Read my review here.
June 30, 2011
Blog Tour Review: Warehouse 13: A Touch of Fever by Greg Cox
Hidden away in the Badlands of South Dakota, Warehouse 13 is a top-secret repository for historical artifacts imbued with dangerous supernatural properties. Warehouse agents Pete Lattimer and Myka Bering are on the lookout for loose artifacts raising havoc. Reports of a genuine psychic healer, along with a possibly related epidemic of mysterious illnesses, lead Pete and Myka on an investigation that stretches back to the bloody history of the Civil War. But when Pete is infected with a deadly fever, Myka and the rest of team must track down a pair of cursed gloves—before a madman unleashes a virulent plague upon America...and the Warehouse team loses one of their own.
Reading Warehouse 13: A Touch of Fever by Greg Cox was really fun. I've always fantasized about working for a top-secret agency that dealt with the paranormal. Greg's book made me feel like I was actually going through the motions along with the characters, which made it even better. When you're in the mood to go on a fun-filled adventure, pick up this book.
Visit Greg's website
June 28, 2011
How Exactly Did I End Up Here Again? By Deborah Coonts
Author of Lucky Stiff
I
know a lot of writers and they each have their own reasons for writing.
Some love to play with words. Some love to craft devilish plots. Some
love the fantasy. Me? I write because I am eminently unemployable.
I
don't play well with others, never did. And my mind seems to jump
around like a water droplet in a hot skillet -- either I am insatiably
curious or I'm gluten-intolerant and have ADD -- either way, boredom is
an issue. I can't imagine doing the same thing over and over, day in,
and day out. If that had been my life, I would've punched my own clock
years ago.
So, I make stuff up. It's safer that way. Trust me.
According
to my mother, I was born to be a professional liar. However, back when
my talent first reared its ugly head, I was punished for it, now I'm
paid for it. Go figure. Ironic, isn't it?
There's
a lesson in there somewhere and it is this: find your best thing and go
with it. You laugh at the simplicity or even the innocence, but doesn't
it have the ring of truth? I know it does, you see, I'm proof.
A
good observer, I learned early on that I was expected: to speak only
when spoken to, to consider anything written by Emily Post to be second
in importance only to the Bible, to be fluent in china and silver
patterns and, to aspire to marry the scion of some oil family and join
the Junior League. And if my husband was voted in as a member of the
Dallas Country Club? Well, I would have achieved far beyond my
potential. You see, I was raised in Texas during the last gasp of the
Donna Reed era. Suffice it to say, brainpower was not in the top five
traits most admired in a woman. Hell, it probably didn't even make the
list.
My grandmother used to tell
me I was smart enough to play dumb. Apparently, she wasn't accurate in
that assessment. So, I retreated into stories where adventures awaited
and I could be anything, do anything -- the world was my oyster.
Unfortunately, this forward-thinking ideal hadn't reached my little
corner of the universe.
I was told
I had to become an accountant. I loathed accounting. Thus began a
duplicitous existence. I studied accounting, but I also majored in
kinesiology (Heretic that I was, I thought I wanted to be a doctor). It
turns out neither was a good fit. But I didn't know what was. I mean,
who announces at twenty she is going to make a living as a novelist?
Certainly not the little girl who was told she could aspire no higher
than the Junior League.
A great
disappointment to my southern friends and knowing there had to be more, I
launched myself into the adventure of life. I've been everything from a
mom (life's very best adventure) and a wife (I'm not so well-suited for
this one), a tax lawyer (boring), a business owner (close), a pilot and
a flight instructor (sometimes too much of an adventure).
A
veritable Walter Mitty, my well of human experience is deep. And since
you gotta live it before you can write it, I've come full circle back to
my best thing. But it wasn't quite that simple. Oh, I started putting
words on the page -- long, rambling sentences, too much backstory, plots
with holes you could drive a tank through, purple prose . . . drivel.
But I was writing! Watch out Sandra Brown!
And, over fifteen years later, I'm an overnight success.
Along
the way I put in my 10,000 hours, my million words. And I learned some
things along the way: I'm no Sandra Brown . . . no, I've got way too
much funny bone. And I'm not terrified to speak in front of a crowd.
Apparently I'm over 40/64th hambone. Who knew? God, don't
give me a mike and an audience, you'll regret it. And I have a terribly
inappropriate sense of humor, as my mother would tell me. To be honest, I
like that part.
Finally, I am me.
© 2011 Deborah Coonts, author of Lucky Stiff
Author Bio
Deborah Coonts, author of Lucky Stiff, says her mother tells her she was born in Texas a very long time ago, though she's not totally sure -- her mother can't be trusted. But she was definitely raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. She currently resides in Las Vegas, where family and friends tell her she can't get into too much trouble. Silly people. Coonts has built her own business, practiced law, flown airplanes, written a humor column for a national magazine, and survived a teenager. She is the author of the Lucky O'Tool Las Vegas adventure series.
The first book in the series, Wanna Get Lucky?, has been nominated by the Romance Writers of America for the 2011 RITA awards in the categories of Best First Novel and Best Novel with a Strong Romantic Element. Her second book, Lucky Stiff, was published in February 2011.
Deborah Coonts, author of Lucky Stiff, says her mother tells her she was born in Texas a very long time ago, though she's not totally sure -- her mother can't be trusted. But she was definitely raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. She currently resides in Las Vegas, where family and friends tell her she can't get into too much trouble. Silly people. Coonts has built her own business, practiced law, flown airplanes, written a humor column for a national magazine, and survived a teenager. She is the author of the Lucky O'Tool Las Vegas adventure series.
The first book in the series, Wanna Get Lucky?, has been nominated by the Romance Writers of America for the 2011 RITA awards in the categories of Best First Novel and Best Novel with a Strong Romantic Element. Her second book, Lucky Stiff, was published in February 2011.
For more information please visit http://www.deborahcoonts.com/, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter
Review: Death at the Chateau Bremont by M.L. Longworth
Introducing a seductive new mystery series set in Provence-featuring chief magistrate Antoine Verlaque.
Set in charming and historic Aix-en-Provence, France, Death at the Château Bremont introduces readers to Antoine Verlaque, the handsome and seductive chief magistrate of Aix, and his on-again, off- again love interest, law professor Marine Bonnet. When local nobleman Etienne de Bremont falls to his death from the family château, the town is abuzz with rumors. Verlaque suspects foul play and must turn to Marine for help when he discovers that she had been a close friend of the Bremonts. This is a lively whodunit steeped in the rich, enticing, and romantic atmosphere of southern France.
A couple of weekends ago, I was in the mood to read a mystery and decided to grab my copy of Death at the Chateau Bremont by M.L. Longworth. It took a little while for me to really get into the story, but once I did, I was fully entertained. What I enjoyed most about this book was the historical setting and trying to figure out who did it before I got to that part of the book. If you are a mystery lover, I'm sure you will enjoy Death at the Chateau Bremont.
Visit the author's website
June 23, 2011
$.99 - Laird of the Mist by Paula Quinn
PROTECTING HER WAS HIS PASSION
High-born though she is, Kate Campbell isn't afraid to draw her sword. When raiders strike, she rushes into the fray...and is lucky when a mysterious Highlander shields her from a deadly blow. Swept onto his stallion, she soon discovers that her rescuer is her clan's most hated enemy: Callum MacGregor, the man they call The Devil. Yet she cannot ignore his achingly tender touch or the way his fiery gaze leaves her breathless.
POSSESSING HER WOULD BE HIS PLEASURE
Callum MacGregor has taken many Campbell lives, but he's never saved one--until now. Mesmerized by this spirited lass, he wants her by his side, even if it means holding her for ransom. As his fingers graze her sumptuous curves and tangle in her unruly tresses, Callum realizes Kate Campbell is his most dangerous foe of all. For he can't make love to her without betraying his kinsmen and his honor...and surrendering his heart forever.
Get it here.
Review: A Wedding Wager by Jane Feather
New York Times bestselling author Jane Feather again delights with her new book in this entrancing Georgian trilogy featuring three noble brothers who are offered a preposterous opportunity to restore their family’s mortgaged lands. An eccentric uncle promises a lavish inheritance, but only if each marries—thus redeeming—a fallen woman. And if even one brother fails to fulfill the old man’s decree, none will gain the windfall.
Lady Serena Grantley was born to the nobility, but fortune's whim placed her in control of her gamester stepfather, who uses her beauty to lure young men to his gambling tables. Serena even dismissed her first love, the Honorable Sebastian Sullivan, at her stepfather's command. But when he attempts to force her into a liaison with a dissolute earl, Serena resolves to do his bidding no more. Sebastian is the only man who ever captured her heart, and it is to him she turns. . . .
Torn between family loyalty and the woman he loves, Sebastian faces a devilish dilemma. His uncle is ailing, and time is running short. Desperate to find a solution, Sebastian conceives a dangerous plan—a wager that could bring him and Serena happiness at last . . . or separate them forever.
A Wedding Wager by Jane Feather
brought out the romantic in me. While reading, I couldn't help but picture myself and my husband as the main characters. I really enjoyed Jane's writing style because each word seemed to flow into the next. I highly recommend curling up with this book on a rainy day.Visit Jane's website
June 21, 2011
Agatha Christie, the Bestselling Author of All Time! Three Classics + Free Tote, Mousepad, and Bookmark!
HarperCollins is proud to now be Agatha Christie’s global publisher! These wonderful authentic editions are exactly as Christie wrote them using the original UK texts.
• Paperback copies of Agatha Christie's Classics: And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, and A Crooked House
• FREE Agatha Christie Tote Bag. Perfect for carrying the books!
• FREE Agatha Christie Bookmark. Perfect when reading the books!
• FREE Agatha Christie Mousepad. Perfect for browsing the web and learning more about Agatha Christie!
• Free ground shipping. Offer available in the US only.
Deal expires on Monday 27th June at 10 pm EST
Take advantage of this deal for $20 here.
Harness the Power Within. Signed Hardcover Copy of Deepak Chopra's The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes
Become the hero you were born to be. Deepak Chopra, with his son Gotham, decodes the seven essential laws that govern the realm of superheroes both ancient and modern, cosmic and commercial, and explains their relevance, importance, and perhaps most critically, how to apply them to our daily lives. Limited quantities available!
• Hardcover copy with signed bookplate of Deepak Chopra's The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes: Harnessing Our Power to Change the World.
• Free ground shipping. Sales in the US only.
$25.99 - Deal expires on Tuesday 28th June at 10 pm EST
Get this deal here.
June 19, 2011
Read the novel, Jonathan's Cross - ad
A summer must read! Jonathan's Cross, historical fiction only 2.99 on Kindle
http://lx.im/1djAI?v=tw0f6H5euZ3TEQP3DolpQ6QEaNsqO-dA0xEEY63WCpo
http://lx.im/1djAI?v=tw0f6H5euZ3TEQP3DolpQ6QEaNsqO-dA0xEEY63WCpo
June 17, 2011
GIVEAWAY @ You Wanna Know What I Think?...
The Huffington Post's "Let's Bring Back..." columnist, Lesley M. M. Blume, invites you to consider whatever happened to cuckoo clocks? Or bed curtains? Why do we have so many "friends" but have done away with the much more useful word "acquaintance"? All of these things, plus hot toddies, riddles, proverbs, corsets, calling cards, and many more, are due for a revival. Throughout this whimsical, beautifully illustrated encyclopedia of nostalgia, Blume breathes new life into the elegant, mysterious, and delightful trappings of bygone eras, honoring the timeless tradition of artful living along the way. Inspired by her much loved column of the same name and featuring entries from famous icons of style and culture, Let's Bring Back leads readers to rediscover the things that entertained, awed, beautified, satiated, and fascinated in eras past.
FREE Access to American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition Livestream with Neil Gaiman
Have you ever wanted to talk to a New York Times bestselling author? Now is your chance to sign up for exclusive access to a livestream with Neil Gaiman for FREE! On Tuesday, June 21st, Studio 360’s Kurt Andersen will interview Gaiman about the 10th anniversary edition of his bestseller American Gods. After the interview, you will get a chance to ask Neil Gaiman your own questions. Don't miss out on this opportunity!
• Register now and gain access to the live web interview between Neil Gaiman and Kurt Andersen.
• Livestream will take place Tuesday, June 21st at 4 p.m.
• Full details will be sent prior to the livestream interview.
• Livestream will take place Tuesday, June 21st at 4 p.m.
• Full details will be sent prior to the livestream interview.
Go here for details.
Book Country
Writing is a solitary practice, but revision requires feedback. Most aspiring authors send their manuscript to friends and family, others meet with a critique group, and some enroll in an MFA program.
In April, Penguin Group (USA) launched Book Country, a website dedicated to genre fiction readers and writers. Focused on romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery and thriller, Book Country helps new authors hone their craft as part of a genre fiction community.
Users upload their novels (or a portion of their novels) for peer review. Book Country’s unique genre map helps writers categorize their novels, and lets readers find books similar to ones they love, which they then read and provide detailed critiques. Book Country brings the peer feedback and community feel of a critique group, online.
Another key feature is discoverability. If you’re working on a novel, publishing professionals won’t see it until you begin sending out query letters. Book Country gives agents and editors a place to discover new talent; for this reason, many publishing professionals have already signed up. Book Country also allows avid readers and bloggers to discover budding talent and use their reading experience to offer helpful feedback.
As the world continues to shift online, Book Country creates a community that was once only available in metropolitan areas. Now, genre fiction authors all over the world can come together online to exchange feedback, engage in discussions, and have their work discovered.
June 15, 2011
Get A Free Ebook By Brenda Novak When You Purchase Her New Book - Inside
Of Noble Birth
To escape her cruel stepfather, seamstress Alexandra Cogsworth envisioned sailing far from England...though not as a captive aboard a pirate's ship.
"Pirate captain Nathaniel Kent's strategy for exacting revenge on his coldhearted father involved taking a valuable hostage...not a seamstress he mistakenly thinks is his half sister.
Yet fate has designs of its own, landing them both on board the Royal Vengeance. At sea, Nathaniel intercepts and plunders his father's ships, all the while tormented by his illicit hunger for the tempting prisoner he thinks is his blood relation. And although Alexandra wants no part in this terrifying voyage, to reveal her true identity to the handsome, blue-eyed Nathaniel would invite danger.
Pre-Order (or purchase during the first week of release: June 28th thru July 4th) Inside by Brenda Novak
and receive an ebook copy of Of Noble Birth - Brenda's first novel. Get the details here. 
Review: Hell Is Empty by Craig Johnson
Wyoming's favorite sheriff braves a frozen inferno as he races to capture an escaped murderer.
Well-read and world-weary, Sheriff Walt Longmire has been maintaining order in Wyoming's Absaroka County for more than thirty years, but in this riveting seventh outing, he is pushed to his limits. Raynaud Shade, an adopted Crow Indian, has just confessed to murdering a boy ten years ago and burying him deep within the Big Horn Mountains. After transporting Shade and a group of other convicted murderers through a snowstorm, Walt is informed by the FBI that the body is buried in his jurisdiction-and the victim's name is White Buffalo. Guided only by Indian mysticism and a battered paperback of Dante's Inferno, Walt pursues Shade and his fellow escapees into the icy hell of the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area, cheating death to ensure that justice-both civil and spiritual-is served.
I love it when I open up a book and by the time I've read five pages I can't concentrate on anything except the book in front of me. Hell Is Empty by Craig Johnson
is addicting! I read it in one day and was depressed when I came to the end. Craig's writing sweeps the reader off their feet and takes them to another world. Intense and electrifying, Hell Is Empty is a must read for any book lover.Visit Craig's website
June 14, 2011
June 13, 2011
Question For Authors & Book Reviewers
I have been thinking for a long time about starting an online book tour program and I was wondering how many people would be interested in this type of service. I want to hear from both authors and reviewers.
If this is something you would be interested in, please send me an email at bjhopper(at)me(dot)com.
If this is something you would be interested in, please send me an email at bjhopper(at)me(dot)com.
Giveaway: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
R is a young man with an existential crisis—he is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. His ability to connect with the outside world is limited to a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing.
After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and stragely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His choice to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.
Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies explores what happens when the cold heart of a zombie is tempted by the warmth of human love.
Review: Bitter Bitch by Maria Sveland
On a miserable January morning, Sarah is sitting on a plane to Tenerife, Spain—without her husband or her children—for a week-long vacation. At the age of thirty, she’s just realized that she’s very angry with her life, her choices, and her family—and that she’s becoming a bitter bitch. For plane reading, she carries a copy of Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying and suddenly wishes it were 1975 instead of 2005—although she wonders how things have gotten so bad that all she craves is a full night’s sleep instead of a zipless f**k.
Sarah never intended for things to turn out the way they have: She just dreamed of love like everyone else. But now she’s sitting on the plane, thinking about all the injustices she’s suffered. Thinking about how thoroughly fooled she was by the storybook promise of love—the one that makes us want to start a family. Thinking about all the women she knows who, like her, were drained of all their energy and sentenced to a family prison—an inheritance passed down directly from generation to generation, from her restless mother’s eczema-covered dishpan hands to her own nervous over-achiever complex.
Angry and candid, Bitter Bitch is a wild, uncompromising novel, at the heart of which is one of the most important women’s issues: How can we ever have an egalitarian society when we can’t even live in equality with those we love?
Every woman has been hurt at one point in their life and those who are like me, know that it's easy to become bitter, especially while the wound is still fresh. I found Bitter Bitch by Maria Sveland to be one of the most honest, emotionally charged books I have ever read. I truly enjoyed this novel and it had a way of helping me through a few things in my own life. If you haven't read it, pick up your copy and then let me know what you think.
Nutrish Dog Food
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nutrish for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I still remember the day my husband took me to the animal shelter and we adopted Reese. It was about six months after we got married and he was home on military leave. As soon as we met her, we knew that she would be the perfect addition to our family. My husband and I both are very concerned with her health and happiness. I do research on different dog foods and treats before feeding them to her. When I found out about Rachael Ray Nutrish just 6 dry dog food.
The first ingredient in Nutrish is real meat, which makes me feel better about feeding it to my dog. With only six natural ingredients plus vitamins and minerals for complete and balanced nutrition, Nutrish is tasty and is something that I feel comfortable feeding to Reese. There is no corn, wheat or soy in this product either. Another reason to feel good about purchasing Nutrish is that the proceeds go to the organization Rachael's Rescue. Knowing that money will be spent to help animals in need makes me feel really good about this food. Plus, Reese absolutely loves it. As soon as I put it in her bowl, she gets all excited. If you haven't tried this amazing new dog food yet, make sure you request a free sample.
June 11, 2011
Avon Ebook Summer Sale
Katharine Ashe
SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS $4.99
Nina Bangs
ETERNAL PREY $4.99
Toni Blake
ONE RECKLESS SUMMER $2.99
WHISPER FALLS $2.99
Gayle Callen
A MOST SCANDALOUS ENGAGEMENT $4.99
Liz Carlyle
ONE TOUCH OF SCANDAL $4.99
Christina Dodd
WELL FAVORED GENTLEMAN $1.99
Suzanne Enoch
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT $2.99
Jane Feather
SILVER NIGHTS $2.99
Laura Lee Guhrke
HIS EVERY KISS $2.99
WEDDING OF THE SEASON $4.99
Sandra Hill
THE VIKING’S CAPTIVE $2.99
A TALE OF TWO VIKINGS $2.99
THE BEWITCHED VIKING $2.99
THE BLUE VIKING $4.99
THE VIKING TAKES A KNIGHT $4.99
Beverly Jenkins
MIDNIGHT $4.99
Sophie Jordan
WICKED NIGHTS WITH A LOVER $2.99
Brenda Joyce
SECRETS $4.99
Julia Latham
SIN AND SURRENDER $2.99
Marjorie M. Liu
IN THE DARK OF DREAMS $1.99
SOUL SONG $1.99
THE RED HEART OF JADE $4.99
EYE OF HEAVEN $4.99
TIGER EYE $4.99
SHADOW TOUCH $2.99
Julie Anne Long
PERILS OF PLEASURE $2.99
Katy Madison
TAINTED BY TEMPTATION $2.99
Margo Maguire
BRIDE HUNT $2.99
SEDUCING THE GOVERNESS $4.99
Anne Mallory
VISCOUNT’S WICKED WAYS $2.99
Cathy Maxwell
IN THE HIGHLANDER’S BED $1.99
THE MARRIAGE RING $4.99
HIS CHRISTMAS PLEASURE $2.99
Tamar Myers
LARCENY AND OLD LACE $1.99
MONET TALKS $2.99
Tracey O’Hara
NIGHT’S COLD KISS $2.99
DEATH’S SWEET EMBRACE $2.99
Pamela Palmer
OBSESSION UNTAMED $1.99
Karen Ranney
A HIGHLAND DUCHESS $4.99
Jaime Rush
OUT OF THE DARKNESS $2.99
A PERFECT DARKNESS $2.99
BURNING DARKNESS $4.99
Juliana Stone
HIS DARKEST EMBRACE $2.99
Joss Ware
NIGHT BETRAYED $2.99
Changeling Moon by Dani Harper: Prologue & First Chapter
Prologue for Changeling Moon
By Dani Harper,
Author of Changeling Moon
By Dani Harper,
Author of Changeling Moon
The wolf wanted out.
Heavy clouds obscured the moon and washed the night with icy rain. The cold, damp air brought a myriad of intriguing scents.
The man slunk along the sidewalk, his limbs tingling as his body instinctively drew energy from the earth.
The wolf wanted out now.
Full of hunger and rage, the wolf writhed under the man’s skin in anticipation as he turned into a familiar alley behind the town hall. It was dark here, overgrown with trees and bushes, flanked with leaning fences, sagging garages, and numberless garbage
cans. There was a spot where no light reached, a perfect spot to—
The wolf snarled its impatience and he cursed back. He was trying to hurry, dammit, but his body refused to cooperate. To human eyes, he was just an old drunk, sixty going on eighty. In reality, he was far older than even those like him could guess. When his wolf wanted out, he could no longer keep it leashed for long. And truth be told, he didn’t want to. Because once he took on his lupine form, all his aches and pains would disappear and he’d be strong and powerful again.
The wolf within whispered: Tonight we will hunt. And become even stronger.
Changeling Moon Chapter One
Freezing rain sliced out of the black sky, turning the wet pavement to glass. Zoey stared out at the freakish weather and groaned aloud. With less than two days left in the month of April, the skies had been clear and bright all afternoon. Trees were budding early and spring had seemed like a sure bet. Now this. Local residents said if you didn’t like the weather this far north, just wait fifteen minutes. She gave it five, only to have the rain turn to sleet.
Perhaps she should have asked more questions before taking the job as editor of the Dunvegan Herald Weekly. She was getting the peace and quiet she’d wanted, all right, but so far the weather simply sucked. Winter had been in full swing when she’d arrived at the end of October. Wasn’t it ever going to end?
Sighing, she buttoned her thin jacket up to her chin and hoisted the camera bag to her shoulder in preparation for the long, cold walk to her truck. All she wanted was a hot shower, her soft flannel pajamas with the little cartoon sheep on them, the TV turned
to Late Night, and a cheese and mushroom omelet before bed. Hell, maybe just the omelet. She hadn’t eaten since noon, unless the three faded M&Ms she’d found at the bottom of her bag counted as food.
As usual, the council meeting for the Village of Dunvegan had gone on much too long. Who’d have thought that such a small community could have so much business to discuss? It was long after ten when the mayor, the councilors, and the remnants of
a long-winded delegation filed out. Zoey had lingered only a few moments to scribble down a couple more notes for her article but it was long enough to make her the last person out of the building.
The heavy glass door automatically locked behind her, the metallic sound echoing ominously. Had she taken longer than she thought? There wasn’t a goddamn soul left on the street. Even the hockey arena next door was deserted, although a senior men’s playoff game earlier had made parking difficult to find. Now, her truck – a sturdy old red Bronco that handled the snow much better than her poor little SUV had – was the only vehicle in sight.
The freezing rain made the three-block trek to the truck seem even longer. Not only did the cold wind drive stinging pellets of ice into her face, but her usual business-like stride had to be shortened to tiny careful steps. Her knee-high leather boots were strictly a fashion accessory – her bedroom slippers would have given her more traction on the ice. If she slipped and broke her ankle out here, would anyone even find her before morning?
The truck glittered strangely as she approached and her heart sank. Thick glass-like sheets of ice coated every surface, sealing the doors. Near-frozen herself, she pounded on the lock with the side of her fist until the ice broke away and she could get her key in. “Come on, dammit, come on!”
Of course, the key refused to turn, while the cold both numbed and hurt her gloveless fingers. She tried the passenger door lock without success then walked gingerly around to the rear cargo door. No luck there either. She’d have to call a tow –
Except that her cell phone was on the front seat of her truck.
Certain that things couldn’t get any worse, she tested each door again. Maybe one of the locks would loosen up if she kept trying. If not, she’d probably have to walk all the way home, and wasn’t that a cheery prospect?
Suddenly a furtive movement teased at her peripheral vision. Zoey straightened slowly and studied her surroundings. There wasn’t much to see. The streetlights were very far apart, just glowing pools of pale gold that punctuated the darkness rather than alleviating it. Few downtown businesses bothered to leave lights on overnight. The whispery hiss of the freezing rain was all that she could hear.
A normal person would simply chalk it up to imagination – but she’d been forced to toss normal out the window at an early age. Her mother, aunts and grandmother were all powerful psychics – and the gene had been passed down to Zoey. Or at least a
watered-down version of it. The talent was reliable enough when it worked, but it seemed to come and go as it pleased. Like right now. Zoey tried hard to focus yet sensed absolutely nothing. It was her own fault perhaps for trying to rid herself of the
inconvenient ability.
No extrasensory power was needed, however, to see something large and black glide silently from one shadow to another near the building she’d just left. What the hell was that? There was nowhere to go for help. Only the two bars would still be open but they were several blocks away, as was the RCMP detachment. There was a rundown trailer park a block and a half from the far side of the arena, but Zoey knew there were no streetlights anywhere along that route.
A dog? Maybe it’s just a big dog, she thought. A really big dog or a runaway cow. After all, this was a rural community. And a northern rural community at that, so maybe it was just a local moose, ha, ha…. She struggled to keep her fear at bay and redoubled her efforts on the door locks, all the while straining to listen over the sound of her own harsh breathing.
The rear door lock was just beginning to show promise when a low, rumbling growl caused her to drop her keys. She spun to see a monstrous shape emerge from the shadows, stiff-legged and head lowered. A wolf? It was bigger than any damn wolf had
a right to be. Jesus. Some primal instinct warned her not to run and not to scream, that the animal would be on her instantly if she did so.
She backed away slowly, trying not to slip, trying to put the truck between herself and the creature. Its eyes glowed green like something out of a horror flick, but this was no movie. Snarling black lips were pulled back to expose gleaming ivory teeth. The grizzled gray fur around its neck was bristling. Zoey was minutely aware that the hair on the back of her own neck was standing on end. Her breath came in short shuddering gasps as she blindly felt for the truck behind her with her hands, sliding her feet
carefully without lifting them from the pavement.
She made it around the corner of the Bronco. As soon as she was out of the wolf’s line of sight, she turned and half skated, half ran for the front of the truck as fast as the glassy pavement would allow. Don’t fall, don’t fall! It was a litany in her brain as she scrambled up the slippery front bumper onto the icy hood. With no hope of outrunning the creature and no safe place in sight, the roof of the truck seemed like her best bet – if she could make it. Don’t fall, don’t fall! Flailing for a handhold, she seized an
ice-crusted windshield wiper, only to have the metal frame snap off in her hand. She screamed as she slid back a few inches.
The wolf sprang at once. It scrabbled and clawed, unable to find a purchase on the ice-coated metal. Foam from its snapping jaws sprayed over her as the beast roared its frustration. Finally it slipped back to the ground and began to pace around the
truck.
Zoey managed to shimmy up the hood until she was able to put her back against the windshield with her knees drawn up to her chin. She risked a glance at the roof behind her – she had to get higher. Before she could move, however, the wolf attacked
again, scrambling its way up the front bumper. Vicious jaws slashed at her at her. Without thought, Zoey kicked out at the wolf, knocking one leg out from under it. It slid backwards but not before it clamped its teeth on her calf. The enormous weight of the
creature dragged at her and she felt herself starting to slide….
One hand still clutched the broken windshield wiper and she used it, whipping the creature’s face and muzzle with the frozen blade until she landed a slice across one ungodly glowing eye. The rage-filled snarl became a strangled yelp, the wolf released
her leg and slipped from the hood. This time Zoey didn’t look, just turned and launched herself upwards for the roof rack. She came down hard, adrenaline keeping her from feeling the impact of the bruising metal rails. She was only conscious of the desperate need to claw and grasp and cling and pull until she was safely on the very top of the vehicle.
Except she wasn’t safe. Not by a long shot. Crap. She could see plainly that she wasn’t high enough. Crap, crap, crap. The enraged wolf leapt upwards in spite of the fact that its feet could find little purchase on the ice-coated pavement. What it couldn’t gain in momentum, it made up for in effort, hurling itself repeatedly against the Bronco. Its snapping jaws came so close that Zoey could see the bleeding welts across its face, see that one of its hellish eyes was now clouded and half-closed. She slashed at it again, catching its tender nose so it howled in frustration and pain as it dropped to the ground. Snarling, it paced back and forth like a caged lion, watching her. Waiting.
The wind picked up and the freezing rain intensified. Huddled on her knees in the exact center of the icy roof, Zoey’s adrenaline began to ebb. She was cold and exhausted, and parts of her were numb. But she wasn’t helpless, she wouldn’t allow herself to think that way. The thin windshield wiper was badly bent and pieces of it were missing now, but she’d damn well punch the wolf in the nose with her bare fist if she had to. If she still could….
The wolf sprang again.
* * * *
Dr. Connor Macleod cursed himself for the hundredth time for not bringing another veterinarian into his practice. His family and friends, and particularly his receptionist, had been on his case about it for the past two years. He’d always handled everything
himself, but it was time to face facts: His practice had grown too large.
The second calving season of the year was in full swing and Connor had been out on farm calls since five o’clock that morning. He wouldn’t have minded except he’d only been in bed since four after performing an emergency caesarian on a heifer. That case had been touch and go for most of the night. He’d had a few choice words for the farmer who had bred the young animal to a bull of a much larger breed, creating a huge calf that couldn’t possibly be born on its own. The man had been defensive and angry, but Connor didn’t care. He had every patience with animals and none at all for those who deliberately misused them.
Right now he had no patience left for anything and the freakish weather didn’t improve his mood. He needed coffee. And food. And sleep, but that was less likely than the other two. Fortunately he wasn’t human and as long as he ate enough, his body could
deal with a serious sleep deficit – at least for a while.
As the lights of Dunvegan came into view, uneasiness twisted his gut. The ice storm had been far more intense here, the road glassed over and treacherous, yet his feelings had nothing to do with the driving conditions. He switched off the radio and pulled to the side of the road for a few moments, needing to think, to focus and unravel the sudden surge of energies he sensed.
Suddenly the darkness brightened as everything around him – the dashboard, his hands on the steering wheel, the road signs – began to glow with a silvery light. It was a phenomenon that only he could see, a precursor to farsight….
He yelled out. He couldn’t help it. A hideous premonition spawned a violent and bloody image in his mind. A woman was in terrible danger, and what was threatening her was no more human than he was.
In the blink of an eye the image was gone and the otherworldly light yielded to the natural darkness. Connor pulled back onto the deserted highway and sped towards the village, heedless of the glaring ice. The truck had studded tires and four-wheel drive, both necessary in harsh northern winters and unpredictable northern springs, and Connor was a skilled driver. Nevertheless, his pickup stayed on the road largely because he willed it to. The vehicle fishtailed repeatedly but recovered each time as he drove into town and turned onto a side street.
Close. He knew he was close, he could feel it. Suddenly he swung hard onto Hemstock Avenue – where a huge wolf leapt at a parked truck. He leaned on the horn and stepped on the accelerator as the snarling creature fell back into the road. One eye flashed green in the bright headlights, as it turned to look at the oncoming truck –
The above is an excerpt from the book Changeling Moon by Dani Harper. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.
Copyright © 2011 Dani Harper, author of Changeling Moon
Author Bio
Dani Harper, author of Changeling Moon, writes paranormal romance, blogs about the paranormal, watches paranormal TV and movies, and reads paranormal books of almost any kind. So it's only natural that werewolves, faeries, ghosts and other supernatural creatures populate her stories. She lives on an island in Southeast Alaska with her fisherman husband. Her stories get written on land or at sea with the help of her executive secretary, Fiona the Pug.
For more information please visit http://www.daniharper.com and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter
My Favorite Model Cameo on America's Next Top Model
Thanks for the guest post by Jonathan Curtis
America's Next Top Model has always featured well-known designers and models as guests on the show. In fact, watching a full season is like getting a "Who's Who" of the fashion world. I love that Tyra introduces guests to her aspiring models because it allows the contestants to rub elbows with people who are already in the industry. About two seasons ago, Tyra and company had Jessica White as a guest judge. I had seen Jessica in several commercial advertisements before seeing her on Top Model, but I never knew her name or anything about her. Seeing her on the show allowed me to put a name with her face. I thought she looked beautiful and she was incredibly well-spoken. I think Ms. White is a good role model for young girls, and I would not be ashamed to have my daughter look up to her.
Top Model just began another season this past Wednesday night. I have watched the show since the very beginning. I record every episode on my DVR via my http://www.cabletelevision.net.
America's Next Top Model has always featured well-known designers and models as guests on the show. In fact, watching a full season is like getting a "Who's Who" of the fashion world. I love that Tyra introduces guests to her aspiring models because it allows the contestants to rub elbows with people who are already in the industry. About two seasons ago, Tyra and company had Jessica White as a guest judge. I had seen Jessica in several commercial advertisements before seeing her on Top Model, but I never knew her name or anything about her. Seeing her on the show allowed me to put a name with her face. I thought she looked beautiful and she was incredibly well-spoken. I think Ms. White is a good role model for young girls, and I would not be ashamed to have my daughter look up to her.
Top Model just began another season this past Wednesday night. I have watched the show since the very beginning. I record every episode on my DVR via my http://www.cabletelevision.net.
June 10, 2011
Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
It's that time of year when my allergies go haywire. I was absolutely miserable for about a week before it dawned on me that it was my seasonal allergies. I went to Walgreens to look through their Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products. I decided to pick up Wal-Dryl because I've used it before and it always makes me feel so much better. Plus, it's doesn't force me to empty out my wallet. I love that I can get quality medicine at an affordable price. Most Walgreens Brand Heath & Wellness Products have the same active ingredient as other national brands, are recommended by pharmacists and come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. I've already told my friends and family about how they can save tons of money by switching from their national brand. The ones who have listened to me are really happy about having extra money to use on things like going out to eat or buying themselves a little something special.
Have you used any Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products?
Make sure you check out the Walgreens Way to Well Fund™.
Enter to win Walgreens gift cards by entering giveaways.
June 9, 2011
June 8, 2011
FREE READ: Highborn by Yvonne Navarro
EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE. BRYNNA MALAK MIGHT BE THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE.
Brynna is a fallen angel trying to earn redemption. She’s escaped from Hell in search of a new life on Earth, but Lucifer’s deadliest hunters are hot on her trail. Police Detective Eran Redmond is after her for a different reason: he needs Brynna to help him find a serial killer who is terrifying Chicago . . . and the trail leads them right to Hellspawned demons of the most dangerous kind. She’s also got a very human problem: dealing with a stubborn, attractive cop who makes her long for everything she knows she can’t have.
Staying alive long enough to earn a shot at Heaven will mean breaking some major rules in the mortal world, as she learns just how complicated and wonderful being human can be. With so much stacked against her, even Brynna has to wonder if she’s crazy. But she’s not giving in without a fight.
Not a chance in Hell. . . .
Read it here.
Giveaway: Better by Mistake by Alina Tugend
A New York Times columnist delivers an eye-opening big idea: Embracing mistakes can make us smarter, healthier, and happier in every facet of our lives.
In this persuasive book, journalist Alina Tugend examines the delicate tension between what we're told-we must make mistakes in order to learn-and the reality-we often get punished for making mistakes, and therefore try to avoid them or cover them up. In Better by Mistake, Tugend shows that mistakes are everywhere, and suggests that when we acknowledge and identify them correctly, we can improve not only ourselves, but our families, our work, and the world around us.
Through fascinating research, Tugend reveals how trying to avoid mistakes can affect us from the earliest stages in our lives and shape us into adults who steer clear of risks and challenges. She takes us behind the scenes into cutting-edge behavioral studies; invites us into the high-stakes world of health care and aviation, where mistakes can cost lives, and delves into the art and science behind learning how to craft a sincere apology and accepting responsibility for mistakes.
Bold and dynamic, insightful and provocative, Better by Mistake turns our cultural wisdom on its head to illustrate the downside of striving for perfection, and the rewards of acknowledging mistakes and embracing the imperfection in all of us.
Review: Changeling Moon by Dani Harper
He roams the moonlit wilderness, his every sense and instinct on high alert. Changeling wolf Connor Macleod and his Pack have never feared anything--until the night human Zoey Tyler barely escapes a rogue werewolf's vicious attack.
As the full moon approaches, Zoey has no idea of the changes that are coming, and only Connor can show her what she is, and help her master the wildness inside. With her initiation into the Pack just days away and a terrifying predator on the loose, the tentative bonds of trust and tenderness are their only weapons against a force red in tooth, claw... and ultimate evil.
As the full moon approaches, Zoey has no idea of the changes that are coming, and only Connor can show her what she is, and help her master the wildness inside. With her initiation into the Pack just days away and a terrifying predator on the loose, the tentative bonds of trust and tenderness are their only weapons against a force red in tooth, claw... and ultimate evil.
Changeling Moon by Dani Harper is a great read! Within the first ten pages I was hooked. I had to know everything and I had to know it right away. Zoey is easy to relate to and you can't help but feel an instant connection to her. Her relationship with Connor is engaging and I can't wait to start reading the second book in this series. If you like werewolves and romance, then you have to read Changeling Moon.
Visit Dani's website
FREE READ: Dark Protector by Alexis Morgan
Devlin Bane: Born a Paladin, he is a member of an ancient band of warriors locked in a centuries-old war against evil.
His destiny: To die over and over again to protect mankind from the Others, only to be revived each time by his mortal Handler.
But his fierce strength and courage cannot save him from gradually becoming one of the monsters he was born to destroy.
Dr. Laurel Young, who has spent years training to become a Handler, must remain detached from her patients. But each time she revives the darkly compelling Devlin Bane, he claims a little more of her soul and incites in her desires that grow wilder and wilder — even as he inches closer to losing his humanity. As the war against the Others grows more desperate, Laurel and Devlin can't help but give in to the fierce hunger that's sizzled between them for so long. Now they'll face the ultimate battle together — to save a dark, passionate love that goes against every rule as they join forces to fight an enemy who is closer than they ever imagined....
Read it for free here, but hurry because it's only available for 6 more days.
Giveaway: Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
Every life has a soundtrack. All you have to do is listen.
Music has set the tone for most of Zoe Baxter’s life. There’s the melody that reminds her of the summer she spent rubbing baby oil on her stomach in pursuit of the perfect tan. A dance beat that makes her think of using a fake ID to slip into a nightclub. A dirge that marked the years she spent trying to get pregnant.
For better or for worse, music is the language of memory. It is also the language of love.
In the aftermath of a series of personal tragedies, Zoe throws herself into her career as a music therapist. When an unexpected friendship slowly blossoms into love, she makes plans for a new life, but to her shock and inevitable rage, some people—even those she loves and trusts most—don’t want that to happen.
Sing You Home is about identity, love, marriage, and parenthood. It’s about people wanting to do the right thing for the greater good, even as they work to fulfill their own personal desires and dreams. And it’s about what happens when the outside world brutally calls into question the very thing closest to our hearts: family.
Pre-Order Alert & Read The FIrst Chapter: Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon comes the next thrilling installment in her blockbuster Dark-Hunter® series
Harm no human…
A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.
Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief—Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meeting the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.
A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster…
Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who’s assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he’s not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.
Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they’ve sworn to protect.
Read the first chapter here.
FREE READ: Murder On The Mind by L.L. Bartlett
Download it here.
June 7, 2011
Giveaway: The Mermaid Garden by Santa Montefiore
The internationally bestselling authorof The French Gardener presentsa complex and irresistibly compelling novel that confirms the remarkablepower of love to heal and transform.
Ten-year-old Floriana is captivated by the beauty of the magnificent Tuscan villa that overlooks the sea just outside her small village. She likes to spy from the crumbling wall into the gardens and imagine that one day she’ll escape her meager existence and live there surrounded by its otherworldly splendor. Then one day Dante, the son of the villa’s powerful industrialist owner, invites her inside and shows her the enchanting Mermaid Garden. From that moment, Floriana knows that the only destiny for her is there, in that garden, with Dante. But as they grow up and fall in love, their romance causes a crisis, jeopardizing the very thing they hold most dear.
Decades later and hundreds of miles away, a beau-tiful old country house hotel on England’s Devon coast has fallen on hard times after the financial crash of 2008. Its owner, Marina, advertises for an artist to stay the summer and teach the guests how to paint. The man she hires is charismatic and wise and soon begins to pacify the discord in her family and transform the fortunes of the hotel. However, he has his own agenda. Is it to destroy, to seduce, or to heal? Whatever his intentions, he is certain to change Marina’s life forever.
Spanning four decades and sweeping from the Italian countryside to the English coast, this new story by Santa Montefiore is a moving and mysterious tale of love, forgiveness, and the past revealed.
Giveaway: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!
Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.
June 6, 2011
JUNE eBook Deals from Sourcebooks!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
