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Showing posts from March, 2012

A Searing Wind

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A Searing Wind is the third and final book in the Battle for American trilogy. This is a not to be missed trilogy. If you enjoy history, Indians, or just reading a really good book, than you have to check this series out. I got to meet Mr. and Mrs. Gear a long time ago. They were so nice. They are really knowable about their craft. You can tell that they have done their home work and have a passion for what they do. I tried them both as separate authors and together. While, I like them both, I have to say that I enjoy them as a team. In this final book, Black Shell and his wife, Pearl Hand have barely survived the battle of Mabila. Now, Black Shell and Pearl Hand are their people’s only last hope to stop Hernando de Soto. Soto and his troops are traveling farther and farther away. The final battle will have everyone fighting for their lives. My only minor complaint was that at times it was slow moving, otherwise a good read. Warning as this book will have you immersed in it and lost in

The No Potato Passover Cookbook

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Aviva Kanoff is a painter, photographer, mixed media artist and now cook book author. It really showed in this cook book, Ms. Kanoff’s love for photography. The pictures just jumped off the pages of this book. They were filled with such color…like a rainbow. The images were so crystal clear that I could see the food as clear as day. There are so many yummy recipes that I want to try. There is the Pomegranate Brisket (which sounds intriguing and a new twist to the boring, old meat dish), Strawberry Glazed Chicken (perfect for the summer as fruit comes into season), Moroccan Chicken, Mint and Honey Baked Salmon (definitely trying as I like salmon and I have tried it with brown sugar and sour cream with lemon pepper). Of course not on the same piece of salmon. Finally for dessert there is Apple Cranberry Crunch, Hazelnut Cream Cookies (who doesn’t love cookies) and No-Bake Chocolate Mousse Pie (No-baking involved…seriously!) The No Potato Passover has something for everyone, even if you

Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms

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Stuart Horten was in for a big surprise, when his parents informed him that they were moving. This was not good for Stuart. Summer time was about to start. This is definitely, not the right time to move for a ten year old, when school is out and he is the new kid. Who will he play with? With there is always his next door neighbors…the Kingley triplets…April, May, and June. They are quite interested in Stuart. Stuart finds a grand adventure when his stumbles upon a message from his Uncle urging Stuart to find his secret workshop. His uncle was a wonderful magician. I have an enjoyable time reading this book. This book made me feel like a little kid again. I was really trying hard to guess what Stuart’s Uncle was trying to tell him in his crypt messages and figure out the clues before Stuart did. Alas, this did not happen. Although, I had fun trying. At first, like Stuart, I was annoyed by the Kingley triplets but as I got to know them, I found they grew on me. Of course, April more bec

A Surrey State of Affairs

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Constance Harding is wife and mother to two grown children. This does not mean that Constance isn’t still trying to meddle in their lives. Her daughter, Sophie, is a wild child and her son, Rupert has his own ideas of settling down and starting a relationship. Constance’s husband is too busy trying to avoid their Lithuanian housekeeper, Natalia and her under garments. What is a woman to do? I found this book not as entertaining and as funny as I had hoped but still, it did provide me with some laughs. I found the moments involving Constance’s Lithuanian housekeeper, Natalia. The language barrier between Natalia and Constance was great. One of my favorite moments was when Constance attempted and I say the word attempted lightly, to explain to Natalia that she needed to dry her under garments in private. Constance even tried to draw a diagram so that Natalia would understand. It obviously did not work as the next day, Constance’s poor husband walked into a room with Natalia dusting weari

Win a copy of Lover Reborn by JR Ward

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J.R. Ward Lover Reborn NAL, $27.95/digital $14.99, Mar. 27, 2012 Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment has been unrecognizable from the vampire leader he once was. Physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair, he has been brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel. Now, fighting once again with ruthless vengeance, he is unprepared to face a new kind of tragedy. When Tohr begins to see his beloved in his dreams—trapped in a cold, isolated netherworld far from the peace and tranquillity of the Fade—he turns to the angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. But because Lassiter tells him he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed.... Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past and a very hot, passion-filled future…but

What Doesn't Kill You

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes an explosive new thriller featuring Catherine Ling from Chasing The Night. Catherine Ling was abandoned on the streets of Hong Kong at age four. Schooled in the art of survival, she traded in the only commodity she had: information. As a teenager, she came under the tutelage of a mysterious man known only as Hu Chang—a skilled assassin and master poisoner. As a young woman, she was recruited by the CIA and now, she is known as one of their most effective operatives. Having lived life in the shadows, Catherine is aware of the wobbly moral compass of her existence and even more aware of just how expendable she is to those she deals with. When her old friend Hu Chang creates something so deadly, and completely untraceable, the chase is on to be the first to get it. With rogue operative John Gallo also on the hunt, Catherine finds herself pitted against a group so villainous and a man so evil that she may not survive the quest to protect

25 Novels to Honor Women’s History Month

Check out this nice list of books to honor women for Women's History Month Some of the books on the list are: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Literature doesn’t get more Southern Gothic than this dearly beloved classic of a young, Depression-era Alabama girl who learns firsthand the unjust class and race divides present in her small town. Harper Lee’s only novel continues inspiring readers who hope to find the way to shut down social divides for good. The Lilith’s Brood Trilogy by Octavia Butler Science-fiction’s first lady boasts a heavily embraced brew of aliens, feminism, traditional religious tales, and gender in her trilogy of novels about the last remaining humans and their relationship with extraterrestrials. Hybridization with a race of genetics aficionados seems to be the only way to preserve what’s left of mankind, and one woman serves as the matriarch. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison When the Nobel Prize committee rewarded this treasured American author, they sp

Win a Mink with Blood. Haha!

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Somewhere in Philadelphia, a master engraver is turning out brilliant forgeries of U.S. currency plates for an organized crime gang - and the government wants to put a stop to it. But how can they get close enough to bring down the criminal enterprise from the inside? By snatching a west coast crime boss’ right-hand man and sending a federal agent undercover in the man’s place. His assignment: pose as a buyer of counterfeit bills and try to get the engraver out. Which works fine - until he crosses paths with someone who knows the man he replaced... A lost masterpiece from science fiction Grandmaster Robert Silverberg, published as a complete novel for the very first time! *NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. You must be 18 or older and a legal resident of the 50 United States or D.C. to enter. Promotion begins March 27, 2012, at 12 pm ET, and ends April 3, 2012, 11:59 am ET. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law. Click here for detai

Jodi Thomas...Just Down the Road

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My Review Tinch Turner has been a loner, ever since the death of his wife. Dr. Addison Spencer was hoping for a quiet evening in the hospital, so that maybe she could get off early. Yeah right, Addison should have expected that she would not get her wish. It was a Saturday night. The first time that Addison saw Tinch, it was in the ER. He had been in a bar fight. Let’s say that Tinch did not make a good first impression on Addison. No matter what Addison may think of Tinch, she and he will have to band together for the sake of a little boy. I have enjoyed this series a lot. It reminds me of another famous series that I also like a lot. Maybe you have heard of it…it is called Virgin River by Robyn Carr. The reason for the reference to Mrs. Carr’s series is that both series feature great characters and story lines but wonderful authors. I have followed Reagan since the beginning with Welcome to Harmony. I felt like I have grown up with her. To see her turn into a woman in this book made

The Reconstructionist

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Review by Nancy In a story of love, lust, hate and miscommunication Ellis Barstow is muddled. He loves his dead brother’s girlfriend (who also happens to be his boss’ wife). Always has but might not always will. Heather was nice to his when no one else was when he was young and his teenage crush has developed into full blown – something close to obsession. Boggs hires Ellis to help him reconstruct vehicle accidents. Their work usually wins lawsuits for their clients; but are they always right? It’s the real world, folks, not gonna happen. Ellis follows Boggs like a puppy but may be the real mind behind their projects. Until. Boggs discovers Ellis and Heather have become a bit more than friends. He can’t deal with that so he takes off to places unknown. Ellis, guilt ridden, follows him to make amends. Boggs and Ellis make up the main parts of this story. I liked it but I also didn’t. I really liked it until the affair began which seemed to break the book up into a confusing back and for

Just a Minute

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While I don’t have children of my own, I have several nieces and nephews that I get to see and spend time with. This is why I wanted to read this book. I enjoy playing with them and know that a child is important. Mr. Stafford did a wonderful job of writing and sharing all the stories of children and the situations that he viewed and experienced. One of my favorite stories was of a little girl that Mr. Stafford encountered in Manado, Indonesia. Her name was Jessica. Mr. Stafford was visiting about 100 children there and wanted to show the children how much they mattered with Compassion. Mr. Stafford focused on a little girl named Jessica. He picked her up in his lab and asked the children if they knew what the little girl’s name was. They answered Jessica. Than Mr. Stafford proceeded to say that Jesus also knows Jessica’s name and every thing about her as he loved her. After Mr. Stafford was finished with his lesson, he put Jessica down. Although, it was kind of hard as she was hanging

Widow’s Might book trailer contest

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Author Sandra Brannan is getting ready to release, Widow’s Might, the third book in The Liv Bergen Mystery Series, and she needs your help in creating a book trailer! Interested? Here’s how to enter: 1. E-mail Sami@JKSCommunications.com with your name, address and contact info. Be sure to enter ”Widow’s Might Book Trailer Contest” in the subject line. Deadline to enter is April 10, 2012. 2. All entrants will be sent one advance reader’s copy so contestants can get brainstorming and have time to create a 30-60 second book trailer for Widow’s Might. 3. Book trailers must be submitted to Sami@JKSCommunications.com by June 15th, 2012. Sandra Brannan will pick her top 5, which we will feature on The New Book Network for fans to vote on their favorite. 4. The five finalists will receive the entire Liv Bergen Series (In the Belly of Jonah, Lot’s Return to Sodom and Widow’s Might) signed by author Sandra Brannan. One grand prize winner will be announced on July 1st, 2012 and treated to a rou

Interview with Frank Delaney and Tribune

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Tribune: How strong is the pulse of literary fiction, criticism and serious examination of literature in the 21st century? Who are today's shining literary lights? Frank Delaney: "Great question! People have been saying for generations, “Oh, the novel is dead.” Well, it ain't – nor is that wonderful American invention, creative nonfiction, nor is biography, nor is political writing. And as well as the books, the commentariat is alive and well. In fact, there's an argument to be made that it's healthier than ever, because we now have this wonderful new creature, the Literary Blogger. I'm a massive fan of this gorgeous animal, with all its fur and feathers – for a number of reasons. My main complaint about the general direction of literary criticism over the last century has been – and Joyce is a case in point – that it tended, in its lofty tone and often impenetrable language (not to mention occasional vendetta behavior), to be antidemocratic, to keep certain a

Scott Sigler and Nocturnal!!

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I am a fan of Mr. Sigler's. I have been since Infected. That book was creepy, good reading. It had me on the edge of my seat and my skin crawling and tingling. Check out my review for Infected Mr Sigler's newest book, Nocturnal is releasing April 3rd. You can purchase a copy here In the mean time you have to check out this video by Mr. Sigler of him revealing the final book cover for Nocturnal.

Flipping!!

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Fay Famaghetti works in her family’s Italian restaurant. She is ready for a change. She becomes a realtor. Though in this present time, even if you are the best realtor it can be hard to make a living. That all changes when Fay is presented with an opportunity that she can not refuse… house flipping. There is a lot of money to be made in this business. Fay soon realizes that. Though, how much of a good thing is enough? I thought this book sounded interesting and something different from what I normally read. Sadly, this book or the characters did not strike a cord with me and made me want to get to know them better. Right from the beginning, I was some what put off by Fay’s demeanor and attitude. Mrs. Goodfellow seemed like a nice woman and all Fay could think about is how Mrs. Goodfellow was her’s and her home. I tried to look past that and read on but for me, it didn’t get better and I could not read this book past about 1 third of the way in. Although, I thought Mrs. Ellenton did a

Free Book

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Visit the Kindle store @ www.Amazon.com Or paste in your browser: http://www.amazon.com/EVERY-BREATH-YOU-TAKE-ebook/dp/B005V18G9K/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332080443&sr=1-4 Offer good 03/21 thru 03/25

Ms. Halliday is playing anything but nice

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Anya Danielovich used to work for the KOS. A Yugoslavian intelligence agency. Now, Ayna is just plain, old Anna Smith. Nick Dade is not fooled by Anya or Anna as she goes by these days. Nick has read Anya’s file and he knows what she is capable of. Nick usually does not take on cases that involve women as the target but for Anya he made an exception. Nick soon realizes that he is not the only one after Anya. Before he knows it, Nick is protecting Anya but only until he can take out the competition. I have seen Ms. Halliday’s books around. I keep telling myself that I have to check her out but than another year goes by and I realize that I haven’t done so. That changed, when I picked up Play Nice. This book helped me out of my reading slump. I found myself drawn into the story and the characters. Anya or I should say “Anna” was a spit fire. She not only had the looks but she could kick some serious butt too. If, I did not think that Nick could take card of himself, I almost would have f

Zombie.Oh, My! Infamous

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About "Infamous": The world has fallen in love with Nick Gautier and the Dark-Hunters. Now Nick's saga continues in the next eagerly anticipated volume... Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That's the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn't the average teenager. He's a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him. He's learned to annihilate zombies and raise the dead, divination and clairvoyance, so why is learning to drive such a difficulty? But that isn't the primary skill he has to master. Survival is. And in order to survive, his next lesson makes all the others pale in comparison. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known. Trailer URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vho8Bshc61Y READ THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS: http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/book/infamous/ SHERRILYN KENNYON LINKS: Website: www.of

Pirates of Aden

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Review by Nancy This “could happen any moment” novel takes us up right into the headlines. Pirates in the Gulf of Aden taking ships for their cargo and ransoming same. Daniel Rasic has done a bang-up job of making his pirates come right off the pages into your face when Sami and his Somalian crew take over a ship of military weapons. He has problems and his nephew is shot. They must find a doctor or the boy will die. Back in 1999, a doctor was monitoring a “patient” who was being interrogated by one of the best/worst in the FBI - Steve Sidwell. Sidwell loves torture and is quite good at it but the prisoner survives and Sidwell ends up being sent to prison for his actions. The doctor is killed crossing the street leaving a son and a grieving widow and all goes on as it should. Sami and his nephew end up in the town of Bossasso in the Republic of Puntland in Somalia. A nowhere kind of place but it does have a medical clinic run by two doctor: Ellen Al-Hamadi and Dr. Paul Alban, friends f

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl

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Review by Nancy Oh my! When you live in Bugtussle, Mississippi everyone knows your business. EVERYONE. Which is one reason that Graciela Jones (Ace) is a bit wary when her ex-boyfriend comes back to town. She can’t turn around without someone telling her she should never have left him, what he’s doing at the exact moment and where he is and with whom. Her dog has even forsaken her lap for his. What’s a girl to do? Ace’s best friend Lilly has been suspended for having an affair with a student - which she didn’t. Mason came back home to help Lilly out since he’s a hot-shot attorney in Florida. Where Ace lived with him until she saw him talking to another woman, got pissed off and left. Lilly and Ace have a fairly innocent friend named Chloe who had the misfortune to marry the town abuser (covered for by his mommy of course!). When he hits her one time too many, Ace decides he’s got to go and beings plotting his end with the help of Mason, Lilly and the town’s Grand Dame who has more betw

The Girl Next Door

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Carter Ross reads a story about a woman involved in a hit and run. He decides to attend her funeral. Carter gets more than he bargained for when the victim’s sister tells Carter that she believes the accident was no accident. Carter agrees to investigate the case. Carter better watch his back or he could find himself in a hit and run accident of his own. The Girl Next Door is book three of the Carter Ross novels. I like Carter. When you first think of a reporter, you instantly group them with attorneys. When it comes to Cater, I would have to say that he is the minority. He plays by his own rules but he is for the people. He will go to great lengths to uncover the truth, even if it means this could be his last story. While, I did enjoy this book, I had some trouble jumping in with both feet. There was nothing too exciting about the characters that drew me into the story or made me really cheer for Carter to solve the murder. For a mystery fan, there were not a lot of twists and you wil

From the Ashes

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Review by Nancy There are always hidden secrets – everywhere you look. The Federal Government probably has more than most and one of them is the subject of this well-written book. A man is murdered and his brother isn’t believing the suicide decision made by the local cops. Jon heard about Michael’s death while climbing in Australia. Michael had just proposed to the love of his life, why would he end it? Jon and Michael’s fiancé, Mara, both agree on one thing: whatever Michael was researching got him killed and when someone tries to take Jon out for being in his brother’s apartment they are positive. And they’re right. Michael had discovered something some very powerful people are willing to do anything to acquire. A piece of paper signed by the Federal Government and given to…..well, that would be telling, wouldn’t it? Amazing historical research, very frightening agent-types and some people just trying to do the right thing and led into it quite nice by author Burns. Even if

Ship of Souls

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D became a ward of the state, when his mother died from cancer. Lucky for D, he is taken in by Mrs. Ward, a nice white lady. Things are going great for D until Mrs. Ward cares for Mercy, a crack baby. Soon, all of Mrs. Ward’s time is occupied by Mercy. D is a math whiz. This is why Mr. Powell hires D to tutor his son, Hakeem in math. Nyla has captured the attention of both D and Hakeem. Soon, D, Hakeem and Nyla are hanging out together. D decides one day to go to the park. Once in the park, D hears a voice. The voice is coming from a small, white bird. The bird’s name is Nuru. D. takes Nuru home with him. Nuru tells D that she must return and help the lost souls. D agrees to help Nuru on her mission. He is joined by Hakeem and Nyla. It will be a dangerous mission as they battle the Nether beings. I thought this was an entertaining, quick read. In fact, I sat down to read this book and didn’t put it down until I had finished it. D and Nyla I felt were the strongest characters. This book

So Damn Lucky

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Lucky O’Toole is the head of Customer Relations at the Babylon in Las Vegas. She has been invited to a farewell party in honor of the forty year run of the Calliope Burlesque Cabaret at the Athena Resort and Casino. It seems that the farewell party would not be a party without a big surprise. That is correct. Famed magician, Dimitri Fortunoff is performing as the grand finale. Dimitri will perform Harry Houdini’s famous Chinese Water Torture Cell trick. Something goes terribly wrong and Dimitri ends up dead. Lucky is on the case. She is assisted by Detective Romeo. This case will not be so easy to solve. Their main witness has gone missing. This book was crazy and kooky in a good way. Lucky is my kind of gal. She has the brains and brawn. She goes after her man or woman and does not stop until she has caught them. This book had some interesting characters. Which I would expect when this series is based in Las Vegas. The past two books, I was on the fence about and they were alright but

Ice Gorilla

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Review by Nancy Will had nothing left to lose which is why he took Dean Chen up on his offer to explore the wilderness on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf which is rapidly calving away from it’s main glacier. Someone found a claw there – a claw never before seen and it is BIG! He and a small team led by Chen, his idiot assistant and his two best friends (plus one research student) fly to the wilderness in hopes of catching and bringing back the owner of the claw. A blizzard, several deaths and mutilations later they come to realize this was a very, very bad plan. They had no idea what they were up against – strange critters, mean wolves, earthquakes and, unfortunately, each other. Bouncing back and forth between the two research teams, one above ground the other below, the author weaves a riveting tale of horror and cold. “Ice Gorilla” may be one of the best mind-twisters I’ve read. Not just year but for quite a while. If you like scary stories, where your head may make better images than

A Woman’s Power: Threads that Bind Us to God

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This book is a good reminder of renewing your faith in God. We may have to suffer but not like what Jesus did for us on the cross. Our suffering is what makes us stronger. I like the explanation that Fay’s son, Tim made when he was just fourteen years old. He said “I’d rather be a native trout any day.” He explained that hatchery fish are hand-fed and consequently smaller and weaker than native fish. He said, “Native trout grow bigger, stronger, and smarter because they have to fight for everything they have.” Wow. At this age, I definitely understood about God and praying but this is amazing and Tim was much wiser than his fourteen years. Ms. Klinger quotes good passages from the Bible that help convey the message she is describing at that moment in the book. The passages are usually inserted after a paragraph or used to help build a sentence. I found reading this book enlightening. It was like going to a Bible study. While, on the note, when you think of a Bible study, you probably t