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2013 Reading Challenge
Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) has
read 0 books toward her goal of 75 books.
New-To-Me Authors
2013 reading goal:
15 new-to-me authors.
1) Stacy Gail
2) Heather Massey
3) Sidney Bristol
4) Ann Mayburn
5) Thea Harrison
6) Virna DePaul
7) Mary Quast
8) Molly Harper
9) Eleri Stone
10) PJ Schnyder
11) Kait Ballenger
12) Denise L. Wyant
13) Lucy Monroe
Sunday Snippets
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Thursday, October 6, 2011
Review: Unleashed
Unleashed
Author: Sara Humphreys
Release Date: October 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Amoveo Legend #1
ISBN: #978-1402258435
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (320 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
|
What if you suddenly discovered your own powers were beyond anything you'd ever imagined...
Samantha Logan's childhood home had always been a haven, but everything changed while she was away. She has a gorgeous new neighbor, Malcolm, who introduces her to the amazing world of the dream-walking, shapeshifting Amoveo clans...but what leaves her reeling with disbelief is when he tells her she's one of them...
And shock turns to terror as Samantha falls prey to the deadly enemy determined to destroy the Amoveo, and the only chance she has to come into her true powers is to trust in Malcolm to show her the way...
What G & U are talking about:
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Unleashed is the debut novel of Sara Humphreys and the first in the new Amoveo Legacy series. This is a new take on shapeshifters and a blend of intriguing urban fantasy with rich romantic overtures.
In general, we enjoyed the novel. The balance of the novel is more weighted towards romance and less urban fantasy/paranormal, but it was still quite an enjoyable read. The world that Ms. Humphreys has built is unique and fascinating and we look forward to finding out more about this ancient race of shapeshifters. It is difficult to discuss too much of the novel without giving portions away, so we apologize if this review is a tad brief.
As with many newly published artists, it does have the feel of a “first” book but it does not detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. Samantha and Malcolm’s story was enthralling. The mystery was not entirely surprising, but it did have some interesting twists and neatly set up the next book without sacrificing the happily ever after. We found Unleashed to be a quick read. The writing flowed, albeit a little overly romanticized at times, but with vivid imagery. We were easily able to immerse ourselves into this world. The character development was a little rough, but not a distraction or detriment to overall enjoyment of the storyline.
We look forward to reading the next book in this new and fresh series, Untouched due out in April of 2012. If you are looking for a fluffy romantic story in an intriguing urban fantasy world, try Unleashed.
Their Rating:
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Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
Labels:
Review: Crossroads
CrossroadsAuthor: Jeanne C. Stein
Release Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Ace
Anna Strong Chronicles #7
ISBN: #978-0441020775
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (296 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book: |
As a bounty hunter, Anna Strong knew how to find trouble. But now that she's a vampire, trouble seems to have a knack for finding her...
The death of Anna's old vampire mentor is causing ripples in the mortal world. His forensic report has brought up some anomalies and people are asking questions-questions that no vampire wants to answer. Anna needs to lie low, but the sudden discovery of a slew of drained bodies near the Mexican border brings an old flame back into her life and with him, a new challenge. Then, some stunning news from an unexpected source sends Anna and her friend Daniel Frey on a journey that may change both their lives-forever.
What G & U are talking about: |
Crossroads is the seventh novel in the Anna Strong Chronicles. Neither Gikany nor Una have read any previously released stories from this series, and after reading Crossroads, we recommend the series. If you don’t mind missing out on a few things (including investment in characters) then feel free to jump in with Crossroads.
Even though we did not have the emotional connection to the characters others may have when reading the series from the first book, we did enjoy the novel. Crossroads was a thrilling urban fantasy ride. Anna Strong, our heroine and narrator, is a complicated woman who is doing the best she can with the circumstances she has found herself in. As Gikany and Una assume from the previous book blurbs, the series begins with Anna becoming a vampire and then each story chronicles her “new” life. Although we’re sure the tension with the choices that Anna faces in this book would have deeper meaning for long-term fans, the experiences and decisions she makes in this novel were not lost on us.
The relationship between Anna and Frey was a little puzzling as we did not have the whole back-story, but we enjoyed their friendship and the connection they must have forged during her short time as a vampire. The unraveling of Frey’s past was thoroughly interesting and the “mystery” was gripping. Gikany and Una especially enjoyed the richness that the Native American element added to the story. We only wish we could speak the language so we would be able to hear the words in our head as we were reading.
Without giving anything away, Anna is faced with a life altering decision and combined with the murder mystery; we found the novel a gripping page-turner. There were several twists that surprised us and some questions that were left unanswered; yet Crossroads leaves you feeling satisfied and ready for the next installment.
Their Rating: |
Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Review: In Blood We Trust
In Blood We TrustAuthor: Christine Cody
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Bloodlands Book 3
ISBN:#978-0441020874
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): paperback (304 pp), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book: |
Only monsters--and lovers--call the Bloodlands home…
They are monsters: Mariah--the reluctant rebel who has become a god to others of her kind. And Gabriel, the vampire, who loves her at his own peril.
Together, they freed the unhuman and inhuman from captivity, to lead them in reclaiming the land. But even Mariah can’t keep the newly liberated monsters from quarreling among themselves.
And then a murder occurs and Gabriel is suspect. Facing a death sentence, the two flee—
Back to the Bloodlands, where their story began. To face the horrors of Mariah’s past and the uncertainties of Gabriel's future. To make a final stand, for their lives—and their love.
What B is talking about: |
After helping to free the “monsters” being held prisoner in the asylum in GBVille, and entering a blood exchange with the maker of all the “Reds” (blood drinkers of all forms), Mariah finds the first real acceptance she’s ever known among her kind. The exchange has made her into something of a “chosen one” among the monsters, turning her into a creature unlike any other in existence in the process. Even with the successful rise of the monsters hanging in the balance, and the Shredder, Johnson Stamp still on their trail, All Mariah wants is the vampire Gabriel.
Gabriel is a young vampire in comparison to many who are helping ensure the monsters’ continued freedom, but his love for Mariah eclipses everything else in their new life, as well as his old one. Unfortunately, his love exists on borrowed time, for the remnants of their human emotions fade all too soon as vampires age, leaving only cool logic behind instead. Can the link Gabriel and Mariah share be enough to defy their natures and save them both?
The Bloodlands series has been a challenge from the beginning for me; my paranormal romance leanings making the stark urban fantasy landscape of Cody’s novels an adjustment. Once in the proper frame of mind, however, the books definitely come alive, just in a different way than I’m used to.
In Blood We Trust is a blood-coated novel, as were the first two in the series, Bloodlands and Blood Rules. This time, though, it was easier for me to see it as simply another part of the story as a whole. The action kept the narrative moving at a brisk pace, and a better familiarity with the characters and the world as Cody has imagined it kept me engaged the entire time.
Mariah and Gabriel aren’t heroes, though they were viewed as such briefly after they and the rest of the Badlanders broke into the asylum there and freed those in captivity. But, when Gabriel gets blamed for the murder of one of their fellow were-creatures, and Mariah’s need for revenge against those who destroyed her family reaches undeniable levels, they find themselves outcasts once again, their love for one another the only thing they have. For as long as it lasts, at least.
I was very much eager for a happier ending to In Blood We Trust, but given the genre and the nature of these novels specifically, I think the ending was fitting. While there are no warm, fuzzy happily ever afters, Cody gives the impression of lingering hope for Mariah and Gabriel, and if given the opportunity to see where the future leads them both, I’d gladly jump back in for another round.
B’s Rating: |
Books in the Series
Blood Rules (A Novel of the Bloodlands)
In Blood We Trust (A Novel of the Bloodlands)
Monday, October 3, 2011
Ebook Deals for October
Sourcebooks eBook Deals!
Dear Readers... I want to share with you some SPECTACULAR eBook deals from SOURCEBOOK going on during October. Look for the deals wherever Sourcebook eBooks are sold, but please be patient if pages aren’t uploaded immediately on October 3, as it does take their eBook retail partners a little bit of time to update/upload their information.
Also—do you LOVE hearing about Sourcebooks' eBook deals and romance novels? Become a CasaVIP by clicking HERE. You can also receive the latest information about their ebook deals by joining their newsletter by clicking HERE.
Cover Me by Catherine Mann will be $0.99:
10/04/2011 – 10/17/2011
It should have been a simple mission…
Pararescueman Wade Rocha fast ropes from the back of a helicopter into a blizzard to save a climber stranded on an Aleutian Island, but Sunny Foster insists she can take care of herself just fine…
But when it comes to passion, nothing is ever simple…
With the snowstorm kicking into overdrive, Sunny and Wade hunker down in a cave and barely resist the urge to keep each other warm… until they discover the frozen remains of a horrific crime… Unable to trust the local police force, Sunny and Wade investigate, while their irresistible passion for each other gets them more and more dangerously entangled…
Hot Zone will be in stores in December, so get a jump start on Catherine Mann’s hot new military romantic suspense series!
Mr. Darcy’s Obsession by Abigail Reynolds will be $2.99:
10/03/2011 – 10/09/2011
What if…Elizabeth Bennet was more unsuitable for Mr. Darcy than ever…Mr. Darcy is determined to find a more suitable bride. But then he learns that Elizabeth is living in London in reduced circumstances, after her father’s death robs her of her family home…
What if…Mr. Darcy can’t Help himself from see king her out…
He just wants to make sure she’s alright. But once he’s seen her, he feels compelled to talk to her, and from there he’s unable to fight the overwhelming desire to be near her, or the ever-growing mutual attraction that is between them…
What if…Mr. Darcy’s intentions were shockingly dishonorable…
Abigail’s latest Pemerbley Variation—retellings of Austen’s quintessential classic P&P— Mr. Darcy’s Undoing, will be in stores next week!
Wickedly Charming by Kristine Grayson will be FREE:
10/03/2011 – 10/09/2011
He's given up on happily-ever-after...
Cinderella's Prince Charming is divorced and at a dead end. The new owner of a bookstore, Charming has given up on women, royalty, and anything that smacks of a future. That is, until he meets up with Mellie...
But she may be the key to happily-right-now
Mellie is sick and tired of stepmothers being misunderstood. Vampires have redeemed their reputation, why shouldn't stepmothers do the same? Then she runs into the handsomest, most charming man she's ever met and discovers she's going about her mission all wrong...
It's only natural that sparks fly and magic ensues when these two fairy tale refugees put their heads—and vulnerable hearts—together...
Utterly Charming, another fairy tale with a twist by Kristine Grayson, will be in stores in October!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Review: The Renfield Syndrome
The Renfield SyndromeAuthor: J.A. Saare
Release Date: August 23, 2011
Publisher: Mundania Press
Rhiannon’s Laws #2
ISBN: #978-1606592663
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (212 pgs), e-book
Book Source: KLB Virtual Events
About the book: |
Rhiannon thought facing off against a deranged child vampire was the most dangerous task she would ever have to undertake, but she’s about to discover making a deal with a demon is far, far worse. Sent forward into another reality, one in which vampires are now dominating nearly extinct humans, she realizes the sooner she returns to her vampire lover, Disco, the better.
Unfortunately, time changes a lot of things; including those most trusted around her. When she’s faced with a loss and betrayal unlike any she has ever known, her focus shifts from severing the debt between the demon that wants to kill her, to exacting a revenge that will bring forth consequences she never could have fathomed. By reaching out to the darkness lingering within her, she’ll find the strength to push forward despite the circumstances that would see her dead and buried.After all, when it’s all said and done, all that she has left to lose is her soul.
What I’m talking about: |
After I finished reading the first book in the Rhiannon’s Law series, Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between (review HERE), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Renfield Syndrome. Book 1 ended with a MAJOR cliff-hanger, taking our heroine, Rhiannon over 100 years into the future where a disease has wiped out much of the human population and vampires live out in the open. Renfield picks up immediately after the conclusion of Dead. Due to the drastic changes between book 1 and 2, you can read Renfield as a stand-alone story, but I suggest starting with the first book to give you more background about the main characters.
The story begins with Rhiannon trying to get her bearings after learning she has been thrust into the future as the result of making a deal with an evil demon. She is quickly captured by a group claiming to protect her from the vampires. Their leader, Carter, takes an immediate liking to Rhiannon and tries to convince her why she can’t be around the vampires.
Carter’s compound seems more like a cult hideout. Everyone wears the same military uniform and there are strict rules governing their lives. Rhiannon tries to learn as much as possible without telling anyone the real truth. Although at times it felt like I was being told rather than experiencing this history, it allows the author to clue the reader in on the changes that have transpired over the past 100 years.
Rhiannon realizes that she needs to seek out contacts from her past so that she can attempt to return home and set the future on a different path. She is able to convince Carter to take her into the city where the vampires live, and once there, she breaks from his group to stay with her former friends. It is with them that she learns the full extent of how awful the future is. With only a few days left until the demon comes to claim her, Rhiannon decides to take matters into her own hands, even if it means betraying those that she loves.
This book is full of awesomeness. First, the story is just incredibly exciting and absorbing, managing to take me to the edge and back with twists and turns. Time travel and alternate universe themed stories can be tricky, but Ms. Saare created something that drew me in without a lot of hoops to jump. She attempts to address some of the impacts of time travel via Paine’s “no changing the future” dialogues, but it never weighs down the flow of the story.
Second, there is true emotion in this book. Rhiannon learns that her one true love, vampire Gabriel (Disco), died shortly after she disappeared in the past. The reunion scenes with her friends in the future and Disco later on, pulled at my heart strings and left an ache in my belly. The true depth of this story, however, is watching Rhiannon interact with Paine, a man she cares about but does not love. At first I was very worried where Ms. Saari was taking the story, but she did an amazing job dealing with guilt, love, and loneliness.
Ms. Saare created several new and interesting characters for this second story. I hope we see more of Carter, Jennifer (both present and future) and Bells. I enjoyed the first section with Carter and was a bit sad to see him practically disappear from the second half of the book. I liked how he appeared the savior, then the bad guy, and in the end, we just don’t know.
The conclusion of the story was a bit easier to take for folks like me who cannot do cliffhangers. I was a little put off by the reintroduction of characters from the very beginning of the first book, but I trust in the author and her ability to weave an exciting tale. Things were most certainly left open-ended, and I am a bit afraid yet full of anticipation of where Ms. Saare will take Rhiannon next.
My Rating: |
Buy Books Here :
Sunday Snippet #78
Shadowflame
ACE
July 26, 2011
“... Let’s begin, shall we?” Lalita moved to the front of the studio, where her mat was already unfurled on the ground.
Cora had brought her own mat; there were several standing in the corner that anyone could use, but Lalita had given her one outright so that she could practice in her room if she wanted. Cora liked the slightly sticky purple foam, which had a paisley pattern in pink outlined along in one end. She and the Queen stood up, and Cora rolled her mat out while Miranda sought one of the extras and did the same.
Cora hated to admit it, but she felt a tiny bit of satisfaction as the session got underway, because while she was strong and agile, the Queen was no yoga prodigy; her alignment was dreadful, and even with her considerable physical prowess she lost her balance at one point and actually toppled over, giggling.
“Why don’t you try that one again?” Lalita suggested.
Miranda sobered and stood back up, and Lalita led her back into the pose; the Queen concentrated on her work, which was a relief, as Cora had feared she wouldn’t take what they were doing seriously, especially not the first time. But Miranda was completely respectful of Lalita’s knowledge and even paused to watch Cora during the Sun Salutation to get a different view of the flow of postures. Cora tried not to acknowledge her stare, but found herself blushing anyway.
“I’m sorry,” the Queen said. “I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. But you really are a natural at this, Cora. You look like you were born to it.”
Cora blushed even more fiercely. “Thank you, my Lady.”
Lalita was smiling warmly at her. “I’ve taught yoga off and on for twenty years, and Cora is the quickest learner I’ve had so far. Just in the last few weeks she’s gained so much pose and grace – I’m very proud of her.”
Seeing how uncomfortable Cora was at being stared at, Lalita changed the subject. “All right, then, let us continue.”
After they moved through the entire series of asanas and spent several minutes lying in Corpse Pose, Lalita began a guided meditation for chakra clearing; in her tradition the body had seven primary energy centers, each corresponding to a different aspect of a person’s being, and those centers needed to stay healthy in order for the whole person to thrive. She led them through the meditation slowly, in deference to the Queen, and Cora visualized her energy moving up through her body, starting in the root chakra at the base of the spine and ending in the crown of the head. The energy opened each chakra, cleaned out any psychic debris, and left that aspect of the self running more smoothly. Cora wasn’t sure how much of Lalita’s spirituality she believed in, but when she did the meditation she could certainly feel something, and when it was done she always felt different, better.
When they reached the third-eye chakra, which ws supposed to govern one’s inner sight, Cora heard a gasp.
She opened one eye partway and saw that something odd was happening to the Queen.
Miranda was white as a sheet, and her breathing was shallow. She sat cross-legged as Cora and Lalita did, but her hands were clenched on her knees and her forehead was creased in what looked like pain.
“My Lady?” Cora asked in a whisper.
Lalita’s eyes popped open and she, too, looked worried. “Are you…”
Before she could finish the question, the Queen’s hands flew up to her forehead, covering her already-closed eyes. She moaned and doubled over. “No…”
Suddenly things all over the room began to shake.
Lalita put her hands on the Queen’s shoulders and tried to rouse her, but the Queen didn’t seem to hear; she was lost somewhere, and to Cora’s dismay the shield she was holding up around Cora began to tremble and dissolve and Cora could feel the Queen’s power again, this time surging dangerously. Hot, thick fear seized Cora’s heart, and she pushed herself away, all but crawling backward to put as much space between herself and the Queen a she could.
Things began to topple over. Mats fell, the fabric hanging Lalita had draped around the room sagged and then slipped from the walls … the very ground felt like it was shaking.
Lalita cried out in alarm, and Cora followed her whole eyes to see that the ceiling fan overhead was coming loose from its wiring.
The Queen screamed.
The fan tore from the ceiling and fell.
Cora flung herself forward, trying to push Lalita out of the way, and the two women tumbled backward in the chaos–
Books in the Series:
Queen of Shadows (A Novel of the Shadow World)
Shadowflame (A Novel of the Shadow World)
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Contest Winner - Frail
I would like to thank everyone for stopping by That’s What I’m Talking About for the FRAIL giveaway.
Every person that commented on the post was entered into the contest - one entry per person. The winner was selected using random.org.
The Winner:
Kelly M.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
I am sending the winner an email to contact me with their full name and mailing address. Please email me at twimom227 (at) gmail (dot) com with your information so I can send you the book. You have until Wednesday October 5, 2011 (end of day) to contact me. If I don’t hear from you by then, I will draw another winner.
Thank you and Happy Reading!
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