Cherry Mischievous

Review: THE JULIUS HOUSE

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Julius House by Charlaine Harris
Book 4 of the Aurora Teagarden mysteries
Read by Therese Plummer
Format: audiobook
Genre: murder mystery

About The Julius House:

Love at first sight turns into newlywed bliss for former librarian Aurora Teagarden— until violence cuts the honeymoon short.

Wealthy businessman Martin Bartell gives Roe exactly what she wants for their wedding: Julius House. But both the house and Martin come with murky pasts. And when Roe is attacked by an ax-wielding maniac, she realizes that the secrets inside her four walls—and her brand-new marriage—could destroy her.

Source: Info in the About The Julius House was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140096.The_Julius_House on 17/02/2012.

Review:

Listening to this book, I got to wondering why Roe is all of a sudden having a very eventful life. She lived for 30 odd years with nothing happening at all and now events seems to be exploding in all directions. So why now? Why hasn't it happened years before? Or at any point in time in the future? Other than now? What is so special about now that all these things are occuring? I hope that Charlaine Harris would address this issue in future books... it would be nice to have an explanation other than that it suited the story...

This book is not as thin on the plot as previous books were, however, Roe is getting stupider by the minute... so much so that I stopped listening to this series for now and am listening to JD Robb instead. It is starting to irritate me and the story telling quality does not feel as compelling as it did with the the Harper Connelly series. Would I recommend this series now? Not really. The first book was promising but by this book, this series seems to be going downhill instead of improving.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3.5
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 4
Ending = 3
World building = 3
Cover art = 1
Pace = N/A (6.25-hour listening time)
Plot = 3.5
Narrator = 4

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries

Thank you to the RCT Library for letting me borrow this audiobook!!

FTC Disclosure:
This audiobook was borrowed from the library. No money received for this review.

Review: AT GRAVE'S END

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert
Book 3 of the Night Huntress Novel series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: paperback, audiobook

About At Grave's End:

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield's life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she's successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat's worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover's finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn't enough, a woman from Bones's past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat's about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she's learned as a special agent won't help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.

Source: Info in the About At Grave's End was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3570231-at-grave-s-end on 26/02/2012.

Review:

So I was disappointed with Books 1 & 2. But I decided to plod on with Book 3 anyway because: One, I already borrowed this book from the library. Second, I could actually detect the addictive quality of this series from the first two books despite them being a disappointment. Third, some book bloggers said that this third book is the best of the series. So, I wanna see what this book is all about... like they said, curiosity killed the cat... having said that, it probably not my curiosity which ends up killing me but Cat's stupidity! Okey, okey, I'll probably get stoned with ripe tomatoes by fans of this series... wait!!! I'm not giving up on this series. I still have Book 4 to listen to... might get better with Book 4, you'll never know... Or I'll prove that I am just a sucker for punishment... Either way, you'll have to admit that the cover art, specially the paperback one, is stunning! As a marketing tool for this book that one aced all ratings. Plus, if you can get through the first few chapters without popping an aneurysm (due to annoyance of a holey plot), the story actually gets better. And then we are introduced to more kinds of supernatural beings and amazing powers... Have I told you that the Night Huntress Novel series have a wonderful world building?! Well, it does!!

But the plot... it got a few holes in it... I would think that they got Cat's mother in a secured place, right? Precisely because she is Cat's achilles heel. Because they are suppose to be good at strategy. Even I, can deduce that it makes sense to have your weak link covered, specially if you know that your enemy most likely knows of it too. Specially when your enemy's intel on you apparently is getting better... Only for any vampire to waltz in and nab her? So what is the point of being a kick-ass heroine if you are going to dangle your weakness in front of your enemies almost inviting them to take advantage... *sigh* holey indeed...

Final Verdict:

Fantastic world building. Good character development. Holey plot.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = N/A (8 discs/9.5 hours)
Plot = 2.5
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Thank you to the RCT Library for letting me borrow this audiobook!!

FTC Disclosure:
This audiobook was borrowed from the library. No money received for this review.

Guest Post: Marissa Farrar & Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Philia) — Tue, 22 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Reality in Fantasy

Even fantasy needs a healthy dose of reality.

Like most writers, I am a voracious reader. As a teenager, I grew up on a fictional diet of Stephen King, Anne Rice and James Herbert. As I entered my twenties, however, I moved onto a wide range of other authors such as Jodi Picoult and Khaled Hosseini. The things I loved about each of these authors’ books—however diverse the genres—was that for the most part the storylines were about normal people put in extraordinary circumstances. They were all people I could relate to, people I could meet walking down the street, and this made their stories all the more believable.

When I sat down to write ‘Alone’ (Book One in the ‘Serenity’ series), I knew I wanted to write a vampire romance. I’d just learned that Mills and Boon had recently brought out their paranormal imprint, ‘Nocturne’ and thought, ‘yeah, I can do that’. We were living in Spain, I had a small child at home, and I’d decided it was time I earned some money from the hundreds of hours I poured into my writing.

However, within a few pages, I knew there was no way Mills and Boon would be interested in this book. My love of all things dark quickly crept in and the result was a gritty story of a battered woman’s emotional journey, and she just happens to fall in love with a vampire!

You see, for me, although I love the paranormal, it’s real life that makes a book genuine. It’s things not always being as perfect as they seem on the outside. It’s people experiencing real trauma, but growing within themselves and overcoming whatever life has thrown in their path. The most important things in our lives are the simple ones; our relationships with other people. Without those relationships, we’d be nothing.

I want my books to be about real people, the battered woman you might pass in the street, the man struggling to balance bills with a sick child at home. Most of my characters are just like you and I. They don’t have any special powers. They’re just normal people, who, put in extreme (paranormal) situations, are able to achieve things they never thought possible.

I hope my readers believe in my characters as much as I do. Because after all, however fantastical a novel might be, the characters always have to feel real to the reader. The reader must experience every second of pain, every tear of joy, every heart-stopping moment of terror, as though it were their own. This is the most important part of reality in fantasy.

Luckily, my readers do seem to appreciate my combination of reality and fantasy. There are three books in the ‘Serenity’ series now, and when book three, ‘Captured’ released, all three books ended up in the top 100 for Contemporary Fantasy on Amazon. Book four, ‘Dominion’, is due to be released in October.

I’d like to give away a signed paperback copy of ‘Alone’, the first in my vampire ‘Serenity’ series, to one lucky commenter. Tell me what your favourite fantasy creature is and why, by leaving me a comment below.

And for those who can’t wait to see if they win the paperback, ‘Alone’ is now free to download from numerous sites including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.
http://www.amazon.com/Alone-The-Serenity-Series-ebook/dp/B006YRN6NG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1337538455&sr=8-3
Thanks for hosting me, Cherry!

Alone by Marissa Farrar
Book 1 of the Serenity series
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

About Alone:

Caught in a violent and abusive relationship, Serenity thinks there is no escape.

On the day she fears her life can get no worse, she meets a stranger, Sebastian, who shows her the possibility of a different future.

Only Sebastian has a dark secret; he is a vampire.

As Serenity’s life takes a terrifying turn, she finds herself drawn into a world she never knew existed; one of murder, love and immortality. She is forced to confront her own weaknesses to save both her own life and that of the vampire she has come to love. But in the end all that matters is; can she find the strength to be Alone?

Source: Info in the About Alone was from the media kit for this blog tour.
Buy Link(s):

Buried by Marissa Farrar
Book 2 of the Serenity series
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

About Buried:

Four years after the horrific murder of her husband, Serenity is living a new life and finally putting the terrifying events behind her. Though now a stronger person, her heart craves the vampire who gave her the strength to change her life.

Desperate to forget Serenity, Sebastian hides away in the underground tunnels of Goreme, Turkey, and has thrown himself into an existence of darkness and blood.

But rumours are abound of something unnatural existing, something with the strength of a vampire but that can walk in the light.

And a murderer is on the loose in Angeles Forest, someone who is killing with the ferocity of a beast. The killer is moving closer and closer to the city, searching for something...

Serenity.

Source: Info in the About Buried was from the media kit for this blog tour.
Buy Link(s):

Captured by Marissa Farrar
Book 3 of the Serenity series
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

About Captured:

Living in Jackson’s cold embrace, Serenity no longer remembers who she is. Repeat feedings have left her a mere shell of a person and she has no recollections of her past life, though the sense that she isn’t alone often haunts her.

Back in Los Angeles, Sebastian has never given up hope of finding her again. Their daughter, Elizabeth, experiences visions of Serenity’s new existence and together they track her across the country.

But finding Serenity might prove to be the least of their problems. When Sebastian seeks the help of an older vampire, Demitrios, the family find themselves in the fight of their lives.

Source: Info in the About Captured was from the media kit for this blog tour.
Buy Link(s):

About Marissa Farrar:

Marissa Farrar is a multi-published horror and fantasy author. She was born in Devon, England, loves to travel and has lived in both Australia and Spain. She now resides in the countryside with her husband, two children, a crazy Spanish dog, two rescue cats and six hens. She has a degree in Zoology, but her true love has always been writing.

Marissa is the author of four novels, including the dark vampire ‘Serenity’ series. Her fifth novel, Underlife, a dark fantasy set beneath the streets of London, will be published August 2012.

Her short stories have been accepted for a number of anthologies including, Their Dark Masters, Red Skies Press, Masters of Horror: Damned If You Don’t, Triskaideka Books; and 2013: The Aftermath, Pill Hill Press.

If you want to know more about Marissa, then please visit her website at www.marissa-farrar.blogspot.com. You can also find her at her facebook page, www.facebook.com/marissa.farrar.author or follow her on twitter @marissafarrar.

She loves to hear from readers and can be emailed at marissafarrar [at] hotmail .co .uk.

GuestPost: M. Anthony Phillips

noreply@blogger.com (Tracee) — Mon, 21 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

How to pick the right topics and audience

I’m a new novelist with three books under my belt. Picking a subject to write about to me has to not only be something that is passionate to you, but also is marketable in an ever changing audience. My genre of choice is fiction because I love a great story. When I was a kid I used to stay up late at night with my father watching old movies. The experience stayed with me, not just because it helped shape who I am, but also because it gave my father and I a chance to bond.

I guess you can say every fictional story has an audience, but if you’re just doing a story just because a particular genre is the latest thing, and you’re not really passionate about the story, then it could come off as not being believable. What defines you as a person? What cartoons, or movies did you watch as a child? Do you find yourself saying “That would make a great story?”

It’s okay to jump in on the latest thing—children’s books are very popular, so if you do, become educated—buy a book and read it to your kids to see their reaction. If it doesn’t warm your heart, then maybe it’s not the one. Picking the genre you want to become a genuine author in is the easy part. The hard part is finding a core audience and how to market them.

If you choose to self publish your book, which is usually what happens to first time authors unless you’re a famous celebrity, send out a press release to announce your book. Do an online book tour that will reach a variety of readers, send out postcards to family and friends, post an add on your facebook page, start a website, and there are many other strategies as well. Eventually you’ll start to develop a hardcore following that will become avid supporters of your books.

M. Anthony Phillips is a native of St. Louis and studied writing and history at Harris Stowe University. M. Anthony is an avid historian and reader of fine literature of fiction and non-fictional books. This is M. Anthony’s third novel with a sequel to follow with hopes of becoming a full time novelist. M. Anthony resides in St. Louis and Los Angeles where he loves acting as a SAG member, practicing martial arts, writing screenplays, and living the life of a modern day renaissance man.

Isabella: Protector of the Last Dragon by M. Anthony Phillips

About Isabella: Protector of the Last Dragon:

An ancient Chinese celestial dragon–unearthed in the frozen mountains of Mongolia, miraculously survives and looks to locate a twelve year old girl whose the key to fighting the demons that chased him out of his kingdom, and to find his female mate.

Source: Info in the About Isabella: Protector of the Last Dragon was taken from the promotional tour information.

Guest Post: J.D. Revezzo

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Lionesses and felines in Egypt and how a cat’s crime evolved

Thanks for having me here, Cherry.

A little over two years ago, a friend of mine, author and editor Patty G. Henderson (best known for her Brenda Strange Supernatural Mysteries) announced she’d released a charity anthology of cat stories. I’d always adored Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat so I thought the idea of wicked little felines intriguing, so I started working on it. The cat suggested my main character might do well to be a werecat of some sort, so I looked into mythology (as I’m wont to do now and then) and found the Egyptian cat Bast. But somehow, she didn’t seem dark enough for the Dark Things II anthology. I kept looking. Then I found the goddess Sekhmet, who took the lion’s form.

Why not, I thought? As a cat stalks an unsuspecting mouse (or whatever catches its fancy), the lioness could stalk a stray Egyptian should he or she become lost within the lioness’ territory. Lions roamed the outlying areas of the desert, and it is said they charged with the pharaohs into battle. (1) The Egyptians thought the animals so fierce, the weather might shy away. Lion sculptures were even set at the pinnacle of temples, gargoyle-like, to guard against lightning.

In their pantheon, the lion was a protector and companion to the god Ra. She accompanied him on his daily journey across the sky in his sun chariot. So, it was to Sekhmet Ra turned when he needed to teach humanity a lesson. In turn, she went on a rampage that nearly annihilated civilization. Ra mixed with pomegranate juice, and tricked his daughter into drinking. Whatever the recipe, the drink did the trick, and calmed her wrath.(2) To this day, festivals are performed in summer to—hopefully—keep the ;) kitty satisfied. Revelries filled with laughter, with dancing, and . . . beer.

This is the basis for my story presented in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes,

And don’t forget, all proceeds from Dark Things II: Cat Crimes will be donated to
The Cat House on The Kings, a no-kill cat shelter in California. For more information, see their website at:
http://www.cathouseonthekings.com/

How about some info on the anthology?

Dark Things II: Cat Crimes

A collection of tales featuring feline mayhem, murder and dastardly deeds. Vampire cats. Scoundrel cats. Daring cats. Killer cats. Cats you don't want in your worst nightmares and cats you might want on your side against evil. Authors include Mary V. Welk, Patty G. Henderson, Patricia Harrington, Jim Silvestri, Ken Goldman, Shanna Germain, Anna Sykora and dozens more. Intro by Robert W. Walker. All proceeds from sales go to several cat sanctuaries across the USA. Enjoy over twenty-one cat tails and support a cat charity!

Buy link:
Amazon for Kindle and paperback http://tinyurl.com/7u3uzmo
Lulu (for Epub version): http://www.lulu.com/shop/compiled-by-patty-g-henderson/dark-things-ii-cat-crimes/ebook/product-18787458.html

And about my story,

“What Sekhmet Keeps.”
by J.D.Revezzo

Betrayed by a false lover, cat shifter priestess Onfalia Mau lost her lioness soul and freedom to her lover’s treachery and Sekhmet’s wrath. Now, after three thousand years, Donquar has returned with one thing in mind: to steal the goddess’s scepter. Onfalia knows that to do so means to unleash Sekhmet’s unholy, bloody Slaughter on the world and she’ll stop at nothing to foil Donquar’s plans.

Excerpt:

Claws dimpled his skin, as if she sought attention. She nuzzled her head into his hand, and purred. Chibale tapped her on the nose. “Now, don’t try to charm me, kitty. I can’t keep you. Out.”

She purred louder and nuzzled his chest.

“Oh, hell.” He carried the cat into the kitchen and poured her the last of his milk. “I don’t mind black coffee, anyway. But tomorrow, we’re finding your owner.”

He dropped his jacket onto the chair, then set down before his computer. The cat leapt onto the desk as he went to work. When he misspelled the goddess’ name, the cat reached out a paw and hit the delete key back to the S-e-k. Chibale stared at her. “Did you belong to an English teacher?”

The search engine suggested Sekhmet, and he carried on with his work. The cat slipped into his lap as he read the first promising page.

Goddess of Lions. A daughter of Ra; represented the scorching power of the sun. “Lion. Sun.” He shook his head. “Never did understand these stupid stories. ‘When mankind rebelled against Ra’s domain, Sekhmet attacked, slaughtering thousands and drinking their blood.’ Sounds like a nice wholesome girl.” The cat shifted in his lap and stretched up, resting her paws against the edge of the keyboard. “You’re so interested in mythology, should I give you to Onfalia?” She looked at him, and he scratched her ears as he returned to his search.

Scepter, Sekhmet. “How does this tie into the stolen scepter? Any idea, kit?”

Two hours into his search, a headline caught his attention: Slaying uptown. Occult in Nature?

“So obvious.” The cat meowed and Chibale looked down at her, meeting her tawny eyes. “Oh, you think so too, do you?”

Festival to appease Sekhmet’s slaughter.

“Hopefully they won’t do the opposite, eh kitty?”

There you are. The birth of a little cat-like mischief.

About J.D. Revezzo

J.D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and the classics. Her short fiction has been published in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, The Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted Dreams Magazine and Luna Station Quarterly.

You can learn more about her works at:

Her site: http://harshadpassion.wordpress.com/

or if you wish, follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/JD-Revezzo/233193150037011

Or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/juliannewrites/

I hope you will enjoy “What Sekhmet Keeps”, and all the tales in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, and remember all the proceeds go to Cat House on the Kings, no-kill cat shelter. So, you’ll not only gain fuel for a few good, *ahem* nightmares, maybe you’ll help a kitty in need, too. Enjoy! And thank you, Cherry, for hosting my mischief today!

Sources:
1. Tour Egypt.com: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/lions.htm
2. http://www.orderwhitemoon.org/goddess/Sekhmet.htm

Review: GRAVE SURPRISE

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:01:00 +0000

Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris
Book 2 of the Harper Connelly series
Read by Alyssa Bresnahan
Format: audiobook CD
Genre: urban fantasy

About Grave Surprise:

Charlaine Harris is already a star and a New York Times bestseller with her vampire mysteries starring Sookie Stackhouse and her Lily Bard mysteries. This second installment to her new supernatural mystery series might just be her biggest hit yet. Grave Sight's Harper Connelly is back, and her ability to find the dead and see their last moments is in higher demand than ever...

A college class gets more than it bargained for when Harper gives a demonstration of her uncanny talent. Instead of just finding one body in an old grave, she finds two: the original occupant and a recently deceased girl whom Harper had tried, and failed, to find two years previously. To dispel suspicions about her own innocence, Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver undertake their own hunt to find the killer-only to find yet another body in the same grave.

Source: Info in the About Grave Surprise was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140078.Grave_Surprise on 03/02/2012.

Review:

This book is better than Grave Sight! It seems like Charlaine Harris is improving in her writing style as she writes more books! If this trend continues, this series could be more addictive than the Sookie Stackhouse ever was! And I almost did not listen to this audiobook because Harper Connelly, the main protagonist, was too stupid to live (TSTL) in Book 1. However, she was not TSTL in this book. There were hints but nothing out and out stupidity like Sookie does usually! I can readily forgive "hints of stupidity", given that this book has such wonderful story telling quality and world building!! Now, I am sooo glad that I have Books 3 and 4 borrowed from the library as well! So be warned: this series is even more addictive than the Sookie Stackhouse series!!

I don't know whether I am just getting so used to Alyssa Bresnahan or that her narrating skills is actually good, but I find her voice not only easy to the ears but her reading is quite good. Diction is appropriate. Words distinct. And I was wondering how she and other narrators managed to change the timbre of their voice to make it sound male and female yet be the same reader. That must have been a real talent... unless they use a voice filter or something. Still, I like it. It makes listening easier. It makes distinguishing between characters easier. I would listen to other audiobooks by this narrator again.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 2
Pace = N/A (8-hour playing time)
Plot = 4
Narrator = 5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Thank you to RCT Library for letting me borrow this audiobook!!

FTC Disclosure:
This audiobook was borrowed from the library. No money received for this review.

MR. MAILMAN: IMMORTAL CITY

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Sun, 13 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

A huge THANK YOU to Lesley of My Keeper Shelf for hosting Hoppy Easter Giveaway Hop which made it possible for me to win Immmortal City by Scott Speer!

Couldn't wait to find it in my mail!! *big smile* This wait is worth another Mr. Mailman feature! A kind of "blog meme" started by Juju over at Tales Of Whimsy.

About Mr. Mailman:

Mr. Mailman is a feature Juju decided to try. Periodically when there is a book in route which she is anxiously hoping to find when she gets home to her mailbox - Juju would feature Mr. Mailman.

Mr. Mailman is a hybrid of Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine and In My Mailbox by the Story Siren. Please feel free to grab the logo and feature your Mr. Mailman request on your site. Please leave a link to your Mr. Mailman request in the comments at Tales Of Whimsy.

Source: Info in the About Mr. Mailman was pinched from Juju's blog, the Tales Of Whimsy, on 04/12/09.

Immmortal City by Scott Speer
Book 1 of the Immortal City series

About Immmortal City:

Jackson Godspeed is the hottest young Angel in a city filled with them.

He's days away from becoming a full Guardian, and people around the world are already competing for the chance to be watched over by him. Everyone's obsessed with the Angels and the lucky people they protect - everyone except for Madison Montgomery.

Maddy's the one girl in Angel City who doesn't breathlessly follow the Angels on TV and gossip blogs. When she meets Jackson, she doesn't recognize him. But Jackson is instantly captivated by her, and against all odds the two fall in love.

Maddy is swiftly caught up in Jackson's scene, a world of glamour, paparazzi - and murder. A serial killer is on the loose, leaving dead Angels' wings for the police to find on the Walk of Fame. Even the Guardians are powerless to protect themselves in the face of this threat & and this time it's up to Maddy to save Jackson.

Source: Info in the About Immmortal City was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11443325-immortal-city on 28/04/2012.

Review: DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Demons At Deadnight by A & E Kirk
Book 1 of the Divinicus Nex Chronicles
Genre: urban fantasy YA
Format: ebook

About Demons At Deadnight:

DEMONIC DESTINY
Aurora has the crappiest superpower on the planet. And it’s just unleashed a hit squad from hell. Demons are on the hunt, salivating to carve her carcass into confetti.

CHARISMATIC KILLERS
The Hex Boys—mysterious, hunky, and notorious for their trails of destruction—have the answers Aurora needs to survive. But their overload of deadly secrets and suspicious motives makes trusting them a potentially fatal move.

LETHAL ALLIES
The battle to save her family, herself, and stop demonic domination may cost Aurora everything worth living for, and force her to reveal her own dark secrets. But no worries. She needs the Hex Boys to pull this off, and, chances are, teaming up with these guys will get her killed anyway.

Source: Info in the About Demons At Deadnight was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13244372-demons-at-deadnight on 31/03/2012.

Review:

I have to admit that I bought this book only because I like Alyssa. She's a wonderful blogger! Always polite and has a wicked sense of humour that tends to shine through in the way she relates to people in the blogging world. And when I started reading this book, that impression about her humour was pleasantly reaffirmed! Humour is always pleasant to read! Which, I think, also contributed to the book being fast paced.

There are two main things I like most about this book which stands out to me. One, is the snarky remarks. Like I said I like humour in a book. And this snarkiness peppered the story all through out from cover to cover. That earned the book a lot of kudos. Second, is the team dynamic between our protagonists. The camaraderie is wonderful! Plus not everybody agrees with everybody which makes the human relationship between the Hex Boys real. Another kudos to the book for that!

The ending though was sorta hanging... but I guess this is an age-old marketing ploy to make readers buy the next book in the series. The plot also did not have that much of a structure. This gave the book a feeling of being merely an introduction to the world of Divinicus Nex and not really a whole story. But just the first chapter of a bigger book. That did not win a lot of points with me. I like my books to have a coherent structure with a central dilemma and an ending with a good resolution even if the book is part of a series. I guess this is one of the reasons why I like Jim Butcher and Ilona Andrews' books so much because they give me that. Even their short stories manages to do that. Overall though, I had a lot of fun reading this book and am looking forward to reading the next book in the Divinicus Nex series!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 4
Ending = 2.5
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = 4.5
Plot = 3

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Review: A WHITE COUGAR CHRISTMAS

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Tue, 08 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

A White Cougar Christmas by Eliza Gayle
A short story of the Paranormal Shifter series
Genre: urban fantasy / short story erotica
Format: ebook

About A White Cougar Christmas:

Restless and alone on Christmas Eve, Niki decides it’s time to scratch the itch and heads into a nearby town for some action. Once there, it isn’t sex she finds, but a fight instead, that is until tall, dark and handsome intervenes…

Dean recognizes the stunning but surly Cougar for what she is the minute she gets close. Now it’s up to him to show her just how far a night of passion can go.

Source: Info in the About A White Cougar Christmas was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6592298-a-white-cougar-christmas on 02/04/2012.

This Book In A Nutshell:

They met, they fucked, the end.

Review:

For followers of the Paranormal Shifter series this book might mean something. But I am not a follower of that series. In fact, this is the first book I've read of this author. I was sampling this author's work, so to speak. Her "author's voice" is not so bad. But the story hasn't got much of a content to it. They met, they fucked, the end. Even for a short story, that is pretty insubstantial.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 2.5
Character development = 2
Story itself = 0.5
Ending = 0.5
World building = 1
Cover art = 3
Pace = 2
Plot = 0.5

Overall Rating: 1 out of 5 cherries

In The Mail: KINDLING MOON

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

This is what Mr. Mailman brought me this week:

A huge THANK YOU to Van of Short & Sweet Reviews for hosting Showers of Books Giveaway Hop which made it possible for me to win Kindling The Moon by Jenn Bennett!

Kindling The Moon by Jenn Bennett
Book 1 of the Arcadia Bell series

About Kindling The Moon:

Meet Arcadia Bell: bartender, renegade magician, fugitive from the law. . . .

Being the spawn of two infamous occultists (and alleged murderers) isn’t easy, but freewheeling magician Arcadia “Cady” Bell knows how to make the best of a crummy situation. After hiding out for seven years, she’s carved an incognito niche for herself slinging drinks at the demon-friendly Tambuku Tiki Lounge.

But she receives an ultimatum when unexpected surveillance footage of her notorious parents surfaces: either prove their innocence or surrender herself. Unfortunately, the only witness to the crimes was an elusive Æthyric demon, and Cady has no idea how to find it. She teams up with Lon Butler, an enigmatic demonologist with a special talent for sexual spells and an arcane library of priceless stolen grimoires. Their research soon escalates into a storm of conflict involving missing police evidence, the decadent Hellfire Club, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a powerful occult society that operates way outside the law. If Cady can’t clear her family name soon, she’ll be forced to sacrifice her own life . . . and no amount of running will save her this time.

Source: Info in the About Kindling The Moon was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9795263-kindling-the-moon on 28/04/2012.

FREE BLOGGER OPP + $100 Amazon GC Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:59:00 +0000

For Bloggers: Sign Up For A Great Free Giveaway Event from Beautifully BellaFaith

Open to: Worldwide

Sign Ups: Will be accepted until May 29th.

Event Dates: May 30th - June 7th

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This is a completely free blogger opportunity. The gift card will be sent to the winner straight from Beautifully BellaFaith.
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Requirement is that you post about this blogger opportunity on your blog so we can make the most out of this. You don't have to write much. Just the picture and link would do, along with a sentence or two about the blogger opp.
All participants will receive an e-mail with HTML code and Rafflecopter code the day before the giveaway starts.

Sign-up link HERE.

Guest Post: Justin Gustainis

noreply@blogger.com (Justin) — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Law and Order: Occult Crimes Unit

My novels Hard Spell and Evil Dark (as well as the forthcoming Known Devil) are set in an alternate universe where the supernatural exists and is out in the open. But like every other human activity, the actions of supernatural creatures are subject to the rule of law. That’s true everywhere in this imagined world, including my fictional version of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Stan Markowski, the protagonist and narrator, is a Detective Sergeant on the Scranton P.D.’s Occult Crimes Unit. He describes his job this way: “When a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that’s when they call me. My name’s Markowski. I carry a badge.”

Although most human laws apply to supernatural creatures (speeding is speeding, after all – whether you do it with a Ford Mustang or a broom), some parts of the penal code are specifically designed with “supes” in mind. Here’s a sample:

Vampires. As you might gather from Stan’s words above, it’s legal for a vampire to take blood from a human, as long as consent is freely given (no use of vampiric influence to weaken the will). There are no documents to sign, but if someone files a complaint charging unlawful blood harvesting, then the vampire so accused will have to answer the accusation in court. On the other hand, making someone into a vampire does require signing of official documents in advance. “Turning” someone without filing the paperwork can get a vampire into serious trouble. In some jurisdictions (though not in Scranton), it’s even considered murder, because the victim has to die for the transformation to work.

Werewolves. Everybody knows that during the time of the full moon, werewolves lack the self-control that they usually exhibit the rest of the time. However, that doesn’t mean a werewolf can just commit mayhem and get away with it. Werewolves are expected to take reasonable precautions to be confined, or at least closely supervised, while in their more primal state. And although a werewolf who commits a crime while under lunar influence can plead “diminished capacity,” he or she has to show that due diligence was exercised prior to the unfortunate accident, in an attempt to avoid bloodshed.

Magic. There are two kinds of magic recognized by law: white and black. The former derives its power from the Earth and nature; the latter gets its mojo from the infernal side. The practice of black magic is against the law under all circumstances. Lay a curse on someone, and it’s considered felony assault. If the victim dies, the witch or wizard is facing a murder rap. White magic is legal, however, because it is self-limiting. This form of magic cannot be used to do harm to innocent parties, nor can the practitioner employ it for his or her own direct benefit (otherwise, witches would be winning the lottery every day). However, you still need a license to practice white magic, and getting one requires completion of a rigorous training program.

Demons. The conjuring of demons is a serious matter, and is never permitted under the law. This is partly because of the danger posed to public safety if the damn thing (so to speak) gets free of the protective pentagram confining it. The other reason it’s illegal is that demons are invariably summoned to commit some kind of mayhem. Nobody calls up a creature from the depths of Hell and orders it to mow his lawn – although he might tell it to mow down his neighbors.

Those are some of the issues that occult crime cops like Stan Markowski have to deal with every day – and especially every night. For Stan and the other cops of the Occult Crime Unit, some nights are worse than others.

Want more? The books are Hard Spell and Evil Dark, available online and in fine bookstores (even some mediocre ones) everywhere.

See you in Scranton – “haunted Scranton,” that is.

More info about Justin Gustainis.

Evil Dark by Justin Gustainis
Book 2 of the Occult Crimes Unit Investigation series

About Evil Dark:

My name's Markowski. I carry a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.

A series of seemingly motiveless murders of supernatural creatures points to a vigilante targeting the supe community. Markowski wouldn't normally have much of a problem with that, but his daughter may be next on the killer's list...

Source: Info in the About Evil Dark was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11500077-evil-dark on 19/04/2012.
Buy Links:

Review: THREE BEDROOMS, ONE CORPSE

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Three Bedrooms, One Corpse by Charlaine Harris
Book 3 of the Aurora Teagarden mysteries
Read by Therese Plummer
Format: audiobook
Genre: murder mystery
About Three Bedrooms, One Corpse:

Deciding if she wants to go into real estate becomes a life-or-death choice for Aurora "Roe" Teagarden. A naked corpse is discovered at her first house showing. And when a second body is found in another house for sale, it becomes obvious that there is a very cool killer at large in Lawrenceton, one who knows a great deal about real estate - and maybe too much about Roe.

Source: Info in the About Three Bedrooms, One Corpse was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140090.Three_Bedrooms_One_Corpse on 17/02/2012.

NOTE: This book/series includes adult themes but no graphic contents. Parental discretion advised.

Review:

This one, like Book 2, is also a bit thin on the plot side. The plot is not layered like I expect a murder mystery is suppose to be. Plus I find the logical connection of the dots of plot A to plot B to be a bit tenuous. And then here in this book, I can see the beginnings of the "stupid protagonist" that Charlaine Harris seems to be so fond of in her Sookie Stackhouse series. However, it is not yet quite as blatant as it came to be in the Sookie Stackhouse series. Roe has been quite level headed in Books 1 & 2 thus far. Here, it is just a "hint of" which I have a niggly feeling might turn into full blown TSTL soon. However it is also undeniable that Charlaine Harris has a way of telling a story, even with stupid protagonists, in a captivating way. Her author's voice is simply compelling! Added to that, I also like listening to Therese Plummer's voice. It's the kind of voice which is very easy to listen to. Not jarring. So this book has been an enjoyable listening time for me even though it did felt like it wasn't as good as it could have been... somehow... or I've been listening to too many books by this author by now...

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 3
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 1
Pace = N/A (6.75-hour listening time)
Plot = 3
Narrator = 4.5

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries

Thank you to the RCT Library for letting me borrow this audiobook!!

FTC Disclosure:
This audiobook was borrowed from the library. No money received for this review.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

noreply@blogger.com (chiara) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:38:00 +0000

Author: Robin LaFevers
Title: Grave Mercy
#1 His Fair Assassin
549 pages
Published 04/03/2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Plot

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf? Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Review

It's a vibrating tale of a killer novice's adventures during the fifteen century whose abbey raise nuns as her to take care of Britanny's duchy. I found this story gripping and well-written.

The story begins with seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

The principal character grip us with her sad story and, how studying she gets years later, be settled in the abbey. Early, she receives an assignement and she demonstrates to be a perfect pupil who follows the abess's orders without asking questions. But her nature will split while her assignements increase. The reason will be a man called Duval who will stand in her way, turning the easy things, difficult to her.

I have enjoyed the different characters developped in the book because each and everyone of them do their duty perfectly.

My favourite characters have been Madame Hivern and her son, François, who at the beginning of the story showed some signals of troublemakers (the argument between the family due to the crown, something typical in many books) but, in the end, they give pleasant surprises to the reader.

The story focuses on the future reign of Anne, Duval's sister, in the duchy of Britanny and how the suitors to marry her fight for her and, specially, for the power. Only the interests of the population will be what dominate in the story and they will make us realize the maturity that the future twelve-year-old duchess shows.

One aspect I found a little disappointing was the relationship between Ismae and Duval that finally we can witness, but it is there, in the air.

I would recommend this book because you can find love stories, war, family and political squabbles and theater not being anything what it appears.

Author Spotlight: JULIE KAGAWA

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

About Julie Kagawa:

Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn�t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.

When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon puppy.

Julie's latest release:

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Book 1 of the Blood Of Eden series
Genre: urban fantasy

About The Immortal Rules:

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Source: Info in the About The Immortal Rules was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10215349-the-immortal-rules on 09/04/2012.

Series of books written by Julie:
Blood of Eden series
The Iron Fey series
The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten series

Author Link(s):
Julie Kagawa

Book Link(s):
www.theironfey.com
GoodReads

Publisher Link(s):
Mira Ink
Mira at Facebook

Review: HAMMERED

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Hammered by Kevin Hearne
Book 3 of The Iron Druid series

Genre: urban fantasy

About Hammered:

Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is worse than a blowhard and a bully—he’s ruined countless lives and killed scores of innocents. After centuries, Viking vampire Leif Helgarson is ready to get his vengeance, and he’s asked his friend Atticus O’Sullivan, the last of the Druids, to help take down this Norse nightmare.

One survival strategy has worked for Atticus for more than two thousand years: stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. But things are heating up in Atticus’s home base of Tempe, Arizona. There’s a vampire turf war brewing, and Russian demon hunters who call themselves the Hammers of God are running rampant. Despite multiple warnings and portents of dire consequences, Atticus and Leif journey to the Norse plain of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry gods, and the hammer-wielding Thunder Thug himself.

Source: Info in the About Hammered was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9595620-hammered on 24/07/2011.

Review:

This book displayed the same story telling quality which hooked me to this series in Book 1. Plus there is humour between the lines which never fails to perk up my interest and make the pace faster. This book also showed the same cohesive story structure that was seen in the other books in this series which always earns a lot of kudos with me. I am the kind of reader who likes it better if the story has a coherent structure as opposed to a mish mash of scenes glued together by the same theme and somebody slapped an ending to. Speaking of endings, this book ended with a good resolution to the story, but not so much for the trilogy. Although this is the third book in what they marketed as a trilogy, this book is not a conclusion to that trilogy. However, we already know that there are three more books coming in this series, so we can safely ignore the "trilogy" that they attached to these books in the beginning. Plans obviously changed. And I, for one, am glad of that change because it means more books for me to enjoy!! Right, the ending of this book might have given a good resolution to the story but it also tantalizingly left hints and pointers to the next book in the series which left me in tenther hooks and can't wait for bloody next year! *sigh* And this is what I really don't like about serieses.

Empirical Evaluation:
Character Development = 5
World Building = 5
Plot = 3
Story = 3.5
Pace = 4
Ending = 3.5
Story Telling Quality = 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Iron Druid Series:

Book 1: Hounded publication date: 3 May 2011
Book 2: Hexed publication date: 5 June 2011
Book 3: Hammered publication date: 5 July 2011
Book 4: Tricked publication date: April 2012
Book 5: Trapped publication date: December 2012
Book 6: Hunted publication date: 2013

World Book Night at Treorchy

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:39:00 +0000

Just got home from giving away World Book Night books at Treorchy Library. What a wonderful experience!! So unlike the last years' WBN where the reception of the books was "apprehensive". Today, people welcomed the opportunity to read with a smile!! I attribute this mostly to the wonderful enthusiasm of our librarian! She posted WBN posters and told people about it way in advance before the actual event. Then she provided teas and coffees. And there were four other WBN givers there and we got to chat a little bit. It was a very nice experience indeed!! So a huge thank you to our dear librarian, Angela and to everybody who came to participate in the WBN event at Treorchy library!!

Thank you to the Treorchy Library for hosting the World Book Night in our neck of woods!

THE IMMORTAL RULES Book trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Wishlist:

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Book 1 of the Blood Of Eden series

About The Immortal Rules:

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Source: Info in the About The Immortal Rules was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10215349-the-immortal-rules on 30/03/2012.

Review: PRIMEVAL (SEASONS 1-3)

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:39:00 +0000

Primeval
TV show produced by Impossible Pictures for ITV.
Seasons 1 to 3 DVD box set

About Primeval:

Primeval is a rip-roaring, special effects-laden thriller in which the past, the present and the future collide.

When evolutionary zoologist Nick Cutter discovers prehistoric creatures alive and well in the present day the natural world is turned on its head and humanity faces a threat to its very existence. Unexplained anomalies are ripping holes in the fabric of time, allowing creatures from the past, and the future, to roam the modern world.

The series aims to capture the imaginations of everyone; a family show with a fresh and modern feel. Suddenly the world we thought we understood has changed. Nothing is certain. What kinds of relationships emerge in this shared world of secrets and suspense? What sort of creature can you next expect to see? Where will the next anomaly appear and what on earth will come out of it? So many questions but only one thing is sure, in Primeval the past is as real as the present and it’s just an anomaly away.

Primeval attracted 6.4 million viewers when it was first broadcast on ITV1 in a primetime slot on Saturdays in 2007 and the second series went on to achieve the same high level of viewers. Its success has also been demonstrated internationally, distributed to more than 80 countries, the series became the second biggest show ever and continues to perform above the slot average in Germany on Pro7.

Prepare for more explosive action as Primeval bares its newly sharpened teeth in an extended run of ten episodes due to be broadcast in on ITV1 in the UK in early 2009.

Starring: Douglas Henshall, Jason Flemyng, Andrew-Lee Potts, Lucy Brown, Hannah Spearritt, Laila Rouass with Juliet Aubrey and Ben Miller. Featuring Ben Mansfield and Belinda Stewart-Wilson. Producer: Tim Bradley. Executive Producers and co-creators: Tim Haines and Adrian Hodges

An Impossible Pictures production for ITV and Pro7. Distributed by BBC Worldwide. www.impossiblepictures.co.uk

Series one: 6 × 50’
Series two: 7 × 50’
Series three: 10 × 50’

Source: Info in the About Primeval was taken from http://www.primeval.tv/ on 02/12.2011.

Review:

I like the English accent. And it seems that the producing studio has at least invested in 3D animation software in their cinematography which I really, really like because then it looks very good on the screen. Unlike the previous English TV series I bought just before Primeval's DVD box set which was Merlin. Merlin looked like it was filmed in the 70's. The camera people and director might have been talented but it could not compete with advanced cinematographic software. So I probably be looking forward to more shows produced by Impossible Pictures in the future, i.e., Here Be Dragons.

Some of the scenes were not very logical, i.e., Helen's escape scene from Lester's clutches, keeping plots logically inline with time paradoxes, etc. And the fact that these anomalies seems to be happening only in England. The explanation for the show's premise did not allow for the fact that the anomaly can only show in one country... It is supposed to show up everywhere... so, it happening only in England is not logical. However I do really like the idea of a "time-space distorting anomaly". It's like Star Trek all over again. That bit appealed to the scifi/fantasy geek in me!

What I find annoying though is the fact that they changed about 50% of the main cast halfway through Season 3. That, I didn't like. I think one of the main staying power (among other things) of Star Trek TNG is that the entire main cast remained the same throughout its several years of running until the end finale. Primeval lost a bit of it's "staying power" with that change of cast.

Overall I like the premise of the show and the professional cenimatographic effects but I didn't like the change of cast and some rather weak plot.

Empirical Evaluation:
Cinematography = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
World building = 4.5
Plot = 3
Acting = 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Trailer:

LORRAINE PASCALE: Home Cooking Made Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Lorraine Pascale: Home Cooking Made Easy

About Lorraine Pascale: Home Cooking Made Easy:

TV chef Lorraine Pascale, author of the phenomenal bestseller Baking Made Easy, is back with her second cookery book -- this time packed with simple and delicious recipes for relaxed home cooking that go far beyond baking. The queen of cookery is back with 100 scrumptious and seriously easy recipes, from cosy soups and roasts to delicious autumnal breads, in this beautifully photographed second book to accompany Lorraine's BBC2 prime time four-part autumn cookery series.

Source: Info in the About Lorraine Pascale: Home Cooking Made Easy was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12758243-home-cooking-made-easy on 25/02/2012.

Review:

I don't usually buy and read cook books. I am good at eating but not at cooking, kind of girl. Cooking and me have a love-hate relationship ever since I understood the concept of a kitchen. More of hate than love. Hate on cooking's part and love on mine. *sigh* Then I came across this cook book. At work we have this book people who leaves books and little things samples for us to browse and you can order them cheaply. I started reading this book and I found it interesting plus I thought I could do it even with my love-hate relationship going on. The instructions looked easy enough. Doable. So I thought I'd give it a try. Anyway, I started following it and to my surprise, I actually produced delicious food!! And edible to boot!! Wonders of wonders!! Plus, it did not take me a day and year to cook. How about that? The cooking instructions are as easy as they looked at first glance and the ingredients are accessible to me as they can easily be bought at the supermarket. And that is important to me because unavailability of the ingredients talked about in the cook book frustrates me to kingdom come and is usually a very good deterrent for me stay away from that cook book ever again and stear clear of anything written by that chef. So if you are like me whose culinary skills is challenged, then this book will help you as it has helped me. I still am challenged, culinarily speaking, but now I can actually produce edible food which would not poison me or anyone eating what I cooked. If this book was meant to help people cook better food quicker, it certainly has succeeded with me!

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

$15 Amazon GC Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:12:00 +0000

And the winner of our Win $15Amazon GC is:

Martha

Congratulations to our winner!!!

To the winner: Please check your inbox, the amazon GC claim code has been forwarded to the email address you provided.

Review: A BONE TO PICK

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 08:24:00 +0000

A Bone To Pick by Charlaine Harris
Book 2 of the Aurora Teagarden mysteries
Read by Therese Plummer
Format: audiobook
Genre: murder mystery

About A Bone To Pick:

Second in the #1 New York Times bestselling author's Aurora Teagarden mystery series.

Aurora "Roe" Teagarden's fortunes change when a deceased acquaintance names her as heir to a rather substantial estate, including money, jewelry, and a house complete with a skull hidden in a window seat. Roe concludes that the elderly women has purposely left her a murder to solve. So she must identify the victim and figure out which one of her new, ordinary-seeming neighbors is a murderer- without putting herself in deadly danger.

Source: Info in the About A Bone To Pick was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140093.A_Bone_to_Pick on 16/02/2012.

Review:

I was looking forward to this book after having listened to Real Murders. That usually raises the standard bar a notch higher which predisposes to disappointment. But not with this book! This book managed to rise to my expectations and did not disappoint at all!! Gotta give the book some kudos for that! Plus the narrator is pleasant to listen to. I would say, a true professional! Another kudos for this book. And the story telling quality is the same masterfully compelling that I've known with this author without the too stupid to live characters!! Triple kudos!! I heartily recommend this series to all murder mysteries readers!! Although the plot is a bit on the thin side. I mean, there isn't a layering of plots like I imagine murder mysteries usually have. Not much of a twist to the plot either. That for a murder mystery this book is rather bland. So perhaps to murder mysteries readers used to twisty plots, this book might not be as exciting as it is to me... And the audiobook cover art is so, sooo uninspiring... as a marketing tool, the art department has done such a deplorable job! But despite that, I enjoyed this book so much I recommend it to everybody!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 3.5
Ending = 3.5
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 1
Pace = N/A (6.25-hour listening time)
Plot = 3
Narrator = 5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Thank you to the RCT Library for letting me borrow this audiobook!!

FTC Disclosure:
This audiobook was borrowed from the library. No money received for this review.

Review: ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:48:00 +0000

One Foot In The Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert
Book 2 of the Night Huntress Novel series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: audiobook

About One Foot In The Grave:

You can run from the grave, but you can't hide.

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her. But when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind. Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head - wanted: dead or half-alive - means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever and that Bones won't let her get away again.

Source: Info in the About One Foot In The Grave was taken from the back cover of the CD box set on 17/02/2012.

Review:

I wasn't looking forward to this book really... but I want to give this series another go after my disappointment with Halfway To The Grave. Another book blogger, Michelle, has me convinced to give this series another chance. It took perseverance to get through the halfway mark of this CD set audiobook. Then it got easier to listen to after that. It also got more interesting. The story telling quality seems to have improved thereafter, until the end. So much so that it now starts to make sense to me why people seems to be addicted to this series. However, Cat, the main protagonist got even more stupider in this book than in Book 1. Majorly annoying! Plus, the plot seems to be rather weak. Forced. Not much realism in it that I find it difficult to suspend disbelief. Safe to say that I would not be rushing to read the rest of the books in this series, good story telling quality or not.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 2.5
Ending = 3
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = N/A (10 hours/8 CDs)
Plot = 2.5
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries

Thank you to the RCT Library for letting me borrow this audiobook!!

FTC Disclosure:
This audiobook was borrowed from the library. No money received for this review.

Win $15Amazon GC

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 06:06:00 +0000

Giveaway: $15 Amazon.com GC
I won $15 GC (gift certificate) from Cym Lowell but I am from the UK. The GC therefore is not viably useful to me due to expensive mailing costs. The GC therefore would only pay for the shipping costs, nevermind the book. In view of this limitation, I am passing on this GC to a US amazon user to make the GC usable to the winner. Ends on April 15. Winner will be announced soon thereafter. Winner will also be sent an email notification in which winner has to reply within 72 hours to claim the prize or another winner will be picked. Fill in the rafflecopter below to enter. If rafflecopter does not load in your browser, leave your email address in the comment section and that will include you in the draw, however, you will not be able to take advantage of the optional entries offered in the rafflecopter. More entries means more chances of winning.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Addition: Non-US are welcome so long as they understand the limitations of the GC, i.e., can only be used at amazon.com which would probably charge an arm and a leg for postage to outside the US.

In The Mail: FLAME OF DESTINY

noreply@blogger.com (Cherry) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

This is what Mr. Mailman brought me this week:

Thank you to My World...in words and pages for hosting a contest which made it possible for me to win a copy of Flame Of Destiny by Colleen Helme!

Flame Of Destiny by Colleen Helme
Book 1 of The Flame Of Destiny series
Genre: fantasy

About Flame Of Destiny:

For Callista, joining the Elite Guard will give her the means to find the murderer who killed her family.With the sword of her ancestors, she enters the Academy and soon discovers latent powers only heard of in legends. Her uncanny skills do not go unnoticed, and when her first assignment goes terribly wrong, she is saved by a man whose destiny becomes entwined with her own.Soon, she is forced to re-consider who her enemies really are. As her power awakens, she is drawn into a web of deceit that will ultimately shake everything she believes in.With a new sense of her identity, she must confront a dark evil hidden behind an unspeakable secret. This evil threatens to destroy her and the man she has come to love. Will she be strong enough to withstand this power, or will she become the very thing she has sworn to destroy?

Source: Info in the About Flame Of Destiny was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10651931-flame-of-destiny on 06/04/2012.