Archive for September, 2010

Hey… What’s That In Your Hand?

September 29th, 2010

Well… let me start by saying, “Hi! I’m back.”  I’m sorry y’all have been fending for yourselves in the “to read or not to read” department for the last week and a half, but good news… I am finally well enough to focus, which… by default means that the book which I have been trying to read for a week has finally come to an end. (Whew.. that was a tough one)

Now, on a different note: last Friday I uploaded a YouTube episode about horror cliches that actually work in books, and be damned if I wasn’t right. “Hudson House” incorporated 4 of the 5 cliches I listed, and guess what, this book was killer. (<– sorry I had to, puns are fun)

Ed, Tommy and Eric are typical 13 year old boys… they don’t listen to their parents, they call each other hurtful names just for the hell of it, and a good game of “guilt or dare” is always welcome. But when the three friends decide to enter a well known haunted house in their neighborhood; everything suddenly changes.  Loved ones turn up dead, people suddenly avoid eye contact, and there seems to be a boat load of evil around every corner, but all of this pales in comparison to what is really going on.  Does Hudson House really hold the key to a powerful future if it’s evil can be harnessed? Who is the lady in white that keeps popping up, and will all 3 boys make it out alive or will the house claim them one by one?

I’m not gonna lie… I was like a little kid in a candy store when I first started reading this book.  There is nothing better than a book that surprises you (a kid who carries around skull fragments) or just generally creeps you out (a pillowcase full of knives.) The adrenaline that comes with reading a horror novel is undeniable, and if your imagination is a wild as mine tends to be, the whole book is playing out in your head like some really warped version “Monster House.” The most interesting thing however, the thing that had my brain buzzing like bees on crack, was Warren’s writing techniques.  It is important (in all books) that characters grow, that’s what keeps the story flowing, but this “growth” is usually limited to emotional or intellectual. Warren, on the other hand, started his story when his characters were pre-pubesent versions of themselves, and then continued to build his plot as they grew older and developed defined personalities.  I (for one) see this as a brilliant technique in development, and helps the reader to experience the action on several different levels (child fear to teenage determination.) Now, does this mean you get so wrapped up in the players that you miss the game? Never. As artfully crafted as his characters are, his plot was even more spectacular, painting vivid pictures around every corner, and even writing “smells” into his already frightening plot. (Thanks by the way… I’m never gonna be able to eat candy apples again.)

So what’s the vote? Well… that’s obvious. It’s horror all around, and just in time for Halloween.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: When a librarian kicks you out of the library for doing research, beware… there’s obviously something fishy going on.

For a complete book description click image

(5/5)

P.S. If you want to read the first 150 pages for free be sure to stop by J.T. website where it’s up for grabs.

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Why Pay More? – Kindle Freebie Alert

September 26th, 2010

Happy Sunday everyone!

I should have posted this yesterday, and I wish I had a good excuse (I watched the entire first season of Friday Night Lights) but alas, I do not.  But… have no fear, I will never leave you hanging on the free reads, so here it is… this weeks free Amazon reads, and to make it up to you (for being the laziest person on the planet yesterday) a few free Kindle GAMES!  Enjoy and happy reading!

Click images for complete details.


Underwater archeologist Shiloh Blake is consumed with passion for the water and inflamed at the injustices of life. When her first large-scale dig traps her in the middle of an international nuclear arms clash, she flees for her life. When she spots a man trailing her, the questions are, Who is he? and How is he always one step ahead? Reece Jaxon is a former Navy SEAL and now serves his country as a spy. His life is entangled by the beguiling Shiloh Blake as he hunts down the sources to a nuclear dead drop in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai, India. The only way to end this nightmare and prevent a nuclear meltdown is to join forces with Reece. Will Shiloh violate her vow to never become a spy?




When Claudia, a 40-something Texas widow, holds a garage sale to offload some of her late husband’s belongings, she discovers a note he scribbled in the last days of his illness, asking her to return a bizarre three-foot bust of Elvis Presley to Memphis. Reluctantly, Claudia embarks on a return to sender road trip to Tennessee with her 60ish aunt, who knew Elvis personally, and a caustic teenage girl who is harboring a secret. Ellis (who has built a career in romance writing under the name Leanna Wilson) has some strong moments scattered throughout the story, which is laced with over-the-top Elvis humor and interesting reflections on Claudia’s cautious return to faith in God. The first half of the novel is an awkward mix of road trip sitcom and overwrought melodrama before jettisoning the humor somewhere after a tour of Graceland. Elvis fans will likely enjoy the homage paid to the King—in addition to the travelogue of sites around Memphis, each chapter is named after an Elvis song—but others will find the gimmicks distracting. Moreover, the writing is marred by theatrical clichés (sudden tears threaten like the storm clouds popping up on the horizon). Despite some entertaining scenes in this faith fiction offering, it lacks cohesiveness


Lieutenant Magdalena Cruz had come home-And though all she wanted was to be alone, infuriatingly handsome Dr. Jake Dalton-of the enemy Daltons-wouldn’t cooperate. And she needed him to, because the walls around her heart were dangerously close to crumbling every time he came near.-

Jake had spent most of his life trying to get closer to Maggie, with little to show for it. But she was the woman he’d always wanted, and no injury in the world could change that. Now if only he could convince her that the woman who stood before him was beautiful, desirable, whole-and meant to be his.-





A hodgepodge hardcover debut in which two Native American medicine men, an Arizona lawman, a young widow and her son, and a Papago basket-weaver/wise woman are inexorably drawn into confrontation with the evil ohb, a university professor-turned- serial-killer, who upended their lives six years before when he tortured and murdered the basket-weaver’s granddaughter and then stage-managed a suicide/frame-up for his distraught accomplice Garrison Ladd. Now he’s stalking Ladd’s widow Diana and son Davy, but his old MO (biting off nipples) used on a new victim has set the sheriff’s department on his trail, while his malevolent spirit has energized the Papagos. There will be another murder, an attempted murder, dreams, emanations, and a near-fatal dog- poisoning before everyone converges on the Ladd house for a gruesome resolution. Disconcerting time shifts and a plethora of Papago parables (can anyone outdo Tony Hillerman?) fail to disguise the fact that this is nothing more than potboiler melodrama, with the hapless reader bombarded first by the lurid, then by the mystical.


It is 1945 and a group of American soldiers liberate a Nazi concentration camp. Helene is the abandoned wife of an SS guard who has fled to avoid arrest. Overcome by guilt, she begins to help meet the needs of survivors. Throughout the process, she finds






Games

If you like word scrambles then Every Word is the game for you. Test your vocabulary as you try to find as many words from the scrambled letters in this fun and fast-paced word game.

You are given six or seven scrambled letters with the goal of finding as many words as you can. You score points by filling out the words in each empty spot on the board using only the letters that appear at the top of the game board. Keep at it until time runs out or until you fill up the board. The more words you make, the higher your score!

Your score is comprised of two components: first make a lot of words, second try to make the longest word possible. The best way to increase your score is to do both. Why? Because when you do, you earn the right to play a new level with a brand new set of letters. As long as you keep finding the longest word, you can move on to a new level and push your score higher and higher.

Can you keep up with Shuffled Row? See how many words you can make from 60 lettered tiles.

The tiles are added to your row one at a time so you’ll constantly be working with a new set of letters. After you submit a word, the letters you used will be removed and new ones will be added. Increase your score by using less common letters. Create longer words and increase your score even more.

If you don’t use the letters fast enough, they’ll disappear and new ones will take their place, so you’ll have to decide if you want to play it safe and use short words or try to wait for more letters to form longer words.

Test your vocabulary and how well you can think on your feet with Shuffled Row – try it today!

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Oh The Horror!!!

September 24th, 2010

Evening Kindle-ites!!!

Well, you asked for it… so here it is. KO on YouTube. *eek* I have every intention of posting a new one of these on Fridays (that is of course until I run out of ideas of David kills me for making him edit) Anyways… today’s video is “Top 5 Horror Cliches that WORK” Enjoy and be sure to leave me feedback.

Happy Watching my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Everyone sounds stupider in person… not just me. The beauty of writing things down just allows me to edit my teeny-bopper ways.

Disclaimer: A great big sorry to my subscription holders… I know you can’t view this on your Kindle, but please drop by the site and check it out when you get a free chance. Cheers!

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When Zombies Attack!

September 23rd, 2010

It’s not all that uncommon for books or even video games for that matter (i.e. Resident Evil) to become Blockbuster hits these days, but who would have ever thought the next big thing would be comic books?  Now, I’m no newbie to the graphic world (as a matter of fact I have been stalking the Comic Con website since July waiting for the 2011 tickets to go on sale) so “comics to big-screen” doesn’t really shock me, (hello… been there done that, do you need a list?) but what got my attention however is the newly announced “comic to TV” concept. Yep… you heard me. TELEVISION.

In October (Halloween Day to be more exact) AMC has decided to air a new show called “The Walking Dead.” To this I say WAHOOO! Why? Because this is one of my babies.  The piece de resistance, the e to my ching, the holy moly buckets of brain matter.

This is a comic series that is fairly new to the game by comparison (2003) but Image Comics knew what they were doing.  They created a world (think 28 Days later if you need a visual reference) added a very lovable/hateable character named Rick, and then added a dash (ok maybe a couple of gallons) of brain hungry, anti-humans with severe anger management issues (that’s code for Zombies… just in-case you didn’t catch that)  So what does this mean for you?  Well it means that once a week you get to enjoy what comic book junkies have been enjoying for years now….some good ‘ole brain eating.

Here is a look at both the Comic Series and the Trailer for the TV series… just so you can get as hyped as me.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: you don’t have to be the fastest person around to escape a Zombie attack, you just have to be skilled enough to trip the people around you without busting it yourself.

AMC Trailer

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Wait… Who Are You Again?

September 22nd, 2010

I should start off by saying I didn’t want to read this book.  My desire on the “devour this” scale was a very sad zero, and if it wasn’t for my body and brains sudden failure to function I can almost assure you this is not something I would have picked up, however when I found myself bed bound on Monday, and unable to focus on the complicated details of the current horror novel I was reading, I got desperate and asked for help.  “Kindle-ites” I tweeted. “I need a girly book that is fast to read and available for Kindle” and within minutes this is the answer I got “Forget You” by Jennifer Echols.  I’m not going to say I’ve never seen this book before, as a devout YA reader it’s kinda hard to miss, I just wasn’t wowed by the synopsis.  But nevertheless… I followed my readers advice and here we are.

Zoey’s life is perfect, or at least a clone of it.  Money is not an option (with a wealthy dad,) and her life is full of the “good stuff” (like having a hoard of friends, and a spot as captain of the swim team.)  But perfect doesn’t last long when after an evening out Zoey comes home to find her mother in the worst possible position…barely alive, and completely alone.  In an effort to escape the daunting truth of her new (and not so improved) existence Zoey does the only thing she knows, hides behind the plight of teenage angst, unfortunately her running away doesn’t last long as she suddenly finds herself being drug from her crumbled car, and clutching to the one person she has sworn to despise for eternity, and the worse part… no memory of how she got there.  Will Zoey’s memory of that fateful night ever return?  Will she ever figure out why Doug is suddenly being so nice to her? And at the end of the day… will everyone be too broken to forgive or will things finally be glued back together?

This book surprised me by being a pretty decent read, but unfortunately its flaws (which are found mostly in the first 3-4 chapters) acted like a bad rash that just wouldn’t go away. The beginning of this novel was completely disjointed.  So much so that I felt as if I were reading single sentences instead of a fluid plot.  The groundwork (or the what & where I guess you could say) was sloppily (<– is that a word) established, and the characters dialogue appeared vapid and flat.  Now… (yes, I know you’re wondering why I called it a decent read and then continued to slam it) once I realized I would never enjoy this story if I continued to pick it apart, I did something I don’t normally do… I shut off my brain (which apparently had been working better than I expected) and just read.  This is the point in which I realized the story was pretty good, and even though there were 2 characters (Zoey’s Dad & Brandon) I wanted to smack the living crap out of, I discovered I had developed a genuine fondness for the rest of them.  Investment, I guess you could say.  Yes, there were a few places that seemed a bit trite, but more than anything I found myself completely captivated by the “Oh God… what really happened” factor.  I have to give it to Echols though when it comes to character development.  I did a complete 360 on my feelings for the hero in this novel, which only goes to show you… a little love, and a lot of artfully crafted actions can change even the most cold-hearted of us.

My recommendation…. read if you are a YA fan, or even a fan of interesting love stories, just make sure you don’t take it too seriously otherwise you are liable to be disappointed.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Everything you say to your child is heard, you may not think so from the grunt or nod you get… but trust me, they remember EVERYTHING!  Think before you speak.

Click Image for complete details.

(3/5)

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Got Ghost? – Halloween Reading Guide

September 20th, 2010

Hello my lovelies,

I am a bit under the weather, and because I am….have been sleeping more than reading.  I felt horrible about the thought of leaving you hanging 2 days in a row though so I did the best I could (in a doesn’t take much thought way)  Halloween is quickly approaching and what better way than to be scared out of your knickers than with a fantastic book.  So here it is.  My recommended “ghost” reading for the “Night of Fright.”

What are some of your favorites?

click on the image for more details.


It’s All About the Ghost!!!

 

The Thirteenth Tale

Former academic Setterfield pays tribute in her debut to Brontë and du Maurier heroines: a plain girl gets wrapped up in a dark, haunted ruin of a house, which guards family secrets that are not hers and that she must discover at her peril. Margaret Lea, a London bookseller’s daughter, has written an obscure biography that suggests deep understanding of siblings. She is contacted by renowned aging author Vida Winter, who finally wishes to tell her own, long-hidden, life story. Margaret travels to Yorkshire, where she interviews the dying writer, walks the remains of her estate at Angelfield and tries to verify the old woman’s tale of a governess, a ghost and more than one abandoned baby. With the aid of colorful Aurelius Love, Margaret puzzles out generations of Angelfield: destructive Uncle Charlie; his elusive sister, Isabelle; their unhappy parents; Isabelle’s twin daughters, Adeline and Emmeline; and the children’s caretakers. Contending with ghosts and with a (mostly) scary bunch of living people, Setterfield’s sensible heroine is, like Jane Eyre, full of repressed feeling—and is unprepared for both heartache and romance. And like Jane, she’s a real reader and makes a terrific narrator. That’s where the comparisons end, but Setterfield, who lives in Yorkshire, offers graceful storytelling that has its own pleasures

Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was a prickly, colorful character who wrote maliciously funny short stories for adults (The Best of Roald Dahl) as well as better-known works for children (James and the Giant Peach). As he relates in the introduction, he started the research for this book by making a call to the celebrated ghost-story anthologist/writer, Lady Cynthia Asquith. He then went to the British Museum Library, and read a total of 749 tales before selecting 14 for this anthology. His criterion: “Spookiness is, after all, the real purpose of the ghost story. It should give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts.” Included here are not only acknowledged classics by Robert Aickman, Edith Wharton, J. S. Le Fanu, and F. Marion Crawford, but also tales by lesser-known writers such as L. P. Hartley, Rosemary Timperley, Jonas Lie, Mary Treadgold, and A. M. Burrage. The Washington Post writes, “Dahl’s taste, it will surprise no one, is impeccable.”


The Virago Book of Ghost Stories

The British anthologist gathers savory tales of the supernatural by 34 first-rate female authors, ranging chronologically from Edith Wharton and E. Nesbit to Fay Weldon and Angela Carter. Nearly every entry captivates, whether comfortably old-fashioned weavings of classic foggy nights, lonely governesses and tragic romances, or sophisticated psychological studies of alienation, grief and passion. From the collection as a whole emerge distinctly female uses of the supernatural. Ghosts function as the disembodied anger of the powerless: the spirits of wronged wives and lovers return to avenge old injustices. The greatest terror is that of lossthe death of a child, the parting from a sister, the defection of a lover. And women’s sensitivity to such abandonment isolates them still furtherthe heroines of these pieces are thought to be mad when they report sightings of ghosts. Several contemporary stories are more explicitly feminist: the spirits of one dilapidated house possess a tenant and drive her to forsake writing for cleaning; another abode wreaks havoc on a bullying husband’s too dearly cherished belongings.


Coast to Coast Ghost

An employee of the St. James Hotel in New Mexico watches in shock as a fair-haired toddler with a terribly disfigured face disappears into the floor. This is just one of the paranormal mysteries Leslie Rule shares with us-a result of extensive interviews and research uncovering the reasons behind ghost sightings across the country. Coast to Coast Ghosts features dozens of spine-tingling, real-life ghost stories and approximately 50 black-and-white photographs, taken by Rule, including some believed to have captured actual apparitions. Only the reader can decide. . . .






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Free Feels Good – Kindle Freebie Alert!

September 18th, 2010


Hi Everyone! I hope your weekend is going well. Here is this weeks Kindle freebie list. It looks to be a woman’s weekend, but who knows, maybe some of y’all Y chromosomed humans are looking to improve your sensitive side. Anyways… enjoy & more importantly don’t forget to download these this weekend, come Monday they might just cost you.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: ice cream is ALWAYS the answer.


Conniving Greek gods, horrifying demons, vengeful warriors, and true love clash in this sexy, fast-paced paranormal romance series launch. Cocktail waitress and bookseller Casey Simopolous leads a lonely life until the night she rescues a mysterious man from a pack of hideous monsters. The handsome stranger is the Argonaut Theron, a guardian of a realm inhabited by the descendants of Greek demigods, and Casey soon finds herself thrown into a dangerous romance amid secrets and prophecies that may hold the key to her own mysterious past and the salvation of Theron’s besieged race. Naughton (Stolen Fury) occasionally stumbles in her narration, but she has a tremendous skill with steamy passion, dynamic characterization—especially of strong, multifaceted women whose friendships and family relationships play a crucial part in the story—and thrilling action. (May)


You can’t take it with you…but what if you could? Most people believe their souls outlive their bodies. Most people would find an organization that tracks their souls into the future and passes on their banked money and memories compelling. Scott Waverly isn’t like most people. He spends his days finding and fixing computer security holes. And Scott is skeptical of his new client’s claim that they have been calculating and tracking soul identities for almost twenty-six hundred years. Are they running a freaky cult? Or a sophisticated con job? Scott needs to save Soul Identity from an insider attack. Along the way, he discovers the importance of the bridges connecting people’s lives.




Custo Santovari is a fallen hero, a man who sacrificed himself for his best friend, an angel who-s earned himself a well-deserved place in Heaven. But he risks it all to rescue a woman from soul-sucking wraiths.









Billy Boyle is a Boston cop, from a family of Boston cops, but he is a reluctant soldier who prefers walking the beat in Southie to fighting Nazis. Using her cousin by marriage, a certain General Eisenhower, Billy’s mother lands her son a seemingly soft job with Ike’s staff in London. But Ike wants Billy to use his investigative know-how to sniff out a possible spy in the Allies’ inner circle. Young Billy, oversold by his mother as a crackerjack detective, is definitely in over his head, especially when it turns out that the apparent suicide of a Norwegian dignitary may have been the work of the spy. Benn has a tantalizing premise here, but he doesn’t quite deliver on it: his prose slips into wartime cliches a little too often, and the supporting love story reeks of WWII melodrama. Yet the action builds to a suspenseful climax, and there is even a hint of moral ambiguity in the wrap-up. A not entirely satisfactory debut, then, but Ken Follett fans will want to give Billy and his uncle a chance to develop. 


Unremarkable Penelope Trask has always loved fairy tales, but never expected to live one; unfortunately, Ashley’s one-dimensional characters wouldn’t do a nursery rhyme justice, much less this foray into fantasy romance. Everything changes for this ordinary young woman living in an ordinary 19th-century English village when Prince Damien Augustus Frederic Michel of the far-off kingdom Nvengaria rides into her life and claims an ancient prophecy naming her his princess. Naturally, there’s a drawback: in order to fulfill the prophecy and regain control of his kingdom from a usurper, the prince must marry her immediately. Even more troubling, Penelope must travel alone with the brash Damien, whom she does not trust. The plot becomes increasingly fanciful en route to Nvengaria, as they encounter assassins, magic spells and an attack by a logosh—a shape-shifting half-human, half-beast. In the meantime, fueled by the prophecy’s magic, passion between Penelope and Damien escalates—and escalates giving the story a pedestrian pace that suggests Ashley, known for her acclaimed Pirate series (The Care and Feeding of Pirates, etc.), has not yet shaken off her sea legs.


Sarah Cunningham, a moderate middle-class white girl who grew up in the Michigan countryside, speaks about God with humor and honesty more characteristic of liberal west-coast writers in this Picking Dandelions Ebook. In this warm and witty memoir, she describes finding and keeping a personal faith in the quirky settings of her ultra-Christian childhood. Whether recounting living next to a cemetery, teaching at-risk high schoolers, or listening to her grandmother’s stories about being a British ‘war bride,’ the author weaves faith into down-to-earth metaphors of growth and renewal, planting and reaping, greenery and weeds. In the end, Cunningham succeeds in sifting through the dysfunctions and flaws of human life and discovering pockets of God’s original Eden goodness for both herself and for you.Picking Dandelions is a candid and personal account of outgrowing laissez-faire Christianity, moving into mature faith, and realizing that a God-following person is a changing person … and you just might follow suit.

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The Thin Line Between Love And Hate

September 17th, 2010

Being a teenager sucks. There are no two ways around it. Regardless of your standing in the hierarchy or caste system (that seems to be a standard feature in high school) there will always be a point in which you wish you could just disappear. As a matter of fact, the higher you are only tends to lead to a more dramatic fall. Your flaws are constantly exposed, your weakness, your pitfalls, and regardless of your “circle” these are the things that will continually weigh on you. I was not an outcast in high school until I made myself one. I made friends easily, and chose the group of people I associated with… they did not choose me, but despite my popularity or eventual lack there of, 3 things always dominated my ever running mind (as it does with most adolescent girls.)

1. I was not pretty enough
2. I was not smart enough
3. No one would ever understand me

In “The Duff” (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) a book I was sure to be at least mildly amusing (if for no other reason than its atrocious title,) all of these issues were addressed, and if I may say so… in a very obscure way.

Bianca is not like most high school girls, she is cynical, overly sarcastic, mildly neurotic, and has a very clear definition of what “love” is. Compared to her circle of model-prototype giggly girlfriends, she is nothing more than average. Wesley on the other hand is a Nordic god… unfortunately he knows it, and with that knowledge comes arrogance, condescension, and a whole bag full of man-whorish/douche-bag qualities, but none of these are a problem for Bianca until his majesty crowns her queen of the duffs and turns B’s once self-satisfied world upside down. To make matters worse, B’s home life just got complicated, and in a effort to avoid acceptance she does the only thing she can think of… kisses Wesley. What happens when the boy you hate turns out to be the only one you can talk to? What happens when your life falls off the wagon? And who is really the Duff?

This novel is slated as YA, and while yes, the issues are contrived in a high school setting, I feel the need to offer a parental warning. This book is highly sexual, and deeply emotional so if you are apprehensive about your 15-16 year old jumping onto a rollercoaster of misguided intentions, then you might want to steer them clear of this novel… though very educational it is filled with vulgar language and promiscuity.

Ok… now that my parental duties are over let me get to the gritty. Kody Keplinger pulled off a small miracle in her debut novel… she was able to teach a cornucopia of lessons (body image, abandonment, acceptance, denial etc…) while at the same time maintaining the difficult web of a teenage love story. Bianca and Wesley were so well written that at times you could predict their responses to each other, and though both were flawed/raw individuals, Keplinger was successful in keeping them real and relatable (uh-hum… moments of purity) The plot was perfectly paced, the story as a whole (though sometimes making me cringe because of the characters ages) was original and (at times) motivational. However… the eventuality of the story is not what “got me”, the way in which Keplinger chose to tie it up is what had me nodding my head in overwhelming approval. Taking (I’m assuming) lesson’s from the classics (Austen, Bronte…) she chose WORDS not action as a means to an end.

Hype affirmed, “The Duff” is a must read for those intrigued by emotional confliction (aka… I love you, I hate you) As a matter of fact, I even re-read the last 20% this morning because I liked the way I felt when it was all said and done.

So what does that mean for you? Get it, Live it, Love it… pass it on.

Happy Reading my fellow Duff’s and remember: The size of your club does not make you better than me, it just means I have to reach further to hit what I’m aiming at.

(4.5/5)

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Hey… Can I Borrow Your Lab Coat?

September 15th, 2010

“Devotion” is a part of life.  We see it in movies, hear about it from co-workers, experience it in literature, and dream of it in our own lives, but at what point does devotion become manic?

Roger loves his wife, and (with the expectation of coming home from work at a decent hour) would do anything for her, but after a freak rainstorm and horrific accident,  being there for Lois isn’t  exactly an option anymore. Why? Because he has no idea where she it.  Separated by chaos the two are sent to different hospitals; clueless, desperate, and in Lois’ case… nameless. But living without his wife isn’t an option for Roger, so he sets out on his own path; find Lois, and don’t take no for an answer.

I really wanted to like this novel, if for no other reason than Jonathan Sturak being such a pleasant person, (and one of my Twitter buddies,) but a job is a job and someone has to do it, so here is the breakdown.

Clouded Rainbow is: a beautiful concept, with amazing cover art, fantastic editing, and no plot.  Ok, that’s not exactly true, there was a defined plot “a man searching for his lost treasure” but even with the brief moments of action, and the (admittedly) interesting cast of “extras” the story came across as bland.  Sturak has talent, that is not the problem, the problem is in his ability to harness and focus it.  There were several instances in the forefront of this novel that were written as dream sequences, (Sturak’s way of helping Roger regain his lost memories,) and it was in these moments that his writing shined.  I could see everything so vividly, feel it, wrap it around me, but when his character was forced back into reality (versus dream state) the plot would again dip, and the dialogue would (in turn) become bland and repetitive.  Neither of the main characters were developed properly (Roger spent the entire novel repeating the same mantra over and over, and well… Lois was in a coma so fat chance of getting a peep out of her) even though the situations that were created left ample room for embellishment. The worse part? I found myself waiting the entire novel.  Waiting for the twist, waiting for the crack, waiting for that point when everything just clicks and you find yourself saying “Oh No WAY?!”  You know that saying “A watched pot never boils”? The same can be said for an underdeveloped plot line.

My advice? Don’t knock Sturak out of your line of sight completly, but maybe wait until he has a few under his belt.  He will get it… it just might take a few tries.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember:  Always wear clean underwear… accidents happen and you don’t want to be caught with 2 day old granny panties on.

For a complete book description click image

(2.5/5)

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Freebies People!! Get ‘em While They’re Hot

September 12th, 2010

Yea!!! It’s Sunday!  Here are this weeks free finds.  Be sure to pick them up before the price goes back up!

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Sometimes the best things is life ARE free!!

Click images for complete details


Falling in love is the last thing on his busy agenda-but compromising positions can lead just about anywhere.

David Strong knows how to do a lot of things-run an international fitness company, finesse stock portfolios and stay out of emotional entanglements. That is, until he gets tangled up with Sophie Delfino and her Sensational Sex workout. He-s supposed to help her demonstrate Kama Sutra positions for her couples- yoga class. The rigorous postures require more than just physical control. And his co-instructor unexpectedly tests his control to the limit.

Sophie-s been fantasizing about David since her teens, but she never dreamed she-d actually be expected to run through her intimate desires-with an audience! The class is very professional, tame even-or it would be, if she-d been in any of the positions before. But she hasn-t-except in her wildest fantasies about David. Sophie knows she wants David in every way, and she-s flexible enough to use whatever she has to get him.

David can-t afford any unexpected distractions. Besides the sensual positions he has to endure without embarrassing himself in public, there-s an embezzler stealing from his company. And then there-s Sophie-who is well on her way to stealing his well-guarded heart.

Warning: This is one exercise program you won-t need to consult your doctor before beginning-unless he-s hot and available for house calls. The Kama Sutra isn-t for the prudish or faint of heart, and neither is this story.


Olivia Wallace has a birthday curse . . . or so she thinks. It was a broken heart on her 16th, a car accident on her 21st, pneumonia on her 30th, and a fall down a flight of stairs on her 35th. There were Ohio blizzards on her 38th, 39th, and 40th; and six days before her 45th, she lost the love of her life to a heart attack. Numbing grief stole that birthday and a couple more to follow and, on the morning of her 48th birthday, she received the call she’d dreaded ever since losing her mom so many years ago…she was diagnosed with stage-3 ovarian cancer. The doctors didn’t hold out a lot of hope, but Liv survived and maintained her faith. Months of surgeries and chemotherapy and radiation treatments followed.

But now, as her 50th birthday creeps up the icy Ohio path toward her, her hair has grown back, her energy level is up, and she is officially cancer free. It makes her nervous. After everything she’s gone through, Liv hates the idea of driving on icy roads and returning to work as an O.R. nurse in a local Cincinnati hospital.

Her best friend Hallie knows just the thing to break Liv out of the winter doldrums, while providing a safe haven of warmth, sunshine, and a time to regroup: a holiday in the Florida sunshine!


In this riveting thriller, the first of a planned trilogy, James (Story) introduces FBI agent Patrick Bowers. His professional specialty is environmental criminology, which attempts to track lawbreakers by analyzing the significance of the time and place at which the crime occurred. When corpses of young women start turning up near Asheville, N.C., Bowers is called in. The killer’s MO is to tie a yellow ribbon in his victims’ hair and leave a chess piece somewhere on the scene. Bowers begins to suspect that the governor of North Carolina, rumored to be the next Republican presidential contender, is somehow connected to the murders, and that a cult with links to Jonestown might also be involved. Making matters trickier, the special agent supervising Bowers turns out to be a longtime colleague with whom Bowers has some bad blood. Bowers, a recent widower with a surly teenage stepdaughter to raise, tries to keep his grief and parental confusion at bay so that he can focus on the case as the killer targets more innocent women. Christian faith makes a subtle appearance in the story and appears to be a theme that will be developed in future installments. A gripping plot and brisk pacing will win James some fans eager for his next offering.


Joshua Jordan, former U.S. spy-plane hero now turned weapons designer has come up with a devastatingly effective new missile defense system — the Return to Sender laser weapon. But global forces are mounting against America, and corrupt White House and Capitol Hill leaders are willing to do anything to stop the nation’s impending economic catastrophe — including selling-out Joshua and his weapon. As world events begin setting the stage for the ‘end of days,’ Joshua is forced to consider not only the truth of the biblical prophecies preached by the pastor of his brilliant attorney- wife, but also what gut-wrenching price he is willing to pay to save the nation he loves.




Johanna Ilg has lived her entire life in Main Amana, one of the seven villages inhabited by devout Christians who believe in cooperative living, a simple lifestyle, and faithful service to God. Although she’s always longed to see the outside world, Johanna believes her future is rooted in the community. But when she learns a troubling secret, the world she thought she knew is shattered and she is forced to make difficult choices about a new life and the man she left behind. Berta Schumacher has lived a privileged life in Chicago, and when her parents decide they want a simpler life in Amana, Iowa, she resists. Under the strictures of the Amana villages, Berta’s rebellion reaches new heights. Will her heart ever be content among the plain people of Amana?




Jessie thought her father died before her birth, but after her mother is hospitalized for her bipolar disorder, she realizes that not only is he alive and well but that she is being sent to live with him in Florida. As angry as she is to be stripped of her familiar friends and freedoms, Jessie finds safety and structure in Florida, as well as a special book, a contemporary version of the New Testament, that changes her perspective on life. Rue creates likable, believable characters who are coping with life’s challenges: Jessie with ADHD, her mother with mental illness, her father with alcoholism, and her little half sister with jealousy over Jessie’s growing relationship with their father. Jessie’s dad’s intriguing motorcycle shop–sushi bar offers her the opportunity to earn money and learn the art of sushi making. As hard as she tries, she can’t hate her good fortune, a good fortune that she slowly realizes is a gift from God, enabled through her father and his powerful faith. Grades 7-10. –Frances Bradburn


For her transgression, she will pay-with screams of forbidden pleasure. After a lifetime of hard work, Captain Roake Barbenoir finally has all he has ever wanted. Wealth, social position, and the epitome of an ideal wife, the beautiful and well-born Jenesta. Of all his treasures, she is his favorite-a pearl, perfect and pure-and Roake vows never to tarnish her with the dark sexual knowledge he gleaned from a life at sea.

Yet every breath his sweet wife takes arouses an urge to watch her come apart under the onslaught of his passion. But she must never know of the lust-filled, almost demonic cravings fighting for release in his soul. To make her privy to them would be to lose her warm regard.

Each time Jenesta feels she and her enigmatic husband are growing closer, Roake withdraws behind a cold, unreadable mask. Perhaps if she knew him better, knew more of his past, she could learn how to win his heart. The answers surely lie behind the locked door of Roake’s east-wing retreat. The one he has forbidden her to enter.

Jenesta’s defiance of his one simple rule cannot go unpunished. For her transgression, she will pay-with screams of pleasure; sweet, exquisite pain; and perhaps with the loss of what she wants most. Roake, and his love.

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