Review and Giveaway - Iron Man 2 by Alexander Irvine

Title: Iron Man 2
Author: Alexander Irvine
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (April 1, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0446564583
ISBN-13: 978-0446564588

Hard to rate - For literature it would be lower but for fun, entertaining read I’ll be generous and give it a 3.75.

    Product Description

    "I am Iron Man." With those words, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark revealed his secret identity. Now a famous high-tech superhero, he uses his powers to protect mankind. Yet things are not going well for Tony Stark. The U.S. military demands control of the most powerful weapon on earth--the Iron Man suit. His beautiful new assistant has a strange, mysterious agenda while his best friend, Rhodey, has betrayed him. And Tony is hunted by a vengeful Russian criminal armed with a lethal technology that may be stronger than Tony's suit. But even as he fights his demons, the hero faces his greatest threat--one that no armor can defend against . . .

REVIEW: This is a fast and entertaining read.
I find Tony Stark to be a hard character for me to like.  He is the epitome of a wealthy, self absorbed playboy.  At least he is a good scientist so he isn’t “playing” all the time.  Also, I don’t care that he is hiding a secret, he doesn’t treat his top executive, Pepper Potts, nor his good friend, Lt. Col “Rhodey”, as good friends should be treated.

As I noted, this book is entertaining but it does have a cartoon-like quality. The hero is bigger than life and always steps in (arrogantly I might add) to save the day against what would appear to be impossible odds.  There is a lot of action and some good snipping dialogue. There is some techno jargon that you may or may not understand but... who cares?  It’s a superhero story after all.

The Russian criminal Ivan is a single minded, fanatical genius who is focused on taking revenge against Tony for “stealing” his father’s technology. Ivan does make a good villain/enemy.  Meanwhile, Tony’s old competitor, Justin Hammer, is just a truly greedy idiot who allows a clearly dangerous Ivan to take over his laboratory!

Sounds like a mix for explosive trouble? Yep,  it is.  This isn’t a book for a “literature lover” or “romance lover” but if you want a quick action packed romp - this will work.

THANKS ONCE AGAIN TO HACHETTE AND ANNA for the opportunity to give away my copy of this book.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for my copy of the Book:

1. For your main entry tell me your favorite superhero! Don't forget to leave your email so I can easily contact you.

2. For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For another entry, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Three total entries possible.)  MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL!

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.
* This contest will close Midnight (Central) on June 4, 2010. The winners will be randomly selected from all entries.

Review of Yesterday's Promise by Delia Latham

This review has been posted at You Gotta Read Reviews.
Title: Yesterday’s Promise
Author: Delia Latham
Publisher: White Rose Publishing
Buy Yesterday's Promise Here!

Rating: You GOTTA Read

Reviewed by: MarthaE

A whirlwind romance amidst the natural splendor of Yosemite National Park.

A spur-of-the-moment wedding near Bridalveil Fall.

A young bride who awakens the morning after to find her new husband gone with the mountain wind.

Songbird Hannah Johns supports the child born of that ill-fated union by singing in a dinner lounge. Her dream of someday owning the elite establishment and turning it into a venue more suited to her Christian values is shattered when an unexpected transaction places it in the hands of Brock Ellis, the handsome biker who abandoned her in their honeymoon suite.

Ensuing sparks fly high, revealing buried secrets and forgotten pasts. Seeking to find peace with her painful past, Hannah returns to Yosemite, and Brock follows hard on her heels. Back where it all began, she finds herself in danger of losing her heart yet again to the man who shattered it the first time around.

REVIEW: This story grabs your attention and doesn’t let go!

Hannah is a dedicated singer at a dinner lounge. She dreams of saving her money to buy the lounge from her beloved, “fatherly” boss, Kip, and turn it into a Christian bookstore and coffee shop. That is hard to do as she struggles to raise her three year old son as a single mother.

Her dreams are shattered when Kip tells her he is selling out because of his deteriorating health. That is tough enough to take but becomes even harder when she discovers the buyer is Brock, the man who walked out of her live three years before after their wedding night. Add insult to injury when Brock shows absolutely no recognition of Hannah.

Brock is handsome and protective, if a bit overbearing. He is completely puzzled by Hannah’s antagonism towards him but still drawn to her and her impishly sweet son with whom he strikes up a quick friendship.

Hannah keeps her secrets out of pride and Brock hides his secrets for other reasons. The repartee and dance between them is engaging and endearing. Hannah struggles to allow her Christian faith to govern her actions rather than be controlled by her anger and resentment. Can she get past her hurt and open her heart to learn the truth and give healing forgiveness? Can Brock allow himself to heal from his injuries and discover the past he has lost?

The Yellowstone scenery is described exquisitely so that you want to go visit the setting. The supporting characters have enough depth to add to the story without distracting or detracting from the main protagonists.

The story moves along quickly as you wait to see how God will work things out for these two characters. Hannah’s steadfast faith, even laced with some natural doubt and human struggles, is wonderful to read. The romance that is revealed is warm and beautiful. This is just a superb story and I have added Ms. Latham to my “must read” author list!

Author's Website 

Winner of The Highest Stakes by Emery Lee

CONGRATULATIONS 

to the Winner of

The Highest Stakes: A Tale of Passion, Retribution and Horseracing

The very lucky winner is:

I will email Diane for her mailing information; she will have 72 hours to claim the book.
Thanks to everyone who entered!

Mailbox Monday May 24, 2010

This Meme starts with Marcia at The Printed Page

Another Blogmania win - two books
from Luxury Reading.  Thank You Vera.

Valley of Bones (Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy) 

Product Description

For millennia, two groups of immortals have roamed the earth in a spiritual chess game for human souls. Now they enter the time of Final Vengeance.

On one side are the Collectors--unholy, undead entities who feed on misery and blood. In opposition are the Nistarim--saints raised from their tombs during the Nazarene's resurrection, who work to protect mankind.
Natira, a powerful Collector infused with Judas's blood, is on the verge of finding the last of the Nistarim. To destroy them all in one master stroke, he must find the Nazarene's Crown of Thorns which is believed to be buried near Jerusalem.
But the Nistarim have a potent weapon of their own, a boy who carries immortal blood. He has been hiding and waiting until now, when both sides collide in a battle of biblical proportions at Israel's historic Valley of Bones.
The Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy takes readers on a riveting journey, as imaginative fiction melds with biblical and archaeological history. 

AND

My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers Book 2) by Rachel Vincent

Product Description


When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul.
The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can't possibly understand.

Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk….
 
 

I won another two books at the 25 follower's Giveaway at Rayment's Readings, Rants and Ramblings.

Thank you Jennifer.

Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett - I picked this one for my Grandson!

Product Description

Sunny Meerkat lives in the Kalahari desert with his family. Under the hot sun, Sunny and his brothers and sisters work together, play together, eat together, learn together, and sleep together. Sunny needs a break, so he decides to take a trip to visit some relatives. Through a series of postcards--that actually flip open for children to read--Sunny documents his journey for his family. But as he travels from the barnyard through the forest to the city, Sunny realizes there's no place like home.
 
AND

Countess of Scandal (The Daughters of Erin)

Full Description

As children, Eliza Blacknall and William Denton ran wild over the fields of southern Ireland and swore they would be friends forever. Then fate took Will away to England, while Eliza stayed behind to become a proper Irish countess.
Years later, Will finally makes his way home-as an English soldier sent to crush the Irish uprising. When he spies the lovely Eliza, he is captivated by the passionate woman she has become. But Eliza's passions have led her to join the Irish rebel cause, and Will and Eliza now find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous conflict.
When Ireland explodes in bloody rebellion, Will's regiment is ordered to the front lines, and he is forced to choose between his duty to the English king and his love for Eliza and their Irish homeland.


I also got in a lovely pair of earrings from Shawna K.Williams that went with the book No Other that was included in last week's Mailbox!  Sorry I don't have a picture yet.  Thank you Shawna!

It's Monday What are You Reading? May 24, 2010

This meme starts at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

Another busy work week.  I did get to visit around the blog world just a little.
One day busy setting up Blogmania Sponsers for the eTreasues Publishing blog hosting in September.

Reading was good.

Finished:

PB: Sworn to Protect (Call of Duty Series, Book 2) by DiAnn Mills.
This was a good inspirational suspense! 4.5 rating; 
Review to be posted at Romance Junkies.

Border Patrol Agent Danika Morales has sworn to protect the southern borders of our nation, but that oath has cost her. Two years ago, her husband, Toby, was killed trying to help the very immigrants Danika was responsible for sending back to Mexico. His murder was never solved.

But now, a recent string of attacks and arrests leads her to believe that someone in McAllen is profiting from sneaking undocumented immigrants into the country . . . and it may somehow be tied to Toby’s death.

Kindle2:
High Octane by Kathleen Scott.  High Octane is a perfect name for this fast paced, action packed romance! 4.75 Rating. Review to be posted at Romance Junkie Reviews.

Product Description
Two hearts are never more than one dimension apart.
A routine fuel run through one of the planet-s dimensional portals explodes in violence when Major Geneieve Lockhart-s Jumper team is hammered with an unprovoked attack. With her ship disabled and contact to mission control limited, Genie faces her worst nightmare-losing her crew on the blood-soaked floor of a foreign desert.
Help comes from an unlicensed freelance mercenary ship, piloted by a man she never thought she-d see again. Her AWOL ex-lover, Lt. Col. Dante Bowen.
Bowen knows answering Genie-s distress call puts his undercover mission to expose a governmental conspiracy at risk. But after faking his death six years ago, he owes her something. Ending up chained in her cargo hold for transport to his own court martial wasn-t the thanks-for-the-rescue he expected.
The bridges between them may be in ashes, but their desire burns as hot as ever. Even as Genie wonders what happened to Bowen-s code of honor, her body betrays her heart at every turn. The hostile race that attacked her ship, though, is coming back to finish them off. The only way to ensure freedom-on both sides of the dimensional divide-is to put her trust in the one man who betrayed it-
Warning: Contains action-packed dimensional travel, hot military wartime sex, betrayed lovers and evil, power-hungry bastards.

Kindle2:  Love Comes Knocking by Kathy Cakebrea.
This was a bit different, light, fun read. 3.5 Rating.
Review to be posted at Romance Junkie.

Product Description

Have you ever felt unlucky in love? If you think Cupid has gone on holiday for the last few years then feel happy you're not the only one.Ben Dover is a big guy with a big heart who is desperate to find love in a image conscious society. Follow him in this hilarious tale of dating, love and a little bit of romance as he tries to find the one. Will he finally get struck by Cupids arrow? Read on to find out. The perfect book for the hopelessly romantic!

Audio: not finished.

Line Edits: (I decided to start listing these since it is where part of my reading time goes now. These are books soon to be released by eTreasures.) Finished up line edits on And Cafe Con Leche by Evie Alixis. 

Currently reading:

PB: Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson and Richard Dilallo.

I am two thirds complete. Great story woven with fascinating history! I'll post the review and giveaway later this week. You will want to read this!   

Product Description:
Alex Cross tells the incredible story—passed down through the generations—of an ancestor's courageous fight for freedom.
SEPARATED BY TIME
From his grandmother, Alex Cross heard the story of his great-uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a book he's written—a novel called Trial.
CONNECTED BY BLOOD
A lawyer in early-1900s Washington, D.C., Ben Corbett fights against oppression and racism—and risks his family and his life in the process. When President Theodore Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his hometown to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse.
UNITED BY BRAVERY
In Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful daughter, Moody. With their help, Ben discovers that lynchings have become commonplace. Ben vows to break the reign of terror—but the truth of who is really behind it may break his heart. Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, ALEX CROSS'S TRIAL is a gripping story of murder, love, and unparalleled bravery.

PB:  Damage Control by Amy J. Fetzer
Just started but this is another suspense that jumps right into action! Fetzer is that kind of author.  Reading and reviewing for Romance Junkies.

Product Description

Two Against The World

Explosives expert Sebastian Fontenot has patience in spades-whether he's deactivating bombs or gritting out three days beneath a pile of rubble. But when the hard-bodied operative learns his oldest friend is in trouble, he flies into action-and ends up on the Artic Circle, where a sexy scientist holds clues that threaten his mission-and her life-.

Olivia Corrigan can handle men. But Sebastian Fontenot is like no other she's encountered: hot as hell and in danger of thinking he can order her around with that delicious drawl of his. Lucky for her, the mesmerizing mercenary is on her side. And it's a good thing, too. Once they stumble onto a horrifying international cover up, it's up to Olivia and Sebastian to keep their hands off each other just long enough to keep a dangerous power from falling into the wrong hands-. 

Kindle:  Dragonborne by Chandra Ryan

Just starting this but I like the heroine and dragon shifting hero already!
Reading and reviewing for Romance Junkies.
Product Description

For her people, she-d sacrifice anything. For her, he-ll sacrifice everything.

When the children of her village start dying of a mysterious plague, Sophie refuses to believe it-s the will of their deity. As the town cleric, she-s always followed the church-s strict rules, but enough is enough. She vows to do anything to find a cure-even if it means defying the church.
The giant black dragon she finds injured and poisoned near the abbey seems beyond her ability to heal. Until he suddenly shifts into a dangerously handsome man who, even in his weakened state, is a temptation beyond her ability to resist.

Reuel has never trusted humans, but this delicate young woman entrances him with more than her beauty. Her bravery, devotion and passion call to his wounded heart, and he's moved to lend his magic to her cause. Magic that is not only powerful, it's all too tempting to abuse-something his family has never let him forget.

Sophie is hopeful when Reuel solves the secret of the plague, until one healing uncovers a sickness that runs far deeper than the children's vulnerable bodies. Now she is being persecuted, and to save her, Reuel may have to become the monster his family believes him to be-

Warning: Contains a stubbornly sexy cleric who-d rather have her hands tied to a headboard than exhibit any self-control, a shape-shifting dragon who-s too busy running from himself to see where he-s going, an epic dragon battle, and sex in the great outdoors.

Audio CD:  Black Hills by Dan Simmons   
These 18 disc audios take a while to get through. The history in this is grand even with some raw bits of story.  On disc 11. Reviewing for YGR.

Description:

It is an epic tale of a Lakota Sioux named Paha Sapa ("Black Hills") whose life spans the decades of perhaps the greatest change in America's history. When Paha Sapa, a young Sioux warrior, "counts coup" on General George Armstrong Custer as Custer lies dying on the battlefield at the Little Bighorn, the legendary general's ghost enters him - and his voice will speak to him for decades to come.
Seamlessly weaving together the stories of Paha Sapa, Custer, and the American West, Dan Simmons depicts a tumultuous time in the history of both Native and white Americans. Haunted by Custer's ghost, and also by his ability to see into the memories and futures of legendary men like Sioux war-chief Crazy Horse, Paha Sapa's long life is driven by a dramatic vision he experienced as a boy in his people's sacred Black Hills.
In August of 1936, a dynamite worker on the massive Mount Rushmore project, Paha Sapa plans to silence his ghost forever and reclaim his people's legacy-on the very day FDR comes to Mount Rushmore to dedicate the Jefferson face.

Line Edits: Starting line edits on Fourth Son by Joy Brooks.

I am still working on writing more reviews but I seem to be making slow progress!

Upcoming books: - These will probably be next week books.

PB:  Michal: A Novel (The Wives of King David) by Jill Eileen Smith. BOOK CLUB meeting June 5.

 Knight of Passion (All the King's Men)by Margarent Mallory. BLOG TOUR POST for June 9.

Kindle: The Heart of a Warrior by Margaret West. For RJR.

Audio: The 9th Judgment - Review and Hachette Giveaway in June.

Audible:  Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder.  This is on hold for June for 6 blog tours/book club events plus four Hachette giveaways! Then July will be busy for Blogoversary celebration!