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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Book Review: The Escape Diaries: Life and Love on The Lam by Juliet Rosetti

Outrageous escapades make this story a delightful reading escape!
The Escape Diaries: Life and Love on the Lam
(A Loveswept Contemporary Romance)
by Juliet Rosetti

  • File Size: 2019 KB
  • Print Length: 316 pages
  • Publisher: Loveswept (December 10, 2012)
  • Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B008ENAWJ4
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0


Book Description
Publication Date: December 10, 2012
Introducing the hilarious new heroine, Mazie Maguire, in Juliet Rosetti’s irresistible debut novel that follows the outrageous adventure of a woman on the run.

Wrongly convicted of killing her philandering husband, Mazie Maguire is three years into her life sentence when fate intervenes—in the form of a tornado. Just like that, she’s on the other side of the fence, running through swamps and cornfields, big box stores and suburban subdivisions. Hoping to find out who really murdered her husband, Mazie must stay a few steps ahead of both the law and her mother-in-law, who would like nothing better than to personally administer Mazie the death penalty via lethal snickerdoodle. With the Feds in hot pursuit and the national media hyping her story, Mazie stumbles upon a vast political conspiracy and a man who might just be worth a conjugal visit—if she survives.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: The Devil’s Thief, Paradise CafĂ©, and The Perfect Catch.


Review:
Mazie Maguire was a high school  music teacher when she was swept off her feet by a gorgeous, wealthy, socialite, Kip Vonnerjohn. Overwhelmed by the life of the rich and famous and blinded by immature hero worship of the suave man, nine years her senior, Mazie agreed to marry the charmer before she realized his proclivities toward idleness and women. She also hadn’t met his social queen of a mother who hates everything 'low life' about Mazie and will later send her poison cookies in prison! Vengeful Vanessa cut off the purse strings as soon as Kip married Mazie and things headed into trouble from there.

Mazie is accused of killing her philandering husband who was serving divorce papers. Although Mazie slept through the event, supposedly she was caught doing the crime by a nanny camera. The trial was pretty swift and Mazie ended up with a life sentence in Taycheedah prison.

A freak tornado hits while Mazie is in the garden and she leaps at the unexpected chance to escape. Mazie goes through some horrendous, but funny, scenarios as she stumbles one step ahead of the dogs and the Federal Marshall.  Just as they catch up to her she jumps into a manure pile to slip away again.  Mazie hides in a journalist’s van until the big tough driver coaxes her out and forces her into a bathtub. Mazie soon finds herself telling her tale to Labeck who believes that she was framed.

They break into her mother-in-law’s home to get the video tape that convicted her. Too bad Vanessa had laid a trap and Mazie barely escapes electrocution.  Mazie runs again taking Muffin, one of Vanessa’s pampered and ill tempered shih tzu-bichon frise pets, with her.

Mazie doesn’t know who to trust but thinks she has one person she can count one. As Mazie is running from the Feds, her crazed mother-in-law and a relentless killer, she discovers that she has become a super-star escapee in the eyes of the public. It will take several more near death experiences before Mazie gets some help from two enamored teen boys and learns who her real friends are.

This story is laugh-out-loud funny. The characters are brash and zany. There is a totally sassy and irreverent tone to the writing that is different but fun. The escapades that Mazie goes through are almost beyond belief but clearly Ms. Rosetti has a wickedly wild imagination. My final note on this book is: “hilarious!” If you’re ready for a mystery with a whole lot of laughter treat yourself to this fun escape.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mazie and Labeck have trust issues:
“Move a single eyeball toward that knife block,” he growled, “and I tie you to that chair.” Location 1261.
A description of Vanessa’s little dogs:
...suddenly a tide of snarling fur balls engulfed us, growling, snapping and clearly stating in dog language: We’re going to tear you to kibble and gnaw your ears like they’re dried apricots. These were the fiends from hell. Location 1578.
I received this eBook from Random House Digital, through NetGalley, for an honest review.
This story is set in Wisconsin for my 2013 Where Are You Reading Challenge.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Book Review: Pandora's Temple by Jon Land with TWO Giveaways

This is a wild ride in search of dark trouble.
by Jon Land

  • File Size: 841 KB
  • Print Length: 412 pages
  • Publisher: Open Road E-riginal (November 20, 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00961J7Z8
Genre: Thriller
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0


Book Description
Publication Date: November 20, 2012
What if Pandora’s Box were real? Blaine McCracken finds himself facing this very question—and the greatest threat to mankind—in his long-awaited return to the page

Rogue special-operations agent McCracken has never been shy about answering the call, and this time it comes in the aftermath of a deepwater oil rig disaster that claims the life of a onetime member of his commando unit. The remnants of the rig and its missing crew lead him to the inescapable conclusion that one of the most mysterious and deadly forces in the universe is to blame: dark matter, both a limitless source of potential energy and an unimaginably destructive weapon.

Joining forces again with his trusty sidekick Johnny Wareagle, McCracken races to stop two deadly enemies who want the dark matter at all costs. A powerful energy magnate and the leader of a Japanese doomsday cult both seek the ultimate prize for their own nefarious reasons, and McCracken and Wareagle’s mission to defeat them takes the duo on a nonstop journey across the world and thousands of years into the past where the truth lies in the ancient Pandora’s Temple, built to safeguard the world’s most powerful weapon.

McCracken’s only hope to save the world is to find the mythical temple. Along the way, he and Wareagle find themselves up against Mexican drug gangs, killer robots, an army of professional assassins, and a legendary sea monster. The hero of nine previous bestselling thrillers, McCracken is used to the odds being stacked against him, but this time the stakes have never been higher.

This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jon Land including rare images from the author’s personal collection.


Review:
Blaine McCracken was believed by some to be dead. Others believed the man, nearing 60, was too old for active service. Neither belief is true as McCraken is still the man to manage the “impossible” and a government bureaucrat has called him in to head a dangerous retrieval of student hostages from one of the biggest drug lords in Mexico. The drug lord, surrounded by his army of soldiers, laughs at McCraken’s demand to release the American hostages. He stops laughing when his compound is bombarded and McCraken, with his faithful team, small but tough Sal Belamo, and imposing seven foot, Johnny Wareagle, open fire.

McCraken is then asked to investigate an event in the Gulf that involved the explosion of a deepwater oil rig that one of his war bodies had been working on.  The event was rated as a “Level Six” event with “Level Five” being a nuclear attack. The three man team are joined by Captain Seven, their weapons and tech specialist buddy who some might mistake for a left-over 70's, dope smoking, hippy. Captain Seven determines that the event is actually the result of a “dark matter” attack. With legend of power dating back to a Greecian myth, it appears that there are two dangerous men out to obtain control of the source.

One man is a power hungry energy business magnate who wants to control the substance and wipe out all other power resources. He is convinced he can do this even though his team of scientists warn of the destruction that even small experiments have revealed.  The other man is the leader of a radical terrorist group seeking world destruction.

McCraken finds himself trying to protect a witness who was on the ocean rig and has already been attacked. He is sure she know more than she is telling. The team take her to a government building that is protected by giant drones and security consisting of SWORDS, or Special Weapons Observation Remote reconnaissance Direct action System robots. At least they thought they were secure until someone else gets control. McCraken and Wareagle have to battle their way out of that fiasco so they can track down the terrorists.

This story reminded me of adventures by Clive Cussler--full of action and suspense but with an extra dose of humor. The tale is chock full of tense moments of danger, volatile excitement, wry humor and fast paced action. I liked the diversity of the “good guys” team with their ‘mature’, eccentric quirks. The book is well written and the action scenes are well done and believable. I loved how the Greek myth was woven behind the action with some surprising touches. I would like to read more of this author and these characters. If you like fast-paced thrillers loaded with action and danger, and capped with humor, you are bound to enjoy the explosive nature of this story!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
McCraken has to wonder if he can still accomplish the impossible: 
In that moment the last two years vanished behind the haze of battle McCraken knew so well. Age lost all meaning, time measured in the breaths and moments between explosions, gunshots and screams. Do I still have it? Location 375.
McCraken and Wareagle ponder the Pandora jar:
“Could be the jar was capable of taking care of itself just fine.”
“Maybe the jar found us, Blainey.” Location 5210.
I received this title for an honest review through Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours .



Author Bio:

Jon Land is the critically acclaimed author of 32 books, including the bestselling series featuring Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong that includes STRONG ENOUGH TO DIE, STRONG JUSTICE, STRONG AT THE BREAK, STRONG VENGEANCE (July 2012) and STRONG RAIN FALLING (August 2013). He has more recently brought his long-time series hero Blaine McCracken back to the page in PANDORA’S TEMPLE (November 2012). He lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

Websites & Links:

www.jonlandbooks.com
    







Giveaways:
Both giveaways are International. 
There are TWO giveaways! First, the Author is doing something special. He is giving away 1 e-book set of all of his McCracken Titles. 
ENDS 2/28.
That's a giveaway I wish I could enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


SECOND GIVEAWAY
Giveaway of ebook copy of The Omega Command
Mr. Land has generously offered to give those reviewers/bloggers that are posting a review, the opportunity to host a giveaway of his previous novel The Omega Command.
Enter this Rafflecopter Giveaway for an e-book copy of The Omega Command
a Rafflecopter giveaway


CymLowell

Monday, February 11, 2013

A BookTrib Valentine - Giveaway of Much Ado About Loving

I am sharing this News Flash, and chance to win a book about dating and love, from BookTrib:
As BookTrib’s Valentine to you, we are serving up a bibliophile’s delight on February 13 at 2 p.m. ET!

Jack Murnighan and Maura Kelly will be chatting LIVE about their book, MUCH ADO ABOUT LOVING: What Our Favorite Novels Can Teach You About Date Expectations, Not So-Great Gatsbys, and Love in the Time of Internet Personals.

USA Today called MUCH ADO ABOUT LOVING “a treat for any book lover, happily mated, or cheerfully single.”

MUCH ADO ABOUT LOVING is a series of accessible and funny essays that are equal parts dating advice and lit crit. During our chat, the authors will touch upon the timeless lessons and insights they’ve found in the world’s most beloved novels, touching on such conundrums as:
©       Why do men talk so much, and why do women put up with it? (Infinite Jest)
©       Will too much emailing before a first date work against you? (Love in the Time of Cholera)
©       Should you cross the political aisle for love? (Howards End)
©       Is it ever smart to get back together with an ex? (Remembrance of Things Passed)
©       How can you deal with a mother-in-law who’s screwing up your relationship? (Sons and Lovers)

What’s more—10 lucky winners will receive their very own copy of the book!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Mailbox Monday February 11, 2013

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.
For FEBRUARY: the Mailbox Monday Tour host is Audra @ Unabridged Chick!

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) but is now hosted at Mailbox Monday and through various blog hosts.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 


I added a few more books this week. :-)
How are your mailbox and TBR piles doing?

Review Titles
I received/accepted three books for review:





Jabin and the Space Pirates 
by Bev Allen
This is for review and Bewitching Blog Tour 2/9.



by Judy Nichols
for March review


I also received one title at NetGalley by invitation of Hachette:


I will add this to March also. 
Lord of Darkness 
by Elizabeth Hoyt








Wins

None.


Purchased

No purchases this week.

Free
I received more books from Free Partay and
I did download more free Kindle Titles linked through Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink and Kindle Review.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? February 11, 2013

This meme starts at Book Journey!

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I had a strangely busy week having to handle a couple of projects I didn't expect.

I wasn't sure I would finish my Audio this weekend but it was too good to delay. :-) So that made five books read and six reviews posted. I posted one book giveaway, three giveaway links and one Kindle Giveaway Post! I posted Friday Pick Giveaway, Saturday Snapshot, Sharing Beyond Books Comment Giveaway and Sunday Words.

Although I wanted to, I didn't get to visit much during the week.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me too.

These were last week's posts:
Finished Reading:
 
1. eBook/Kindle



A New Birth of Freedom The Translator
by Robert G. Pielke
I enjoy this alternate history series.
Review linked above. 




2. eBook/Kindle



Three Sisters (Emily Castles Mysteries)
by Helen Smith
Nice mystery with some Humor.

Review linked above.



3. eBook/Kindle



Showstoppers (Emily Castles Mysteries)
by Helen Smith
Another good mystery. 

Review and Giveaway are linked above.



4. eBook/Kindle
 

Pandora's Temple
by Jon Land
Lot's of action in this thriller.
Reviewing for Partner in Crime Book Tour to post 2/12.



5. Audio


Ever After: The Hollows, Book 11
    UNABRIDGED
    by Kim Harrison
    Narrated by Marguerite Gavin
        Series: The Hollows, Book 11

Very exciting with lots of danger.
I was glad to get this for review 
through Audiobook Jukebox!



Line Edits/Releases:
Release on 2/11:

Princess Salina and the Unicorn
by Lynne Anne Bendoly
Just as Princess Salina is to marry the Prince of Latonia, she runs off through the forest on her trusted unicorn, Moonbeam, where she finds herself in a terrible predicament which only a wise old wizard can save her from.
Children's - Middle Reader, with Illustrations; 28 pages


Currently reading:
1. Print



Goodbye to Yesterday
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
I have started this seial novella which is pleasant. 
Review and Scavenger Hunt stop to post on 2/14.
Book Description
Release date: February 5, 2013 | Series: The Discovery - A Lancaster County Saga (Book 1)
Join Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus, an Amish couple who are faced with the greatest challenge of their young lives. Financial struggles. Arguments. A confirmed pregnancy. A last-minute trip to South Bend, Indiana. A drug addict on the run. A deadly encounter at a Philadelphia bus station. Will their love and faith be enough to bring them back together again, against all odds?


2. eBook/Kindle



Jabin and the Space Pirates
by Bev Allen
I am interested in where this is going.
This is for review and Bewitching Blog Tour 2/9.
Book Description
Publication Date: May 31, 2012
In the space colony of New Wales, the pirate attacks are both relentless and merciless.

Having lost both his parents, Jabin has been adopted by his austere and spiteful uncle and aunt who live in the space colony of New Wales which is riven with religious and political rivalry, and prey to the vicious maraudings of pirates whose cruelty and greed are beyond all imagination.

When Jabin volunteers to surrender himself to a pirate raiding party to save a friend, he does so believing that nothing can be worse than his current suffering.

However, he is soon to discover that things can always get worse when the stakes are high, the rewards are vast and slave labour is there for the taking.

When the King of New Wales is assassinated, the colony threatens to collapse into total anarchy, leaving the pirates free reign to mutilate, kill and profit as they will, but the forces of law and order sent out from Earth are getting ready to fight back, and Jabin could have a vital part to play in the ensuing war if he can only stay alive.



3. ebook/Kindle



Waiting for Morning (The Brides Of Last Chance Ranch Series)
by Margaret Brownley
I will be starting this mid week. Reviewing to post with giveaway from Thomson Nelson.
Book Description
Publication Date: January 8, 2013
If Molly Hatfield's purple attire doesn't blind you, her dazzling smile will. She doesn't just sing to the cattle, she puts on a whole show. If only she wasn't so stubborn about her brother's care. Or so distrustful of a certain handsome doctor...

There is nothing Molly wouldn't do for her teenaged brother, Donny. Blaming herself for the accident that left him wheel-chair bound, Molly has dedicated her life to his care. But in 1896, gainful employment for a woman is hard to come by. So when Molly learns that an eccentric rancher in Cactus Patch, Arizona, is looking for an heiress--someone to take over management of the ranch in exchange for future ownership--she jumps at the chance to provide a real home for her brother.

If she proves to have a knack for ranching and agrees to remain single for life, the ranch can be hers. Neither stipulation worries Molly. She's resourceful and hardworking. And she gave up dreams of marriage long ago when she dedicated her life to her brother's well-being.

However, Molly didn't bank on meeting Dr. Caleb Fairbanks, the town's handsome and charismatic young doctor, whose backfiring automobile almost gets him killed when Molly thinks she's being shot at and fires back.

But it's how he is with her brother that really alarms her. Caleb sees past the wheelchair and genuinely likes Donny, but Molly fears he's putting unrealistic ideas into her brother's head. Falling in love with Caleb would threaten everything she's worked for, even her brother's future happiness. It'll take an act of congress to convince her otherwise--and maybe even a little help from above.

Other books in the Brides of Last Chance Ranch series include Dawn Comes Early and Gunpowder Tea (available October 2013).


4. Print



Wait Until Dark
by M.L. Buchman
I love this series and look forward to reading this.
Reviewing for Sourcebooks.
Book Description
Release date: February 5, 2013 | Series: The Night Stalkers
Praise for I Own the Dawn:
"A rousing mix of romance and military action thrills...Buchman blends tender feelings with military politics to keep readers riveted."—Publishers Weekly
"I can't wait for the next book."—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
"Filled with action, adventure, and danger."—Booklist Starred Review
Name: Big John Wallace
Rank: Staff Sergeant, Chief Mechanic and Gunner
Mission: To serve and protect his crew and country.
Name: Connie Davis
Rank: Sergeant, Flight Engineer, Mechanical Wizard
Mission: To be the best...and survive.
Two Crack Mechanics, One Impossible Mission
Being in The Night Stalkers is Connie Davis's way of facing her demons head-on, but mountain-strong John Wallace is a threat on all fronts. Their passion is explosive, but their conflicts are insurmountable. When duty calls them to a mission no one else could survive, they'll fly into the night together—ready or not.


I continue to listen to The Listener's Bible NIV read by Max McLean. [Reading and listening on MP3.]  I am studying with the Tyndall One Year Bible this year, hoping to read daily along with my DH.

Line Edits: I'm finishing two formats and working on more conversions this week.


I am started the month with 17 titles + TBRs. Four are read and reviewed and four more expected to go up this week -- so moving along. 

One Review to post from January:
     The Escape Diaries by Juliet Rosetti

FEBRUARY Scheduled: 
2/12 Review + a Giveaway:  Pandora's Temple by Jon Land (PIC - Partners in Crime Tour) 
2/14 Review + Scavenger Hunt: Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter
2/16 Review: Jabin and the Space Pirates by Bev Allen (Bewitching Blog Tour)
2/17 Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Hop 
2/20 Review:  Into the Dark by Stacy Green (PIC Tour)  

Unscheduled   

Sourcebooks
      X Marks the Scot by Victoria Roberts
      Wait Until Dark by M.L. Buchman
      Lady Eve's Indiscretion by Grace Burrowes  

Random House
      A Most Scandalous Proposal by Ashlyn Macnamara  

Thomas Nelson (to post with Giveaway)
         Waiting for Morning (The Brides Of Last Chance Ranch Series) by Margaret Brownley

NetGalley
     Fix-It and Forget-It Holiday Appetizers, Finger Foods, and Beverages by Phyllis Pellman Good
     The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard

Audios: (more to come) 

From TBR Collection - TBD 
Won Book - TBD 
Free Kindle/Nook or Smashwords: Fatal February (Mary Magruder Katz) by Barbara Levenson

Ladies Book Club (For March  9)
   White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner

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