Saturday, March 30, 2013

Happy Easter!


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No book is safe from the little guy above! This is Riah’s pet bunny Popcorn (who is not this small anymore!), who will chew the spine off of any book if left unattended. (Yes, that was learned the hard way.)

We all at Bending The Spine wanted to take a moment to wish all that celebrate this holiday a happy Easter from our family to yoursSmile

May your baskets be filled with books!
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Friday, March 29, 2013

Amazon bought Goodreads! What do you think?



                                Product Details    and  
Images from site

TOGETHER!

Did this freak anyone else out yesterday? Maybe it’s because I don’t take change all that well and I have no way of knowing how Amazon buying Goodreads is going to change things for either company… But yeah, after seeing the news yesterday I totally freaked out a little.


Here are a few post about the news:



Are you worried about this at all? Or, do you think this is a match made in heaven?
Let me know in the comments.

Happy reading… and panicking,
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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Excerpt: Big Bad Bite by Jessie Lane


BBB potential 1b

Paperback: 366 pages
Release Date: February 19, 2013
ISBN-10: 1482582325
ISBN-13: 978-1482582321
Goodreads

What would it be like to live in a world where you are considered abnormal to those who are above the norm?
 
Jenna O’ Conner has been taught her whole life to hide from everyone. Never to let anyone to close enough to know that she would prefer a shotgun for her birthday over of a bouquet of roses. She’s been smothered by her over protective family so that no one learns what she truly is. Which is not human. Nor, is she considered the norm for the supernatural Other community that is benevolent enough to share this world with the humans.
 
In a desperate attempt to live her own life away from the small town she was raised in, Jenna obtains her dream job as the newest member on the Wilmington Police Department’s SWAT Team. What she didn’t predict was that she would run into trouble her first day on the job, in the form of a deadly, mouthwatering man named Adam McPhee. Who is also not human, but more like a wolf walking around in human skin. He’s determined to figure out exactly what Jenna is, which unbeknownst to him, could very well put her life in danger. He’s also determined to have her all to himself.
 
As if that wasn’t enough for Jenna to deal with, bad news blows into town. A group of extremist Shifters who think humans are cattle and factions of Others worldwide should stay within their own species - never to intermingle. Chaos ensues. Jenna has to find a way to shut them down, but in the process of trying to do that, discovers things about herself that even she never thought was possible.
 
Who said the wolf was what you had to worry about?
 
Welcome to the real world.
 
Excerpt
 
Chapter One
 
   Sweaty gym socks. That’s what the inside of the Wilmington Police Department’s SWAT van smells like which, in a word, is… nasty. Tamping down on the overwhelming urge to reach over and grab the offending socks, so that she can shove them down the owner’s mouth before giving him a stern warning to wash them, is downright hard. However, somehow Jenna O’Conner manages to keep herself in check because overpowering a two hundred plus gym jock when you’re a woman of only five feet four inches, who looks as if you might weigh a hundred and thirty pounds soaking wet, would be hard to explain. So, sometimes it seriously sucks to be her.

   Sitting on the steel bench seats that run the length of the black van with its bulletproof dark tinted windows, she does her best to ignore the eyes that are staring at her. Being the new girl on a testosterone overloaded team is more than awkward and being sandwiched in between two guys on her left, another guy on her right, and four sitting across from her makes it feel as if she’s drowning in caveman stupidity. It’s a pain in the ass, but she can’t complain because it comes with her dream job.

   Jenna can deal with their basic Neanderthal urges of women being inferior, but she utterly hates being stared at. It’s annoying, and not to mention, rude. It makes her hand, that sits down to the right, twitchy to punch someone. Didn’t their moms teach them some manners? She can keep calm, though. They’re just curious to know if the new girl on the force can hang with the big bad asses they all think they are. Little do they know that this little woman can kick every single one of their mammoth muscled butts. That is part of her little secret, though.

   Being a woman, who is also a dedicated cop, is sometimes hard. People tend to assume that you’re going to be the weak link in the chain. Not strong enough. Not fast enough. Too compassionate. None of that applies to Jenna, but these guys don’t know that, yet. Perhaps she can’t show them that she is capable of bench pressing a hell of a lot more than all of them combined, but she has no qualms about using some of her abilities to outrun them if the need arises. She also sure as hell isn’t known back in her old department for compassion. Heck, if she hadn’t been related to the Police Chief back home, then Jenna would have been arrested or fired for her behavior against a couple of drunk, abusive, backwoods bums.

   None of that here, though. She has to keep her temper in check. Keep her secrets safe. Not to mention, she is not going to flush a Criminal Justice Bachelor’s degree, six months at the Police Academy, five years of busting-her-ass on-the-job experience and her life’s dream down the toilet. She has to prove to her family that she can live out from underneath their thumb without fucking it all up.

   All of that may not seem like much of an accomplishment to the other guys sitting in this van with her, but that’s because they don’t know her circumstances. Not that she would share those facts with them anyways. When they eventually find out how young Jenna is, they will inevitably shoot her dubious looks of disbelief. More than likely, they will begin to doubt that someone so young is really cut out for the job.

   Her over protective family had home-schooled her in their exuberant efforts to keep her hidden and safe. So, sitting at home with nothing to do except study with her mom, she managed to obtain her high school diploma at the tender age of fifteen. After graduating, Jenna enrolled in an online University where she finished a four year degree in three, since her mother obviously didn’t trust Jenna to be out of her sight without doing something monumentally stupid to get herself ousted for what she was. So, at the age of eighteen, she had a high school diploma and a Bachelor’s degree.

   When Jenna then told her mom that she wanted to be a cop like Uncle Rick, her mother had no problem shipping her off to the academy because that didn’t mean Jenna was out of her family’s sight for six whole months. No, her Uncle Rick had a friend at the academy that knew just enough to keep an eye on her, but not enough that he would be a danger to her.

   Now at twenty-three, almost twenty-four, Jenna is the youngest member of this SWAT team with a whole lot of job experience, but almost no life experience.

   Leaving the small town of River Bend for the bigger city of Wilmington, North Carolina had always been a goal of hers. It had only taken five years to prove to her Uncle Rick that she could handle what he considered to be big city problems, without outing herself to the populace.

   When his friend, who happens to be the Captain of one of the Wilmington precincts, told him that he was interviewing for a new SWAT team officer, Uncle Rick threw her name in.

   A month after a stringent application process and many, many tests, here she is sitting in the back of this van in black BDU’s with a bullet proof vest on. She has a standard issue duty weapon strapped to her waist, an assault rifle in her hands and a solid fifty pounds of equipment strapped to her body; just like the nine other officers in the vehicle. Black hair that falls just past the bottom of her shoulder blades is secured in a tight bun at the base of her neck and the lower part of her face is covered with a black mask that only leaves her eyes visible. A helmet strapped onto the top of her head completes her uniform; she is clearly ready for action.

   Heat is pumping along with excitement at the thought of going out on a suspect retrieval mission the first day on the new job. This is the kind of shit Jenna lives for. Most women want to bask in the luxuries of shopping, high heeled shoes, and days at the spa. That’s definitely not her. Sure, she has sexy clothes and shoes in her closet, but most of it was bought for undercover work. Instead of the usual womanly highs, Jenna gets off on the chase of a suspect. It’s the best high of all. If she gets to tackle the suspect to the ground and accidentally elbow them in the head, well, that’s just a bonus.

   Silently running through the particulars of the suspect they are going after keeps her occupied so that she doesn’t get the urge to look any of the guys in the eyes. It isn’t that she’s afraid of any of them. Jenna could kick their ever lovin’ asses from here to China, but she doesn’t want to intimidate any of them, either. Yet. Most men aren’t used to having a woman stare them down. It unnerves them. Not to mention, gives them a bum rap with the other guys. So, she just stares off into space, in no direction in particular, while mentally going over the facts.

   Suspect is a white male in his early thirties, approximately five-feet eleven; so he is seven inches taller than her. He weighs approximately one hundred and ninety pounds, sixty pounds more than her, but still not a problem; Blond hair, blue eyes; and wanted for the murder of a woman whose husband is still listed as missing. Suspect is supposed to be apprehended alive to be interrogated for information regarding the missing husband.

   “Hey, O’Conner, you nervous, yet? Should we drop you off somewhere so you don’t piss in your pretty little pink panties?” Moron. Note to self–Trip jackass into a wall.

   Oops. Did my foot get in your way?

   Turning her head to look the idiot straight in the eyes she sneers, “I’m good, Dubinski, but maybe we should stop at the store and buy you some big boy diapers so that when you scare yourself shitless, it’ll be an easier mess to clean up.” The men surrounding them snicker as Dubinski gives her a grudgingly respectful look.

   With a smirk, Captain Nelson barks from the front passenger seat, “Keep it down, kids. Our ETA is three minutes, so let’s go over the basics one last time.” As the Captain rattles off the same information on the suspect that Jenna has just been going over in her head, she takes the opportunity to get a subtle whiff with her nose, testing the air. The inside of the van smells like sweat, leather, gun oil and anticipation. No one smells scared, just a little anxious. Good. No one here is a threat that is going to freak out and freeze in a dangerous situation. Having a super sniffer of a nose sometimes comes in handy. If one of these jerks starts leaking sweat out of his pores as if he’s trying to help keep up with the water supply at Niagara Falls, she’ll have to worry about him accidentally shooting her in the back. That would make it hard to concentrate on the mission. Luckily, this isn’t the case.

   The van rounds a corner quickly as Captain Nelson wraps up the specifics. “O’Conner, you’ll be right behind Kent; so, third through the door. The entrance is a kill box due to the enclosed space so we have to break the door down quickly and catch the bastard before he does something stupid. After O’Conner, it’s the usual line up. Everybody ready?”

   The team nod their heads in consent as the van jerks to a stop in front of the target’s temporary residence. As one, they fly out of the van and race towards the front door. A few seconds later, a group of bodies are piled up with Captain Nelson at the front, Kent behind him, and Jenna third in line with the rest of the team at her back. Less than ten seconds later, the Captain kicks down the door while screaming, “Police!” Moving quickly through the entrance hall, she uses her nose to smell the air again. There’s a whiff of something out of the norm. Two distinctly different male scents that fill her nose and she is positive neither of them are human.

   Moving quickly through the house, the SWAT team starts clearing rooms as they spread out through the small ranch home. She follows where her nose happens to lead her, with Kent behind her, towards the back of the house where the scents become stronger. Three doors are ahead of them and she can hear sounds of a struggle coming from behind the closed door at the end of the hall. Pushing forward with Kent at her back, she kicks a foot out, knocking the door halfway off of its hinges, and barks, “POLICE! FREEZE!”

   Before her stands a massive guy who has mussed auburn hair that’s sticking up in almost every direction and rippling back muscles. The blond hair, blue eyed suspect is positioned across the room from all three of them, facing Mr. Messy Head, with a gun pointed at his head. In the split second that Mr. Messy Head is distracted, the suspect takes the opportunity to tighten his finger on the trigger. He’s seconds from sending a bullet into his rather large opponent who still remains between them.

   Dropping the aim of her rifle from the suspect’s head to his hand, Jenna squeezes off a round just as his finger starts to compress the trigger of his pistol. Mr. Messy Head jerks his body to the side, avoiding the bullet by a hairsbreadth, before an explosive spray of red mists the air where half of the man’s left hand used to be. A cry of pain fills the room as the gun thuds to the carpet. The suspect stares at his remaining thumb and trigger finger connected to the remnants of jagged bones and uneven, ripped flesh that is bleeding profusely. At this point the stranger shoots into action, leaping to tackle the suspect to the floor. In less than a minute, he has their man belly down to the ground, with his hands bound behind his back using flexi cuffs, while she and Kent stand, blocking the door, with their guns aimed at the pair.

   Kent yells, “Freeze! Hands in the air, now!”

   Hands slowly lift into the air as the red-head looks up at them. Bright amber eyes bore into Jenna’s as she looks down the barrel of her gun at him. Caught slightly off guard by his startling, strong, handsome face she drags in a subtle breath, but what she finds there makes her nervous. It’s a smell she hasn’t experienced in a very long time. A smell that she has been taught most of her life to avoid at all costs. It’s the clean, fresh scent of the outdoors that is unique to shifters alone with an underlying spice that could only be singular to Mr. Messy Head. It isn’t the latter of those scents that bothers her. It’s the other smell that means trouble. This guy on his knees, holding his hands calmly in the air in front of her, isn’t human. He spends his spare time in some kind of fur, whether its cat, bear, or wolf, she isn’t sure. He is Other. Whatever it is, though, isn’t beneficial for her to be around too long. So she needs to get this guy away from her, pronto.

   She is praying that Mr. Messy Head hasn’t caught any of her scent. She’s been told by one of her Uncles once that it is remarkably light and hard to define, but to an experienced shifter, it can be figured out. Observing his sudden, subtle flaring of nostrils she’s guessing that he’s trying to do just that. Damn.

   Booted feet pound the hall behind them as a few of the other officers pour into the room to apprehend the two men in front of her. After Mr. Messy Head has been cuffed and pulled to his feet, along with the suspect, she slips out of the room and follows Captain Nelson to the back of the van. Jenna’s keen senses are telling her that Kent is following directly behind.

   Watching as two patrol cars pull up on the street behind their van, the Captain runs his hand through his hair. “What happened, O’Conner?”

   Giving him a quick debriefing of the incident, he watches Jenna with amusement, and a little bit of surprise, on his face. After ending her spiel with the arrival of the rest of the team into the occupied room, Kent pipes in behind her. “You’re one hell of a shot, O’Conner. That was impressive… makes me grateful that you’re on my side.”

   Shooting him a smile over her shoulder, she takes in the respectful gleam in his eyes. He means what he says. This is a decent start to being accepted by her new squad.

   The Captain claps her on the shoulder. “Nice work, O’Conner. Your Uncle said you were good, but damn, that was something else. Taking out his gun hand on the fly so that he was immobile long enough not to shoot anyone was quick thinking. Nice job, indeed. Beer is on me tonight. The boys will want to go out and celebrate after our shift. You’re coming, right?”

   “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Captain.”

   “Good. You guys might as well stay here for a minute. I’ll go check on the suspect, figure out who the mystery guy is, then we can load up and head out.” He claps her on the shoulder again before heading to the two patrol cars behind them. Looking back, she sees that the suspect is sitting in the back of the first patrol car while the red-head with his unusual amber eyes holds something out for Captain Nelson to inspect. The rest of the team starts clambering around in the back of the van so she can’t hear what is being said to the Captain. As much as she is curious, though, Jenna is even more anxious to put some much needed distance between herself and the tasty looking stranger whose hair resembles a red porcupine.

   Taking a second, she runs her eyes from his booted feet back to his piercing gaze. He is just over six-feet tall and probably about two hundred and twenty pounds. His fitted gray t-shirt is pulled tight across his chest and well-worn denim hugs his thick thighs. He is pretty hulking, carrying more muscle in his arms and chest than most guys have in their entire body, followed by a trim waist. He cuts a memorable picture, it’s a shame she isn’t the type to do a little flirting; he looks like a prime piece of virile male.

   The Captain is handing the guy’s identification back to him while explaining something. They shake hands and then the Captain walks away from him, heading back towards the van. The stranger looks directly at Jenna and cocks an eyebrow as he crosses his arms over his chest. His stare is penetrating and demanding. It sends shivers down her spine and a rush of heat that spreads though her entire body.

   The instincts she’s come to rely on all her life are running amok, telling her that instead of body burning arousal, she should be feeling fear instead. She recognizes the mannerisms of an Alpha exuding his dominance. It’s a damn good thing her logic is kicking her body’s reactions in the metaphorical head because she is barely restraining the need to close the distance between the two of them and cover his body with her own. Or worse, bare her neck to him in submission.

   Jenna snorts. They’ll be serving popsicles in hell before she bares her throat to anyone.

   A memory of Jenna’s only paternal family member, her Uncle Owen, flashes through her mind; them sitting on a fallen log, surrounded by the woods behind her mama’s house, patiently explaining the hierarchy of shifters. The expectations of their pack mentality.

   Ole’ Alpha boy here wants Jenna to drop her eyes and look away if she won’t bare her vulnerable neck to him; that way she acknowledges who and what he is while giving him the assurance that she understands who is in charge. Instead, Jenna continues to stare back at him coolly. Silently telling him where he can take his dominance and shove it.

   She has to admit, though, that it takes every fiber of her being to fight her natural instinct to look down and away from his piercing gaze.

   He’s just that damn dominant; which is kind of scary since she’s never felt the urge to show submission to anyone before.

   Kent’s hand lands on her shoulder from behind. “Come on, O’Conner. Get your Annie Oakley wannabe ass in here so we can go. We’ve all got paperwork to go back and fill out now.”

   With no choice left, she breaks eye contact and climbs in the van, closing the door behind herself to cut off any view of the stranger. If she has any good luck left, this will be the last she sees of him. If only crossing her fingers would help those chances, she would do it. Jenna doesn’t think the guy has figured out what she is, or isn’t, for that matter. Her family has tried their best to hide her and has taught her to avoid all other shifters; she silently prays their attempts will not be in vain just because this guy got curious. Her mama has always told her that if certain shifters ever find out who or what she is, she’s as good as dead.

   Here’s to hoping she hasn’t just stumbled on to the beginning of her funeral.

***
   Adam watches as the black police van pulls away from the curb and speeds down the street with its mysterious occupant inside. He’s come here to track down his cousin’s killer and drag him back to his turf for some pack style justice, but instead, ends up having his prey snatched right out of his hands. That does not make him a happy predator. In fact, it makes him kind of snarly.

   Sure, the asshole will be tried and convicted for his cousin’s wife’s murder, but Adam had been looking forward to the creep facing claws instead of steel bars. The douche bag is going to get off easy in the joke that’s the human justice system. It isn’t fair. Adam stifles the growl that churns in his throat.

   That is okay, though, because he just had something else drop into his lap. That little cop with midnight black hair, bright, arctic blue eyes that remind him of an Alaskan husky, and luscious, little curves, has snagged his interest. From the moment she kicked down the door, Adam caught the almost hidden scent of something Other in her and after the way she just stared him down, he’s all but itching to find out what she is. No one ever stares down an Alpha without ending up in a lot of bodily harm. Yet she hadn’t even smelled afraid of him while she’d been doing it.

   Adam is betting a shit ton of money that she knows exactly what he is. So the fact that she openly stared down an Alpha has his blood heating in preparation for the chase. Right now, he can’t decide if he wants to catch her to punish her, or to pin her underneath him. Either way, he will be catching her. Maybe he can do both. Light up her pretty little ass to a nice shade of red with a well-deserved spanking and then pin her down underneath him. He kind of likes that idea.

   Adam’s phone rings from his pocket. Digging it out to look at the screen, he sees that it’s his Beta and best friend, Clay, the second in command of his pack. “What’s up?”

   “Did you get him?”

   He breathes out a frustrated sigh. “Almost. I had him cornered in a room at the address you gave me, but before I could cuff and drag him off, the cops busted in. They just hauled him away in a patrol car.”

   Clay’s growl rumbles over the line. “At least there will be some punishment for Ellie’s death. I just would have preferred it to have been us ripping him apart instead of the tiny cage he’ll have to live in from now on. Will you be heading home now? Perhaps I could arrange a hunt for us to burn off some of our frustration?”

   Adam thinks about heading home. As excellent as hunting sounds at the moment, all he can see are a pair of chilly blue eyes staring him down with a fierceness that can’t be found in any of the members from his pack. “I’ve got a hunt of a different kind to do tonight. Tell me, Clay, do you know of any blue-eyed, black-haired females of the Other variety in Wilmington?”

   Clay snorts in amusement. “So, it’s that kind of hunt, is it? I gotcha. I don’t know of any females fitting that description, though. Are you sure she’s not human?”

   “I’ve got no doubt she’s something, Clay, but it’s definitely not human. I just don’t know what she is. Definitely not a vampire because it’s daylight out, but her scent smells off and I’m having a hard time figuring out what she is. I want to say she might be some kind of shifter, but if she is, she’s masking her scent somehow. I think I might follow her tonight and try to figure it out. Do we have anyone we know at the Wilmington Police Department?”

   “A cop, huh? Kinky. Are you going to ask her to cuff you? That would be cool, but you might want to have her leave the night stick at home. I don’t think you’d like what she could do with that. At least, not without a lot of lube.”

   “Damn it! Get your mind out of the constant gutter you wallow in. It’s not in our best interest to have some unknown Other roaming around so close to our land. In our territory. Especially, one we can’t identify.” His voice growls with irritation at his Beta and his tendency to harass Adam about his sex life. Or, his lack of lately, which is what is amusing to Clay.

   Until recently, Adam had no qualms about indulging in the female flesh that makes itself so readily available to him all the time. Wolves are sensual creatures with an over active sex drive. It isn’t entirely uncommon to go to the Pack’s lodge and find a free-for-all in the middle of the night. However, for the last six months or so, no one has appealed to him. It’s like he had been doused with a cold shower one day and has yet to warm back up.

   “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get your fur in a bunch. We have someone at the Wilmington Police Department. Would you like me to call him or give you the number?”

   “You call him. Her last name is O’Conner. Call me with whatever you find out.” Snapping his cell phone shut, Adam walks down the street and around the corner to where he parked his black custom Harley V-Rod motorcycle. The August heat is unbearable, causing small rivulets of sweat to run down the back of his neck and soak his shirt. The roar of the engine drowns out the sounds of major traffic flow as he leads his bike back to his house where he can take a cold shower. After that, he’ll do some research on his laptop to see if he can come up with anything on his own about the mysterious O’Conner.

   The hunt is on.

   Here I come, little rabbit.

 
Did you enjoy the first chapter?
 
If so, Go buy the book!
 
Happy reading!
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Giveaway! Night Prince series by Jeaniene Frost

Last night I had the awesome experience to go to a Jeaniene Frost signing. All of you who read The Spine know I am a HUGE Frost fan! I was so excited to get to go with my pal Cana from the blog Place of Reads to this awesome event hosted by Malaprops Book Store. If you are ever in the Asheville area you should go! It is a wonderful book shop.

book store
Me being a total dork in front of the Twice Tempted poster. You can’t tell but it was snowing a bit.

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Jeaniene and me! Y’all when I told her two of the books she was signing where for a giveaway she asked me what blog. When I told her Bending The Spine she looked up and said “Oh, I know that blog.” Yeah… You could have knocked me over with a feather. *TOTAL FANGIRL MELTDOWN* I have no clue what I said back to her. LOL

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These are the two lovely copies I purchased last night just for one lucky winner. I have read Once Burned and also Twice Tempted and I LOVED them both! If you have not started the Night Prince series you should! It is so worth the time.  If you love Cat and Bones, I don’t know how you could not enjoy these… And if you don’t know who I am talking about when I say Cat and Bones, where have you been?

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This horrible picture shows that they are both signedSmile 

Giveaway!!!

Sorry guys but this one is going to be US only due to shipping cost.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone!
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Review: The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding

The Reece Malcolm List

Title: The Reese Malcolm List
Author: Amy Spalding
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Entangled Teen
ISBN-10: 1620612402
ISBN-13: 978-1620612408
Source: Publisher
Goodreads   Amazon

Things I know about Reece Malcolm:

1. She graduated from New York University.
2. She lives in or near Los Angeles.
3. Since her first novel was released, she’s been on the New York Times bestseller list every week.
4. She likes strong coffee and bourbon.
5. She’s my mother.

Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much.

L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love.

But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it all, can she handle the possibility of losing everything? (Goodreads)

Review

I thought the premise of The Reese Malcolm List sounded fun.  Add the great cover and I thought I would enjoy this read, but I didn’t expect to be completely charmed by it.

Devan has never met her mom, actually she didn’t even know who she was until recently. Now that Devan’s father has passed she is being shipped off to live with Reece Malcolm, her mother. Every chapter begins with a list, like in the description above, of things Devon now knows about her mother as the story grows. I really enjoyed the list; it was always a jumping off point for each chapter.

The relationship between Devan and her mom is strained to say the least, but they both do their best to tip toe around any issues they may have with each other to the point that I was just waiting for one of them to blow up at the other. Devan, even though she is a teenager, is very focused and knows what she wants to do with her life. Devan loves show choir and is amazing on stage. I really loved Devan! She has been dealt some pretty crappy cards in life as of late but she takes everything in stride and does the best with what she has.

My favorite thing about The Reece Malcolm List

Amy Spalding did an amazing job at making the relationships and the interactions between the characters very real. Now let me just say I don’t ever want to go through high school again regardless of the fond memories I have, but I really enjoyed reliving the high school experience with Devan. The way Devan and her friends acted when one got a part that the other wanted in the school play, or when one friend dated a guy that the other was not ready to completely give up was so honest and very high school.

Toward the end I was on the edge of my seat waiting for Devan and her mom to finally have it out and clear the air… That moment does not disappoint! At the end I wasn't given some fluffy “and they all lived happily ever after.” I was given the feeling that things where good, but all the characters would have to continue to work with each other to keep it that way, just like we all do in life. And it made me love this book even more.

Happy Reading,
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4 Moons- I could read this again!

Recommended For
Teen and up: Actually after reading it I called my sister and told her she needed to read it.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Blog Tour Review and Giveaway: The Kings of Charleston by Kat H. Clayton

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Special thanks to Kat Clayton and Xpresso Book Tours for letting me be a part of this tour!

Be sure to enter the giveaway after my review!  You’ll definitely want to read this one!


The Kings of Charleston (The Kings of Charleston #1)
Title: The Kings of Charleston
Author: Kat H Clayton
Paperback: 356 pages
Publisher: Kat H Clayton (July 10, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0985744200
ISBN-13: 978-0985744205
[Amazon]

Casper Whitley is forced to move to Charleston, South Carolina where she’ll be the new kid her senior year of high school. Casper’s upset about the move until she meets the Roman family’s gorgeous son, Cal, but there’s a problem. A mystery surrounds him which can be summed up in one word…Kythera. Never heard of it? Neither has Casper until she finds the word tattooed on cars, paintings and all her new friends.

After Casper’s life is threatened, someone is forced to tell the truth about her parents, the Romans and Kythera’s motives for her being in Charleston. Once the truth is revealed, she must decide whether to protect her family and Kythera’s secrets or walk away from everything she has ever known. [Goodreads]

Goodreads | Amazon

Review


Being as huge a fan as I am of Southern books, I was instantly drawn to this book.  I liked the premise of the story, that it was YA, and that it seemed so very fun.

I couldn’t always relate to Casper.  She seemed to be too much of a rebel without a cause.  She was also too willing and eager to do whatever Cal said, just like a lost little puppy.  Which she wasn’t.  Remember, she was trying to be a rebel?  What I could relate to was the her desire to know about Kythera (a secret society), why she was in Charleston surrounded by them, and what they wanted with her.  I did not like Cal for nearly 99% of the book.  He was too dark, too brooding, too malleable.  His motives didn’t seem to have any clear direction or moral compass.  He was too flexible for my tasted.    The insta-love between them felt old and tired.  Does anyone else feel that way?  That it’s time to move beyond insta-attraction?

But I digress…

The story was interesting with a few twists and turns to keep you on your toes.  A few things broke the mold, a few things fit right into the mold.  Clayton has a very descriptive, lyrical writing style that I enjoyed reading.  She made the minutest of details interesting.  The way the words moved across the page was like a smoothly flowing river.  They moved the story forward at a nice pace, providing just enough lulls in the story to allow mental rests when needed.

And then the ending!  What a cliffhanger!  I hate cliffhangers, but really, it was pretty great!  And now I want to read the next book and see what happens with Casper, Cal, and Kythera!

So, if you’re a fan of YA, Southern books, secret-societies, and a little mystery, pick this book up, and read it!

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4 Moons

Get to reading,
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About the Author

Kat
Kat has been a writer her entire life, but never pursued a writing career until the characters from a short story she wrote in high school refused to go away. Finally, she sat down and wrote their story which would became The Kings of Charleston series.

Kat has been an avid reader her entire life. She enjoys all genres, but particularly Mystery and Young Adult. Mary Higgins Clark is one of her favorite authors who inspired her love of mysteries.

When she isn't writing, Kat loves to travel, try out new recipes and hang out with her husband. She is originally from Kentucky, but currently resides in South Georgia with her husband, a cat named Frank and a dog named Lil.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter 

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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Children’s Review: Oh, the Things My Mom Will Do by Marianne Richmond

Oh, the Things My Mom Will Do

Title: Oh, the things my mom will do
Author: Marianne Richmond
Age Range: 4 - 8 years
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Release Date: April 2, 2013
ISBN-10: 140228215X
ISBN-13: 978-1402282157
Source: Netgalley/ Publisher
Goodreads   Amazon

With more than 325,000 copies sold of her last two books, Marianne Richmond is swiftly becoming a classic children's book author. Oh, the Things My Mom Will Do is a sweet, inspiring book that will speak straight to a parent's heart in the nuanced way we've come to expect from Marianne. Using heartfelt sentiments, Marianne showcases poignant moments that express the universal emotions all mothers feel. With Marianne Richmond's beloved artwork and insightful prose, this book beautifully illustrates what it really means to be a mom.

What I thought about it

Oh, The Things My Mom Will Do is about children doing things with their mom and what their mom does to help them.

Why I picked this book…

My dad picked this for me. He thought it would be a fun read and I got to get it from NetGalley. That was awesome because this book isn’t out yetSmile But, it comes out soon.

What I liked about this story…

I liked how they put lots of different children in the book with their moms. It was cool to see how different children and pets did special things with their moms. I really liked the illustrations! The artwork made the book very bright and went with the story well.

Would I recommend other kids read this book?

Yes! I would recommend Oh, The Things My Mom Will Do. I think kids and moms will love it. Watch out moms may cry. (Sometimes my mom cries in mommy-kid books.)

Have fun reading,
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4 Moons: This was great.
 
Reviewer
riah
Come back next Sunday for more kids reviews from an almost eight year old.






Friday, March 22, 2013

Stacking The Shelves #22

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a post for bloggers to share what books they've received to review, bought, won, borrowed or were gifted.


I Purchased

Twice Tempted (Night Prince, #2)
Click cover for GR page.

Y’all I LOVE everything I have read from Jeaniene Frost! I am so excited to continue this series, and I am planning on going to a signing on Tuesday, so I hope to have a giveaway up Wednesday for a signed copy of Twice TemptedSmile 


Free eBook Finds

Earth (Elemental, #1)The Light Within MeThe Last Grimm: Red's Hood
Click cover for GR page.

Have you read any of these titles?
Happy Reading,
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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Review: Shifting Dreams by Elizabeth Hunter


Shifting Dreams (Cambio Springs, #1)

Title: Shifting Dreams
Author: Elizabeth Hunter
Print Length: 277 pages
Publisher: E. Hunter
Release Date: March 3, 2013
ASIN: B00BOGUGUS
Source: Author
Goodreads   Amazon

Somedays, Jena Crowe just can’t get a break. Work at her diner never ends, her two boys are bundles of energy, and she’s pretty sure her oldest is about to shift into something furry or feathery. Added to that, changes seem to be coming to the tiny town of Cambio Springs—big changes that not everyone in the isolated town of shapeshifters is thrilled about.

Caleb Gilbert was looking for change, and the quiet desert town seemed just the ticket for a more peaceful life. He never counted on violence finding him, nor could he have predicted just how crazy his new life would become.

When murder rocks their small community, Caleb and Jena will have to work together. And when the new Chief of Police isn’t put off by any of her usual defenses, Jena may be faced with the most frightening change of all: lowering the defenses around her carefully guarded heart.


Shifting Dreams is the first novel in Cambio Springs, the new paranormal romance series from Elizabeth Hunter, author of the best-selling Elemental Mysteries series. (Goodreads)

Review

As many of you know I am a very big Elizabeth Hunter fan. Hunter's Elemental Mysteries series is one of my favorites. Shifting Dreams is the first book in an all new series and after reading this first book in the Cambio Springs series I am so excited about what is to come from this world!

Cambio Springs, where Shifting Dreams takes place, is almost a character itself. All the people that live in this special town are also the keeper of its secrets and vice versa. I truly loved all the back story, rich history, and folklore that Hunter created/adapted to bring in all of the paranormal elements that flow through this town that makes it what it is. I have always been a big fan of any type shifter story and it is always refreshing to me to have the history of why people are shifting in the first place… I was given that in Shifting Dreams.  

What I love most about Hunter's writing is how real she makes her characters, regardless of all the paranormal world they are living in.

Jena is a widowed mother of two boys who is completely devoted to her family. What I really liked about Jena is that she didn’t complain about the hardship in her life. She took what she was given and worked with it to the best of her ability. I loved how strong Jena was, but I will say her ability to be so stubborn towards love with our main man Caleb drove me a little nuts. (More on that laterSmile) Jena’s two boys are really who stole my heart. Low, Jena’s oldest son, is tough. He feels very protective of his mom and brother and takes that very seriously. Bear, the younger of the two brothers, has an uncanny ability to know things about people and because of this he has an easy way with people because he knows who he can trust. Put in the fact that Bear is just plain cute and you have a character that I am really wanting to see more of.   

Caleb is new to the small town of Cambio Springs and has no idea what he has gotten himself into by taking the job of sheriff. Caleb has a past that he wants desperately to get away from but he soon discovers that he can’t hide like he wanted in this small town. I really liked Caleb, and not just because he was hot, strong, and totally sure of himself in a charming way… When a murder takes place in the town he goes above and beyond to solve what happened even after being blocked by many of the townspeople to protect their secret.

The relationship between Caleb and Jena was fun to watch unfold. Caleb tried to get to Jena at every available moment and let me tell you Jena did not make it easy for him at all. I love the two of them together and as Shifting Dreams progressed I wanted all four (Jena, Caleb, Bear, and Low) of them to be a family. Elizabeth Hunter did not write their story as an easy get together, but maybe that is why I cheered for them so hard.

I think anyone could enjoy Shifting Dreams, especially fans of Mercy Thompson, or any shifter romance mystery. I am so excited to continue with this series!

Happy Reading,
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4 Moons
This was great! Go get you a copy!

Recommended For
Teen and up: I t does have a bit of gore, and sexual content.

Other books in this Series
Long Ride Home: A Cambio Springs Short Story (Cambio Springs #0.5)