Book Blogger Hop ~ April 30th - May 6th

It's Friday!  Time for another Book Blogger HOP!!
And, tomorrow is her birthday, so let's party a little extra hard today, ok?!

This is for ALL BOOK BLOGGERS (NEW AND OLD) and READERS!  Let's make some new friends and have fun!  It's FRIDAY!!! 

ABOUT THE HOP:

In the spirit of the Friday Follow, Jen @ Crazy-For-Books thought it would be cool to do a Book Blogger Hop to give us all book bloggers and readers a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on!  So, she created this weekly BOOK PARTY where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start PARTYING!!

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

If you start following someone through the Hop, leave a comment on their blog to let them know!  Stop back during the week to see other blogs that are added!  And, most importantly, the idea is to HAVE FUN!!

OPTIONAL TWIST:  

On your blog hop post, tell us about some of the other great blogs you've found while Hopping around!  

DISCLAIMER:

The Hop isn't just for you to throw your link in there and not visit any other blogs.  It's all about networking and finding new blogs that are of interest.  So, in the spirit of the Hop, try to make some time to visit other blogs and don't post your link if you are not planning on visiting other blogs in the Hop that week.  This is a weekly event, so if you don't have time this week, that's fine!  We'll see you next week!

If you sign MckLinky, please share the love and POST ABOUT THE HOP ON YOUR BLOG!  How else will anyone else find out about it and come join the party?

Please use the following format when entering your link below (be careful - She doesn't have time to go in and edit your link!!):

NAME OF BLOG (How long you've been blogging; what genres you PRIMARILY review*)
*I know a lot of us read all different genres, but if you had to choose ONE OR TWO genres that you review more often than others, what would they be??

Example:
Crazy-for-Books (21 months; contemporary fiction/mystery)

So, let's do the Hop!

P.S. BEFORE YOU ENTER YOUR LINK - DID YOU READ ALL OF THE RULES AT CRAZY-FOR-BOOKS??  DON'T FORGET TO LIST THE REQUESTED INFORMATION IN YOUR LINK!!!!!

Anywhere She Runs by Debra Webb

Anywhere She Runs by Debra Webb

The first note is a warning—a bone-chilling reminder that Alabama Police Detective Adeline Cooper can run from her darkest, deadliest memories, but she can never escape a demented killer’s wrath. The second note is a threat…

The first victim disappeared near Adeline’s hometown in Mississippi—and she won’t be the last. Believing she is the killer’s ultimate target, Adeline decides to go back to work side-by-side with a sheriff she once loved…Now she will meet face-to-face the criminals she brought down—and fight the obsessed killer who craves her death…

Make sure to check back in a few days for my review

FTC Full Disclosure ~ The publisher sent me this book in hopes I would review it. 

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. I was pissed when my hard contact, that is never supposed to break split in two when I took it out this morning.

2. After 50 pages I couldn't get into it so I left my book unfinished.

3. Why does the shit have to hit the fan all at once?

4. My friend Lynn is in my thoughts today because she left me the SWEETEST message last night.

5. One of my father's favorite sayings was it takes a lot of brains......(ok, really can't finish that one here).

6. MAN--I know that feeling!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to doing a few errands and relaxing, tomorrow my plans include a waxing, pedicure, taking Sadie to the groomers and my niece Lena's 1st birthday party - busy day and Sunday, I want to RELAX and read!

Book Giveaway - The Chill of Night by James Hayman (ARC)

The Chill of Night (Det. Michael McCabe Mysteries) by James Hayman

Fresh off the success of The Cutting, James Hayman brings Detective Michael McCabe back in an even more powerful tale of duplicity, murder, and revenge

Glamorous young Portland attorney Lainie Goff thought she had it all—brains, beauty, and a fast-track to a partnership in a top-ranked firm that was going to make her rich. But then one cold winter night she pushed things too far, and her naked frozen body is found in the sub-zero temperatures at the end of the Portland Fish Pier. The only witness to the crime: a mentally disturbed young woman named Abby Quinn who mysteriously disappears the very same night. With the discovery of Lainie Goff ’s body and the disappearance of Abby Quinn, Portland homicide detective Michael McCabe finds himself on the trail of a relentless and clever killer. A killer he must find before another life is lost.

With The Chill of Night James Hayman returns to tell a gripping tale of evil and deceit and creates characters so real and so human, we want to meet them again and again.

To enter to win, simply fill out the form below. 

You must be a follower to enter.

Extra entries for Twitter, Facebook and other promotions of this contest.

The contest is open to USA residents only!

The contest will end on May 7th, and the winner will be announced on May 8th.

Waiting on Wednesday

Deeply, Desperately: A Lucy Valentine Novel by Heather Webber

The irrepressible star of Truly, Madly is back in business. This time, Lucy Valentine will go to the ends of the earth to find true love for her clients...and maybe even herself.

Lucy wants to breathe new life into her family's Boston-based matchmaking company. But how? Even though she comes from a long line of ancestors blessed by Cupid with psychic abilities, a freak accident left Lucy with only one special skill: finding things. Car keys, socks in the dryer, needles in haystacks...and now, in a stroke of professional genius, lost loves!

It's not long before Lucy's on a winning streak, helping old flames reunite and create new sparks. Business is booming. But when Lucy finds herself involved in a possible case of murder, she realizes she's in too deep. Enter Sean Donahue. Lucy's handsome fire-fighter-turned private eye neighbor, Sean is just the man she needs to help her on the job. Could he also be the man she's been looking for all along? When it comes to Valentine, Inc., falling in love is always serious business...

I LOVED LOVED LOVED Truly, Madly and can not wait for this to come out!

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
• ISBN-10: 0312946147 / 978031294142
• Release date:  August 3, 2010
• Amazon Price $7.99

Click Deeply, Desperately: A Lucy Valentine Novel to pre-order your copy today!!!!!

W..W....W.... Wednesdsay

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions!…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?   

What am I currently reading?

Damaged  by Pamela Callow (For Review)~ Could the legal advice Kate Lange gave to a grandmother seeking custody of her granddaughter caused the young girls death? Or is there something more sinister going on? Kate will put her job and life on the line to save her career, reputation, and possibly more lives.  New author Pamela Callow brings us this new romantic suspense book. Release date: June 1, 2010

What did I recently finish reading? 

Sink Trap (A GEORGIANA NEVERALL MYSTERY)  by Christy Evans ~ Georgiana Neverall has returned home to work as a plumbers apprentice after her high tech job goes bust. While working on a restoration project she finds the brooch of the local librarian. Someone who was supposed to have moved away, yet no one has an address for.  A fun, fresh addition to the cozy genre!

What do I plan on reading next?

Sweet Misfortune: A Novel by Kevin Alan Milne (For Review) ~ What started out as a little gimmick turns into a huge hit for chocolatier Sophie. She fills her cookies with handwritten messages like "Your car seems fine now, but just wait...it will eventually be a source of frustration and unexpected delay." And when her ex returns with a challenge for her, Sophie thinks there is no way he will win. But life has a funny way of working out sometimes.  Release date: June 10, 2010

Damaged by Pamela Callow

Damaged by Pamela Callow

Haunted by the death of her sister, and wounded by her ex-fiance's accusations, Kate Lange throws herself into her new career at a high-powered law firm. When the grandmother of a lonely private school student seeks her counsel, Kate thinks it's just another custody case. But then the teen is brutally murdered. And it isn't only Kate who wonders if her legal advice led to the girl's death.

Put on notice by the firm's managing partner, Kate must fight for her career, for her reputation -- and for redemption. Unwilling to live with the damage she may have caused, Kate pursues the case on her own and unearths some chilling facts. 

Facts that lead Kate directly into the surgically-skilled hands of the Body Butcher. 

Check back soon for my review.

FTC Full Disclosure ~ The publisher sent me this book in hopes I would review it. 

Teaser Tuesday

It’s that time of week again, everyone, and time for the Tuesday Teaser.
Again the reminder of what this is all about. We are asked to:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Let the book fall open to a random page.
3. Share two teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
4. Share the title of the book that the “teaser” comes from, so people can find the book if they like the teaser.
5. And again remember – avoid spoilers.

Here's mine ~

Somehow, the information that it had been in the drain suddenly seemed important, and I wasn't sure I wanted to tell them exactly where we'd found it. I noticed Barry avoided giving any more details, too.

This teaser comes from Sink Trap (A GEORGIANA NEVERALL MYSTERY) by Christy Evans. What's YOUR teaser. 

Sink Trap by Christy Evans

Sink Trap (A GEORGIANA NEVERALL MYSTERY)

Former corporate drone Georgiana Neverall loves her new occupation as a plumber's apprentice, but is a bit surprised when she finds the favorite brooch of Martha Tepper, the town's former librarian, clogging a sink. Georgiana has a sinking feeling that Martha may have been retired permanently-and suddenly it's up to a plumber's apprentice to flush out a killer.

Sprinkle With Murder by Jennifer McKinlay

Sprinkle with Murder (Cupcake Bakery Mystery)

Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are finally living out their dream as the proud owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. But their first big client is a nightmare. She's a bridezilla who wants 500 custom cupcakes for her wedding.

When Mel stumbles upon the bride-to-be dead-by-cupcake, she becomes the prime suspect. To save themselves and their business, the ladies need to find the real murderer, before the cupcake killer ices someone else.

Book Blogger Hop ~ April 23 - 30, 2010

It's Friday!  Time for another Book Blogger HOP!! 

This is for ALL BOOK BLOGGERS (NEW AND OLD) and READERS!  Let's make some new friends and have fun!  It's FRIDAY!!!

NOTE:  You can snag the linky code and post the Hop links on your site, too!  That way someone can start with link #1 and hop around in order to each person's site without having to go back to Crazy-For-Books each time!  At the bottom of the linky list, just click on "Get the code here"!  Be sure to let Jen know how you like this feature!

ABOUT THE HOP:

In the spirit of the Friday Follow, Jen @ Crazy-For-Books thought it would be cool to do a Book Blogger Hop to give us all book bloggers and readers a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on!  So, she created this weekly BOOK PARTY where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start PARTYING!!

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

If you start following someone through the Hop, leave a comment on their blog to let them know!  Stop back during the week to see other blogs that are added!  And, most importantly, the idea is to HAVE FUN!!

OPTIONAL TWIST:  

On your blog hop post, tell us about some of the other great blogs you've found while Hopping around!  

DISCLAIMER:

The Hop isn't just for you to throw your link in there and not visit any other blogs.  It's all about networking and finding new blogs that are of interest.  So, in the spirit of the Hop, try to make some time to visit other blogs and don't post your link if you are not planning on visiting other blogs in the Hop that week.  This is a weekly event, so if you don't have time this week, that's fine!  We'll see you next week!

If you sign MckLinky, please share the love and POST ABOUT THE HOP ON YOUR BLOG!  How else will anyone else find out about it and come join the party?

Please use the following format when entering your link below (be careful - Jen doesn't always have time to go in and edit your link!!):

NAME OF BLOG (How long you've been blogging; what genres you PRIMARILY review)
I know a lot of us read all different genres, but if you had to choose ONE OR TWO genres that you review more often than others, what would they be??

Example:
Crazy-for-Books (21 months; contemporary fiction/mystery)

So, let's do the Hop!

P.S. BEFORE YOU ENTER YOUR LINK - DID YOU READ ALL OF THE RULES AT CRAZY-FOR-BOOKS??  DON'T FORGET TO LIST THE REQUESTED INFORMATION IN YOUR LINK!!!!!

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. Where are my black beetles????????

2. If wishes were horses they would take over the world.

3. I'd like to see good results today.

4. When I was a teen, I thought I knew it all, boy was I wrong.

5. One of my mother's favorite sayings was because I said so.

6. I'd have a hard time doing without my computer, blackberry, nails, books.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing and watching TV, tomorrow my plans include getting my hair done, going to the market and reading and Sunday, I want to read & relax & sleep!

Guest Post ~ Bill Walker

 

Everyone's always heard the old saw about never judging a book by its cover.  And whether we consciously know it or not, that old saying is a bunch of hooey.  The first thing we look at is the cover, and in something like five seconds, we make a snap (and usually irrevocable) decision based upon whether we find that cover appealing or intriguing in some way.  Publishers know this and bank on it.  That's why most of the money spent on the actual design and production of a book goes toward creating the cover.  In fact, very often an author's books will have a distinctive visual style that repeats from book to book.  One only needs to look at a shelf of Nicholas Sparks novels to see what I mean.  There are reams of psychological studies that will back up this phenomenon, but it's simple human nature..  People are attracted to things they find visually appealing, intriguing, or familiar.

For the cover of my novel, I wanted an image that evoked themes and incidents from out of the story, and would be eye-catching and evocative in and of itself.  Because art plays an important role in the story, I knew I wanted a still life and the objects that presented themselves as the obvious choices were the Buddha, the letter, and the rose.  I will admit the letter was a bit of a cheat, since Joanna's correspondence with Brian is entirely electronic, but I quickly realized that a laptop screen or an e-mail printout would be anything but romantic.

The next step was to find an artist.  I'm good at manipulating images, but can't draw or paint to save my life.  However, in my work as a designer, I have quite a few contacts and found Mike Kupka (www.mikekupka.com), who was able to take my oral and verbal descriptions and render a lovely and romantic image, totally in keeping with the style of the book.  I couldn't be happier with it.

 About the author ~ 

A graduate of Emerson College's prestigious film school, Bill wrote and directed his first feature film, Pawn, while still a student. After graduation, he founded Newbury Filmworks, Inc., an award-winning production company renowned for making high-quality corporate films and commercials.

In 1990, Bill relocated to Los Angeles, and began a freelance story analysis career for various studios and independent production companies, while devoting his spare time to the writing of novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is also a highly-respected graphic designer, specializing in book and dust jacket design. He has worked on books by such luminaries as: Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King. In addition, Bill is a member of the Authors Guild.

He has won awards for his screenwriting, his two short story collections for Mid-Graders, Five-Minute Frights and Five-Minute Chillers, are perennial Halloween favorites, and his first novel, Titanic 2012 was enthusiastically received by readers. His second novel, Camp Stalag was released in 2001. Bill lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Debbie, and their sons, Jeffrey and Brian. 

Make sure to check out Mr. Walker's last book, A Note From An Old Acquaintance.  It's one you don't want to miss! You can read my review HERE

 

A Note From An Old Acquaintance 

Mr. Walker can be reached through his website ~ Bill Walker Designs

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

 

 

Black Beans & Vice (The Supper Club Mysteries)  by J.B. Stanley

The Flab Five's creative new strategy to slim down? Hypnotherapy! And James has new motivation for laying off the Krispy Kremes: his adorable son Eliot and a re-kindled romance with his ex-wife. But someone doesn't approve, as evidenced by the gruesome "messages" threatening the happy family. On top of this, two sudden deaths have occurred: a councilman and a young animal rights advocate. With guiltless grasshopper parfait to sustain them, the Flab Five team up to solve another delectable, food-filled mystery.

 

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK
• ISBN-10: 0738719544/9780738719542
• Release Date: November 1st
• Amazon Price: $10.17

 

W..W....W.... Wednesdsay

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions!…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

What am I currently reading?

Chasing Lilacs: A Novel by Carla Stewart (for review) ~ Sammie Carter should be having a carefree summer. Instead she's worried about her mother and her "nerve" problem and people around her she's not sure how much she can trust.  I have only gotten to read a few pages, but was hooked the moment I started reading! Release date: June 22nd.


 



What did I recently finish reading? 

The Chill of Night (Det. Michael McCabe Mysteries) by James Hayman   (for review) ~ Detective Mike McCabe is back and better than ever. A chilling tale of murder among the frigid nights in Portland, where one "crazy" person witnesses the crime and there are plenty of suspects to choose from. Make sure to check back for my review. Release date: June 22






What do I plan on reading next? 

Stirring Up Strife: A Hope Street Church Mystery (Hope Street Church Mysteries) by Jennifer Stanley ~ I've been pushing this book back for too long!!!  I need to get it read before book two comes out next week!!!! The first book in a new series by the author of the amazing Supper Club Mystery series J.B. Stanley.