drey's library

Winners, winners, everywhere!

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:15:00 +0000

I'm late! I'm late! I so feel like that rabbit running around in Alice in Wonderland... *sigh* And I can't even blame mushrooms...

There are two winners for Candice Dow's Feelin' the Vibe:

Comment #17: walkerd@primus.ca!!

Comment #6: Sheila Deeth!!

Three winners for Run For Your Life:

Comment #22: Kathy from Fulltime Adventure!!

Comment #3: chey!!

Comment #56: Paula!!

5 of you have not read James Patterson, 4 had no favorite, 6 picked Lindsey Boxer (did I spell this right?), 10 picked Alex Cross, 1 picked John Sampson, and 1 picked Alex's grandma (is this kinda like Stephanie Plum's Grandma Mazur?)

Five winners for Leila Cobo's Tell Me Something True:

Comment #51: ossmcalc!!

Comment #37: Jasmyn!!

Comment #11: traveler!!

Comment #66: Allison!!

Comment #54: Francine!!

8 of you do keep a diary, 2 try, 23 don't, and 9 don't anymore... As for myself, I only keep a diary when I'm going through something emotional. I filled pages and pages when my grandmother passed...

Whew!! Emails have been sent, please reply with your mailing information before the end of day Thursday...

Congratulations to all the winners!!

Want the books? Click on the covers to purchase from Amazon.

Tour: 200. Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Piñeiro...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Today's tour is for Caridad Piñeiro's Sins of the Flesh. Come and check out what she has to say about why she writes romance...

It’s not unusual that during the course of an interview I’m asked if I write full time and people are always surprised when I say that I don’t. I suspect their surprise is due to the fact that I normally have two to three books a year from various publishers and it seems unbelievable to them that I could write that many books, blog, do workshops, attend conferences, etc. while also holding down a full time job.

As I recently commented to one of my editors, “If you want something done, give it to someone who is busy.” An old adage, but true in most cases that I’ve seen. Busy people seem to know how to manage their time and get the job done when necessary.

But the question that follows after the “job question” is the one that really throws people for a loop. When I tell them that I’m also an attorney, they are flabbergasted because what I am writing is romance.

Romance and the law just don’t seem to be a good mix apparently, although writing and the law is quite common. The publishing world is filled with attorneys who write and while the more visible ones usually write crime, suspense or thrillers, you would be surprised at the number of romance writers who used to be, or currently are, attorneys.

There is something about your legal training that naturally fits being a writer. Maybe it’s learning to take a legal argument from beginning to end, considering all the variables and possible defenses/weaknesses, etc. that you can apply to writing a plot. Both are very similar in scope.

But what about the law can you apply to romance? In actuality, not much that I can think of and so you may ask, “Then why are you writing romance?”

The answer is fairly simple – I believe in the power of love. I believe that love can overcome the most impossible of odds. I believe that love sustains us through both good and bad times. In my case, I like to throw in a lot of bad times in the paranormals that I write because that only makes the reward at the end of the novel that much sweeter.

I also believe that love between a man and a woman is a partnership of equals. So in the romances I write, it’s imperative for me to not only show that equality, but bring out how when one person is weak, the strength of the other can help lift them up.

Those positive messages in romance are, in my humble opinion, what keep romances alive and thriving in even the most difficult of economic times. It also helps that the romance genre is one of the most diverse genres in the industry. Whether the romances are heterosexual, multicultural, homosexual, historical, futuristic, paranormal, suspense, etc., the diversity of stories and characters in romance reflect our modern world in ways that few other genres do.

So I guess that’s why I write romance. Long live the Happily Ever After!

About the author:
Caridad Piñeiro is a multi-published and award-winning author whose love of the written word developed when her fifth grade teacher assigned a project – to write a book that would be placed in a class lending library. She has been hooked on writing ever since.

Caridad was born in Havana, Cuba, and settled in the New York Metropolitan area. She attended Villanova University on a Presidential Scholarship and graduated magna cum laude. Caridad earned her juris doctor from St. John’s University and became the first female partner of Abelman, Frayne & Schwab, an intellectual property firm in midtown Manhattan.

Find her online at her website, www.caridad.com.

About the book:

Caterina Shaw's days are numbered. Her only chance for survival is a highly experimental gene treatment-a risk she willingly takes. But now Caterina barely recognizes herself. She has new, terrifying powers, an exotic, arresting body-and she's been accused of a savage murder, sending her on the run.

Mick Carrera is a mercenary and an expert at capturing elusive, clever prey. Yet the woman he's hunting down is far from the vicious killer he's been told to expect: Caterina is wounded, vulnerable, and a startling mystery of medical science. Even more, she's a beautiful woman whose innocent sensuality tempts Mick to show her exactly how thrilling pleasure can be. The heat that builds between them is irresistible, but surrendering to it could kill them both . . . for a dangerous group is plotting its next move using Caterina as its deadly pawn.

drey's thoughts:
This was an interesting read--it's a romance, it's a mystery, and it's kinda-sorta sci-fi/paranormal-ish. Kudos to Caridad for blending the three such that it didn't feel more like one or the other specifically.

The heroine, Caterina, is confused and doesn't remember much other than the fact that there's a dead body, with lots of blood. Add to that confusion, the fact that she's not normal, and you have the beginnings of a major headache... She knows she's running. And she learns that she needs help to stay one step ahead of her pursuers. When that help comes in the form of a mercenary who's been paid to apprehend her, she has to decide if she can trust him, literally, with her life.

And Mick. Nice-guy-turned-mercenary who's on Caterina's trail. When something smells fishy, he naturally looks for the bait and hook. Where there's smoke, there's usually fire, right?

The mystery will keep you reading till you're done. The romance will give you warm fuzzies. And the sneak peek at the next installment of this series will have you wondering when you can get your mitts on that book...

Giveaway!
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have up to five copies of Sins of the Flesh for you...
Rules:
-- Contest is open to US and Canada residents, no PO Boxes please!
-- To enter, comment. That's it.
-- Follow for 1 extra entry.
-- Share for 2 extra entries (let me know what & where, please).
-- Every 10 people entered gets another copy in the hat, so tell everyone! =)
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST November 22nd. Good luck!

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of Sins of the Flesh was provided by Hachette Book Group for this blog tour.

Tour stops:
11/9: drey's library, My book addiction and more, Just Another New Blog
11/10: Readaholic, A Book Blogger's Diary
11/11: Maria's Space, Book Soulmates
11/12: Wendy's Minding Spot, Froggaritaville's Bookcase
11/13: Parajunkee's View
11/16: All About {n}, Found Not Lost
11/17: Razlover's Book Blog
11/18: Confessions of a Romance Book Addict
11/20: Book Junkie, Morbid Romantic
11/21: Starting Fresh, 'Manda Blogs About...
11/22: My Overstuffed Bookshelf, I ♥ Book Gossip

It's Loot, it's Loot, it's Loot, it's on my shelves...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

(post title sung to the tune of Lump)

Boy, have I been missing out on Loot... I finally made it to the library--and I was so late that some of the books that I had ready for pick-up, went back into the stacks, or into someone else's pick-up stash instead. Anyway. The loot that made its way to my bookshelves (for the time being!):

199. Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

About the book:

VAMPIRES IN CHICAGO!

You'd think headlines like that would have provoked the fine citizens of the Windy City to take up arms against us blood-sucking fiends. Instead, ten months later, we're enjoying a celebrity status reserved for the Hollywood elite--fending off paparazzi, who are only slightly less dangerous than the cross- and stake wielding slayers. Don't get me wrong. Joe Public isn't exactly thrilled to be living side by side with the undead, but at least they haven't stormed the castle... yet.

All that will change once they learn about the Raves, mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle and drink themselves silly. Most civilized vampires frown on this behavior--but that doesn't make good copy for a first-time reporter looking to impress his high-society family.

So now my "master"--centuries-old yet gorgeously well-preserved Ethan Sullivan--wants me to reconnect with my own upper-class family and act as liaison between humans and vampires...and to keep the more unsavory aspects of our existence out of the media. But someone doesn't want people and vamps to play nicey-nice--someone with an ancient grudge.

drey's thoughts:
When Chloe Neill approached me about reviewing Friday Night Bites, I swooned. And when she so very nicely played along with my roundtable interview of the cast of characters from Some Girls Bite, I knew I liked her. And then, I read Friday Night Bites.

I love Merit. And I really enjoyed "watching" her grow. Some of the experience that she went through was not easy, nor was it fun. But all of it contributed to a Merit that was more. Faster. Stronger. And yet some things stay the same. She's still a vampire. Still attracted to Ethan. Still courted by Morgan. Still fighting to keep the vampire contained so that she can retain whatever shreds of her humanity she can hang on to.

And still using her brains to figure things out. Which I like, very very much. Another thing I liked about Friday Night Bites--the chapter headings, which are pretty amusing. Like, You Give Bite a Bad Name. And Merit's Deep, Dark (72% cocoa) Secret... So. If you're a fan of things that go bump (with fangs!) in the dark, pick up Chloe's books. You won't regret it.

Title: Friday Night Bites
Author: Chloe Neill
ISBN-10: 045122793X
ISBN-13: 9780451227935
Paperback: 357 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Series

Disclosure: My copy of Friday Night Bites was provided by the author for this review.

198. Arabella by Georgette Heyer...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

About the book:

Impetuosity is Arabella's only fault...
An enchanting debutante and the eldest daughter of an impoverished country parson, Arabella Tallant embarks on her first London season. Armed with beauty, virtue, and a benevolent godmother, Arabella is sure to be a success, as long as her notoriously impetuous temper does not interfere.

His arrogance proves too much for her to bear...
But when Robert Beaumaris, the most eligible Nonpareil of the day, accuses her of being just yet another pretty female after his wealth, Arabella allows herself to be provoked--into a deceitful charade that might have unexpected consequences.

drey's thoughts:
Arabella is my first Georgette Heyer novel. And while it was a pretty enjoyable read, I felt that there could have been just a little bit more. I'm not sure of what, but it's like that brownie that you're chomping down while thinking a hint of raspberries would have added just that last little taste...

Maybe it's the fact that Arabella and her sisters are poor, and so much rides on her "getting" a good marriage as a result of her sojourn in London. Yes, I have slightly feminist tendencies, if you haven't noticed... And I will admit that those tendencies probably colored my enjoyment of Arabella a bit. Lest you think I didn't like it at all, I did. I liked that Arabella had spirit. I liked that she found most of the fops in London, well, foppish. I liked that she cared enough about her family to ask for help from what seemed to be an unlikely source. And, of course (this being romance!), I liked that she came to her senses (and him, too!).

Heyer fans will definitely enjoy this Regency romance. And if you're a fan of the genre, you most likely will, too.

Title: Arabella
Author: Georgette Heyer
ISBN-10: 1402219466
ISBN-13: 9781402219467
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2009

Challenges: 100+

Disclosure: My copy of Arabella was provided by Sourcebooks for this review.

Tour: 197. To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Today's tour is for Elizabeth Hoyt's To Desire a Devil...

About the book:

After seven years in hellish captivity, Reynaud St. Aubyn bursts into his ancestral home half mad with fever, demanding his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl's son, thought murdered by Indians?

NOTHING IS MORE INTOXICATING

Beatrice Corning is the niece of the present earl and a proper English miss. Yet she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in a certain portrait. Now, suddenly, he's here, in teh flesh--and luring her into his bed.

THAN SURRENDERING TO A DEVIL.

Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud's savage ways to the noble man inside. And Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as her loyalty to her uncle raises his suspicions. But can she tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title--even if it means sacrificing her innocence?

About the author:
Elizabeth Hoyt is a USA Today bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in central Illinois with three untrained dogs, two angelic but bickering children, and one long-suffering husband. Please visit her websites for chapter excerpts, book extras, and author appearances: www.elizabethhoyt.com and www.juliaharper.com.

drey's thoughts:
I just finished To Desire a Devil and what can I say? It was good, definitely. Beatrice is an interesting character--she's compassionate, passionate, and yet so very proper. I wasn't sure what I was going to think of a woman who's in love with a portrait, and the idea of love, because my idea of such women is that they're just going to get hurt. But by the end of the book I liked her. She's strong and passionate about the causes she believes in, and thinks nothing of the fact that women of her standing generally do not involve themselves in politics.

Reynaud is a little harder to like, in my opinion. He's rough and brusque and just an insufferable jerk--throughout most of the book, except when he's telling Beatrice of his time in captivity. And yet, he's the insufferable jerk she wants. And this being a romance novel, you know things are going to work out, although I was a little worried there for a bit. An entertaining read for fans of period romance.

Giveaway!
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have up to five copies of To Desire a Devil for you...
Rules:
-- Contest is open to US and Canada residents, no PO Boxes please!
-- To enter, comment and share: Would you have given someone wild-haired and wild-eyed a second look? Why?
-- Follow for 1 extra entry.
-- Share for 2 extra entries (let me know what & where, please).
-- Every 10 people entered gets another copy in the hat, so tell everyone! =)
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST November 19th. Good luck!

Tour stops:
Oct. 30: My Overstuffed Bookshelf, Maria's Space, Just Another New Blog, My Book Addiction and More...
Oct. 31: Bookin' with Bingo
Nov. 1: Froggaritaville's Bookcase,
Nov. 2: Readaholic
Nov. 3: Reading with Monie
Nov. 4: I'm Booking It, Book Soulmates, A Journey of Books, Find the Time to Read
Nov. 5: Bookfan, Seductive Musings
Nov. 6: Found Not Lost, Libby's Library News, Book Junkie
Nov. 7: Book Soulmates, Starting Fresh
Nov. 8: 'Manda Blogs About...
Nov. 9: All About {n}
Nov. 10: My Reading Room, Anna's Book Blog
Nov. 11: Morbid Romantic
Nov. 12: The Eclectic Book Lover, Starting Fresh, I ♥ Book Gossip, A Few of My Favorite Things, The Bibliophilic Book Blog

Title: To Desire a Devil
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
ISBN-10: 0446406945
ISBN-13: 9780446406949
Paperback: 338 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of To Desire a Devil was provided by Hachette Book Group for this blog tour.

196. Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

About the book:

The timing couldn’t be worse…

Sparks flying between Poppy Dunbar and a handsome stranger the night before her wedding set Poppy on a wild and wacky journey of self-discovery. She flees the sweet, boring, predictable life she could have had in search of a mysterious stranger and a fresh start in London.

But there, her life is complicated by Caspar, her gorgeous flatmate, who has big plans for her. Now if only the two of them can get their timing right…

drey's thoughts:
Oh, Poppy. Such a well-meaning girl. Such a silly girl. Walking away from tying the knot because you think you’re marrying the wrong man, even though you know nothing at all about the guy you’d just met. In any case, she walks. And finds herself in London, alone, with the newfound knowledge that her father, really isn’t. Now, her mission is two-fold: find the stranger that she only knows as Tom, and find her father.

Poppy is a funny, warm, sympathetic character. She is lucky, too—-finding herself a room while working at an event, getting a job with a boss who puts up with her flightiness… Her roommates are quirky and amusing-—Caspar more than Claudia, who can be just a witch. As time goes by, and Poppy achieves some of her goals, she learns that you don't always want what you thought you did, once you get it. And that some things are best left unsaid.

Perfect Timing is quirky chick-lit that you will breeze through in a flash.

Title: Perfect Timing
Author: Jill Mansell
ISBN-10: 1402226748
ISBN-13: 9781402226748
ARC: 431 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2009

Disclosure: My copy of Perfect Timing was an ARC provided by Sourcebooks for this review.

195. A Note from an Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

About the book:

Brian Weller is a haunted man. It's been two years since the tragic accident that left his three-year-old son dead and his wife in an irreversible coma. A popular author of mega-selling thrillers, Brian's life has reached a crossroads: his new book is stalled, his wife's prognosis is dire, and he teeters on the brink of despair.

Everything changes the morning an e-mail arrives from Boston artist Joanna Richman. Her heartfelt note brings back all the poignant memories: the night their eyes met, the fiery passion of their short-lived affair, and the agonizing moment he was forced to leave Joanna forever. Now, fifteen years later, the guilt and anger threaten to overwhelm him. Vowing to make things right, Brian arranges a book-signing tour that will take him back to Boston. He is eager to see Joanna again, but remains unsure where their reunion will lead. One thing is certain: the forces that tore their love asunder will stop at nothing to keep them apart.

Filled with tender romance and taut suspense, A Note from an Old Acquaintance is an unforgettable story about fate, honor, and the power of true love.

drey's thoughts:
A Note from an Old Acquaintance is a touching story about a man, a woman, and a sacrifice of love for the sake of others. It is also a story of manipulation, and the devious means to which some will go, to keep what they view as their own.

Brian and Joanna's story is heart-warming, and the heart-breaking. Bill Walker's characters are well fleshed-out and sympathetic. You want them to win, and you can feel their heartbreak when Brian walks away. Because, sometimes, the fact that you're soul mates just isn't enough, in the face of reality. And I found that really, really sad.

Redemption occurs, though. But later. Much, much later. And one finds oneself rooting for a happily ever after for these star-crossed lovers. A very satisfying read from Bill Walker.

Title: A Note from an Old Acquaintance
Author: Bill Walker
ISBN-10: 1440133336
ISBN-13: 9781440133336
Paperback: 358 pages
Publisher: iUniverse, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of A Note from an Old Acquaintance was provided by TLC Book Tours for this review.

Kylie Brant swings with some words and a giveaway...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Today I'd like to welcome author Kylie Brant to drey's library! She has so very kindly taken the time to answer some questions, read on!

drey: Hello Kylie! Thank you for stopping by, and for taking the time to answer some questions for us. Welcome to drey's library!

Kylie: Thanks for the invite, Drey! It's great to be here!

drey: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? What got you started?

Kylie: Although I've been an avid reader all my life, it didn't occur to me to try writing until my kids were 12, 11, 7, 4 and 4. I began out of sheer desperation--my favorite writers couldn't write fast enough to keep me in reading material. I decided one summer I'd write a book and that spawned a career that's lasted...gulp...nearly twenty years. In retrospect, I think part of the reason though was that it allowed me to spend hours in a room by myself. =) Quiet wasn't the normal course of affairs at our house when the kids were home!

drey: What was your first sale experience?

Kylie: Usually it takes very strong margaritas to get me to tell my first sale story. (How about some virtual margaritas?) After all these years it still makes me wince at my ignorance. But I started writing before the Internet made it so easy to network with other writers. I didn’t belong to any writing groups or know anyone else who was writing. I just decided one summer I was going to write a book.

After a few months, I deemed it ‘ready’ and opened up the cover of my favorite books (Silhouette Intimate Moments) to see where to send it. I got the phone number for the company in New York and called to tell the receptionist I had a book I wanted to send in and asked how to go about it. =)

She huffily informed me that they didn’t accept unsolicited manuscripts. I had no idea what that meant, but could tell from her tone that it was a bad thing. She finally gave a long-suffering sigh and told me about tip sheets and query letters. I queried and got an invite to submit and sent it in.

I figured I’d hear in about six weeks. Four months later I got a two-page rejection letter from a senior editor detailing the work’s strengths and weaknesses and inviting me to revise and resubmit. I did, but I’d wised up a little. This time when I sent that first manuscript in, I immediately started another. That was lucky because this time it took six months to get yet another two page rejection letter. Manuscript two had been submitted, so I revised the first yet again and sent it in, too.

When Silhouette called I was actually home from bed with laryngitis. Leslie Wainger’s (then senior editor of Intimate Moments) assistant called. She said she was just tracking down my contact information because—AHEM—I had neglected to include it with my manuscript. She went on to say that she was quite excited because she’d found me in the slush pile. I had no idea what that was, but thought she said flush pile, and that didn’t sound good! She told me Leslie was reading the manuscript as we spoke and that she’d be calling me later.

After we hung up, I started to wonder if I’d dreamed it. Maybe it had just been a Vicks Vapor Rub induced hallucination! But Leslie did call a couple of hours later and make an offer on manuscript two. She asked if I had any other works and I told her I had another in their offices. A couple months later she bought manuscript one, as well. So while I can claim to have sold the first book I wrote, it did go through some extensive surgeries first. =)

drey: What inspires your writing?

Kylie: I love straight thrillers and psychological suspense novels/movies, as well as romantic suspense. My plots are a meld of news stories and the constant 'what if' my mind is always going through when I read/hear something that intrigues me. I also love learning about crime and forensics, and they are both prominent in my stories.

drey: When and why did you decide to meld romance with a thriller?

Kylie: Although I love the Silhouette Romantic Suspense line, as it grew shorter and shorter I struggled more and more to create a complex suspense plot. I actually had the idea to write a romantic thriller a few years before I acted on it. It meant stepping away from deadlines for Silhouette to write a book on spec. I wrote Waking Nightmare in 2006-07 and then went back to contract with Silhouette while I shopped it around. I ended up selling a trilogy to Silhouette a few months before selling The Mindhunters series to Berkley. So then I had four books to deliver in seventeen months...a pretty brutal schedule while I was teaching full time! (No kidding!! I'm amazed!)

drey: The heroines of your Mindhunters series are all strong, yet have emotional baggage from their past. Was this a conscious decision?

Kylie: We're all a compilation of our experiences and backgrounds and those figure into our motivations and perceptions. So it goes to figure that those people who are struggling to overcome something in their life make for a lot more interesting characters than, say, I would. =) So yes, I consciously shaped characters whose strength was melded by incidents in their pasts...and their background provides an obstacle to their future. Can they put the past to rest to earn their happily ever after?

drey: What's next for the Mindhunters? Are there more books? Will there be one with the boss--Adam Raiker?

Kylie: I'm currently writing book four in the series, Deadly Fear. Adam's story will be the last book in this trilogy, and there's an overarching suspense plot that links the books together. (Heh. Am I good or what??)

drey: Do you like to read? If so, what are some of your favorite books and/or authors?

Kylie: My writing time comes from what used to be my reading time, so I no longer get to read as much as I like. My favorite authors are Cindy Gerard, Tami Hoag, Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts / JD Robb, Lee Child, Robert Crais and Kyle Mills.

drey: What do you like to indulge in, when not writing?

Kylie: I enjoy reading, traveling, hanging out with family and friends and flower gardening.

And, to finish off, the Proust-lite:
What is your idea of earthly happiness? Today was a good example! It was a college football day so we spent it tailgating with family and friends. It was a beautiful day to be outside and I just like being around my favorite people :)

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? I've often said that my idea of hell is being chained to a sewing machine throughout all eternity =)

Who is/are your favorite heroine(s) in fiction? I love Eve Dallas, the recurring heroine in the JD Robb books. She's an ideal example of a flawed heroine who has endured a past emotional trauma that continues to impact her perceptions and reactions to people. It's a pleasure to watch her evolve and adapt as she learns to trust the hero in the series, as well as her friends.

Who is/are your favorite heroine(s) in real life? Oh, that would be my mom. She was my role model in every way. I also had two grandmothers who were quite strong women for their time.

What sound do you love? I'm a sucker for Christmas carols. =) I love everything about the season and have been known to take my CDs to school to listen to, because my family gets sick of hearing them!

What sound do you hate? The alarm in the morning. To say I'm not a morning person is putting it charitably.

The quality you admire most in a man? A sense of humor. That's one of the things that drew me to my husband, all those years ago. Some of his lines have found their way into my books over the years.

The quality you admire most in a woman? Strength and intelligence. I have little tolerance for women who become doormats to the people in their lives.

If not a writer, you would be a ... since I'm also an elementary special education teacher that's an easy one.

What is your favorite swear word? F*ck a duck.

drey: Thank you for your time, Kylie! I really appreciate this!

And now, you lucky ducks, pay attention... Kylie's giving away a copy of her latest Mindhunters release, Waking the Dead. This one's open everywhere--there's a print copy for a US/Canada winner, or an electronic copy to an international winner.

Rules:
-- Contest is open internationally (see above)!
-- To enter, comment and share: Do you want to read Kylie's Mindhunters series, and why?
-- Follow for 1 extra entry.
-- Share for 2 extra entries (let me know what & where, please).
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST November 16th. Good luck!

Carolyn Brown and 194. One Lucky Cowboy: An Interview, a review, and a giveaway!

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Today, we have a visit from the lovely Carolyn Brown, who writes a lot--no kidding!! Come and see what she has to say...

drey: Hi Carolyn! Welcome to drey's library—-THANK YOU for taking the time to answer some questions for my readers & I...

Carolyn: Good morning, Drey. Thank you for having me on your website today. I’m delighted to be here again for a little visit.

drey: There's a huge amount of books out there with your name on 'em. How long have you been writing? What got you started?

Carolyn: I’ve been writing seriously for about twelve years. I tinkered with it for twenty years before that. When my youngest child was born and refused to sleep at night I picked up a spiral notebook and pencil and wrote a book. It did not sell but it did garner enough rejection slips to cause a major problem in the great Redwood Forest. I got serious when empty nest syndrome set in. Two of my romance books sold in 1997 to Kensington Books in their Precious Gems line. Four of the six that eventually sold were published before the line died. The two that didn’t sell are probably sitting on a shelf covered in dust with the characters screaming for someone to let them out. When that line went belly-up I had already sold a book to Avalon. And then another and another until now the number is up to thirty six with four more to be published in the next couple of years. Then Sourcebooks bought the Lucky Trilogy and now they’ve also bought the Honky Tonk Series.
36 books! Wow!

drey: When did you decide to switch from historical to contemporary romances?

Carolyn: Actually I started with contemporary. The four for Precious Gems were contemporaries written under the pen name Abby Gray. Then there were several contemporaries in the Avalon line before I wrote a historical, which was the debut lead historical for their new line that year. I love writing both and switch back and forth between the two.

drey: How do you come up with the characters in your books? I've only read the Lucky ones, and it feels to me like you'd dreamt up the entire cast of characters before sitting down to write the books.

Carolyn: I’m not sure I come up with the characters or if they all have an executive meeting and decide to give me the privilege of writing their book. One of my biggest compliments came from a reader who was so engrossed in a book that she wondered if the characters went to her church.
I can see why you'd get that comment... The way I see it, I wouldn't mind having your characters for neighbors, they're that much fun.

drey: The way you use words is incredible. I love the dialogue in the Lucky books. "You've got cow shit for brains!" and "Kiss my naturally born white ass" broke out the laughter, for sure. How do you come up with this? *grin*

Carolyn: I’m glad I made you laugh. How did I come up with those phrases? I use them when I talk! Someone asked if I talk the same way as I write. Here stands the guilty party … can’t help it. It was the result of my upbringing!

drey: How much of your own family is in your books? Character-wise, plot-wise, etc...

Carolyn: Now that is one difficult question. I come from a very eclectic family and I still think I should have my name in the Guinness Book. When I was twelve years old, my mother remarried to a man twice her age. Then many years later my father at the age of 55 married an eighteen year old girl. So when I was forty two I had a two year old half-brother and an eighty year old step-sister. I don’t have to look far for quirky character descriptions.
Sounds like my family! Except they're not siblings, just cousins...

drey: You're a baker, correct (I seem to remember some comments from your daughters that made me want to take a trip to sample your baking...)? What else gives you pleasure, outside of writing, and your family?

Carolyn: I love to read and will read everything from O’Henry to Faulkner to Uris to LaVryle Spencer. And cooking is a passion. Thanksgiving is my holiday and the kids all come home. I cook for days and send leftovers home with them all.
Where and at what time should I show up? *grin*

drey: What are you looking forward to?

Carolyn: One Lucky Cowboy hit the racks yesterday and I’m really excited about that. And Getting Lucky will be out in January 2010 to finish up that trilogy. Then in June The Honky Tonk Series kicks off. It is a four book series about an old beer joint down in Palo Pinto County, Texas and all the excitement centered around it. I Love This Bar has a publication date of June 2010 and will be followed by Hell Yeah, My Give a Damn’s Busted and Honky Tonk Christmas. The heroes are hunky cowboys and the heroines are sassy southern barmaids so get ready for heat and spunk.
Wow. You really are a busy bee. I just love the Honky Tonk titles--can't wait to read 'em!

And, to finish off, the Proust-lite:
What is your idea of earthly happiness? When the kids all get here on Thanksgiving Day.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? The death of a child. I’ve never experienced it and hope I never do.

Who is/are your favorite heroine(s) in fiction? Scarlett O’Hara.

Who is/are your favorite heroine(s) in real life? That would be my grandmother, Bessie Chapman, who was a blind lady. I lived with her when I was a little girl and led her wherever she wanted to go. Someone mentioned her being handicapped once and it offended me. My grandmother was not handicapped. She raised six kids, mended cotton sacks (that’s the big canvas bags folks pulled along behind them to put cotton in as they picked it), quilted (and her stitches sure put mine to shame), canned more than a hundred jars of food in a summer and helped raise three grandchildren.
She sounds fabulous, Carolyn!

What sound do you love? The sound of the water sloshing up on the shore at the beach.

What sound do you hate? The bleep on the computer when it crashes.
Ugh. I so know what you mean.

The quality you admire most in a man? Passion.

The quality you admire most in a woman? Strength.

If not a writer, you would be a … probably a home economics teacher even though they are obsolete now.
My mom was a home ec teacher. Unfortunately, her skills so did not pass on to me...

What is your favorite swear word? Oh dear! In front of the grandchildren that would be “well fizzle” but when I drop a chunk of chocolate cake upside down on the kitchen floor it would have to be “Damn it!”

About the author:
Carolyn Brown is an award-winning author who has published 36 historical and western romance novels for the library market, many of them bestsellers in that market. She was born in Texas and grew up in southern Oklahoma. She and her husband, Charles, a retired English teacher, now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma.

About the book:

NO BIG BLOND COWBOY IS GOING TO INTIMIDATE THIS SPITFIRE...
If Slade Luckadeau thinks he can run her off his ranch, he's got cow chips for brains. His grandmother's offer of a job and a place to stay is the first lucky break Jane Day's gotten in a long time. So what if her hideaway comes with a big hunk of hostile he-man? She can handle it...

THIS SMART-TALKING RANCH WOMAN IS GIVING HIM SERIOUS PAINS
Slade is certain the good-looking, hardworking blond his grandmother dragged home from the bus station is a con artist, out to rip them off and leave them in the dust. But even him being as mean as a startled rattlesnake doesn't seem to faze her one bit. She's winning every argument, and he's running out of fights to pick...

With his granny up to some serious matchmaking, and trouble with a capital "T" threatening the Double L ranch, suddenly it's Slade's heart that's in the most danger of all...

drey's thoughts:

One Lucky Cowboy is my second Carolyn Brown novel, after Lucky in Love. And just as in Lucky in Love, One Lucky Cowboy has characters that will make you laugh out loud. I don't know how she does it, but Carolyn creates characters that you wouldn't mind running into in real life.

In this one, Jane is running away from her fiance--the one whom her stepfather's contracted to kill her, before her 25th birthday, so that he gets her company. And wouldn't you know it, she lands herself a job at the Double L Ranch near Ringgold, Texas... Where, apparently, the master of the house has an issue with her.

And so begins the story of Jane and Slade, and Slade's grandmother's meddling--er, matchmaking... If you like cowboys and a ton of sass with your romance, you don't want to miss One Lucky Cowboy.

Giveaway!
Thanks to Sourcebooks, I have a copy of Lucky in Love and One Lucky Cowboy for one lucky duck...
Rules:
-- Contest is open to US and Canada residents, no PO Boxes please!
-- To enter, comment and share a thought for Carolyn.
-- Follow for 1 extra entry.
-- Share for 2 extra entries (let me know what & where, please).
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST November 15th. Good luck!

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of One Lucky Cowboy was provided by Sourcebooks for this blog tour.

Winners -- Nine Dragons and Tall, Dark and Fangsome!!

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:51:00 +0000

More winners to announce... Randomizer was put to work to fine 4 people (there were 31 people entered) to receive a copy of Nine Dragons, and here they are!

Comment #33, enyl!!

Comment #52, cqueen2!!

Comment #65, Belinda M!!

Comment #7, Beth (BBRB)!!

Next up. 33 people entered this one, so Randomizer picked 4 winners. They are:

Comment #50, Bella!!

Comment #4, Karen H in NC!!

Comment #57, Belinda M!!

Comment #48, booklover0226!!

Congratulations, everyone! Emails have been sent, please reply with your mailing information before the end of day Tuesday. And THANK YOU for swinging by!

Want the book? Click on the covers to purchase from Amazon.

Replacement winners...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:44:00 +0000

Well, I haven't heard back from Stacie (for Permission Slips) or JWIsley (for Supreme Courtship), so here are some new winners!

For Permission Slips, the replacement picked by Randomizer is...

Comment #8, lag123!!

For Supreme Courtship, the replacement picked by Randomizer is...

Comment #35, pixie13!!

Congratulations!! Emails have been sent, please reply with your mailing information before the end of day Monday.

193. Waking the Dead by Kylie Brant...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

About the book:

Former forensic anthropologist Caitlin Fleming knows bones. So the investigator is the first one called when seven sets of skeletal remains are found dumped in a makeshift graveyard in the Oregon wilderness. Each skeleton bears the same distinctive marks. And each is minus a skull.

Cait needs outdoors guide Zach Sharper for one reason only-—to help her find her way through the Willamette Forest as she pieces together clues. Despite the attraction that burns between them, nothing will be allowed to shake her focus. Until the killer closes in to terminate the investigation... and the ones on the verge of unmasking him...

drey's thoughts:
This is the third Mindhunters novel from Kim Brant. I flew through this one just about as quickly as I flew through the other two.

Caitlin Fleming is a former cover-girl turned forensic expert. She is very aware of how her looks impact those she interacts with, but is more interested in getting the job done. And when she's called onto a site where there's nothing left of the victims but the bones, boy does she have a job to do.

Waking the Dead is just as tightly-written as Waking Nightmare and Waking Evil. The characters are interesting, and the romance doesn't push everything else in the story to the backseat. I can't wait to see what comes next.

Title: Waking the Dead
Author: Kylie Brant
ISBN-10: 0425231143
ISBN-13: 9780425231142
ARC: 326 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group,2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of Waking the Dead was an ARC provided by Kylie Brant for this review.

192. Waking Evil by Kylie Brant...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

About the book:

Buffalo Springs, Tennessee is a neighborly kind of place where folks leave their doors unlocked and crime is unheard of. But once every generation, a strange red mist settles over the town, and with it comes omens of death...

When the body of a young woman is found, forensic investigator Ramsey Clark is called in. She knows about the legend of the mist and about the curse that has the entire town afraid of the dark. But Ramsey believes in evidence, not superstition, despite what she’s told by the parapsychologist who has been dogging her every step. Then another murder rocks Buffalo Springs, and Ramsey begins to wonder if a killer is playing on everyone’s fears or if a prophecy is indeed being fulfilled—-one victim at a time.

drey's thoughts:
So, after reading Waking Nightmare, and knowing that I had all three Mindhunters books, I couldn't not pick this one up as soon as I could. So I did. Because patience is definitely not a virtue in my pocket.

Anyway, I wasn't disappointed by this follow-up to Waking Nightmare. It's just as gripping, and the characters are just as well drawn... And I don't know where Kylie Brant gets her ideas for the crimes, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to get on her wrong side...

Title: Waking Evil
Author: Kylie Brant
ISBN-10: 0425230716
ISBN-13: 9780425230718
Paperback: 359 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of Waking Evil was provided by the author for this review.

191. Waking Nightmare by Kylie Brant...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

About the book:

First he learns your darkest fears. Then he makes you live them.

With a serial rapist on the loose on the streets of Savannah, hot-shot detective Ryne Robel needs all the help he can get for his task force. And he needs it now, before another woman falls victim. But Abbie Phillips isn't what he bargained for. Sent from an exclusive group of the best criminologists in the country, she's smart, fierce…and distracting. She may be a brilliant forensic profiler, but Ryne needs answers, not pyschobabble and head games.

However, Abbie convinces him that head games are exactly what this elusive suspect is all about. The seemingly random acts or torture are actually calculated to match each victim's darkest fears. And the stakes are rising. While they study the devious psychopath, he's watching them—the next objects of his horrifying obsession.

drey's thoughts:
Ok, so apparently I'm into thriller-romances... Or, at least, into thriller-romances that are more thriller than romance. Not that the romance isn't part of the story--it is--but it's so nicely written into the story that Waking Nightmare doesn't read like a romance with a mystery in between the pages... Anyway, I'll stop blabbing now...

Waking Nightmare is Kylie Brant's first Mindhunters novel. There are 3 so far--with the third coming out in November. In this one, the heroine is Abbie Phillips, who has fears of her own that she needs to overcome to find the psychopath terrorizing Savannah. And working with Ryne is complicating enough--without having to put up with his attitude.

If you like romance-thrillers with strong-yet-flawed heroines, reluctant heroes, and a satisfying mystery, then you'll want to pick up Kylie Brant's new series. I inhaled all 3--lucky me! =)

Title: Waking Nightmare
Author: Kylie Brant
ISBN-10: 0425230236
ISBN-13: 9780425230237
Paperback: 343 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of Waking Nightmare was provided by the author for this review.

Winners!!

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Winners, winners, everywhere! I know I'm late on some of these, and I apologize. But, better late than never! Anyway, there's a bunch to announce, so here goes...

The three winners of Sherri Shepherd's Permission Slips are:

Comment #13, etirv!!

Comment #9, Pam!!
Actually, Pam's gotten lucky somewhere else, so the winner of this copy is Stacie from Simply Stacie!!

Comment #35, renee!!

Next, the winner of the Booklover's gift pack from Reading Comfort:

Comment #39, Pam P!!
Pam chose the Floral Sienna paperweight and the Solid Peach - with button bookmark...

By the way, I had a very nice package from them when I got home on Sunday, and I cannot wait to give my "presents" a whirl! Watch for reviews coming soon...

Another set of winners, this time for the Cirque du Freak promotion from Big Honcho Media. Winners will receive the Cirque du Freak book Set (all 3 titles) and a Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant Locker Mirror. For the record, 23 people voted for their favorite slogan, with 18 choosing "There's a little freak in all of us"...

Comment #5, lilly of Reading Extravaganza!! (I have awesome vampire powers)

Comment #61, gaby317 of Starting Fresh!! (There's a little freak in all of us)

Next up: Linda Wisdom's Hex in High Heels!

Comment #72, CherylS22!!

Comment #43, I Heart Book Gossip!!

The winner was "witches", with 17 votes, ahead of "werewolves" by 5.

Congratulations, everyone!! Boy, Randomizer was working hard... =) Emails have been sent, please reply before the end of day Friday. And THANK YOU for swinging by...

Want the book? Click on the cover(s) to purchase from Amazon.

Tour: 190. The Return by Victoria Hislop...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Today's tour is for Victoria Hislop's The Return... Many thanks to Trish at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? for organizing the tour...

About the book:

Sonia is in Granada to celebrate a friend's birthday with a dance class. She knows nothing of the city's shocking past, but ordering a simple cup of coffee in a quiet cafe will lead her into the extraordinary tale of a family's fight to survive the horror of the Spanish civil war.

Seventy years earlier, in the Ramirez family's cafe, Concha and Pablo's children relish an atmosphere of hope. Antonio is a serious young teacher, Ignacio a flamboyant matador, and Emilio a skilled musician. Their sister, Mercedes, is a spirited girl whose sole passion is dancing. Her talent for flamenco develops, and when she meets Javier Montero, a renowned young guitarist, an obsessive love affair begins. But Spain is a country in turmoil, and in 1936 a civil war begins that will tear their family apart. For Antonio, the pull of the battle is irresistible. For Ignacio, the allure of Franco's policies causes a rift between him and his family. And for Mercedes, caught on the wrong side of the line, separation from Javier is unbearable. Everyone must take a side and choose whether to submit, to fight, or to attempt escape.

About the author:
Victoria Hislop read English at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, and writes travel features for The Sunday Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday, House & Garden and Woman & Home. Her first novel The Island was published by Headline Review and held the number 1 slot in the paperback charts for eight consecutive weeks, selling over a million copies in the UK. The book has also been published in over twenty languages and has also been a number 1 bestseller in Greece. Victoria was the Newcomer of the Year at the Galaxy British Book Awards 2007 and won the Richard & Judy Summer Read competition. She lives in Kent, with her husband and their two children.

Visit Victoria Hislop's website for a reading group guide for The Return at http://www.readingcircle.co.uk/return-guide.html.

drey's thoughts:
The Return is one of those books that pull you along in its wake. Slowly. And surely. The story is Sonia's, who is dissatisfied with her lackluster life--except for the salsa lessons she takes. When she heads to Granada with her BFF Maggie, she finds Miguel, an old man who runs a cafe. Miguel starts sharing a bit of Granada's, and Spain's, history with Sonia.

And so the story is now Concha & Pablo's. And their children’s. Antonio, the idealist. Ignacio, the impish trouble-maker who takes up the art of bull-fighting. Emilio, who loses himself in his guitar. And Mercedes, who loves—who has always loved—the flamenco... and Javier, her gypsy guitarrista. When war invades Granada, their idyllic life is split and pummeled into so many bits and pieces. Can they recover? Can any of them recover?

The Return floats between history and present-day with a wistful earnestness. And your journey with Sonia as she explores a bit of the past, and realizes her path for the future, is extremely satisfying.

Title: The Return
Author: Victoria Hislop
ISBN-10: 0061715417
ISBN-13: 9780061715419
ARC: 401 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009

Disclosure: My copy of The Return is an ARC provided by TLC Book Tours for this review.

Tour: Japan Took the J.A.P. Out of Me by Lisa Fineberg Cook...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Ok, this should be the last casualty of my unexpected absense. I promise to have all reviews posted ASAP.

About the book:

Six days after an InStyle-worthy wedding in Los Angeles, Lisa Fineberg Cook left behind her little red Jetta, her manicurist of ten years, and her very best friend for the land of the rising sun.

When her husband accepted a job teaching English in Nagoya, Japan, she imagined exotic weekend getaways, fine sushi dinners, and sake sojourns with glamorous expatriate friends. Instead, she's the only Jewish girl on public transportation, and everyone is staring. Lisa longs for regular mani/pedis, valet parking, and gimlets with her girlfriends, but for the next year, she learns to cook, clean, commute, and shop like the Japanese, all the while adjusting to another foreign concept -- marriage. Loneliness and frustration give way to new and unexpected friendships, the evolution of old ones, and a fresh understanding of what it means to feel different -- until finally a world she never thought she'd fit into begins to feel home-like, if not exactly like home.

Check out these other tour stops:
The Life (And Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object
The Neverending Shelf
A Sea of Books
Libby’s Library News
Bookin’ With Bingo
Readaholic
That’s A Novel Idea
Starting Fresh
Just Another New Blog
Blog Business World
My Friend Amy
Chick With Books
Book N Around
My Book Views
So Many Books, So Little Time
Keep on Booking
Reading at the Beach
Found Not Lost
Brizmus Blogs Books
I Read

Review & Giveaway: 189. Tell Me Something True by Leila Cobo...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

About the book:

Gabriella Richards feels betrayed. Between her doting father in Hollywood and her grandmother's aristocratic family in Cali, Columbia, a few facts have been carefully hidden about her mother, whose tragic death shattered a picture-perfect marriage. Gabriella, now a classical pianist, has kept one foot in her grandmother's elegant, guarded world, visiting her every year. But this trip changes everything. In a dusty closet in a faded mansion, Gabriella finds her mother's diary, written just for her. And at a party of Cali's young and hip, she meets a man she can't resist. Soon, between her mother's shocking confessions and her new lover's secretive life, Gabriella will enter a season of pleasure, pain, and awakening--as she discovers that things are not always true or false, and that the words that matter most can be the most dangerous ones of all...

drey's thoughts:
Gabriella is one of those young women who're floating through life. Her father is nagging her to make a plan for her future, to realize her potential as a pianist. But Gabriella isn't sure that's what she wants to do. And as she makes her annual pilgrimage to visit her grandmother, she promises that she'll try.

Tell Me Something True is a warm, poignant story about a daughter who finds out that her mother was not all that she thought she was. Alternating between Gabriella's and Helena's point of view, the story slowly unravels Helena's secrets, as written to Gabriella in a diary. And Gabriella has to come to grips with that version of her mother.

On the same trip, Gabriella meets and falls in love with a very not-appropriate-for-polite-company (according to her grandmother and cousin), handsome, Angel. But she follows her heart anyway. And in doing so, eventually learns that the differing version of her mother may not have been all that bad; and eventually learns that some mistakes can never be remedied.

Title: Tell Me Something True
Author: Leila Cobo
ISBN-10: 0446519367
ISBN-13: 9780446519366
Paperback: 299 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2009

Leila Cobo on BlogTalk Radio:

Giveaway!
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have up to five copies of Tell Me Something True for you...
Rules:
-- Contest is open to US and Canada residents, no PO Boxes please!
-- To enter, comment and share: Do you keep a diary? If so, do you write down your deepest, darkest, secrets in it?
-- For an extra entry, participate in this Facebook discussion: Do you keep a diary for your kids? Did someone keep one for you?
-- Follow for 1 extra entry.
-- Share for 2 extra entries (let me know what & where, please).
-- Every 10 people entered gets another copy in the hat, so tell everyone! =)
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST November 8th. Good luck!

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of Tell Me Something True was provided by Hachette Book Group for this review.

Tour: Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Another tour that I don't have a review for. This one's yet another casualty of my trip out of the country...

About the book:

Once, all power in the Vin Lands was held by the prince-mages, who alone could craft spellwines, and selfishly used them to increase their own wealth and influence. But their abuse of power caused a demigod to break the Vine, shattering the power of the mages. Now, fourteen centuries later, it is the humble Vinearts who hold the secret of crafting spells from wines, the source of magic, and they are prohibited from holding power.

But now rumors come of a new darkness rising in the vineyards. Strange, terrifying creatures, sudden plagues, and mysterious disappearances threaten the land. Only one Vineart senses the danger, and he has only one weapon to use against it: a young slave. His name is Jerzy, and his origins are unknown, even to him. Yet his uncanny sense of the Vinearts' craft offers a hint of greater magics within — magics that his Master, the Vineart Malech, must cultivate and grow. But time is running out. If Malech cannot teach his new apprentice the secrets of the spellwines, and if Jerzy cannot master his own untapped powers, the Vin Lands shall surely be destroyed.

In Flesh and Fire, first in a spellbinding new trilogy, Laura Anne Gilman conjures a story as powerful as magic itself, as intoxicating as the finest of wines, and as timeless as the greatest legends ever told.

About the author:
Born in the late 1960’s in suburban New Jersey, Laura Anne endured only moderate trauma – and some good times – before escaping to Skidmore College. After graduation, given the choice between grad school and employment, the lure of a paycheck took her to NYC and a career in publishing, while working nights and weekends to get her writing career started.

In 2004, she and corporate America decided they needed a break from each other. Her first original novel contract in-hand, Laura Anne became a full-time freelancer, and never looked back.

She is the author of the Cosa Nostradamus books for Luna (the “Retrievers” and “Paranormal Scene Investigations” series), a YA trilogy for HarperCollins, and the forthcoming Vineart War books from Pocket, while continuing to write and sell short fiction. She also writes paranormal romances for Nocturne as Anna Leonard.

Laura Anne is also an amateur chef, oenophile, and cat-servant.

She lives in New York City, where she also runs d.y.m.k. productions. She can be found online at her website, http://www.lauraannegilman.net/.

Check out what these other blogs have to say about Flesh and Fire:
All About {N}
Beth’s Book Review Blog
Revenge of the Book Nerds
The Neverending Shelf
Layers of Thought
Fantasy Freak
Undercover Book Lover
Carol’s Notebook
Starting Fresh
Pick of the Literate
My Friend Amy
Cheryl’s Book Nook
Opinionated? Me?
Readaholic
One Person’s Journey Through A World of Books
My Life In Not So Many Words
Geek Girl Reviews
Sci-Fi Guy
Wendy's Minding Spot
Found Not Lost
Brizmus Blogs Books
25 Hour Books
Temple Library Reviews

Replacement winners...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Alright, Alyce is a very lucky duck indeed, since she's already won the Hispanic Heritage Month giveaway on another blog. And, I never heard back from I Heart Book Gossip, who won Yona McDonough's Breaking the Bank. So, Randomizer went (back) to work, and here are some new winners:

For the Hispanic Heritage Month giveaway:
Comment #19, Melanie of The Scrapping Librarian!!

For Breaking the Bank:
Comment #4, budletsmom!!

An email has been sent to budletsmom, as I couldn't find one for Melanie. Please get me your mailing information before the end of day Tuesday!

Congratulations, and THANK YOU for stopping by!

Tour: Over the Holidays by Sandra Harper...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Today's tour is for Over the Holidays, by Sandra Harper. I apologize for not posting a review, but I was out of the country and without the book. It'll come soon!

Anyway, on with the tour!

About the book:

The best holiday traditions are meant to be broken.

It's only December 1, and Vanessa Clayton has been dreading Christmas since she spotted tinseled trees at her local mall in September. Thankfully, she and her husband, JT, can't afford to drag their twin boys across the country to New England for the annual celebration at her stuffy sister-in-law Patience's home. Not that Vanessa has prepared a proper Christmas for her family in years, and she has less time than ever since she agreed to consult on the script of a local play. Her older sister, Thea, is no help -- she'd rather make art and flirt with surfers than babysit her nine-year-old nephews. Then Patience drops a holiday stress bomb: Her family will come to California instead.

In between "baking" cinnamon rolls for the school potluck and overbearing Patience testing her patience, Vanessa can't stop thinking about the difficult but charming playwright at work. Meanwhile, Patience's teenage daughter, Libby, obsesses over a college boy she has met by the pool, and Thea searches desperately for the meaning of Christmas -- for her latest installation, of course. As their holiday plans go comically awry, these four women discover the true spirit of the season is hidden in every festive surprise.

About the author:
Sandra Harper is the author of the play, Magpie's Tea Room, which enjoyed a successful run in Los Angeles at The Ventura Court Theatre. She has written a cooking column, "The California Cook" for the newspaper, Skirt. A script reader for Pathe Studios and Springcreek Productions, she also wrote and produced fashion and rock videos for Elvis Costello, Chaka Khan and Vidal Sassoon, among others. Ms. Harper received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Southern California and has completed a children's book, The Witches Club.

And, just because I don't have a review, doesn't mean that there aren't any... Check out these tour stops to see what they have to say about Over the Holidays:
Rundpinne
Frugal Plus
The Life (And Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object
Wendi’s Book Corner
Opinionated? Me?
Me, My Book and the Couch
Libby’s Library News
Bookin’ With Bingo
Books, Movies, and Chinese Food
Psychotic State
Readaholic
That’s A Novel Idea
All About {N}
Starting Fresh
A Sea of Books
Just Another New Blog
Blog Business World
My Friend Amy
Cheryl’s Book Nook
One Person’s Journey Through A World of Books
I Read
So Many Books, So Little Time
Keep on Booking
Reading at the Beach
Found Not Lost
Brizmus Blogs Books
Book Reviews by Buuklvr81

188. Nibble & Kuhn by David Schmahmann...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

About the book:

An unraveling law firm. An unwinnable case. An unworkable love.

Derek Dover has it all.

Derek’s up for partner at Nibble & Kuhn just as that most proper of Boston law firms comically tries to ‘rebrand’ itself for the Google era. Pompous and arbitrary, the ruling junta of partners saddles him with a high visibility lawsuit just weeks before trial. The diligent young attorney arranges things so that Maria Parma, a new associate in the firm for whom he’s fallen hard, also gets named to the case. Maria, in turn, can’t keep her hands off Derek, but it’s complicated because she’s engaged to someone else.

As Derek prepares his case on behalf of seven young victims of an industrial polluter, his anxieties about his career and his torments over Maria’s mixed messages only increase. Have his eccentric WASP superiors handed him a ‘toxic’ case to ruin his chances of becoming a partner? How can he get his opponents to settle – an outcome the presiding judge all but demands – unless his unorthodox ‘expert witnesses’ perform with enough gravitas to match that of the other side with its Harvard Medical School scientist? Will Nibble & Kuhn survive the partners’ spectacularly bad business judgments? Does it even matter to Derek, given that his looming fiasco of a trial and his indiscretions with Maria seem set to sink any chance he ever had at partnership?

Ultimately, Derek sets into motion a line of inquiry that spins events entirely out of the control of the judge, jury, and any and all attorneys.

drey's thoughts:
I liked Nibble & Kuhn. Not least for the name... There's just something about a law firm with the name of "Nibble"... *grin* Brings to mind that one joke (yeah, only one) about lawyers and the bottom of the sea...

Anyway. Never mind the bad lawyer jokes. Derek is a good guy. He's pretty smart, works hard, bills as he should... As he's coming up for partnership though, some things happen... He falls for Maria, and he gets assigned a huge case--taking over for an elevated-to-judgeship lawyer at his firm. Now, Maria. Maria is more than she seems. She's a good girl, who happens to fall for a not-quite-family-approved boy. Of course, they can hardly approve of Derek if they don't even know that he exists, right?

Nibble & Kuhn is part emotional drama, part comedy, and part satire. All told in a crisp, clean narrative by author David Schmahmann. You'll shake your head at some of the goings on at the moving-on-up law firm, wince at Derek's case, and laugh out loud at the re-branding of Nibble & Kuhn. All while rooting for Derek and Maria. Not a bad way to while away a fall evening at all...

Title: Nibble & Kuhn
Author: David Schmahmann
ISBN-10: 0897335929
ISBN-13: 9780897335928
ARC: 279 pages
Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of Nibble & Kuhn is an ARC provided by Academy Chicago Publishers for this review.

187. Undead and Unwelcome by Mary Janice Davidson...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

About the book:

Fifty Thousand Angry Werewolves.

That's what Betsy is facing when she takes her werewolf friend Antonia's body to Cape Cod, where the Pack resides at Wyndham Manor. Because Antonia died in her service, Betsy is alive and well--and wracked with guilt. She has no idea if the Wyndham werewolves will greet her with fangs or friendship.

While Betsy and her husband, Sinclair, try to make nice, their legal ward, BabyJon, freaks out every werewolf he meets. Meanwhile, Betsy's posse back at the St. Paul mansion is not LOLing. Increasingly frantic e-mails alert Betsy to her half sister's increasingly erratic behavior. Looks like the devil's daughter is coming into her own--and raising hell. All in the name of making Betsy's life easier, of course.

drey's thoughts:
It's been a while since I picked up a Betsy book... I'm pretty sure I read the first few books in the series, way back when... =) Anyway, I was reminded of why it was "way back when".

Betsy is like that fluffy thing-on-a-stick that you get at fairs and ball games (does it still come on a stick?)... All fluffiness, and not a whole lot else. Everything that happens is taken care of by those who love her.

Granted, the book is funny--I especially enjoyed Marc's acronym-laden emails, and his diary entries. But that was pretty much it. You'll like this book for a few hours of brainless, mindless, fluff, or if you're a fan of Betsy's. Otherwise, skip it.

Title: Undead and Unwelcome
Author: Mary Janice Davidson
ISBN-10: 0425227731
ISBN-13: 9780425227732
Hardcover: 281 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library, Vampire

Disclosure: My copy of Undead and Unwelcome stopped by for a short jaunt, from the local library.

Giveaway: Run For Your Life by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge...

dreyshouse@gmail.com (drey) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Today's giveaway is for the Patterson fans out there. You know who you are!

About the book:

A calculating killer who calls himself The Teacher is taking on New York City, killing the powerful and the arrogant. His message is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences! For some, it seems that the rich are finally getting what they deserve. For New York's elite, it is a call to terror.

Only one man can tackle such a high-profile case: Detective Mike Bennett. The pressure is enough for anyone, but Mike also has to care for his 10 children-all of whom have come down with virulent flu at once!

Discovering a secret pattern in The Teacher's lessons, Detective Bennett realizes he has just hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history. From the #1 bestselling author comes RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, the continuation of his newest, electrifying series.

Read an excerpt:

Giveaway!
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have up to five copies of Run For Your Life for you...
Rules:
-- Contest is open to US and Canada residents, no PO Boxes please!
-- To enter, comment and share: Are you a Patterson fan? Who is your favorite Patterson character?
-- Follow for 1 extra entry.
-- Share for 2 extra entries (let me know what & where, please).
-- Every 10 people entered gets another copy in the hat, so tell everyone! =)
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST November 2nd. Good luck!