Bookmark Swap: Bookmark Lovers Unite


The holiday season is over and soon enough we will be waving goodbye to the first month of 2013! To help chase off the post-holiday sad mailbox blues Wendy and I decided to host a bookmark swap.


Swap Timeline
·       Sign-ups will be open until February 25th (Fill out form below to sign up)
·       February 25th – 28th Wendy and I will contact you with the person you will be sending bookmarks to
·       Mail your bookmarks out no later than March 15th
·       Please let us know (via email, Twitter, Facebook, or here on the blog) when you have received bookmarks



Bookmark Guidelines
·       To ensure that everyone gets about the same number of bookmarks we are setting a limit. You can send anywhere from 3-5 bookmarks. This will also save on postage.
·       Bookmarks can be homemade, magnetic, decorative, advertising a book or author, or even signed by an author.
·       We are requesting blog links, etc. on the form so you will have that available to research your swapee. If you want you can base your bookmark choices on what you find.

Fun News

Do you remember, back in June, when Author Amanda Brice stopped by and told you about her plans to kill me?! If you missed the post you can check it out here. At the time it seemed like something in the far off in the distance....but now. Now my fictional death is looming, in my very near future, because Pas De Death (Dani Spevak Mystery #3) releases February 28th!! I have a little less than one month with you, my lovely readers, before I'm offed. I'm very excited to see what Amanda has in store for me!

Amanda Brice's Website



Links for the first two books in the series:

Codename: Dancer (Dani Spevak Mystery #1) on Goodreads, Amazon, & Barnes and Noble
Pointe of No Return (Dani Spevak Mystery #2) on Goodreads, Amazon, & Barnes and Noble
Books 1 & 2 in an ebook bundle on Amazon, Barnes & Noble


Cover Reveal: Stained by Cheryl Rainfield

Book Description:

In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer.

Tag Line:

Sometimes you have to be your own hero.

Release Date:

Nov 19, 2013

Publisher:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

From the author:

Like I did with SCARS and HUNTED, I drew on some of my own experiences of bullying, abuse, and trauma to write STAINED and to give it greater emotional depth. Like Sarah in STAINED, I experienced abduction, imprisonment, periods of forced starvation, mind control, and having my life threatened. And like Sarah, I tried hard to fight against my abuser, keep my own sense of self, and escape. I hope readers will see Sarah's strength and courage, and appreciate her emotional growth as she reclaims herself.



Available For Pre-Order on:

Amazon (hardcover) (well, it says you can get an email when avail)
Amazon (kindle)

Amazon.ca (hardcover)
Amazon.ca (ebook)

Amazon.co.uk (hardcover)
Amazon.co.uk (ebook)
The Book Depository

Powell's

Books a Million

Where to find Cheryl Rainfield:

Website
Blog
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook



I love this cover! It's a very powerful image and seems like it's perfectly fitting to the book. And the author, Cheryl Rainfield, never ceases to amaze me with how much of herself and her experiences she puts into her books. 


Leopard Moon: Book Blast & Guest Post


To help spread the word about the fact that Jeanette Battista's LEOPARD MOON, the first book in the Moon series, is available for free at Amazon for the Kindle until the end of the month we've invited the author to the blog to share a guest post about her experience writing the book.

The Moon series consists of four books - LEOPARD MOON, JACKAL MOON, HYENA MOON and HUNTER MOON - and is a series author Melissa Marr says, "... is filled with action and romance, shape shifters and strong heroines."

To check out all the books in the series on Goodreads, CLICK HERE.

The guest post follows below, but first here's some information about the awesome book and author and places you can find them both online!



About the Book:

Title: LEOPARD MOON (Moon Series #1)
Author: Jeanette Battista
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release date: March 7, 2012
Pages: 204
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

***Kindle format free at Amazon - HERE***

Description:

How do you disappear when you come from a family of predators?

A wereleopard, Kess is forced to flee her home and family in Miami once her brother's obsession with her turns violent. She runs from city to city, trying to stay one step ahead of the investigators her family has dispatched to bring her home. Kess ends up in the mountains of North Carolina and attracts the attention of Cormac, a young man with a secret of his own. As she attempts to live as normal a life as her were-nature allows, her brother Sek continues to hunt for her. He believes she is the key to revitalizing their weakened clan and is driven to extreme measures to ensure their continued existence. As Kess' relationship with Cormac deepens, Sek closes in, threatening Cormac's life and Kess' freedom.

When the moon rises, the hunt is on….



Dimitri Williams Photography
Source: Author's website
About the Author

Jeanette Battista graduated with an English degree with a concentration in medieval literature which explains her possibly unhealthy fixation on edged weapons and cathedral architecture. She spent a summer in England and Scotland studying the historical King Arthur, which did nothing to curb her obsession. To satisfy her adrenaline cravings—since sword fighting is not widely accepted in these modern times—she rode a motorcycle at ridiculously high speeds, got some tattoos, and took kickboxing and boxing classes. She gave up the bike when her daughter came along, although she still gets pummeled at the gym on a regular basis.

When she’s not writing or working, Jeanette spends time with family, hikes, reads, makes decadent brownies, buys killer boots, and plays Pocket Frogs. She wishes there were more hours in the day so she could actually do more of these things. She lives with her daughter and their ancient, ill-tempered cat in North Carolina.

Find her: Goodreads | Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook


I'll be honest--I wasn't planning to write a book like Leopard Moon. I had an entirely different story in my head at the time, but it just wasn't coming into clear focus. That's the funny way writing works though: there I am, sitting at a red light on my way to meet my friends for a birthday martini and pedicure, listening to Florence + the Machine and WHAM! The song Howl comes on and this whole lovely scene just starts unfolding in my head. There was Kess, running through the woods, ripping off of her clothes as she triggered a change into a black leopard. And there was Cormac, standing in a different part of the woods being beaten mercilessly by the villain. I didn't know Sek was going to turn out to be Kess' brother, but I did know who he was as a character and what he wanted.

It was truly a gift: the entire final fight scene just unspooled itself along with the song lyrics. Each beat of the song matched a key point in the fight. The more I listened, the more I realized that the lyrics could apply to all of the characters in the main triangle at some point in the story I suddenly wanted to tell. And I wanted that story to be more than just boy meeting girl--I wanted that story to be about girl saving boy, but more importantly about girl saving herself. The song Howl gave me Kess first and Sekhmet second, so a lot of what I tried to do with them was to show them as two halves of a whole, two sides of a coin. Howl, at least to me, wasn't a love song at all--it was a song about possession and obsession and all of those things that show up in our animal drives. that we'd like to forget exists.

So when I began to craft Kess and Sek, Howl played on a continuous loop. And though the song speaks of wolves, I knew these two had to be cats. Wolves have a more social nature and are more easily understood by us--I think it comes from them being a a precursor to our beloved dogs. Cats are an unknown quantity, strange and separate, even if they choose to share space with us. I wanted real darkness there, not just a brief bit of danger that would be easily resolved. Obsession and mental illness gave Sek that scariness, but also--I hope--a bit of sympathy. He really does love his sister and wants what is best for her and his clan. I never intended to excuse his behavior, but I did want to try and understand it.

Just like the song made me understand that narrator of that story. I can only hope I did half so well.

***
To meet Kess, Cormac and Sek in this first book in the Moon series, head over to Amazon to download the Kindle eBook for free until January 31st.

It can be found HERE!

Shelf Candy Saturday (36): Fire Frost by Olivia Rivers

Shelf Candy Saturday is hosted by A Night's Dream of Books.


Fire Frost
by Olivia Rivers

“Magic is just like love, Allai. It won’t wait for permission before it destroys you.”

Like sand in an hourglass, Allai’s future is dwindling away. She’s spent her entire life fighting the Mages who threaten humanity, and dreams of someday eradicating magic. But all it takes is an anonymousphonecall for the truth to spill out: Allai is the one thing she despises most.

She’s a Mage.

Though ancient law mandates Allai’s death, she still has one last chance of survival.His name is Drake Rhaize, and he swears he can lead Allai to a sanctuary for Mages. Allai hasn’t seen Drake in years, but she remembers him as the Demon boy who used to hold her closeand softly whisper that he’d keep her safe. But Drake has changed since then: He’s now suspected of murder, and has been out-casted for betraying his own kind.

While Allai doesn’t trust Drake, she has no choice but to put her life in his hands and hope he can get her to safety. Because Allai’s father has hired a pack ofDemons tobring her back to him, dead or alive–and Demons never stop the hunt.

"Frost Fire" is a YA Paranormal Romance intended for ages 14+.

Frost Fire is a “Good Reads and Good Deeds” book. All net proceeds for Frost Fire go toward the Dysautonomia Youth Network of America, a charity that supports youth with medical conditions affecting the nervous system.



Author's Website
Author on Goodreads


My Thoughts: Wow! This cover just popped out at me. I love how the red in the wings stands out against the background. Other than the cover and summary I think the fact that the author is a high school student and is giving the proceeds from the purchases to charity, is an amazing reason to buy this book.



Winner: Ocean Kills ebook

The winner of Ocean Kills by Jade Hart is...

Lois Gresh

Congrats!!!!

Watering Heaven by Peter Tieryas Liu

Goodreads Summary:
What would you do if you found out your girlfriend laid an egg every time she had sex? Who would you be if you were invited to a party in Beijing but had to make up a brand-new identity for six weeks? Peter Tieryas Liu's Watering Heaven is a travelogue of and requiem for the American dream in all its bizarre manifestations and a surreal, fantastic journey through the streets, alleys, and airports of China. Whether it's a monk who uses acupuncture needles to help him fly or a city filled with rats about to be exterminated so that the mayor can win his reelection bid, be prepared to laugh, swoon, and shudder at the answers Liu offers in this provocative debut collection.
My Thoughts:
I am so glad I read this book. The collection of stories is very unique and definitely keeps readers captivated. With most of the stories I had no clue as to what was going to happen so I was always surprised. I really liked that Peter's work was able to keep me guessing and held my attention. That alone makes an excellent read for me. I would definitely recommend this book for those of you that are looking for something different that will still keep you enthralled!
**I received this book for review but that has in no way effected my opinion.**
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Today we have Peter Tieryas Liu (PTL) author of Watering Heaven, on At Random (AR) for an interview.
(AR) Welcome Peter!
(PTL) Thank you! Glad to be here!
---
(AR) Where did you come up with the ideas for Watering Heaven?
(PTL) Watering Heaven’s individual stories were written over several years. The first published one was “58 Randoms Deaths and Unrequited Love” which I wrote in 2005. The last story I wrote was “Resistance” in 2011. The other stories were written between all of these. So many different things have inspired me, from my travels to China, to a night out on the town with friends in the streets of San Francisco. Let me cite one specific example. The story, “Cold Fusion,” was inspired when I heard about an experiment involving sharks and fish. They were placed together in a tank with only a glass partition separating them. As the sharks would hit the partition, they learned they could not cross over the barrier. Even after it was removed, they never went over to the fish side even though nothing separated them. Something about that image struck a chord for me, especially in regards to the difficulties of relationships. Cross that in with my fascination for cold fusion and the story was born.
---
(AR) Was any particular story more difficult to write than the others?
(PTL) That’s a great question and I struggled with the answer as all of them were difficult in very different ways. Some stories just wrote themselves whereas others went through hundreds of iterations. I’m going to go with the story of “Resistance” because it was one of my most personal stories and a lot of emotions raged through me as I wrote it. I actually figured out the ending before I wrote the story. Basically, I wanted an ending where you think the main character survives, and then he dies. Of course, my editor wanted that changed as it seemed to come out of nowhere so we went through several iterations and the final ending is one of grim reality mixed with hope. I’m really glad we made that change!
---
(AR) Are there any authors that have inspired you?
(PTL) Too many. John Steinbeck, Herman Melville, Cao Xueqin, Soren Kierkegaard, Leza Lowitz, William Blake (whose poetry inspired the title), and hundreds of more writers. It’s tough to be a good writer if you aren’t a good reader as well.
(AR) I never thought of it that way!
---
(AR) Have you always known you wanted to write?
(PTL) Odd to say, but yes, since I was very young. I always loved story-telling, loved books, movies, and games. So I was immensely honored that Signal 8 published my debut collection. I’ve been fortunate to have had a lot of short stories and essays published, but there’s no feeling quite like holding your own book in your hands and sharing it with others.
---
(AR) Are you currently working on anything now?
(PTL) My first novel was picked up for an option by Signal 8 Press. It’s called The Wingless and it’s a noir tale about a group of Asian-Americans (one a former game developer) hunting down a serial killer in Los Angeles.
(AR) That sounds very interesting Peter.
---
(AR) Thank you so much for joining us today taking the time to answer our questions.
(PTL) Thank you very much for your time!

Authors website
Author on Goodreads
Buy it on Amazon



Cover Reveal: Caged (Holloway Pack #3) by J.A. Belfield


Caged

A Holloway Pack Story (#3)
by J.A. Belfield

Release Date: August 5, 2013
Target Reader: Adult
Keywords: Romantic, Urban Fantasy, Werewolf

Back of the Book

If the meek can become deadly, the strongest can be weak.

For Ethan Holloway, his mission to find a missing werewolf should be simple. Crack a few heads, bust a few chops and the solution always reveals itself. Always.

Not this time.

Ethan’s reputation precedes him, and because it does, someone is ready. Waiting. Unbeknownst to Ethan, he’s about to go down. Hard. Against a foe he never suspected and in a world he never imagined could be real.

What awaits Ethan is a fight not only for his reputation, but also his pack, his female, and his life. If he survives, damage control will become priority number one.

If he survives.

Because even Ethan’s not sure he’s strong enough to take on an entire race all by himself.

Especially one hell bent on exposing who and what he is in the name of sport.

Other Novels in this series include:
Darkness & Light (#1)
Blue Moon (#2)

In-between release novellas include:
Instinct (#0)
Eternal (#.5)
Resonance (#2.5)

Where to find J.A. Belfield:
Website
Author Blog
Review Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads



I can't even imagine who's after Ethan but I suspect it won't end well for them. Nobody puts Baby Ethan in the corner in a cage. 

And that cover!! Eesh, even as a caged animal Ethan is totally smokin'!! I'm really looking forward to reading this book!



Shelf Candy Saturday (35): Better Than Chocolate and Vanity Fare

Shelf Candy Saturday is hosted by A Night's Dream of Books.

Last year I started to really enjoy what I call 'foodie' books, books that have food or something food related as a major theme throughout the story. This week I decided to feature two foodie book covers.

Side note: I recently started a Foodie Fans group on Goodreads. If you like foodie books, baking, or cooking then come on over and join up :)



Better Than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts

Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company has been in the Sterling family for generations, ever since Great-Grandma Rose literally dreamed up her first fabulous recipe. But now it looks as if they’re about to lose Sweet Dreams to the bank – and that would be a disaster, not only for the family but for the town of Icicle Falls, Washington. Can Samantha, the oldest daughter and new head of the company, come up with a way to save it? After Samantha does some brainstorming with her mother and sisters, inspiration strikes. They’ll have a chocolate festival! Time’s running out, but the Sterling women are determined and the town’s behind them, so everything’s bound to go smoothly.

Or not. Events seem to be conspiring against Samantha, and her mother’s attempts to help aren’t helping. To make matters worse, the fate of her company is in the hands of her archenemy, Blake Preston, the bank manager with the football-hero good looks. It’s enough to drive her to chocolate. But Blake’s also enough to convince her that (believe it or not) there’s something even better than chocolate.


Better Than Chocolate on Goodreads, Amazon, & Barnes and Noble
Sheila Roberts' Website


Vanity Fare by Megan Caldwell

A charming novel about a 40-year-old Brooklyn mother, recently divorced, who starts writing copy for a bakery, discovers a knack for food – related literary puns, and becomes entangled in a love triangle.

Molly Hagan is overwhelmed.

Her husband left her for a younger, blonder woman, her six year-old son is questioning her authority, and now, so is she. In order to pay her Brooklyn rent and keep her son supplied with Pokemon and Legos-not to mention food and clothing-she has to get a job. Fast.

So when an old friend offers Molly a copywriting position at a new bakery, finding romance is just about the last thing on her mind. But the sexy British pastry chef who’s heading up the bakery has other thoughts. And so does Molly when she meets the chef’s intimidating business partner-who also happens to have a secret that might prevent Molly from getting her own Happily Ever After.

Vanity Fare on Goodreads, Amazon, & Barnes and Noble
Megan Caldwell's Website


Better Than Chocolate - How cute is this cover!? I like how all of the pinks and reds give the cover a warm and fuzzy feel. It also seems like it might be a lighter read. And of course I wish I could sit there drinking a hot cup of coffee while eating heart shaped chocolates!

Vanity Fare - This cover definitely has a different tone to it. It has more of a mature, serious feel to it with the old, worn books. And those cookies sure do look scrumptious!! 

I haven't read either of these to know if the covers speak for the books but I will find out at some point since both are on my to read list!

 



Friday Favorites: TV Shows

 
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of our favorite things.
 
We all talk a lot about books on our blogs, but what about other things we like? Friday Favorites is a meme hosted by Epic (Chocolate) Fantasy that gives book bloggers a chance to gush about something other than novels.
 
The first topic is 'TV Shows'
 
Jen's Favorite Shows
The Walking Dead - Although the show seriously frustrates me at times, I still can't get enough of it. I love the characters and all of the bloody zombie kills.
Bunheads/Switched at Birth - My guilty pleasure shows that I usually don't admit to watching
Law & Order: SVU - They (tv people) really need to stop running SVU marathons because I get sucked in every time
So You Think You Can Dance
Ice Road Truckers/Deadliest Catch

Wendy's Favorite Shows
Bones
Grimm
Haven
NCIS
Once Upon a Time
The Walking Dead
 

Life, Love and the Pursuit of Chocolate (Finding Love 2) by Caedem Marquez



Summary from Amazon:

Chocolate shop owner Rachel McDaniel buried herself in her work after the death of her boyfriend. Three years later, she’s not ready to rejoin the world—but the world is more than ready for her. Three men are competing for her, including handsome writer, Daniel Martinez, who rekindles feelings Rachel thought were buried.

Compelling and rugged stranger, Matthew Danforth, hints that all is not well with her love life but won’t tell her more, and Rachel finds herself losing her temper as she tempers her chocolate. Rachel must decide who to give her love to, and in the process, try and find closure and healing. It may come from the most unexpected place.

My Thoughts:

I’m not sure why it took me so long to start the second installment of the Finding Love series but man it’s such a great book! I am just as in love with this one as I was with the first in the series.

Although it’s not quite as evenly distributed as I would like; there is a mixture of light, carefree humor, romance, heartbreak, and heavier, deeper moments. The author definitely knows how to portray emotions in such a way that will have you mooney eyed and grinning at some parts and frowning or teary at others.

Overall rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Goodreads
Smashwords
Amazon

 

Three Cheers for Chunky and I Hate Cell Phones by Mike Ronny


I am doing two reviews today since these are both novellas. Both of these stories are from author Mike Ronny.

Three Cheers for Chunky

Goodreads Summary:

Chunky plans to spend junior year of high school goofing off with his friends, watching soap operas with his Grandma, and stuffing his face with as much candy as humanly possible. But then, as a joke, a classmate signs him up for the track team. To everyone’s surprise, Chunky accepts this challenge – well, sort of.

My Thoughts:

This is a short story about "Chunky" and the event that changed his life. This is another story that would be good for a lunch hour read as it is only about 13 pages. I liked how "Chunky" looked up to the coach and did as he asked, even though he really didn't want to. Also because of this, and the coach he changes himself.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5



I Hate Cell Phones

Goodreads Summary:

All his life, Rodney “Red” Daley loved building bombs. Now, however, this retired weapons expert is in an assisted living home. Forced to play Bingo and checkers all day, Red attempts a daring escape. It’s no use. But then Red gets his hands on some wires, and a battery, and a timing device….

My Thoughts:

This book is a short story from Red's POV. Red is an elderly man and in the story he ends up going to a nursing home. I really liked reading his thoughts on everything that was going on and his reactions. The story is written just like an elderly man would talk. What I mean is it isn't grammatically correct, but it fits extremely well considering the story. There is a plot twist at the end that had my jaw dropping! I did enjoy this story & I think you will too.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

**I recieved both of these books for review, but that has in no way effected my opinion.**






Ocean Kills By Jade Hart - Review, Author Interview, & Giveaway


Goodreads Summary:

Around the world, murderers and rapists pick off the innocent. Killing loved ones, separating families, and ruining lives.

As an eight-year-old girl, Ocean witnessed her family’s massacre and something altered inside her. Twisting her genetic code… unlocking an ability to teleport.

Ocean Breeze was never destined to be normal, especially having been named after air-freshener. She’s a shadow, a ghost—a dark saviour of the innocent. Armed with a switchblade in her bra, and a box-cutter in her pocket, she hunts the filth of the world.

Callan Bliss is a Sydney police officer whose skill-set is far above that of a normal cop. All his fellow officers see is a hard worker who loves to catch perpetrators and surf, but that’s because they don’t know about his past. When Callan arrests a suspicious-looking prostitute, he comes face-to-face with a self-confessed vigilante, and suddenly, his secrets aren’t so easy to keep silent.

Ocean hates the police with a passion, and has no intention of being held captive by a cop, even if he is sexy as hell. Teleporting from under his nose, Ocean hunts her next target—a man responsible for the largest sex ring in South Africa—and now he’s about to die. But she doesn’t count on Callan giving chase, nor the body-quaking lust that consumes them. However, Ocean's dark hobbies take precedence over what her heart wants—her thirst for murdering is killing her too, and not even Callan can save her.

My Thoughts: 

*I recieved this book for review, but that has in no way effected my opinion.*

I really enjoyed the unique story line of this book. Ocean is a woman that survived a brutal attack that killed her entire family. Now at a cost to herself, she rescues others. I thought the fact that Oceans teleporting had side effects was great! Too often we see heroes/heroines that don't have short comings in their abilities.

I also really enjoyed Jade Harts writing style. The story didn't suck me in as quickly as I thought it would but once it did I was hooked. I am very eager to read the next story about Ocean, I need to know what happens next!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5


AUTHOR INTERVIEW

We have Jade Hart (JH), author of Ocean Kills, here with us today on At Random (AR) for a short, but informative interview.

(AR) I am going to start with an easy one but I just like to know...

*Coffee, Tea or Neither?

(JH) Neither, I don't drink hot drinks. In fact, the only things I drink are water and coke zero. :)

-----

(AR) *Tell us a little bit about yourself.

(JH) Umm, I'm officially called (nationality wise) a Hong Kong Ite. This means I was born and raised in Hong Kong but to English Parents. I've lived around the world and love to travel. I use a lot of my own travel experiences in my writing.

-----

(AR) *When did you know you wanted to write?

(JH) Well, as a child I always wrote little creative stories, but it wasn't until 2009 that I seriously began writing and learning. It was a great learning experience and writing has now become an obsession.

-----

(AR) *Are there any authors that may have inspired you?

(JH) Yes, one in particular: Liani Taylor - Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I love her lyrical writing and out of the norm stories. The feedback that I love to hear is that my work is well written and unique. That's what I wanted to achieve with my career.

-----

(AR) *What are you working on now?

(JH) Four titles actually - just because I'm crazy. 

1. Ocean Slays (book 2 of Ocean Breeze) 
Goodreads 
2. Samsara (a New Adult Hindu Urban Fantasy. 
Goodreads
3. Coffee and Cockpits (a New Adult Contemp Romance)
Goodreads 
4. Anamorphic Sight (working title) (New Adult Contemp Romance)

-----

(AR) Thanks so much for joining us today Jade and I look forward to reading more of your work!




GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner will get an ecopy of Ocean Kills from the author.
Fill out the below form to enter.
Giveaway is open internationally.
Entries must be received by 11:59pm January 20th.