Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Spells:
Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

In the Sequel to Aprilynne Pike's Wings, Laurel and David's relationship has grown stronger since the troll attack six month ago, while the relationship between Laurel and her parents has changed, and in the case of her mother, drastically. While her father has taken the announcement of Laurel's heritage in stride, her mother has become the exact opposite of her former self and finds the new dynamics of her daughter unnerving, as she becomes unsure of her role in Laurel's future. Laurel and David's love is tested as She and Tamani become closer in Avalon, where she is invited to spend the summer in order to learn about her heritage and all about being a Fall faerie. Laurel quickly finds that she must make a difficult decision, and the impending result will hurt more than just herself. Along with the trouble in her personal life comes the return of Barnes--the troll who tried to kill Laurel and those she loves for access to her family's land (which hides one of the Gates into Avalon). The introduction of Klea--the self proclaimed troll hunter--adds an intriguing spin to the story and Laurel doesn't quite know if Klea's offer of help and protection can be trusted or not, or whether Klea has more self-serving interests in mind. I loved this book from start to finish.

Friday 56...Blood Price (4)

The book today: Blood Price by Tanya Huff

"Good God" doesn't quite cover it, my man. I wish Bill were here to see this.

The Friday 56 idea came from… The Bookoholic Zone


The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
* Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

In My Mailbox (1):

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi, the wonderful creator of The Story Siren.

This is my very first week participating and I know Sunday is the preferred day for posting, but my hubby is home from work on Sundays, so I rarely get much time on the computer when he is home!

Ok, so here we go, from bottom to top just for fun:

Burned by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast
Wild Fire by Christine Feehan
Stealing Kathryn by Jacquelyn Frank
Dead by Dusk by Shannon Drake

I hope everyone has a great Thursday!

Wednesday Random Recommendation...(3)

Nine Lives:
They say cats have nine lives.
Lucky for Cat Dupree, she's got seven left.

Bounty hunter Cat Dupree first cheated death when she was thirteen. The second time left her orphaned and scarred. And the only thing that will diminish her lust for revenge is finding the man who left her for dead as she watched him murder her father. Every job she takes is an opportunity to invade the criminal world that hides the tattooed man who ruined her life. And she hopes to hunt him down on her current mission into the rugged deserts of Mexico, where there is no law to watch her back.

Without her knowledge, bondsman Wilson McKay is on the same job, and trailing Cat is the fastest way to find his man. He's willing to share resources -- and the reward -- especially if that means getting to know the lonely woman beneath Cat's tough, take-no-prisoners exterior. Life's taught Cat that the surest way to land on her feet is to work alone, but Wilson might be the man to change her mind -- when they're not competing for jobs or ready to kill each other.

Nine Lives by Sharon Sala was first published in 2006 and is the first in the Cat Dupree trilogy. This is a heartwarming series filled with action and suspense!



I invite and welcome anyone interested in participating to post their own "Random Recommendation" (original post) on their blog (and include a link back to this blog) and join in the fun! Some books might not be very recent reads, but I hope that just helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own bookshelf!

Boys, Bears and A Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald

Boys, Bears and A Serious Pair of Hiking Boots:
SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD JENNA may hail from the 'burbs of New Jersey, but environmental activism is her life. So when the opportunity arises to spend the summer in the wilds of Canada with her hippie godmother, Susie, this Green Teen jumps at the chance to explore this nature she's heard so much about--and the cute, plaid-wearing boys she's certain roam wild and free. But after a few unpleasant run-ins with local wildlife (from a larger than life moose to Susie's sullen Goth stepdaughter to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna realizes that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don't play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. With the help of a dusty survival guide, Jenna begins to navigate the wilderness, and those who call it home--but can she learn to navigate the surprising turns of her heart?

Abby McDonald wrote a heartwarming story about Jenna, who strongly believes in the annihilation of global warming and the conservation of wildlife and its habitats. But when she decides to spend the summer in western Canada, with her godmother, Susie, who is in the centre of renovating her new Bed and Breakfast , Jenna learns that all of her ideals about conservation and green energy mean nothing if there is no room for compromise. Jenna's best friend and fellow activist Green Teen, Olivia, has spent the summer fighting for their cause, alongside some questionable and unique characters at demonstrations with her boyfriend, that have led her into some controversial situations. When she shows up unexpectedly at Susie's, after weeks of ignoring Jenna, Olivia seems to be a completely different person and has become extreme in her environmentalism. Forcing Jenna to look back at the person she used to be when she was involved with Olivia and the Green Teens . And Jenna doesn't like what she sees. Over the summer Jenna has learned to believe in herself and yet still hang onto her beliefs, without becoming angry and spiteful like Olivia. The relationships she builds with the other teenagers in the small town started off on shaky ground but quickly turned into true friendship, and Jenna finds that she doesn't need the false security that Olivia and the other Green Teens gave to her when she was venerable and alone, all she truly needs is the firm belief in herself and to trust who she truly is.

Win A Sony Reader From Shiloh Walker!

No Longer Mine:
One woman, one man, and a love that won’t let either of them go.

Born on the wrong side of the tracks and dealt a fair share of hardship, Nikki Kline never gives up a fight. Even when her reason to keep going is ripped from her, Nikki tries desperately to hang on. But when the man who broke Nikki’s heart comes back into her life she doesn’t know how much she can take. Especially since that man seems determined to win back her damaged heart.

Wade Lightfoot is a man who knows he’s made more mistakes than most. As much as he would like to repair the damage he’s done to those he loves, Wade also knows there is no going back. But when he sets out to put things right the last thing he’s prepared to find out is that he had a son. A son he’ll never get the chance to meet.

When the truth is out and all the old wounds are bared, it seems impossible that Nikki and Wade will find their way back to each other. But true love is an undeniable force that even past hurts can’t destroy.

This book has been previously published and has been revised from its original release.

Warning: This title contains heartbreaking tragedy, lies and deception, and a scorching passion that nothing can deny.

What do I have to do to win you ask? Buy No Longer Mine by Shiloh Walker (Excerpt) and you could win a Sony Reader Pocket Edition (color optional)!

Easy, right?

1. Buy it during the first two weeks of release (between now and 5/12) and send Shiloh a copy of the receipt (block out all sensitive data) to contest4shiloh(at)gmail.com. Put PURCHASE ENTRY in the subject line. This will get you 100 entries into the contest.
2. Have an active** blog? You can also blog about the contest. Once you blog about it, post a link here AND email Shiloh the link @ contest4shiloh(at)gmail.com. Put BLOG ENTRY in the subject line. (no facebook/myspace please**). This will you get 20 entries into the contest.
3. For the no purchase option, you can send a postcard, limited to one per household, to Shiloh Walker POB 976 Jeff, IN 47131. These must be postmarked by 5/3/2010 to qualify. This will get you 1 entry into the contest.

"Yeah, I know… the people who blog and/or buy have the best odds. But…well, that’s kind of how things work." - Shiloh.

The Rules:

* You can enter all three ways if you choose.
* Yes, this contest is open to those outside the country-however, Shiloh realizes the Sony Reader may not be ideal for international winners, and should an international winner be drawn, Shiloh does have an alternative in mind-however, that alternative will only be offered in the event an international winner is drawn.
* Shiloh reserves the right to delete suspicious entries.
* Do NOT post this contest to sweepstakes or contest sites. In the event this happens, I reserve the right to end the contest without drawing a winner and without giving away the prize.
* By entering any of my contests, you attest that you are eighteen, or the age of majority in your place of residence.
* It is your responsibility to check back and see if you’ve won. The winner’s name will be announced near the end of May to allow the mailed receipts time to arrive.
* One postcard entry per household. One entry per blog. If you have five active blogs and post it to all five, that’s cool and will net you 20 entries for each blog, provided you notify me. If you feel like buying five copies of No Longer Mine? Go for it. Just make sure you send me the appropriate documentation. It will get you 100 entries for each copy you purchase.
* And YES, to get the 100 entries, you do have to purchase this revised version as the contest is to promote the new, revised, shiny, improved re-release.
* Read Shiloh's disclaimer for the other rules.

For those who chose to blog, if you want to just post the cover & Sony pic and then link back here, that’s cool, or you can post everything between the (2).

**Previously Shiloh has allowed people to enter using posts on myspace/facebook, etc, but because those pages ‘update’ so frequently, it’s very hard to check on those, and time consuming. Thus, she is no longer going to use those for contest entries. Sorry!

**By active, Shiloh means a blog that you already have up and going. One that goes live today doesn’t count. Sorry.

Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowen

Bitten & Smitten:
Sarah Dearly has had a bad date. What else would you call being buried alive before dessert? Not to mention that bite mark on her neck, and the creepy way her date keeps saying that he’s sired her. Then those guys with the stakes show up and turn her date into so much dust! Sarah runs for her life, only to be rescued by a tall, dark, and handsome stranger. Sure, she interrupts him as he’s about to throw himself off a bridge – but as far as rescuers go, Thierry de Bennicoeur will have to do. Only problem is their age difference. He’s a six-hundred-year-old vamp with a death wish. She’s a new kid on the block with a need for someone with experience to show her the ropes. And to keep her one step ahead from the vampire hunters that are in town to rid Toronto of the ‘monsters’. Sarah doesn’t know what to make of all this. Sure, she’s got a healthy hankering for blood lately, but she doesn’t feel like a monster. Just an unemployed girl looking for love. Even if the object of her affection—Thierry—can’t go out in the sun for very long.

This first book in Michelle Rowen's Immortality Bites series is filled with humor and characters that are easily lovable, a great book from start to finish! Sarah finds herself immersed in a whole new world after the tragic blind date her best friend had arranged. As if waking up covered in dirt in the cemetery wasn't bad enough, when she tries to escape her desperate date she runs into none other than a group of vampire hunters. After witnessing her "sire" being hacked to bits by the hunters she flees and is pursued, a stroke of fate has her literally landing in the arms of Thierry, a 600 year old vampire who is contemplating suicide, as her rescuer. As a fledgling, Sarah has a lot to learn about being a vampire...Hollywood has it all WRONG! She mistakenly becomes involved with a vampire hunter, Quinn, and when he becomes a vampire himself, finds herself caring for the two new 'men' in her life. And as if dealing with two new men weren't enough for Sarah to deal with, Quinn's father, a well known hunter, uses a traitor amongst the vampires to infiltrate their clubs, creating a conspiracy against the strongest and oldest vampire in the city, Thierry...

Forbidden Highlander Release Contest!

Come along as Donna Grant – and some of today’s hottest authors – countdown to the release of FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER with fun posts and lots of prizes! To share her excitement – and to help spread the word about this book and the Dark Sword series – Donna is having a special contest.

There are three ways to enter, and you can enter multiple times, using any combination below.

1: At the top of this post is a widget for this contest, and to the right is a countdown widget. If you post one – or both – of those on your blog, Facebook, Myspace page or your website (anywhere!), each widget will count as an entry (just click the “get widget” button at the bottom of each widget). Put one in more than one place, and that counts as more entries. Just go here and leave a comment with the links to where you put the widgets – a new comment for each link please! (If you’ve already put up one of the widgets, that still counts…just tell Donna where.)

2: If you don’t have a Facebook page, a Myspace page, or a blog/website (or even if you do,) you can still enter! Just Tweet and/or leave a comment somewhere – on a blog or a message board, LibraryThing, Twitter, Goodreads – about FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER or this contest. (Please make sure that the comment is appropriate and not violating any rules.) Come back and leave a new comment and link for each instance. Each instance counts as a separate entry.

3: Donna will be having special guests come and blog during the next month. Check out the posts each day and comment to a blog if your want to win. You’ll have to come back everyday to see who is stopping by and what they’re giving away.

So what can you win? Donna will pick/announce winners on May 27th for the following:

1st place: $100 Barnes & Noble gift card
2nd place: $50 B&N gift card
3rd place: $25 B&N gift card
4th place: Autographed copy of DANGEROUS HIGHLANDER

Contest officially starts Sunday, April 25, 2010 and ends Monday, May 24, 2010 at midnight. Thanks to everyone for helping Donna get the word out!

Important note: You must be at least 18 in order to enter any portion of the contest. Winners will be chosen at random. No substitutions for prizes.

Whispered Lies by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love

Whispered Lies:
Bureau of American Defense operative Carlos Delgado has spent the past sixteen years watching over his shoulder, waiting for death to catch up to him. His luck runs out when BAD intercepts an unexpected tip on the number one threat to United States security: the Fratelli de il Sovrano. Their best hope for uncovering a deadly plan that risks countless lives and threatens economic chaos just days before the presidential election is to capture a mysterious informant known as Mirage. But when Carlos takes her into custody, Mirage is not at all what he expected -- and neither is the threat she poses to the secrets he would die to protect.

Gabrielle Saxe has hidden from a killer for the past decade, sending anonymous tips on international criminals to intelligence agencies around the world. When a postcard arrives from a friend who is supposed to be dead, she takes a risk that catapults her into the midst of dangerous operatives on a treacherous mission -- and into the arms of a man who is duty-bound to surrender her to Interpol as an international felon. Carlos is the last person Gabrielle should trust and the only one standing between her and death. But little does she know, she holds the key to his survival as well....

Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love are a great team and their B.A.D (Bureau of American Defense) series is filled with romance and suspense. I love how each book has recurring characters, but you don't have to worry about reading them in order of their release! In Whispered Lies Carlos and Gabrielle are pitted against a terrorist group known as the Fratelli, the group has been behind attacks against the United States and have a new plan to break down the entire U.S. power structure. As they become aware of the Fratelli's conspiracies they find themselves working against the clock to save lives and Gabrielle from Interpol. Carlos is an honorable man who would never betray the B.A.D agency, but has secrets of his own that could cost him Gabrielle and his own freedom, yet he quickly finds himself wanting to betray the very people who gave his life purpose in order to protect Gabrielle from imprisonment. This book is a page turner, keeping you interested until the last action-packed pages of the book!

Friday 56...The Fire King (3)

The book today: The Fire King by Marjorie M Liu.

"Because they are all idiots," Serena whispered. "You can never trust him. It is in his blood. His kind are broken from the inside."

The Friday 56 idea came from… The Bookoholic Zone


The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
* Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.