Waiting on Wednesday #67 - Swan Dive by Kendel Lynn

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.  

Swan dive by Kendel Lynn is expected to be out March 17, 2015 from Henery Press.

From the Publisher:  

EXIT STAGE LEFT. . .

It’s Opening Night at the Ballantyne Foundation’s production of The Nutcracker, but it’s curtains for the Sugar Plum Fairy. When her body is found backstage, fatally poisoned by a cupcake she baked herself, rumors turn to suicide. But Elli Lisbon, director of the Ballantyne and coordinator of the ballet, smells something rotten amidst the sugar and spice.

As Elli applies her PI-in-training skills on the troupe of suspects, she discovers an eccentric herbalist, a temperamental chef, a stalking choreographer, and a bevy of backstage secrets. Between her off-the-record investigation, duty as director of the Ballantyne and highly-charged love life, she finds herself caught in a dance to keep one pirouette ahead of a half-baked killer.

Praise for the series: 

AGATHA NOMINATED SERIES

“Elli Lisbon is the Stephanie Plum of the the South!” – Krista Davis, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries

Why am I looking forward to it? It's a humorous, southern mystery. The fact that it's Agatha Nominated series indicates to me quality in the writing. Sounds like a winner to me. Henery Press is becoming known for the humorous mysteries. They have a slogan, "If you like one, you'll probably like them all." So far, I have yet to be disappointed. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Leave the title or a link in the comments and we'll check it out!

Teaser Tuesday - The Quick and the Undead by Kimberly Raye

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of  Should Be Reading.

Anyone can participate. just do the following.

Rules:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t  give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

We've got vampire cowboys running an old west town called Tombstone as a resort of sorts. The 9 of them were all turned by the same sire. They don't know where he is now. But, they decided to buy the land that Tombstone is on and make a go of it because they are all tied to the land from being turned there. 

In this scene about 20% into the story (Chapter 3), Riley, a travel blogger, has arrived in the town to find out that there is no internet or cell phone reception. They are allowed to use a landline though to call out. She calls her associate Andi on the phone to make arrangements for Andi to do the posting for her.

"I'll be here. Right here in my same old apartment, watching the same old reality TV because not everybody can be living the dream." (said Andi.)

"Yep. I'm living it all right. I had two packs of peanuts for lunch and spent the entire plane ride next to a woman who told me all about her last gallbladder surgery. She gave me so many details, I could probably do the operation myself if you're ever in need." (Riley said.)

I think it characterizes the relationship between Andi and Riley. Andi is the stay-at-home type who lives vicariously through Riley's adventures. I'll have to read more to see if this is accurate.

What's your teaser this Tuesday? Are you reading a book you got for the holidays? Please share a link or your teaser in the comments and I'll check it out! Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #66: Housewitch by Katie Schickel

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

The book I am waiting on this week is Housewitch: a novel by Katie Schickel. It's due out February 17, 2015 from Forge Books.

Description from Goodreads: 
Allison Darling, former foster child, now a stay-at-home mom of three, desperately wants to fit in with the organic latte drinking, hundred-dollar-yoga-pants-wearing moms who run Monrovia, her charming seaside village. Constantly feeling like an outsider, Allison dreams of more for her children. When the Glamour Girls, a soap-selling company run by the most charismatic and powerful women in town, recruits Allison, she jumps at the invitation. The Glamor Girls have a hand in everything in Monrovia, from bake sales to business deals. This is what Allison’s wanted her whole life—to be liked. To be popular. To belong. After Allison’s estranged mother passes away, she learns her family’s heartbreaking legacy and the secret Allison’s been fighting to suppress all her life emerges: she’s a witch. What’s more, she’s not the only one in town. There’s more to the Glamour Girls then it seems… and once you’re a Glamour Girl, there’s no going back. Allison must use her rediscovered magic to defend Monrovia, protect her marriage and her children, and reclaim her legacy. Fighting tooth and nail for her family is easy, but what about for herself? Is it too late to confront her own demons and become the woman she dreams of being? Housewitch is a fantastic, clever women’s fiction debut with a lot of heart and a touch of magic. 

 I love the way it sounds. It could be a little like Bewitched, a little like Desperate Housewives, and a little bit like the Stepford Wives.It should make for an interesting read.

So, What title are you waiting on this week? Leave us a link to check it out. Happy Reading!

Fantastic Dreams of Pamela K. Kinney: The Crazy Traditions Done At Christmas

This post from another blogger shares some interesting Christmas Traditions. I was unaware of these.
hope you enjoy her post!

Fantastic Dreams of Pamela K. Kinney: The Crazy Traditions Done At Christmas: Christmas has many beautiful and classical traditions. Like decorating the tree or singing Christmas carols, exchanging gifts...

Teaser Tuesday: Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of  Should Be Reading.

Anyone can participate. just do the following.

Rules:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t  give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Published June 11th 2013 by Knopf 

Anyone who has read Carl Hiaasen knows his sense of humor is kind of weird and offbeat. Bad Monkey is no exception. There is also copious swearing. Still overall it's a good offbeat story so far. The book was published in June of 2013 by Knopf. 

Yancy was a policeman until very recently. Now he has been busted down to "roach patrol" aka Restaurant Health Inspector. But, he has had a human arm in his freezer until recently. It was found off the coast with a shark's tooth in it. They were able to identify the missing man, but Yancy thinks it looks more like murder than accidental causes. Therefore, he is investigating the case on his own in hopes that if he solves it, it will get him rehired by the Sheriff as an officer of the law.

Teaser: Yancy is talking with the Miami Coroner, Rosa, over lunch. He's taken a fancy to her.

"Still, you could have handled it better. Now, what happened down in the Keys?"

"That I'd rather not discuss."

"Too bad," Rosa said. "My life coach told me not to sleep with anybody who harbors a murky past."

"What about a murky present?"

So, what are you reading this week? Share a teaser or a link in the comments. I look forward to hearing from you!

Review: The Grind by Nikki M. Pill

Wow! What a thriller. It starts off slow and the pace picks up fast and keeps going right up to the end. The Grind kept me up late. I can't wait until the next book.

Anna Zendel, the main character in the book, was a burlesque dancer and therapist in The Tease, the first book in The Darling Killer Trilogy. In book 2, she is waiting to see if she will be allowed to practice therapy again and is working as coordinator/leader for the burlesque troupe, but not performing herself. The Darling Killer takes exception to that and starts to kill again after the admonition, "Keep performing and they live."

And to amp up the suspense factor, "Anna’s stage training and psychological savvy arm her for another deadly dance, but a series of sinister accidents threaten the survival of everyone she loves while a killer watches her from the wings."

So, Anna is fighting evil on 2 fronts, and she does so marvelously. She is a very human protagonist. Suffering from PTSD as a result of an attack in book one, she still manages to pull it together when it really counts. Some of the other characters are well developed while others are shallow. The shallow ones serve a purpose as well. They're important because of their reactions to what's going on around them which helps further characterize the others and move the plot forward.

The suspense is well done right up to the end. Seriously I can't wait for the third book in this trilogy. I want to know what happens next. I don't want to detail what I want to know next because it would give away spoilers.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is well written and fulfills its description of a suspense/thriller title. It's a hard book to put down.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday #65 - The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

This book is the sequel to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by
Seth Grahame-Smith. The blurb says that if you liked the first book, you will enjoy the second one as well. I haven't read the first book yet. It's been on my TBR list for a while. It's nice to know that there is a sequel, assuming I enjoy the first one. I'm looking forward to checking them both out. The Last American Vampire is due out January 13, 2015.

The blurb from the publisher:
New York Times bestselling author Seth Grahame-Smith returns with the follow-up to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter--a sweeping, alternate history of 20th Century America as seen through the eyes of vampire Henry Sturges.

THE LAST AMERICAN VAMPIRE
In Reconstruction-era America, vampire Henry Sturges is searching for renewed purpose in the wake of his friend Abraham Lincoln's shocking death. It will be an expansive journey that will first send him to England for an unexpected encounter with Jack the Ripper, then to New York City for the birth of a new American century, the dawn of the electric era of Tesla and Edison, and the blazing disaster of the 1937 Hindenburg crash. Along the way, Henry goes on the road in a Kerouac-influenced trip as Seth Grahame-Smith ingeniously weaves vampire history through Russia's October Revolution, the First and Second World Wars, and the JFK assassination.

Expansive in scope and serious in execution, THE LAST AMERICAN VAMPIRE is sure to appeal to the passionate readers who made Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter a runaway success.

So, what do you think? Sound any good? What book are you waiting on this week? Please leave a link or the name of the book in a comment. I'd love to hear from you. Happy Wednesday!

Teaser Tuesday: The Grind by Nikki M. Pill

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of  Should Be Reading.

Anyone can participate. just do the following.

Rules:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t  give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

The Grind by Nikki M. Pill is Book Two of the Darling  Killer Trilogy. It was released November 28, 2014. As book 2 opens, we find that Anna Zendel has been suspended from being a psychotherapist and she is guiding the burlesque troupe, but no longer performing herself. 

In this teaser, Anna is thinking about the killer who has possibly just threatened everyone she knows if she doesn't perform again. 

"I had to admit that it might have excited him that I was there. He sent flowers and his kill-trophies to me. He murdered one of my clients...

How do I keep my friends safe from being my friends?" 

So, what is your teaser from? Leave a link or the teaser in the comments so we can check it out. 

Quickie Review: Nora Bonesteel's Christmas Past by Sharyn McCrumb

Published October 7th 2014
by Abingdon Press 

Nora Bonesteel's Christmas Past by Sharyn McCrumb is a novella length book featuring two parallel stories. One is about Sheriff Spencer Arrowwood and his deputy Joe LeDonne. The other is about Nora Bonesteel being called upon to use her "sight" to help a new family staying for Christmas make peace with a ghost of Christmas past. From the publisher, "In a story of spirits, memories, and angels unaware, Sharyn McCrumb revisits her most loved characters who know there is more to this world than the eye can see, especially at Christmastime."

The story of Sheriff Arrowwood and Deputy LeDonne has them going out Christmas Eve to arrest a man because a senator wants him arrested over a trivial reason. It's the last way that either man would want to spend Christmas. And yet they're called to do so. The man in question is elderly and has an elderly wife to take care of as well.

Nora Bonesteel spends much of the story reminiscing about what Christmas was like at the Old Honeycutt place when she was young. The new folks that own the house have generally been snowbirds, but this year decided to stay for Christmas and their pink tree keeps getting knocked down by some unseen force.

The stories are interesting and the writing goes back and forth a little between the two stories. The characters of course are well done. The writing is excellent. I liked both stories. This is a good book for a Christmas Eve and would make a nice gift for someone. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday #64 - Process by Sarah Stodola and The Quick and the Undead by Kimberly Raye

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

This week I am waiting on 2 unrelated books. The first book is Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors by Sarah Stodola.  

This sounds like a good book if you like to read about how authors write. In particular this book states that what sets it apart from others of its type is that "Process puts the true methods of writers on display.Each chapter contains a mini biography of one of the world’s most lauded authors, focused solely on his or her writing process. Drawn from both existing material and original research and interviews, Stodola brings to light the fascinating, unique, and illuminating techniques behind these literary behemoths." It's supposed to focus on really how they write and not techniques as much. This book is due out January 20, 2015 from Amazon Publishing.

The second book I am waiting on is coming out December 31, 2015
It sounds like a hot paranormal romance which I haven't read in a while.  "Welcome to Tombstone, Texas, where anything is possible, even your wildest fantasy. Once a haven to outlaws, Tombstone is now a tourist town that gives travelers a taste of the old West. What visitors don’t realize, however, is that the super-hot cowboys, gunslingers, and lawmen walking the streets aren't actors—they’re originals. These ancient vampires claimed Tombstone two centuries ago. 
So step right up, folks, and book your trip today! The outlaws of Tombstone will be waiting . . .
Travel blogger Riley Davenport loves her job, travelling to the most exotic places in the world. Even better, it keeps her one step ahead of her stalking ex. The last thing she wants in her life is a strong alpha male. But that’s exactly what she gets when she comes face-to-face with Sheriff Boone Jarrett, a hero right out of her most erotic fantasies. 
Boone isn't just the law in Tombstone, Texas. He’s also an ancient vampire and the target of a crazed killer. He certainly doesn't have time for romance. But a temporary fling? Now that he can handle." Should be interesting. I like the premise that it's vampires instead of re-enactors that are staffing the town. I am curious about the world building and what sorts of powers/tolerances the vampires have and how they came to live as a group in this town. I hope the author pays as much attention to that as to the romantic parts.

So, what book or books are you waiting on this week? Leave a link or some other information in the comments below. I'd love to check it out and add to my TBR list.

Teaser Tuesday: Nora Bonesteel's Christmas Past by Sharyn McCrumb

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of  Should Be Reading.

Anyone can participate. just do the following.

Rules:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t  give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

"Shirley had Nora Bonesteel to thank for her newly-planted flower beds, filled with only local plants species. But, when the Haverty's Christmas tree was felled by that non-existent gust of wind, Shirley had remembered her neighbor's other talent and decided to fight local ghosts with local magic, if that's what it was."

From Goodreads.com:

"When someone buys the old Honeycutt house, Nora Bonesteel is glad to see some life brought back to the old mansion, even if it is by summer people. But when they decide to stay through Christmas, they find more than old memories in the walls. On Christmas Eve, Sheriff Spencer Arrowwood and Deputy Joe LeDonne find themselves on an unwelcome call to arrest an elderly man for a minor offense. As they attempt to do their duty, while doing the right thing for a neighbor, it begins to look like they may all spend Christmas away from home. In a story of spirits, memories, and angels unaware, Sharyn McCrumb revisits her most loved characters who know there is more to this world than the eye can see, especially at Christmastime. "

Nora Bonesteel is one of my favorite characters from the Ballad series by Sharyn McCrumb. She is kind and sensible. Knows more than a thing or two about plants. And has a touch of sight.

What book are you reading this week? Please leave your teaser or a link to it in the comments. I look forward to hearing from you!

Review: Solomon's Whisper by Sandra Brannan

Published September 2014
by Greenleaf Book Group

Solomon's whisper by Sandra Brannan is book 5 in her Liv Bergen mystery series. Liv is a former miner from a large family who has become an FBI agent. She is concerned that being an agent puts her family in danger and is thinking about quitting the FBI. She agreed to 6 months as a sort of trial period during which she would decide if she wants to continue working there.

As enticement, her boss gives her a cold case to examine: the murder of her niece from several years ago. Then again she is made lead agent on a much publicized case that has become cold as well, the murder of a child much like JonBenet Ramsey. Liv solves the murders and then some with the help and support of her boss, Streeter.

The character of Liv Bergen does some changing and stretching in this book that will undoubtedly extend into the next. Streeter, her boss, also reaches some conclusions about how he feels about Liv that will effect their future relationship.

Action seemed a little slow in the beginning of the book, but momentum increases as the pages go by. At the end I found myself holding my breath reading what would happen next. It's really a thrilling conclusion. The character of Camera Casey seemed to fill a temporary need in the book and was particularly kind of creepy.

All in all, it's a good book. I would buy it for someone else I knew who enjoyed this type of book. I would recommend this book to people who like strong female characters, suspense novels, and thrillers.

I give this book 4 out or 5 stars. The writing is well done. The characters and plot are interesting. And the conclusion is mind blowing, especially if you have read Noah's Rainy Day. But, this can be read as a stand alone novel and appreciated.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday #63 - Things Half in Shadow by Alan Finn

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

This week I am waiting on the publication of Things Half in Shadow by Alan Finn. It's due out in the Kindle version on January 13, 2015 from Gallery Books.

Among other things that intrigue me is the last paragraph of the blurb: "Blending historical detail with flights of fancy, Things Half in Shadow is a riveting thriller where Medium and The Sixth Sense meet The Alienist —and where nothing is quite as it seems ..."

From the blurb, the  book appears to be a mixture of a historical mystery and a bit of a thriller with paranormal elements added in. Here is the rest of the blurb from the author's website: 

Postbellum America makes for a haunting backdrop in this historical and supernatural tale of moonlit cemeteries, masked balls, cunning mediums, and terrifying secrets waiting to be unearthed by an intrepid crime reporter.
Now a crime reporter for one of the city’s largest newspapers, Edward is asked to use his knowledge of illusions and visual trickery to expose the influx of mediums that descended on Philadelphia in the wake of the war. His first target is Mrs. Lucy Collins, a young widow who uses old-fashioned sleight of hand to prey on grieving families. Soon, Edward and Lucy become entwined in the murder of Lenora Grimes Pastor, the city’s most highly regarded—and by all accounts, legitimate—medium, who dies mid-séance. With their reputations and livelihoods at risk, Edward and Lucy set out to find the real killer, and in the process unearth a terrifying hive of secrets that reaches well beyond Mrs. Pastor.

The year is 1869, and the Civil War haunts the city of Philadelphia like a stubborn ghost. Mothers in black continue to mourn their lost sons. Photographs of the dead adorn dim sitting rooms. Maimed and broken men roam the streets. One of those men is Edward Clark, who is still tormented by what he saw during the war. Also constantly in his thoughts is another, more distant tragedy—the murder of his mother at the hands of his father, the famed magician Magellan Holmes...a crime that Edward witnessed when he was only ten.

Now a crime reporter for one of the city’s largest newspapers, Edward is asked to use his knowledge of illusions and visual trickery to expose the influx of mediums that descended on Philadelphia in the wake of the war. His first target is Mrs. Lucy Collins, a young widow who uses old-fashioned sleight of hand to prey on grieving families. Soon, Edward and Lucy become entwined in the murder of Lenora Grimes Pastor, the city’s most highly regarded—and by all accounts, legitimate—medium, who dies mid-séance. With their reputations and livelihoods at risk, Edward and Lucy set out to find the real killer, and in the process unearth a terrifying hive of secrets that reaches well beyond Mrs. Pastor. 

So, how does it sound to you? What book are you waiting on this week? Please leave a note or a link in  the comments so we can check it out!