Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:


Then on one of a cluster of small islands I noticed a black mark.  I looked closer.  Written underneath in tiny letters was the word "Beach."


The Beach - Alex Garland pg. 15

Musing Mondays

Musing Mondays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

• Do you read books that are part of a series?
• Do you collect all of the books of a series before starting? What if the series is brand new, and the only book that has been published so far is book one? As subsequent books in the series are published, do you go back and read the preceding books?

Yup I love to read series books. I have the most enjoyment when I can watch characters grow and experience. It's like watching a mini series of movies in my head.

If I end up really enjoying a series, I will buy the books to keep. Especially if I think I might go back and re read them at some point. It's great to be able to read several books in a series back to back however there is a great thrill in reading the first book of a series when it comes out. Makes for a long wait in between so it's 50/50 for me on that question. As subsequent books come out I sometimes go back and re read the preceding book if I feel I have forgotten too much, though not all the time.

Mailbox Monday and What Are You Reading

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is being hosted by Metroreader.

Very slow mail week. Nothing arrived at my house this week.

It's Monday. What are you reading this week? Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. This is a meme to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.

Books I finished in the last week:

The Stranger You Seek - Amanda Kyle Williams
Cruddy - Lynda Barry 

Books I am reading this week:

The Beach - Alex Garland

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist (on the back burner for now)

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

The Beach - Alex Garland

The Stranger You Seek - A Review

The Stranger You Seek - Amanda Kyle Williams (publisher)

Synopsis:

The papers have called me a monster. You’ve either concluded that I am a braggart as well as a sadist or that I have a deep and driving need to be caught and punished.    
 
In the sweltering heat of an Atlanta summer, a killer is pushing the city to its breaking point, preying on the unsuspecting, writing taunting letters to the media, promising more death. Desperate to stop the Wishbone Killer before another victim meets a shattering end, A.P.D. lieutenant Aaron Rauser turns to the one person he knows can penetrate a deranged mind: ex–FBI profiler Keye Street.
 
And you must certainly be wondering if I am, in fact, the stranger you seek.
 
Keye was a rising young star at the Bureau until addiction derailed her career and her life. Now sober and fighting to stay so, Keye picks up jobs where she can get them: catching adulterers, serving subpoenas, chasing down bailjumpers, and dodging the occasional bullet. With multiple victims, little to go on, and an entire police force looking for direction, the last thing Keye wants is to be pulled into the firestorm of Atlanta’s worst nightmare.
 
Shall I convince you?


My Thoughts:


Where to start. It took me a bit to get into this book and in fact almost put it down, but something kept nagging at me pushing me forward with it. I have to say I'm glad I stuck it out. It ended up being a really good mystery with twists and turns just about everywhere you looked.  


Keye Street is a tough, alcoholic ex FBI turned Bounty Hunter/Private Investigator. I like her she's sassy and quick witted if sometimes a tad bit too trusting. Watching her and Rauser dance around each other made the book even better. These characters have great chemistry together and I loved watching their interactions.


So bottom line on the book. Serial killer having his or her way with several victims. I'll be honest I spend the entire book never really having a clue who it was until the very end. That says a lot about a book. It kept me guessing. Best part about the book.


Author's Website: Amanda Kyle Williams

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:


How did the killer get out without being seen?  I looked up and down the hall.  No way to get to one of the exits in the middle of the day without a resident noticing a person with blood all over his clothing.


The Stranger You Seek - Amanda Kyle Williams pg. 198

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

 Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is being hosted by Metroreader.

I bought two books and these cool calendar bookmarks of London. Every month is a new photo of some place in London with a detachable calender so you can use them for years and years. Since I love and collect bookmarks, these are fantastic!

 The Beach - Alex Garland (bought. I love this movie and have heard the book was much better so have to read it)

Cruddy - Lynda Barry (bought. I know nothing about this book, other than the cover intrigues me and good reads had over 2k reviews with an average of 4 stars. Had to give it a shot)

It's Monday. What are you reading this week? Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. This is a meme to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.

Books I finished in the last week:

Life As We Knew It - Sussan Beth Pfeffer

Books I am reading this week:

The Stranger You Seek - Amanda Kyle Williams

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist (on the back burner for now)

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

The Stranger You Seek - Amanda Kyle Williams

Life As We Knew It - A Review

Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer (own)

Synopsis:

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

    

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

My Thoughts:

What a powerful little book. First I find myself reading with curiosity of what was going to happen, which slowly turned into fear of what did happen. Which left me wanting to not put the book down to see how it ends.

What I really liked and even disliked at times were the realness of the characters. Reading Miranda's journal of events and her reactions was uplifting and aggravating to say it best. Her responses to what was happening around her we so real, I had to remind myself it was a book of fiction. I felt her fears, her anxieties, I even felt her irritation of how unfair things were. That right there makes this a great read. I love when a book makes me feel like I'm there experiencing what the narrator is. 

It almost hard to put into words how this book affected me. So many what ifs this happens in real life. How would I react? How would my children handle this? How would the world at large? I can tell you this book made me want to stockpile. It made me wish I had a bigger garage heh. It made me think. 

I'm looking forward to reading book two. Seeing this event through a different set of eye in a different area in the county. See how they handled it. See how it was different for them. Seriously if you get a chance, read this book. You won't regret it. Though you might want some tissues handy. 

Author's Website: Susan Beth Pfeffer

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:


Mrs. Nesbitt died. 
I don't know when but she was in bed and I like to think she died in her sleep.  Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful. 


Life as We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer pg. 240

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is being hosted by Metroreader.

I bought one book this week.

 A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

It's Monday. What are you reading this week? Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. This is a meme to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.

Books I finished in the last week:

The Line - Teri Hall
The Away - Teri Hall

Books I am reading this week:

Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Peffer

The Away - A Review

The Away - Teri Hall (own)

Synopsis:


After crossing the Line, Rachel finds herself in a world where survival is never guaranteed - a world where bizarre creatures roam the woods and people have strange abilities. Everything has gone to ruin Away and the survivors have banded into warring clans. Rachel finds her father being held prisoner by a tribe of Others, and she and her new friends set out to rescue him. But when they cross back over the Line, Rachel and Pathik make a foolish decision, bringing them into further danger that can only be resolved with an unthinkable sacrifice.

An adventure filled with life-and-death choices, dark conspiracies, and heart-poundingly suspenseful moments, this sequel delivers.

My Thoughts:

I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down. I finished The Line yesterday and started this one last night. Again Teri's worlds kept me captivated and everything I enjoyed about the first book , I enjoyed here as well.  And once again, a cliffhanger! I want to know what is going to happen next. I can't wait to see what may be in store. 

Author's Website: Teri Hall

The Line - A Review

The Line - Teri Hall (bought)

Synopsis:


When Rachel and her mother move to Mrs. Moore's house-the one with the greenhouse, right next to the Line-Rachel starts questioning things. There are so many rumors of horrible things that lie beyond the Line-in a place called Away-but no one dares to talk about it. And it's no use asking questions- especially of Mrs. Moore, who has always lived by the Line, or of her mother, who is just happy to have a place to stay, especially since Rachel's father died in the war. But then Rachel comes across a recorded message-one that could only have come from Away. And the voice on the recorder is asking for help. As things start to unravel, the question becomes, how far is Rachel willing to go to cross the Line and do the right thing?


My Thoughts:


I love the premise of this book but once I got it and started reading, I have to admit the doubts kicked in a bit. However it didn't take too long for me to change my mind and I really ended up enjoying the book. I just put it down a few minutes ago and I now I want book two.


Imagine living in a world where you're borders are sealed. There's no way out. The governments says it's for your own protection but is it really? The idea of sealed borders kind of freaks me out. This is Rachels life born after the line went up. Told of stories of the Away and the Others. Scary horror stories of what is on the other side. But Rachel is a curious girl, always questioning. I liked that about her. 


I will say book one was more of a build up book. Giving life to the characters more than creating much action. That comes later in the book. I will say you might want to have book 2 on hand before you pick this one up. Book one leaves a gazillion questions unanswered and you are going to want to go straight into book two.


Author's Website: Teri Hall

The Darkening Dream

FREE Two Days Only: A Vampire Novel with Actual Bite!

As the modern world establishes itself and pushes the supernatural into the shadows, the supernatural fights back.

The Darkening Dream is a chilling new dark fantasy novel by Andy Gavin, creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter, that has received rave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and is FREE for two days only on Amazon Kindle (February 7^th to 8^th)! Download your FREE copy here: http://amzn.to/yTvZPG

Long-time readers of dark historical fantasy (Tim Powers, Guy Gavriel Kay, Katherine Kurtz) will appreciate the weaving together of mythology, occult, and religion, while younger readers and fans of HBO dramas (True Blood, Carnivàle) or urban fantasy (Laurell K. Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher) will be drawn to the twisted imagination, graphic action, and romantic tension.

About The Darkening Dream

Even as the modern world pushes the supernatural aside in favor of science and steel, the old ways remain. God, demon, monster, and sorcerer alike plot to regain what was theirs.

1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is full of friends, books, and avoiding the pressure to choose a husband, until an ominous vision and the haunting call of an otherworldly trumpet shake her. When she stumbles across a gruesome corpse, she fears that her vision was more of a premonition. And when she sees the murdered boy moving through the crowd at an amusement park, Sarah is thrust into a dark battle she does not understand.

With the help of Alex, an attractive Greek immigrant who knows a startling amount about the undead, Sarah sets out to uncover the truth. Their quest takes them to the factory mills of Salem, on a midnight boat ride to spy on an eerie coastal lair, and back, unexpectedly, to their own homes. What can Alex’s elderly, vampire-hunting grandfather and Sarah’s own rabbi father tell them? And what do Sarah’s continuing visions reveal?

No less than Gabriel’s Trumpet, the tool that will announce the End of Days, is at stake, and the forces that have banded to recover it include a 900 year-old vampire, a trio of disgruntled Egyptian gods, and a demon-loving Puritan minister. At the center of this swirling cast is Sarah, who must fight a millennia-old battle against unspeakable forces, knowing the ultimate prize might be her very soul.

The Reviews Are In

"A vampire novel with actual bite." ~The Kirkus Reviews

"Mr. Gavin has brought something refreshingly new to a genre now suffused with poorly-concealed bodice-rippers which have more in common with Fabio than Bram Stoker: depth. His big baddies are scary, not romantic interests, and the added religious lore is complex and engaging. Don't expect another Twilight -- the story can get downright creepy, so be prepared for a return to the old horror sensibilities of supernatural fiction." ~Amazon Review

"With Mr. Gavin's video-game pedigree, I was expecting something aimed squarely at the 18-25 year old fanboy contingent; what I got in The Darkening Dream was something wholly unexpected: A period novel with a female protagonist, a crash-course on Judaism in the colonial years, and multi-layered series of plot arcs featuring a crazy cast of natural and supernatural characters populating 18th Century Colonial America." ~Amazon Review

"…A perfect blend of mystery, magic and myth. A grown-up Grimm's fairy tale...emphasis on grim."  ~Amazon Review

Read the first two sample chapters here >> http://bit.ly/xXVxXS

Get your FREE copy of The Darkening Dream for two days only on Amazon here. http://amzn.to/yTvZPG

No eReader or Kindle? No problem. Get free apps for your Web Browser, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, or Android Phone.

Cover links can be found at:

http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/the-darkening-dream/cover

and

http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/the-darkening-dream/cover-small

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:


Here, stop.  He stopped.


Someone approached from behind.  A powerful scent encircle him, fragrances of damp earth and exotic spices, of cinnamon, honey, and almonds. One hand reached from behind to clasp one of Charles', the other places itself on his hip--almost in an embrace.


The Darkening Dream - Andy Gavin pg.8

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

 Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is being hosted by Metroreader.

I bought one book this week. One I read before but wanted for my shelves.

 Cleopatra's Daughter - Michelle Moran

It's Monday. What are you reading this week? Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. This is a meme to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.

Books I finished in the last week:

Replay - Ken Grimwood
All Wounds - Dina James

Books I am reading this week:

The Line - Teri Hall

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

The Line - Teri Hall

All Wounds - A Review

All Wounds - Dina James (contest win)

Synopsis:


It's said that when opportunity knocks on your door, you have only one chance to take it.

No one said what you're supposed to do when it kicks it.

All Rebecca MacDonnell wants to do is get through high school with grades good enough to win a prestigious scholarship so that she can finally leave her miserable life behind. One evening, after a particularly bad day, she finds out that people other than her aging grandmother need her help, and desperately so.

Well, not "people," exactly. Vampires, werewolves, demons, ghosts, goblins, and other things thought only imaginary all need help sometime, and Rebecca was born with the unique ability to heal ethereal beings. She is about to turn seventeen, the age at which her talent will manifest in its entirety, and become a true Healer...if she lives through the event. A war between various ethereal factions is brewing, and Healers are a valuable commodity to any side. Those who wish to harness Rebecca's manifesting healing powers for their own purposes must get to her before her seventeenth birthday.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and kept me reading from beginning to end. 

The characters are fantastic! Rebecca is young and inexperienced girl, who has to put up with crap from people at her school and taking care of an ailing grandma. When she learns she's a healer and all those creepy paranormal things are real, she handled it pretty well considering. I might have crumbled. I loved how healers in this book are neutral not on anyone's side and willing to help all who come to her assistance. You don't see that often. I'm kind of excited to see how her character grows in the next book.

Now on to the other characters. Billy. OMG this wolf-man is just awesome. I love how protective of Rebecca he is and his cute nickname he has for her, Bit. He's like a big teddy bear, only wolf, who has this appetite that will leave any reader rummaging through the cupboards looking for whatever is available to snack on. If I could eat like he does and not put on a gazillion pounds, it would be heaven lol. 

Syd is a master vampire and Rebecca trainer/mentor. Lets just say I'm very interested to see where this character goes. Robin is Rebecca's friend who is there to help her in situations that she might need. Ryan is pretty cool too.

All in all a great book and I look forward to the next one to come. You can bet I will be keeping my eye out for it. 

Author's Website: Dina James