction books lately and have found some of them to be very powerful. After the Fire is one of those books. Read my review and you will see why. Also Hachette Book Group was nice enough to offer to give away 5 copies of this book to readers in either the US or Canada.



My Review

After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival is based on true events. It is under sad and unfortunate events that this story comes about. The day was January 19th, 2000, a day that no one will ever forget. On this fateful day a fire spread throughout the freshman dormitory halls of Seton Hall University. The fire claimed young three lives and injured many more. Robin Gaby Fisher tells the story of two room mates Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos and the angels of Saint Barnabas Hospital, who helped saved these two friends.

After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival makes you feel raw, heart-wrenching emotions of sadness, joy and triumphant. After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival is such a powerful book that it is beyond words on how to explain it. I credit this fact dooly to Robin Gaby Fisher’s talent as not only an author and writer but as an amazing story teller. I was blown away from the first moment I picked this book up to read it. If Mrs. Fisher’s goal was to show how with lots of strength, determination as well as setting a goal for yourself you can achieve anything; then Mrs. Fisher accomplished that with After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival. If there is ever one book you must read in your life then it has got to be After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival by Robin Gaby Fisher.

Purchase the book here http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books_9780316066211.htm



There are mulitple ways to win.


You can just comment asking to be entered

You can blog about this contest and get another entry

Share a story or event that changed someone's life for the better. It does not have to be about you but maybe someone you know. (Earn three entries)


So if you do all three things you will get 6 entries into this contest. I will pick the 5 winners Saturday, September 20th. Thank you

Off the Menu

Three friends; Whitney Lee, Hercules Huang, and Audrey Henley have been there for each other through the good times as well as the bad. There is one thing all three of these ladies agree on and that is…it’s hard being successful women.

Whitney works for a law firm but she has a secret desire that not even Hercules and Audrey know about. Whitney wants to become a singer. Then there is restaurant owner and chef, Hercules Huang. She wants to have restaurants all over the world but there is one problem putting a cramp in the whole thing and that is Hercules’ father. Last but not least is Audrey Henley, who is the adopted daughter of a Texas billionaire. Audrey has the perfect life. She couldn’t ask for anything else expect for her parents approval of her boyfriend.

Whitney, Hercules, and Audrey were good characters. I liked reading each of their stories. My favorite character would have to be Hercules, because she had a potty mouth worse then a guys but the best part was the things that would come out of her mouth had me laughing. I wasn’t sure if I would like this book but it only took a few pages into the story to get me going full speed ahead. Off the Menu is a fun, up-beat, and chick lit book. If you are looking for a new author to read then you should give Christine Son a try.

The Strand Prophecy

I am happy to share with you all one of the hottest books for YA readers. It is written by the J.B.B. Winner. They are a father-daughter-daughter team.

Brief bio...

Brittany and Brianna Winner are the Youngest award winning novels in the USA. Their book The Strand Prophecy has won eight awards including "Best Young Adult Fiction", "Best First Book Fiction" and "Best First Book Young Adult Fiction".

The WinnerTwins, as they are referred to, are 13 year old identical twins. Their book, started as a family project to assist them in overcoming their Dyslexia and focus on their strengths, not their weaknesses.

The twins tour the country inspiring to overcome their challenges and motivating them to read and write.

The book is the first of a series of five, the second is written and in edit and they are writing their third book.




My Review

Steve Cutter is a technologist. That’s someone who studies the human brain and its responses. Steve’s niece, Anna lives with him. Steve’s job may not seem all that exciting but Steve’s latest research is about to get much more thrilling very soon.

A dark-cloaked figure stands on the White House lawn. He announces that he has a message for the president. The figure tells the president he has scientific proof that a new form of evolution has started happening around the world. He passes his findings out in chapters. In addition the figure tells he president that if what he suspects is about to happen then the world as we know it could be doomed. So just who is this mysterious person? He calls himself…..Strand.

Steve learns of some strange things happening in the Amazon jungle. Steve and Anna head to the Amazon to investigate. Once in the jungle they encounter: fires, man-eating monsters; as well as giant killing toads to name a few.

Meanwhile in London, England, Strand does his first broadcast to the world. He tells everyone to read chapter two. Strand warns the president that he better take Strand serious otherwise a new race will take over the world.

The idea of a superhero whose only real powers are using science to save the world is ingenious concept. I think that Strand is the type of superhero that everyone including adults can like. Strand tries to do right by any superhero’s standards but at the same time he has this no none sense attitude to get the job done now. Then there is Steve and Anna, who are experience there own adventure. Even though Steve is a technologist, he doesn’t act geeky like one. In fact Steve is a pretty good guy to raise and care for Anna. I also liked that there was a female in the picture with Anna. You don’t read very many superhero comics where a female is one of the main characters in the story. The story line in The Strand Prophecy moves quickly. This was a nice thing. I can’t wait to see what the next book brings for Strand, Steve and Anna. This father-daughter-daughter team of J.B.B. Winner has come up with a winner for fans of the good guys.

You can find their amazing video trailer here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=qcSAxdHpFUU and here’s a link to their website: http://strandprophecy.com/ where you’ll find the first three chapters from Book 1 if you click on The Strand Prophecy Trade paperback page.

Also I got a chance to ask the Winner's a question.

"My question to them was if Strand could team up with an superhero, who would it be and why?"

Here is their answer

Strand and Batman.
We would defiantly team Strand up with Batman. They have a lot in common.
1. Both dark heroes
2. Neither have super powers.
3. Both rely on technologies
4. Both blame themselves for the death of loved ones.


In fact… this is how it would start…

Batman and Strand opening scene.

The Dark Knight Meets The Reluctant Harbinger.
Beneath the streets of Gotham lie the abandon and forgotten tunnels once used by bootleggers, now the home to a new threat, a threat not of a single villain, but of a legion of transformed humans called Thules.

Intelligent, egotistical and evil, the Thules believe they are the next evolutionary step for man, relegated to live in the shadows until the time is right to emerge and take control of the planet, one city at a time…


Strand
I got your message

Batman
Nice suit!

Strand
You too.

Batman
Exoskeleton?

Strand
Yea, you want one?

Batman
No thanks. I like something more flexible. There were these dogs, it’s a long story.

Strand
You got a problem in Gotham.

Batman
What can you tell me about Thules?

Strand
They are human…
Well… they were human.
Their physiology rapidly
adopts to different environments.
Their intelligent, egotistical and evil and..

Batman
And?

Strand
They want to take over the planet.

Batman
That part doesn’t surprise me.

Strand
What makes them most dangerous is their
power of persuasion.

Batman
Interesting

Strand
Need some help?

Batman
I work alone

Strand
There are thousands of Thules
below the city in the old bootlegger tunnels…
Whatever happens isn’t going to be good.
People are going to die.
Batman thinks about it for a moment…

Batman
Fine, stick around

He jumps off the roof and his cape becomes instantly ridged as he flies into the night sky

Batman (yells over his shoulder)
I’ll be in contact.
Strand jumps to his missile cycle and blasts into the night air accelerating to supersonic speed and disappearing with an echoing sonic boom.

Batman (looks up at Strand’s contrail)
I gotta get one of those…

Get The Strand Prophecy at all Barnes and Nobles nationally or online at
Click for Amazon or Barnes and Nobles
Or Strand the Book web site




Thank you to Cheryl Malandrinos for letting me host.

It's time to be Immortal.

I am proud to help host Joy Nash's 50 Books in 50 Days, Book Giveaway. Joy is giving away 50 autographed copies of her latest book Immortals: The Crossing at 50 different locations. I received an ARC copy of this book and enjoyed it. You can read my review below.




Manannan Mac Lir is the Prince of Annwyn as well as Guardian of Celtic Magical Creatures for the human world. It makes perfect sense to have a half sidhe be guardian. While Mac is visiting his friends Kalen and his wife Christine and their daughter Elspeth, he learns that someone is going around raiding faerie villages of their life essence. Mac goes to investigate who could be doing this. When he arrives at one of the villages he captures the person responsible. Her name is Artemis Black and she is a witch. Tomorrow is Samhain, the changing of the seasons and Artemis needs all the life essence she can get before Samhain takes place. Artemis is brought before Mac’s mother and the rest of the counsel and sentenced to exile. Mac knows he should be pleasure with the sentence Artemis received but instead he feels something for Artemis other then hatred. Mac will travel to heaven or hell to bring Artemis back where she belongs.





I devoured Immortal: The Crossing and enjoyed every morsel of it. It had just the right amount of everything. Though I have to admit that Immortal: The Crossing is the first book I have read in the Immortal series. Now after stating that fact, I am excited to say that I was very pleased with Immortal: The Crossing. Ms. Nash writing style made it so effortless to jump right into this book that I never felt like I was missing anything by not reading all of the other books in the series. Immortal: The Crossing can be read as a stand-alone book. Do be warned though that after reading this book you will find yourself like I did wanting to go back and read all of the other books in the Immortal series. I am proud to say I am now a big fan of Joy Nash.







To check out all of Joy Nash's books go to her website at http://www.joynash.com/

Or go to the Immortal website here http://www.immortals-series.com/index2.html

There are different ways to enter to win.



1. Blog about this contest and leave a link to where you posted it.



2. Leave a comment with your email address.



3. Tell me your favorite fantasy book, the author, your favorite character and why.





I will pick a winner September 20th. Good Luck

Sugar and Sin

As you will see from my review I did not care for this book but I must be living on a different planet because six other people raved over this book on Amazon!

Astrid Buchamps is a witch. A long time ago she fell in love with a teleport demon, named Fallon, who became her lover. They had a good thing going. Astrid never believed that she would ever see or touch Fallon again. Now they have a second chance with each other. It seems Astrid and Fallon aren’t the only ones stirring up some heat. Astrid’s friend, Ashlyn Co’shott has a crush on Feyd, who is Fallon’s friend. Everyone is enjoying themselves till Cassiel, a prince and one of the most powerful demons makes an Astrid an offer she can’t refuse. You never know what’s going to happen in Eververse.


Though I liked the fantasy aspect of this book and the love scenes were pretty hot, that is about all I liked about this book. I got lost so quickly while reading this book. I had a hard time figuring out what the story was suppose to be about. I still can’t really tell you, even after finishing Sugar and Sin. The characters I found to be not very interesting to me. Very disappointing book. Sugar and Sin is the first book that takes place in Eververse but I don’t think I will read the other ones in this series.

Do you have a Dark Side?

I am pleased to present my review on a book by one of my favorite authors...Cody McFadyen. His latest The Darker Side will be released September 30th.

Someone has taken it upon themselves to deal out justice. A woman is murdered and the killer leaves behind a clue. It has to do with penitence and the victim paying for her sins. What sins could a nice, quiet woman who had no enemies be keeping? That’s what Smoky Barrett had her team are in charge of finding out. It seems this psychopathic killer actually wants Smoky to find him. He will do anything to get her attention, no matter how many people he has to kill. Smoky is ready to follow the path the killer has laid out for her and her team. Can Smoky deliver the final blow to this psychopath or will this killer make Smoky confess her sins before she meets her maker?

The more I get to know Smoky Barrett; the more I just fall in love with her determination to a job well done. I pity anyone who crosses Smoky’s bad side as she will make you wish you were dead. Smoky has matched wits with some of the sickest, ruthless psychopaths around. I have to say that The Darker Side is a long awaited release for me. Ever since I first discovered Mr. McFadyen a couple of years ago and read his first book Shadow Man, I was hooked! Mr. McFadyen makes you say “He can’t do that, can he.” The next thing you know he does and your left wondering what else will this author come up with next? I will tell you Mr. McFadyen will rip your heart out and leaves you breathless for more. You can bet whenever I see a Cody McFadyen book I will be buying it. Kudos to you Mr. McFadyen.

Here's Mr. McFadyen's website http://www.codymcfadyen.com/content/index.php

You can pre order the book here http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780553806946

The Amnesiac

James Purdew falls and breaks his leg on the stairs of his Amsterdam apartment. His girlfriend Ingrid leaves him and he finds that he can't remember the last three years of his life. James decides to dig out some old diaries of his in order to try and remember just who this James he can’t remember was? He is drawn back to the town of H in England; it is where he spent those lost three years. Once there James stays at a house that seems vaguely familiar to him. Upon entering James discovers that the house has secrets of its own. James locates an old manuscript of a murder mystery written by a man named Malcolm Trewvey. Who is Malcom Trewvey and what is his connection to James? The closer James gets to discovering the truth, the stranger James' surroundings get. Will James be able to connect all the pieces of the puzzle back together again before it's too late?


James is like the lead in his own one man show. He's multi talented; James can play the victim, detective, and narrator. Sam Taylor's style of writing is so ingenious it's amazing. This is why, even though James is like a one man show, the more you read about James the more you start to wonder if James is really real or just a figment of Malcom Trewvey's imagination. The reader travels a mysterious winding path never knowing what lies ahead around every bend. All I kept thinking while reading The Amnesiac was “I am either in an episode of The Twlight Zone or an Alfred Hitchcock movie”. I found The Amnesiac to be an amazing novel for Sam Taylor's first one. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.




Courtesy of FAR http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2008/August/Cheryl-TheAmnesiac.htm