End of Year Party

I am sorry that I haven't posted in a bit. I have been trying to finish my school work and I am proud to say that I passed. I can now take my LPN test( as soon as they send me the information on where I will be taking it.) I am hoping to get back into my blogging. I have missed it so much. In the coming days/weeks I will be getting back to my reviews and other blog business. Looking forward to so many awesome books in the new year. There are several that I am looking forward to- Demon Song by Cat Adams, River Marked by Patricia Briggs, The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa, the list goes on and on.

What are you most looking forward to? I am cleaning out the bookshelves and I will let you know what I have to send to a few lucky winners.

Guest Post: Author- C. Fern Cook

HOW THE WILD SERIES EVOLVED



The Wild series began when I was a patrol deputy in the Colorado Mountains . I worked in a county that was cattle country. As charming as that seems, many of the ranchers killed anything that crossed their property they didn't like.



This did not sit well with me, the great animal lover that I am, I believe all animals have right to live on this planet. As a patrol deputy, I could do nothing about it unless it was an endangered species or poaching involved.



I have always been the storyteller, I imagined a rancher that shared his land with all creatures including the dreaded wolf. This turned into a skin walker or werewolf story. A good story always takes on a life of its own. While I was writing the series, the story developed in ways I had never imagined when I first set out to write the first book.



What would happen if you were attacked by a vicious animal? What if that animal turned out to be human, a changeling? Would you tell the cops about the person you killed in self-defense? Would you hide the body and tell no one? Who would believe your story?



How would this affect the rest of your life? How could you put this behind you and just forget about it? Wouldn't you be on edge? Suspicious of everyone? How could you live a normal life from then on, especially if you became the creature that attacked you?



Wild Evolution is about how Dan chooses to hide the body because he thinks no one would believe his story. He worries that if anyone found out, he would be charged with murder. It is hard to be a mellow when you are obsessed with keeping your secret a secret.



Wild Justice is the continuation, how Dan tries to live a normal life and get married and have family. How he tries to live the American dream of owning his own business.

Wild Legacy continues with Dan 's attempt to raise a family and try to blend in with the rest of the community. This is how the Wild series evolved.



The characters are composite of people I have met through my real life experiences. The first in the series has a great deal of crime scene processing in it. The law enforcement officers are composites of officers I had worked with. The crime scene processing is as real life as possible; this comes from my experience as a crime scene investigator when I worked with Boulder PD.



Just like my books, I have also evolved as a writer doing this series. I have learned a lot from the feedback from readers. I enjoy hearing from readers and hear about what they think. I invite any questions you might have about the series, my writing, or experiences in law enforcement.




c. fern cook, author, WILD EVOLUTION
www.muddymuttsacres.com

Blogmania 2010 Winners!!!

Its over and everyone had a great time. We got introduced to some great blogs. Fun was had by all(hopefully). All of my winners have been contacted and have 48 hours from the time of this post to email me with their information. The winners and their prizes are as follows:

Winner 1- One of the blank journals and the Autographed Theodosia series book set-
T....( Name withheld per request) Claimed

Winner 2- One blank journal and the books donated by BookreaderTimes-
Alexia561 - Claimed

Winner 3- $20 to The Book Depository-
Stella Ex Libris

Winner 4- Lift by Kelly Corrigan, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig, Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Stolarz, Mistress By Mistake by Maggie Robinson
Julia( rexreadingrobot...) Claimed

Winner 5- A Highlander Christmas anthology, Lift by Kelly Corrigan( I actually found a second copy of this one so you get it too), James Rollins- Doomsday Key, Crocheted blanket and Handmade ornaments

Dkay( dkay401....)- Claimed

Winner 6- Shade by Jeri Smith Ready and gently read copies of Sweet Surrender by Maya Banks and No Mercy by Sherrilyn Kenyon,Thief of light by Denise Rossetti,How to Uncage a Girl by Fancesca Lia Block

E.J. Stevens - Claimed

For all of the winners that I am mailing items from my home I will try to put a little something extra inside your prize box. Thanks for so many new followers and I hope to keep you interested enough in the future to hang around. Many thanks go to Lynda Coker for starting this awesome event and also to everyone behind the scenes who we may not have heard from but we knew they were there.

Blogmania 2010 is HERE!!!

Blog 79 of 169
A Queen's Ransom

Well, I guess that all depends on who the queen is. Since it is me, my ransom would be books. In my previous blogmania posts I said I was going to have a chest, as some queens are wont to do, I have changed my mind. I thought I would rather add more books to my contest and an international winner as well. For the international winner I have added a $20 book allowance to The Book Depository because I hate people being left out of anything.
Now to recap the things that were added in previous posts the prizes begin as follows:

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From Dancing Grey Studios

blank leather journals ( check them out in this post )

R.L. LaFevers- autographed copies of the first 3 books in her Theodosia Series ( pictured here)

BookReaderTimes - a copy of Underground by Kat Richardson, a signed copy of Wicked by Sara Shepard and a copy of Heartless by Sara Shephard

Elizabeth Thelen- ( an awesome friend I "met" online through the MomWriters yahoo group)-
A crocheted blanket and some handmade ornaments.

I have also added the following books myself-

Lift by Kelly Corrigan, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig, Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Stolarz, Mistress By Mistake by Maggie Robinson, Thief of light by Denise Rossetti, How to Uncage a Girl by Fancesca Lia Block, A Highlander Christmas anthology, Shade by Jeri Smith Ready and gently read copies of Sweet Surrender by Maya Banks and No Mercy by Sherrilyn Kenyon. ( and possibly other books if I pick some up between now and when I mail the prizes)

To enter this contest, simply fill out the form.


Althought comments are greatly appreciated, you must enter through the form.



FYI-
We have been having trouble with the code that has the list of participating blogs, if the html doesn't work or show up you can find an alternate copy of the list here.




Alpha by Rachel Vincent --Trailer

Rachel Vincent has posted the trailer for Alpha and is giving away a signed copy of Alpha on her blog.



YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE FAYTHE…

The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc, and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder, and treason. Yeah, we’ve been busy. But now it’s time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother’s death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.

It’s not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I’m heading for a final showdown that can—that will—change everything forever.

Review of Siren Song By Cat Adams

Celia Graves survived becoming an Abomination. She continues to work as a bodyguard in the same town where she was attacked. The vampire attack awakened a part of Celia that she knew nothing about - she's part Siren. Summoned to the Sirens’ island for reasons unknown, Celia must fight off many enemies if she wants to find out about her heritage.

I thoroughly enjoyed book one in this series, BLOOD SONG, and book two is no different. Just when you think you have Cat Adams’ world figured out, they throw more surprises at you. It seems Sirens have more than the average power. They’re not only able to seduce men and alienate women, but they also have several surprises up their sleeves.

The author has created a paranormal fantasy world that leaves the reader wanting more. Interesting characters, wonderful world-building, and a mythology that gets more interesting with every character they throw into the mix. Many authors try to pull the reader in from the beginning of the story - Cat Adams succeeds.

Fast-paced, twists and turns, excitement galore, SIREN SONG does not disappoint. With this second book, I am even more sure that this will be one of the best series that I will read this year. You never know what is going to happen, but you definitely know that whatever it is it will be exciting and hard to put down.

5 star Gold Award

Reviewed for TeensReadToo.com- http://www.teensreadtoo.com/SirenSongCA.html

GUEST POST -- Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson

"Butt Plus Chair"

Oliver Stone has three words of advice for any aspiring writer: butt plus chair. We take that a step further and add one extra word: butt plus comfy chair. What you sit on can't be understated. Sure, we absolutely agree that much of writing is just sitting down to do it. But if you're going to put in 9 to 5 days behind a desk it helps to sit on something plush and preferably ergonomic. Andrew prefers a swivel chair with a high back, arm rests for his elbows, and lots of cushion for his bony rear-end. Adam prefers the larger, lower to the ground leather chair, one he can squirm about in impatiently as Andrew types; cushy and perhaps even sleepable. When so much of your day is sitting -- or standing and pacing -- but mostly sitting, it's nice to know that what you're sitting upon feels good. So our sincere advice to all those writers out there is don't sit on a hard wood or lie in your bed with a laptop. Let's fight scoliosis and carpal tunnel syndrome with good spinal support and wrist cushions. And after you get comfy, make sure you have a clear outline of where your book will be ending, and what kind of journey your main character will be going on, so you're not simply wasting all that chair time. Spoil yourself. Go pick up that writing chair you've always wanted. Remember, it's tax deductible.

If you'd like to learn more about The Familiars, come visit http://www.thefamiliars.com/.
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Facebook

The Familiars hits bookstores everywhere on September 7th.

The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson

Review- Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

"Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you...no one."

Those were some of Rhode's last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face.

It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.

Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust.


I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn't Rhode.


But Justin was...daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.


I never expected to be sixteen again...then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me...



Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1 edition (August 3, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312649916
ISBN-13: 978-0312649913


Author's spaces-
website
Twitter
Facebook Fan page

I had the good fortune to receive an arc of this novel. I adored the main character and the transformation that she went through. This was a wonderfully written piece of artwork. The mythology seemed well thought out and I enjoyed the parts about her previous life. I enjoyed this book so much I have added a paperback copy to my shelf to keep. I am not sure though if the story should have been classified as YA.

1 star- story flowed very well
1 star- enjoyable backstory
1 star- well thought out
1 star- great characters
1 star- Overall wonderful read
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5 stars

Review- Arson by Estevan Vega

Arson Gable is a strange boy with an equally strange life. He lives alone with his grandmother, who has some mental issues that make life difficult. Arson can also create fire. He has a job in an ice cream parlor that’s going nowhere and no friends.

Arson’s life changes the day a new family moves in next door. It’s a couple with a daughter who wears a mask because of an accident that occurred when she was a child. Secrets abound in this story, not only for Arson and the girl, but for their families, as well.

Many readers may see the start of the story as slow, but Estevan Vega took his time and lets you get to know the characters, as well as their motivations. ARSON was an intriguing mystery that will have you looking forward to the next installment. This story was crafted over four years, and it definitely shows.

This is not your ordinary mystery/horror/supernatural novel. You can’t help but love the main characters. I hope we don’t have long to wait for the rest of this wonderful story. Although parts of the tale were dark, adults and teens alike are sure to enjoy it. I would definitely recommend ARSON to my own teen.


Reviewed for-TeensReadToo.com-
http://www.teensreadtoo.com/ArsonVega.html
5Stars- Gold Award

Blogmania Sponsor #3- R.L. LaFevers

Although I try to make my posts original I have found that when I am looking at a new author I love to read the page where they tell about themselves. I think that it gives an insight to the author that you don't get from just looking at their book reviews.


Taken from the author's website, the About the Author page-

R. L. La Fevers grew up in Los Angeles, California. Even though she lived in the city, she had an unusually wide variety of pets. In addition to dogs, cats, and rabbits, at one time or another her family also had a goat, chickens, chipmunks, a baby anteater, and, for a few short weeks, two baby bear cubs, who were VERY wild and untamed. This has given her a deep appreciation for wild things and their need to live in their own environment.

In addition to all these animals, R. L. La Fevers was also surrounded by a gaggle of brothers who taught her an awful lot about how to get into mischief of all kinds. When she wasn’t taking care of her pets or getting her brothers out of scrapes, she usually had her nose buried in a book.

Now she lives on a small ranch in Southern California with her husband, two teenaged sons (who are also very good at getting into mischief and scrapes of one sort or another), a dog who thinks he’s a person, and a cat who is really a tigress in disguise. Although she no longer has any exotic pets, she does have raccoons who visit her back porch, coyotes who howl near her window, and hawks that soar high overhead.

author's blog- http://rllafevers.blogspot.com/
Facebook page- http://www.facebook.com/rllafevers
twitter-http://twitter.com/rllafevers
Shrinking Violet Promotions- co-run with Mary Hershey

Author of The Lowthar’s Blade series,The Theodosia Series and The Nathaial Fludd Series

Nominated to the Texas Library Association’s Bluebonnet List!
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Booksense Summer Pick
Agatha Award Nominee
West Virginia Children’s Book Award Nominees 2008-2009
Michigan Library Association 2007 Mitten Award Honor Title
Winter 2008-2009 Kid’s Indie Next List

R.L. Lafevers was gracious enough to give autographed copies of the first 3 books in her Theodosia Series that will go to some lucky winner in September.

CSN stores- A massive site of AWESOMENESS

I know several bloggers, including myself have done CSN contests/reviews. I will be having one soon and I wanted to know what your favorite thing from any of CSN's 200+ stores is, your absolute favorite. You could buy a bedroom vanity , a bookshelf ( of which they have an amazing variety), to some really cool beds. CSN stores attracts the booklover in me because of all the great bookshelves they have- see pictures below.

I especially LOVE the bookworm and eternity bookshelves.

While I was looking through the site I also saw several items that I would like to add to my home collection. Beautiful steamer trunks and oriental storage boxes are just a couple of things that caught my eye.

For this impromptu contest, I want you to go to the CSN site and find your favorite thing ,then come back and post the link to that page. I need help deciding if I want to offer a review or a giveaway, so tell me what you'd do and why for another entry. Extra entries for following CSN store on Twitter and on Facebook. For the winner I have either a copy of Infinty by Sherrilyn Kenyon or Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready and possibly other goodies that strike me. Winner will be chosen by random.org

Fill out this FORM for entries as well as commenting on the post( it will make this easier for me to track)

Edited to add- The contest will run at least 2 weeks but may be longer depending on the interest it generates.

Blogmania Sponsor #2 Dancing Grey Studio

Dancing Grey Studio

Eiko at Dancing Grey Studio sells her handmade journals. She graciously donated journals to my Blogmania giveaway.

Looking at the photos doesn't do these wonderful journals justice. The leather is so soft to the touch.

I think that whoever wins a journal in September will be very happy with this wonderful piece of artwork. I have decided that I am definitely going to be buying some of these for gifts in the near future. Please visit her etsy shop and show her some love. Her journal would be great for anyone in your life.

Below you will find her profile bio that is listed on the site.

Bio
A little bit about Dancing Grey Studio and the maker of these journals.

My name is Eiko. I am a sculptor and a book maker, and I am the sole resident artist of the Dancing Grey Studio, located in the Big Sky Country of Montana. I have been a sculpture installation artist for many years, and I have been a true lover of all books handmade. Each journal is hand crafted by myself at my studio with great attention to details & quality, and they are individually photographed & listed as they become available. These journals possess the same nostalgic charms of the centuries old travel journals. Of all the handmade books, I especially enjoy making journals. Everyone's uses can vary but without a doubt, a journal is a very special object in one's life.

If you have a product that you think would fit into my "Queen's Ransom" theme and you would like to sponsor my blog, email me or leave a comment below.

Review of Blood Song by Cat Adams

Book 1 in the Blood Singer Series


Blood Song is the work of amazing duo C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp writing as Cat Adams. In this story we meet Celia Graves, a bodyguard to the rich and famous who although she is a regular human knows about ghosts, demons and other types of supernatural beings. While on assignment guarding a prince from a small European country she is left wounded from a vampire attack. This attack leaves her as an Abomination, not really vampire but not plain vanilla human either. Celia must figure out her new limits as well as destroy her maker before he can gain control over her, although this is the least of her worries.

Action, twists and turns abound in this wonderful new series. The story flows like magic and the characters are very exciting. Celia Graves is definitely a character to watch. For readers that are familiar with C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp I think they’ll be surprised at this new take on the old supernatural creature story. For those that are not familiar with them, I believe they’ll go back and find their other stories just to get another taste of such wonderful storytelling. This book is what urban fantasy is all about: fast paced, mysteries galore, a main character that is stubborn beyond belief even in the face of stronger creatures. Reading this book was like going on a roller coaster ride where the lever broke off and they can’t find the off switch. Cat Adams has crafted a story that will have others taking notice and scrambling to craft a story just as good. I think this will be one of the best series we’ll see this year and I would expect nothing less from the dynamic duo called Cat Adams.




This book was given the highest rating available at TeensReadToo.com, the

GOLD STAR AWARD


Book 2 in the Blood Singer Series

coming in September 2010

Excerpt from Blood Song here

Excerpt from Siren Song here

Cat Adams website

Blood Song Available to buy: Amazon , Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Siren Song Available for preorder: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository




Other reviews for Blood Song: Bitten By Books , Sidhe Vicious ,
Wicked Lil Pixie



FYI: I received this book for review directly from the author for TeensReadToo.com

Vampire Lumberjack or Werewolf Bootlegger-You decide.

This post is a part of Moira Rogers’ Creature Feature Kindle Throwdown Contest. By leaving a (meaningful) comment, you will be entered to win a Kindle from Amazon.com, or an alternate grand prize of $275 to spend at an online book retailer. For a full list of rules and more ways to win, visit the contest page.


Sorry to all of my vampire loving friends but this time I have to go with the werewolves. I know a vampire lumberjack is pure hotness but seriously would he take me out on the town, woo me or even pay me just a little attention??? Come on, I need a well dressed man who can do all of those things and more. A well dressed Alpha male has my heart any day of the week.

Rewiew of CSN product-CHH Deluxe Victoria Style Chess Set - 2118FS

I put this picture first because I love the way it turned out.Who knew I could take a decent picture?

First of all, Thanks go to Jess of CSN stores for allowing me to review this product.

This is the picture located on their site.

Features:

•Includes medieval themed chess pieces made from faux soapstone
•Black and multi-colored art squares
•Folds for easy storage
•Handles for easy transport
•Drawers to store chess pieces
•Medieval themed chess pieces made from imitation soapstone
•King height is 2.25"

List Price:$94.21
You Save:$42.22 (45%)
Sale Price:$51.99
Shipping:Free
Total Price:(1 item)$51.99

The pictures below are what it looked like directly out of the small box it was sent in. As you can see the bottom of the chess set( 2nd picture) looks like it is a small piece of plywood ( not very sturdy). The sides of the chess board feel like real wood and was really what I was expecting for the entire chess set to be made of.

This picture is of the handles. The only issue I had with the handles is that the screws that attached them to the chess board weren't completely screwed in.

I like the way the chess board looks laid out like this. With the chessboard sitting on a flat surface we noticed that the 2 halves of the board itself are not flush. One side bows a little when open and doesn't completely touch when you close the board.

I do like the designs that are carved on the sides of the board. 2 corners appear to be phoenixes and the other 2 sides are dragons. They are very nicely done. You can also see what the board itself looks like. The tiles are very nicely carved in an Asian theme. The tiles themselves make it hard to move the pieces over the board. The carving in the white tiles as well as the edges of many of the tiles make it very hard to play without picking each piece up completely from the board.

This picture shows how nicely packaged the drawers were. The pieces were set in styrofoam and then wrapped in celophane before being placed in the drawers. I am not sure if you can see it but the red part in the 2nd picture. When I placed all of the pieces in it at the first piece on the second row it tore.

I do so love the way the board looks all set up this way, although not being a chess player, I am not entirely sure that I set it up correctly.

Close-up pictures of the pieces are below.

The pictures below are some more of the pieces. Looking at the pieces side by side I must say that my husband and I prefer the dark wood pieces. They were heavier and I could see the details better in them. The green pieces were very light and almost had a plastic feel to them. I really wish that all of the pieces had been the dark wood.

I am not totally sure that you can see it clearly in the picture below but a couple of the pieces has something dark smeared on them, almost as if the stain used from the wood pieces had gotten on them. Not sure what it is but I am sure that it takes away from the beauty that could have been with these pieces. I even tried to clean it off, but had no luck. Some of the faux soapstone pieces also appear to be glued together. Now this wouldn't normally bother me but if you're going to glue pieces together that should at least look whole, to the naked eye.

One thing I did notice as I was taking the pieces out of the packaging is the darker pieces appear to have been put into the styrofoam not completely dry. The styrofoam as well as the celophane covering it was stained.

Is it bad to say that with all of the above considered, we both wish that this had been the set we picked to review.?

On the whole I hate to give the product this rating but since I wanted it to be something nice my husband and I could share, I have to be honest to a fault. My ratings are out of 5 stars and here is the breakdown:

+1 star awesome customer service/ shipping is tracked so I know where it is most of the time

+1 star because I love the designs etched into the side as well as the heavy dark wood that half of the pieces were made of.

-1 because the different parts of it were not flush and would make it hard when you were playing

-1 because the soapstone pieces seemed to be glued together in half of the pieces

-1 because the whole board was not made of good wood. If you're going to make a wood chess

board you should use a decent kind of wood for the ENTIRE board. For the cost of this board, I think the quality should have been better.

Overall although from a picture it looks like a nice chess set, in reality it looks like a chess set put together in a hurry.

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I am sorry to say that this is the first time that I have been disappointed in what I received from CSN stores. While this won't stop me from purchasing something from them it will make me look more closely at what I am purchasing in the future.

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2 of 5 stars

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-Breia-

This product was given to me strictly for review by CSN stores. That did not obligate me to give a good review, only an honest one.