Book Review and ARC Giveaway: One Day in Apple Grove by C.H. Admirand

This is a sweet, light romance with an adorable puppy.

One Day in Apple Grove 
by C.H. Admirand

Pages: 320
Publisher     Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN-10     1402269021
ISBN-13     978-1402269028
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Release date: June 4, 2013
Welcome to Apple Grove, Ohio (pop. 597), a small town with a big heart.
Caitlin Mulcahy loves her family. She really does. But sometimes they can drive her to her last shred of sanity—from her dad ("I'm not meddling, I just want what's best for you") to her eight-months-pregnant older sister to her younger sister, who will do just about anything to avoid real work. Cait just needs to get away, even if for only an hour.

When she sees someone in need of help on the side of the road, of course she's going to pull over. She might even be able to fix his engine—after all, the Mulcahy family is a handy bunch. She's not expecting that former Navy medic Jack Gannon and a little black puppy named Jameson will be the ones who end up rescuing in her.

Review:
Meg is encouraging Caitlin to find a man but not only are the choices limied in their small town, but Cait is overloaded with work. Cait and her two sisters have taken over their father’s ‘handy man’ business. Now older sister, Meg, who has helped raise Cait, is busy with a toddler and a new baby on the way. That leaves Cait covering the jobs for both of them. Meanwhile younger sister Grace manages the office but longs to find adventure in a big city.

One day she is heading home and sees a car that appears stranded. Cait, with her mechanic skills, steps forward to help. She is ‘attacked’ by a little black puppy who is being rescued by Doc Jack  Gannon. Jack is a former Navy medic who has returned to his home town to take over his father’s small town practice.

The stray puppy is enchanted with Cait and Jack asks if she can help him take care of the pup by visiting during the day. Cait and Jack are soon inseparable as they share the joy of training the rascally Jameson. Jack is suffering from PTSD and is reluctant to share his fears and guilt with anyone, including Cait. This causes conflict that has to be resolved to keep their relationship on track.

This is a sweet, sweet story of romance found in a small town. I enjoyed the setting in a charming little town where everyone knows your business. Cait and Jack are really warm characters. Then add their families and Cait’s best friend, Peggy. There are a few struggles and sorrows, especially when the puppy’s real owner shows up a week later to claim him.  If you look at the cover of the book you will see an adorable black pup on the sidewalk. This little character is a star in the book.

This is apparently part of a series set in Apple Grove but this book works fine as a stand alone. I would enjoy reading Ms. Admirand again and am eyeing her Irish Western series. The writing is light and real. All in all this a nice, warm read. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack is difficult but Cait is willing to stick it out:

Going with her gut, she reached for his hand. He stared at it for a momment, as if he weren’t sure he should touch her, but then finally linked fingers with her and let her draw him toward her.... The steady beaat of his heart reassured her–now it was her turn to reassure him. “I’m not going anywhere.” Page 179.

I received this from Sourcebooks for an honest review.

ENTER THE FORM FOR THIS GIVEAWAY of the ARC Copy:

ENTRY FORM HERE

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.

ONE Winner-
* This contest is open to US or Canada.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on July 5, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED on July 6, 2013.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Book Review: Anonymous Sources by Mary Louise Kelly

This is an intense, engaging thriller!
Anonymous Sources
By Mary Louise Kelly

File Size: 664 KB
Print Length: 354 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1476715548
Publisher: Gallery Books (June 18, 2013)
Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
ASIN: B00A25FCRO

Genre: Thriller
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Book Description
Release date: June 18, 2013
An intriguing thriller from a former NPR correspondent about a young reporter who must match wits with spies, assassins and a terrorist sleeper cell targeting the very heart of American power.
“If, on an early summer’s night, you wanted to kill a man, how would you do it? Would you lay a trap, sharpen a dagger, uncork a poison?
Personally, I’ve always leaned toward the dramatic.
But looking back, I wonder now if the events of last summer didn’t begin with a quieter sort of murder.”

So ponders Alexandra James, a beautiful, driven, yet troubled New England Chronicle reporter. She is assigned to cover the death of Thom Carlyle, son of one of the most powerful men in Washington. Just back from a year abroad, Thom falls from the top of a Harvard bell tower on a warm summer night. Did he jump, or was he pushed? For Alex James, who can get in anywhere, sleep with anyone, out-drink and out-shop her demons, it is the story of a lifetime. As she chases leads from Harvard Yard to the courtyards of Cambridge, England, to a clandestine rendezvous in London, to the inside of a nuclear terrorist network...the intrigue seems to suit her.

But nothing is what it seems. When she arrives back in Washington, DC, for a key interview that promises to tie together the leads she has puzzled out, Alex the hunter becomes Alex the hunted. An assassin is dispatched...Her laptop disappears...Her phone is tapped...And she begins to grasp that Thom Carlyle may have been killed to hide a terrifying conspiracy within the White House itself. Former NPR Intelligence correspondent Mary Louise Kelly has turned her own real-life reporting adventures into fiction with this stylish spy thriller.

Review:
Alexandra James is a passionate journalist with a high energy personality. She has some control and neurotic issues left over from a traumatic loss but she keeps the demons at bay – mostly– by obsessive work. Her ‘news beat’ is higher education, a prestigious spot she earned by persistently following the crumbs to uncover a deeper story.  Her demanding boss knows he can rely on her to get the details and often scoop the competition.

Alex begins to investigate the death of a graduate student, Thom Carlyle, who ‘fell’ from Harvard Bell Tower. Thom is the son of the President’s legal counsel. There are rumors of suicide but Alex learns that there were no fingerprints at the crime scene and that raises a red flag. Now she is like a bull tracking down every clue she can find.

Her search leads her to England to interview the ex-girlfriend who is already playing footsie with a handsome, devilishly charming rogue. Alex diligently follows the leads pulling together seemingly unrelated clues because she is convinced the pieces will fall into place. She must be stirring trouble as she gets a warning from a strange Embassy official and she suspects that she has uncovered a terrorist plot. Her editor isn’t buying into her conspiracy theory until the young girl seated next to her on the return flight, who happened to look a lot like Alex, turns up dead before the plane lands.

Now Alex is on the run seeking safety and trying to figure out which officials she can trust. When she is attacked again she learns that their is a traitor high in the government ranks. She has to get to the right people and convince them to track a bomb and figure out the target before it is too late..

I really enjoyed the intense suspense in this thriller. Alex is a flawed character with some psychological problems. I liked her efforts to get beyond destructive behavior and learn to cope with stresses that bring her past to haunt her. There was a hint of a local romance development but then a different relationship was established which turned out better than I first expected.

There was some head hopping as the author shifted a few times to the view of the killer. That can distract the reader a little, but the story was fast paced and quickly moved beyond those points. The overall excitement of the story made it a page-turner, hold-your-breath at times, read for me. There was also humor that helped break the tension in a good way. I learned details about bomb materials and terrorist cells that were very interesting.

My undergraduate degree was in journalism so I enjoy stories involving journalists. I was reminded of The Pelican Brief as I read this. I really liked Alex's determination to get to the truth and I appreciated the support she got from her gruff boss. I highly recommend this book especially if you enjoy high suspense. It's rather a shame the cost is a bit pricey.

I selected this title through NetGalley and I am very glad that I did.

Book Review and Giveaway Link: Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy by Jeff Gunhus

This is another dangerous adventure for Jack and his friends and fun reading.

Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy: The Templar Chronicles: Book 2

by Jeff Gunhus

• File Size: 450 KB
• Print Length: 330 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0988425947
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Seven Guns Press (March 25, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Genre: Middle Grade, Action Adventure
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2013

After barely surviving the onslaught of monsters that tried to kill him the day before his fourteenth birthday, Jack Templar leaves his hometown on a quest to rescue his father and discover the truth about his past. Joined by his friends Will and T-Rex, and led by Eva, the mysterious one-handed monster hunter, Jack sets out for the Monster Hunter Academy where he hopes to find answers to his questions. Little does he suspect that the Academy is filled with dangers of its own, many of them more terrifying than anything he’s faced so far.

Review:
Jack is determine to find out what happened to his father and to try to rescue him. His two awkward friends, chubby T-Rex and quick Will, might be unlikely fighters but they are determined to stick with Jack. They are being led by the skilled monster hunter, Eva, who showed up to train Jack the day before his fourteenth birthday, when he learned that he is from a long line of Monster Hunters.

The trip to the Monster Hunter Academy takes them over the ocean and through the mountains. They soon are facing dangers, including huge wolves led by a fierce giant wolf named Tiberon. Daniel, another Monster Hunter trainer, is intent on killing all of the wolves.  Jack has an encounter with Tiberon and chooses to help him rather than kill him.

Jack meets the ancient, wise leader, Aquinas, and other trainers and students. Daniel treats Eva as his girl which sets the two boys at odds right away. The other hunters and trainees watch Jack warily as they have heard the rumors about “the one true descendant of the Templars” who legends says can defeat the evil hordes of Ren Lucre who has his father.

Jack is more interested in finding answers about his father than committing seriously to the  training. He does make at least one new friend in a young boy, Xavier, who is a tinkerer creating ‘James Bond’ type gadgets and weapons. Some of those gadgets come in handy as Jack takes on a quest. When Jack returns successfully he discovers the Academy is under attack and he and his friends have to pull together to face the enemy.

I couldn’t help but notice that there are many similarities in the plot line with the first Harry Potter book. There are awkward but loyal friends, an interest in the strong, bright female companion, a wise leader who takes a special interest in Jack and many dangerous creatures. I enjoyed the action and liked that there are a few growing up lessons as the characters develop.

The story is very entertaining and there is clearly more danger and adventure to come. I think this book could be read alone but I recommend starting the series with book one (my review) so the reader has the full history of Jack’s background.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

   Since I can’t be certain that you read my first book about the night I found out I was a monster hunter, I should start out with a warning.
   First, monsters are real. Vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons; you name it. In fact they are more common than you could ever imagine. Second, this book is not make-believe. This is a truthful account of my life as a monster hunter and the mysterious circumstances that seem to constantly surround me. Third, reading this book makes you fair game for monsters.
   You heard me right: the simple act of reading this book will attract monsters to you and give them the go-ahead to attack. Usually, if you were under fourteen years old, you would be safe by the Law of Quattuordecim, an ancient truce between man and monster that protects non-combatant children on both sides until sundown on their fourteenth birthday. I blew it by attacking a monster that was trying to eat someone I knew the day before my birthday. You’re about to blow it by reading this book.
   If you’re over fourteen, you are already at risk for monster attacks, but in reality they are few and far between. Still, by reading this book, you are guaranteeing they will come after you. So don’t come crying to me if a rock troll chops off your feet or a harpy eats one of your eyeballs.  The choice is yours.
   However, if you decide to turn the page, you’ll be reading about the Monster Hunter Academy, a place no non-monster hunter has ever seen or heard about before. What happened there is not for those with weak stomachs or for those who are easily upset. There is blood and gore and death and, like it or not, some kissing. But there is also an adventure unlike anything you have ever seen before.
   So turn the page if you dare. The adventure starts now.

Jack Templar

I received this book for review as part of Book Blast BlogTour.

Tour Schedule

Book 1:
Jack Templar: Monster Hunter

Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack's fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it's great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend "T-Rex" from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he's the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he's destined to be in the family business. Second, that there's a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits...until their fourteenth birthday! Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him.

As if that weren't enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the "One?" Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Awards for Jack Templar Monster Hunter

Book of the Year Finalist by Forward Magazine

Next Generation Indie Book Finalist

Indie Excellence Finalist

 

 Parents Choice Recommended Book Award

Author Jeff Gunhus

Jeff Gunhus grew up in Cyprus, Greece, and Saudi Arabia where there was a distinct lack of television. He quickly found books were the gateway to incredible adventures, fascinating characters and unbelievable discoveries. Now, with five children of his own (all who watch too much television, in his opinion), he has enjoyed revisiting his old books and reliving those adventures all over again.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Website

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 7/8/13
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mailbox Monday June 24, 2013

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.
For JUNE: the Mailbox Monday Tour host is Bellezza @ Dolce Bellezza.
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 had a quiet week as far as books received.
I picked up two free audios through Sync YA summer program.

Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

I didn't receive any review books this past week.

Won

I've haven't been entering any contests that I recall. :-)

Purchased

None

Free

Audios:
I downloaded this past week's pair free from SYNC YA June 20 – June 26, 2013:



Once
By Morris Gleitzman
Read by Morris Gleitzman
Published by Bolinda Audio

and

Letter from Birmingham Jail
By Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read by Dion Graham
Published by christianaudio
“…narrator Dion Graham prese

I did download a few free Kindle Titles linked through Free Par-tay, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink and Kindle Review.

It's Monday What are You Reading? June 24, 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.

The week was slower than I realized as I just finished the third book. I posted three audio and one print reviews, one Audiobook Week post and an unplanned Giveaway hop. I also posted the weekly Mailbox Monday meme, Friday Pick Giveaway, Saturday Snapshot, Sharing Beyond Books Comment Giveaway and Sunday Words.

I'm pleased I got to visit a bit at the beginning and end of the week. I still need to do more.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• It's Monday What are You Reading? June 17, 2013.

• Mailbox Monday June 17, 2013.

• Audible Book Review: With Morning Comes Mistfall, by George R. R. Martin, Fantasy, Sci Fi; my rating 4.25.

• Celebrating Audiobook Week 2013.  

• Audio Book Review: The Wolf Path by Judith Van Geison, Mystery; my rating 4.25. 

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway June 21, 2013. Open Worldwide. Ends 6/20.

• Audiobook Review: And They Called Her Spider by Michael Coorlim, Steampunk Mystery; my rating 4.5. 

• Saturday Snapshot (6/22/13) Suntipped Trees
  

• MBS Spontaneous Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop. Open Worldwide. Ends 6/30.

• Book Review and Giveaway: The Magic of I Do by Tammy Falkner, Contemporary Romance; my rating 3.75. Ends 6/30.
  

• Sharing Beyond Books #105 Comment Giveaway 6/22/13. Open Worldwide. Ends 6/29.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement June 23, 2013.
  

Finished Reading:

1. Print

One Day on Apple Grove 
by C.H. Admirand
This is very enjoyable.
I will post a review with ARC Giveaway this week.
Click on title for Book Description.

2. eBook/Kindle

Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy: The Templar Chronicles: Book 2
by Jeff Gunhus
This is fun action. 
My review will be June 24 as part of Book Blast Tour, with a giveaway link.
Click on title for Book Description,

3. Audio/MP3

Hearts of Shadow
Author: Kira Brady
Narrator: Xe Sands
This is intense in battle and love.
I will post a review for Blackstone Audio;
received through AudioBook Jukebox.

Line Edits/Releases:
We have two more titles to post for print release and two we are completing formats on for release.

Currently reading:
1. eBook/Kindle

The Bane (The Eden Trilogy) (Volume 1)
by Keary Taylor
I am three quarters completed on this and really enjoying it. I picked this up at NetGalley.
Book Description
Publication Date: February 28, 2013 | Series: The Eden Trilogy
Before the Evolution there was TorBane: technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter. It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs, to heal the world. Until it evolved out of control and spread like the common cold. The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born. The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected. With less than two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality. This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time. Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind. The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance. Previously published as Eden, due to reader demand it has been revamped and rereleased as The Bane: book one in The Eden Trilogy.

2. Print

The Woman He Loved Before
by Dorothy Koomson
I have started this and am intrigued by the mystery.
I am reviewing this for Grand Central/Hachette
and have an extra copy for giveaway.
Book Description
Release date: May 14, 2013
Libby has a nice life with a great job, a gorgeous husband and a big home by the sea. But she's becoming more unsure of Jack's feelings for her - and if he is over the mysterious death of Eve, his first wife.
When fate intervenes in their relationship, Libby decides to find out all she can about the man she hastily married and the seemingly perfect Eve.
Eventually Libby stumbles across some startling truths about Eve. As she begins to unearth more and more devastating secrets, Libby becomes frightened that she too will end up like the first woman Jack loved. . .

3. Print

Haven Creek (A Cavanaugh Island Novel)
by Rochelle Alers
I will be starting this one next.
Reviewing (with copy giveaway) for Forever/Hachette.
Book Description
Publication Date: May 28, 2013
Home is where the heart is.
Architect Morgan Dane has always lived according to a plan, crossing off her achievements one by one. But when she's offered her dream job-the restoration of historic Angels Landing Plantation on beautiful Cavanaugh Island-Morgan's life takes an unexpected turn.
Carpenter Nathaniel Shaw once took a big chance on commitment-and lost. Needing the healing comforts of home, he returns to Haven Creek to join the family business. Nothing in the small town has changed-except for Morgan Dane. The wallflower he knew in high school has grown into a beautiful woman . . . and stirs feelings Nate isn't sure he's ready for.
Together Nate and Morgan find a happiness neither could have predicted. But when secrets from the past come to light, their budding relationship is threatened. Will they play it safe, or risk their hearts to build a life together?

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: Several more releases being prepared for the next few weeks. I am still doing more Smashword conversions in between print formatting.

I had three print books move from May to June. Plus I have five additional print books, two tour books and three NetGalley titles. Plus Audios. I'm not sure what happened to my relaxing plan for June. Guess that goes into July. Sigh.

June Scheduled:
6/24 Review: Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy by Jeff Gunhus for Book Blast Tour

SOURCEBOOKS
   done

Hachette - Forever
    Haven Creek (A Cavanaugh Island Novel) by Rochelle Alers
    Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Molly Cannon
    The Woman He Loved Before by Dorothy Koomson (reading)
    A House Divided by Kimberly Lawson Roby

NetGalley:
     The Bane (The Eden Trilogy) (Volume 1) by Keary Taylor (reading)
     Silent Warrior by Lindsey Piper

AudioBook Jukebox
  Hearts of Shadow  (listening)

Author Books received at March EPICon
     Convict Dad by P. Ryan Hembree

From TBR Collection - TBD
Won Book - TBD
Free Kindle/Nook or Smashwords: TBD