Will you be the next Bee?

Guys,  I'm terribly sorry I haven't been posting as often.  Here's what is going on.  I work for a retail (if that's not enough of an explaination, lol) shoe store called Tradehome Shoes.  I am temporarily taking over a store to help improve its status and get it organized before the next manager comes in and takes it over.  Because of this, I am working 11.5 hour days 6 days a week and 7 hour days on Sundays.  I absolutely love my job, and blogging sadly must take a backseat for now.  Once all of this is taken care of, I can get back to the regular 3 posts a week.

I will be posting all my scheduled posts (the few I have scheduled with authors, publishers, etc.) but will not be creating my own for at least two more weeks.  BUT keep your chins up!  The posts to come are some fun ones... character interviews, reviews, blog tours, book release parties and more.

With that said.. I would love to have someone write posts for the site as a mini-Bee for the next two weeks.  If anyone would like to guest host for the next two weeks and write your own posts on my blog, please email me.  (No, you do not have to be a current blogger but yes you can be.)  I would love to discuss it with you (keep in mind the posts would have to be book related).  *insert super smiley but very tired face here* Happy Blogging!!

Review Day: Deception

It's Review Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Title: Deception (Dr. Steven Dunbar Bk 2)

Author: Ken McClure

My Rating: 5 stars!

Book Blurb:

When GM crops are this year's scapegoat, what horrors hide behind them? Ken McClure has written another classic novel of science and medicine. DECEPTION will raise him to the very peak of the genre. The rats raised the alarm...In a village outside Edinburgh, there is doubt that a genetically modified crop which is being grown is actually the one licensed by the government. Steven Dunbar, and medical investigator with the Sci-Med Inspectorate, is sent to investigate, but finds that the farmer who made the complaints, Thomas Rafferty, is a well known drunk. Rafferty has also applied for accreditation as an organic farmer, with the backing of two 'venture capitalists' - who turn out to be ex-SAS, and possibly still working for the government in some capacity. As Steven investigates further his life comes under threat, as does the survival of the village, and he must band together with his few allies to solve the mystery of the original complaint and the ever-larger picture which slowly becomes clearer...

My Review:

Another incredible thriller by Ken McClure! The second book in the Dr. Steven Dunbar series, this novel is absolutely amazing!  I loved every second of it, just as much as I loved the first one.  The series is living up to my expectations and more.  I was afraid after such a strong first book the series would become boring or redundant...considering it is always another medical thriller/mystery every time.... BUT I was so happy it didn't!

Some characters remained from the first book, including some side characters, and the two books definitely tie together.  I don't want to say how or who because that would spoil it wayyy too much. hehe!  If you enjoyed the first one, definitely give the second one a read.  It is worth your time for sure!!  This is definitely on my "top fav series" list.

I plan to read the third one within the next couple weeks as well.  Review to follow.  Read the book one's review here.  Pick up a copy of Deception on Amazon.  Happy Reading!

Pipe Dreams - Coming Soon!

It is my pleasure to introduce Pipe Dreams by Destiny Allison to you guys!!  The novel will be out on June 3, 2012.

Book Blurb:

Beneath the park bench, a young girl cries for help, her voice a cold hand on Vanessa’s throat.  “Please,” the girl whispers, a  tear trickling down her battered face. Vanessa glances at the empty square. A piece of trash tumbles. A bird settles in a tree. Then there is silence — no voice, no wind, no movement. It’s as if the world is waiting. The naked girl is desperate, but compassion for the Fallen is never forgiven.

Vanessa’s hesitation is her undoing. Unbeknownst to her, Lewis is still haunted by her thick, auburn hair, serious eyes, and mocking laughter. She is the symbol of all he hates and her interaction with the girl is just what he needs to gain control of the virus. Originally developed to save mankind from itself, the virus can be used to create a slave race. When it is released, Lewis will have his revenge.

As his plan unfolds, Vanessa is forced to flee.  Escaping through the sewer, she finds love, heartbreak, and the red beam of a gun sight dancing on the slick, black wall.  In the deep dark of the foul pipe, she also discovers she has been betrayed. That’s when she learns Texas is real.

Pipe Dreams is a dystopian novel set in the near future. If gene splicing could merge Margaret Atwood and Suzanne Collins, the resulting author might write this book.

About the Author, Destiny Allison:

Destiny Allison is an award winning sculptor, businesswoman, and community builder, although writing was her first love. Last year, she published Shaping Destiny: A quest for meaning in art and life. The non-fiction work is a memoir. In it, Allison reveals the truth that life is art. The memoir is a book Allison felt she had to write.

As her passion for the written word evolves, she is writing what she loves. Pipe Dreams is her fiction debut (to be released in June, 2013), and other fictional works are soon to follow.

Unlike many authors, Allison does not believe in pen names. She knows this could get her in some trouble with her readers, but strongly believes that we have to be who and what we are.

Allison lives in Santa Fe, NM with her husband and dogs, alternately missing and celebrating her three grown sons.

Reserve a copy of Pipe Dreams on Amazon.  25% of sales for this book will go toward helping other authors and artists achieve their dreams.  Keep up with Destiny Allison on her website, Facebook and Twitter.  Happy Reading!

Review Day: Eye of the Sage

It's Review Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Title: Eyes of the Sage
Author: Peter J. Ochs II
My Rating: 5 stars

Book Blurb:

A MIT astrophysicist is called upon to continue the investigation of a lost civilization on the Arabian Peninsula after the unfortunate and untimely death of the expedition's lead archaeologist. Just why an astronomer is called upon a situation where he is evidently "a fish out of water" is not exactly clear, but his involvement is not accidental and his role becomes pivotal. The research revolves around the location of a cluster of lost cities in the southern Arabian Peninsula that are believed to have been settled over 3000 years ago by a group of people migrating from the Mediterranean with ties to Ancient Greece. This group appears to have been guided to the site by an enigmatic figure who continues to crop up throughout the history of the settlement even though the recorded evidence suggests that the settlement was active for over 800 years. Some time in its ninth century of existence, the civilization and its intriguing father-figure vanished abruptly somewhere about the time of the well known chronicled collapse of a great earthen dam. As sites are revealed and artifacts are recovered, the astronomer is drawn into a complex scenario where his very actions will trigger the story's climatic events and reveal the identity of the settlement's mentor.

My Review:

What an adventure and wild ride!  Eyes of the Sage is incredible.  From the first pages of the prologue I was hooked.   The story is told with such passion and detail that you are immediately sucked in and taken on the most incredible journey ever.  The main characters weren't described with too much detail, but I knew exactly who they were and what they looked like once they were introduced.  Peter brought this story to life with the imagination of a child and the story telling abilities of a grandparent.

I fell in love with the way Peter wrote after just the prologue.  It is simple, choked full of passion and imagery, as well as imaginative.  Remember when you were a child going to a library and the librarian would say books will take you anywhere you want to go?  This book will take you there!!  Peter, you are extremely talented and I love your book!

Pick up a Kindle or paperback copy of Eyes of the Sage on Amazon here.  Happy Review Day!

Tales of a Pinterest Newbie: CAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Think this might become a new series... sound good?

GUYS!  I found cake books!  Scratch that... cake shaped like books, even though they are VERY convincing books.  Time to pull out my cake stuff again!

 

Found here.

Those are some gorgeous books! Look at the detail on the spine, all the texture. Perfect!

 Found Here.

This is simply stunning!  The only way to tell it's cake is by the background (a foil covered piece of cardboard... boring!).  INCREDIBLE!

Found Here.

These look like classic hardback books without the dust jackets on them.  Simple, elegant and very impressive!

Found Here.

PIRATE BOOK CAKE!  Talk about bringing a book to life!

Follow me on Pinterest to keep up with my random book-ish fun and Pinterest Newbie ramblings.  Happy Pinning!

Tales of a Pinterest Newbie Part 2

If you follow me on any other social media, you know that I *recently* (cough a month ago) joined Pinterest.  Well... I'm still not very good at it. heh.  Here are some fun pics I've found. :D

Book Archway?  Yes please!  Anyone who has this is instantly my best friend and should make me one.  Pretty please?

This is incredibly true for readers.  Take notes boys!

Need I say more?

Made by my fellow book blogger site Aestas - this is definitely what goes through everyone's mind when buying books.  Or at least mine. heh.

Book. Garden.  Possibly the most crafty and awkward way to reuse a book.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.  How in the world would you water it?!  I mean.. the book is obviously ruined but wouldn't it get soggy and reek after a while?  Eeeewwww...
Join in the Pinterest Newbie fun by following me.  I don't "pin" much yet.  I'm getting there!  Happy Pinning!

Sneak Peek!

Title: Come What May (Heartbeat #2)

Author: Faith Sullivan

Expected release date: June 4, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult

Book Description:

Adam is through with love.

He unravels blaming himself for what happened with Katie.

His final moments with her echo through his nightmares.

She owns him body and soul.

To dull the pain, Adam invites a string of women into his bed. Fueled by alcohol and desperation, his meaningless hook-ups provide little comfort. When he closes his eyes, it's Katie he sees.

The only one who helps to ease his guilt somewhat is Jada. But as his new ambulance partner, Adam considers her off limits. He doesn't want to get seriously involved with anyone, much less her. Yet he can't stop fantasizing about the feel of her caramel skin against his.

Despite his intentions, Adam's bond with Jada deepens as they respond to a series of emotional calls. Their mutual attraction becomes undeniable. But how can he give his heart to Jada when it still belongs to Katie?

The first book of the HEARTBEAT series is only 99 cents on Amazon! 

Click cover to purchase.

Random Things about Author, Faith Sullivan:

- She was so much smarter as a teenager.

- She's a slow reader.

- She tends to like a book more for its characters rather than its plot.

- She appreciates people who are genuinely kind and come through when you need them.

- As a creative person, she's not always fun to live with, but she keeps things interesting.

- She misses the days when all she had was a rotary phone that didn't even have an answering machine.

- She's a child of the 1980s, and a teenager of the 1990s.

- She loves her dog.

- She likes to travel and see new places - when her limited budget allows.

- She thinks in another lifetime she lived in the UK somewhere by the coast.

- When she feels an emotion, she feels it deeply. It's a curse.

- She has an overactive imagination. Writing helps alleviate that problem.

- Nine times out of ten, she believes a good book trumps reality.

Author Links: Blog | Amazon | Twitter | Goodreads 

Happy Sneak Peek Day!

Review Day: 24 Bones

It's Review Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Title: 24 Bones

Author: Michael F. Stewart

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Book Blurb:

Every five hundred years the phoenix dies.

Samiya, born-into-shadow, is soon to battle her born-into-light brother. Abandoned by their parents, neither wishes to play the preordained role of beast and hero. When their loved ones are taken hostage, they are forced to follow the path laid out in myth, culminating in a battle first fought six thousand years ago in ancient Cairo. A mythic clash where one defeats the other and both become gods.

To break free from their fates, Samiya and her brother must unravel a mystery twisted by cults, greed, and magic. But myth is a powerful force and failure to live up to it may not only destroy their lives but the lives of the ones they love most.

When the phoenix dies, the only certainty is flames.

Review Day: A Guilty Mind

It's Review Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Title: A Guilty Mind

Author: Kellie Larsen Murphy (check out her ANSA here)

My Rating: 5 stars

Book Blurb:

George Vandenberg is a broken man with a volatile temper, haunted by the memory of the young woman he once loved and “accidentally” killed. Wrestling with the guilt and pushed by his psychiatrist to confess the circumstances of her death, he teeters on the edge of a nervous breakdown. The past collides with the present when the doctor turns up dead, brutally stabbed to death in his office. Stunned and confused, George emerges as the primary suspect even as he becomes a target himself. To prove his innocence, George must face the police, his manipulative wife, and the past he’s been unable to forget. When the truth is finally divulged, no one, including George, is prepared for the collateral damage or the shocking identity of the killer.

Cover Reveal: Dylan Hart!

Releasing In Early 2014....

Dylan has found herself in quite the conundrum...oh shit, who are we kidding? 

She's ass deep in death and it's knocking down her door. Literally.

Endless Night left you with your heart pounding and your stomach in your butt...book three will flip you upside down and take you on a ride that'll leave your knees quivering and your head lying on the floor...literally.

Read more here!

Happy Cover Reveal Day!

ANSA: Kellie Larsen Murphy

WELCOME to another meeting of ANSA!  This week Kellie Larsen Murphy is here to introduce herself and her book.

Kelly Larsen Murphy is a psychological mystery writer.  "There's a bit of a whodunit in my work but I also like to focus on the relationships and psyches of my characters."  She began her writing career as a freelance writer for several mid-Atlantic magazines.  Outside of writing, Kelly takes care of four children and had a career in finance.  She grew up as a "Navy brat" moving all over the country, but currently resides in Virgina.

"After working in banking for years, I was lucky enough to stay home with my young children.  I had always wanted to write, taking classes and starting (but not finishing) novels along the way.  It was then that I decided to give writing serious consideration and began submitting articles to magazines.  I also wrote my first novel (currently shelved) and then began work on A Guilty Mind.  While this new career has actually developed over the last several years, it feels like a whirlwind."