Thursday, December 6, 2012

ARC Giveaway of Fuse (Pure #2) by Julianna Baggot

ARC Giveaway of Fuse (Pure #2) by Julianna Baggot
To enter, go to http://abookvacation.blogspot.com



Synopsis of Fuse, from Goodreads: When the world ended, those who dwelled within the Dome were safe. Inside their glass world the Pures live on unscarred, while those outside—the Wretches—struggle to survive amidst the smoke and ash. Believing his mother was living among the Wretches, Partridge escaped from the Dome to find her. Determined to regain control over his son, Willux, the leader of the Pures, unleashes a violent new attack on the Wretches. It’s up to Pressia Belze, a young woman with her own mysterious past, to decode a set of cryptic clues from the past to set the Wretches free. An epic quest that sweeps readers into a world of beautiful brutality, Fuse continues the story of two people fighting to save their futures—and change the fate of the world.

Win a Signed Paperback of Time Walker

To win the book, visit A Book Vacation at http://abookvacation.blogspot.com

Win a Signed Paperback of Time Walker

 PUBLICATION: DECEMBER 7, 2012



 Beth was sneaky. No lock could hold her. No cage could confine her.
No door could bar her way. But, when your adoptive mother is a Spirit Binder,
and all your siblings are elementals, being sneaky doesn’t really rank.
That is until the devastation of a city draws her omniscient mother’s attention,
and her siblings go missing one by one, then Beth’s sneakiness is the only thing
standing between her, her loved ones, and the worst enemy she’ll ever face: herself.
 Time Walker is a young adult, 50,000 word, fantasy novel by Meghan Ciana Doidge
(After The Virus, Spirit Binder) set ten years after the events of Spirit Binder. It is the
first book in the Spirit Bound series, and it's not necessary to read Spirit Binder
before reading Time Walker.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Wondrous Adaptation of the Well-Loved Christmas Carol

Review of the e-book from NetGalley

"Good King Wencesles"
As read by Jane Seymour with illustrations by Omar Rayyan
Written for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir by David T. Warner
Original song lyrics by John Mason Neale



Since "Good King Wenceslas" is one of my most favorite Christmas carols, I happily jumped at the chance to read and review the e-book version of the newly-released short-story and CD combination that incorporates narrative storytelling, quotations from the song, and snippets of medieval history amidst some of the most gorgeous hibernal landscapes I have seen in quite a while. I plan on finding and purchasing the hard copy version of this item because I believe hearing Jane Seymour read the text and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing the lyrics will be well-worth the money, as well as being able to share the picture-book with my son and my classroom for many Christmases to come.




Wednesday, October 3, 2012

A Book Vacation Giveaway: http://abookvacation.blogspot.com/2012/09/recently-released-giveaway-goodness-17.html



Wednesday, September 26, 2012


Recently Released Giveaway Goodness #17--October

It’s that time again! For no other reason than that I like giveaways… we’re onto the SEVENTEENTH Recently Released Giveaway Goodness Giveaway!



Interested? Of course you are! I’m offering ONE lucky winner one of these novels:
Many of these novels have recently released. I’ve included my reviews below to help you pick the novel you’d like to win. And honestly, there should be something here for everyone!
This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway from the book depository, but you need to make sure they send to your country before entering–check here.  Enter by Nov. 1 at midnight!





Saturday, March 31, 2012

Review of From Love and Pain by H.A. Caine

From Love and Pain by H.A Caine

This is an engaging action/adventure novella with a M/M romance back-story. My main concerns come in during the rescue part of the mission, which seems to resolve too quickly considering the insidious nature of the villain. The writing style has some minor flaws and mechanical errors, but I believe some of these are being fixed in the newly released version. I received my copy of this book as a free copy in exchange my honest review. Overall, I would recommend this book to action lovers who enjoy strong male heroes, especially since there seems to be quality character-building that may lead to a series.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Contests going on now!

Check out the contest going on now at the freebie junkie!
Treasure Buddies BD/DVD Combo Pack #Giveaway

   
 



We're Buddies fan here and have all the DVD's to date!  Treasure Buddies is the 6th film in the franchise and was released on January 31st, 2012 on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital.

Check out this sneak peek clip below and read my review here




 
(1) lucky reader will win a Treasure Buddies BD/DVD Combo Pack.

Also going on now are great deals at the baby bedding zone! Contests end soon!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Review of Jessa Calvaver's The Very Thought of Him

This short story is billed as true erotica and it definitely lives up to its genre, plus gave me more than I expected!  Although it is short (as fast a build-up as much erotica is), Dara's characterization and portrayal of her motives pleasantly fulfill my need for something beyond scorching-hot sex. Even my erotica has to have some type of point to it, and Callaver delivers! Very few grammatical or mechanical errors distract from the intensity of the sexual chemisty--something I absolutely require so that I can submerse myself in the fantasy. At times I could actually feel myself becoming Dara. There is even an awesome  plot twist! I was a little disappointed about the cliffhanger at the end of the story, but I hope that Calaver will write a sequel soon. I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys graphically hot, but not totally gratuitous, M/F sex!

Oppression Book Giveaway

I wanted to let you know about a current giveaway of the book Oppression by Jessica Therrien. I have yet to read this book, but it looks really promising and is on my TBR list! Soumi (in Love with Puck) Roy is giving away this book on her blog "Pages From my Thoughts." See below for details!J


Current Giveaway : Win a Signed Paperback of Oppression (Children of the Gods, #1) by Jessica Therrien

GIVEAWAY OPEN : Internationally 
Date of Enter : 24/02/2012 to 02/03/2012
Winner Announcement : 03/02/2012 on Announcement section
Copy Available : One
Format : Signed Paperback
Note : The book will be directly send to you by the author herself


Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Review of Elizabeth Lister's Exposure

I just finished Elizabeth Lister's book Exposure, and I felt she truly did great justice to a difficult story-line twist. I give it a strong four to four and a half stars. The sexual chemistry between the main characters Martin and Jeremy--who have about a nine-year age difference--starts off strong and continues to provide hot action throughout the story. The plot flows well from chapter to chapter and even the few secondary characters are well-done. 

From the brief story-blurb I was expecting Jeremy to reveal a secret to Martin; however, after reading about halfway through the story, the type of secret and the way in which it is revealed to Martin truly surprised me. Now, I am the type of reader that hates to go to bed when a book that is this good is unfinished. This secret, though, hit me harder than I would have imagined. The scene really got to me. I had to actually put the book down, wait for about two weeks, and then go back to it. Without spoiling it for anyone, let's just say it touched on a nerve from a dating relationship from my own past!

Once I picked the book back up, Martin and Jeremy were able to have their HEA. They strengthened their relationship and committed to the long-haul. One of my favorite lines of the books comes when Martin is talking to his sister: "Well, he's so damn good looking and sweet and smart and into me. I knew there had to be something." "Nobody's perfect, Martin. Y'know, he's still all those things. The fact that he's dealing with this just makes him that much more interesting." 

There were two main reasons I did not give the book five-stars. The first was the quickness of the consummation of the physical relationship at the beginning of the book.  I don't have a problem with early consummation in general; I just felt it was out of character for Martin as well as for Jeremy after the dry spells they had been having. The second reason was a feeling of being rushed at the end to wrap it up tidily. I definitely recommend this book, her writing style, and plot, and I have already downloaded another of her books to feast on the "hotness" of her men!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Lots of Love Giveaway!

Several blogs are participating in a hop for Valentine's Day! Check out the sites for some cool postings and prizes before it's too late!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Value of Printed Media

As I was traveling along part of the Shameless Giveaway Hop, one of the entries wanted our opinions on the proper price for e-books. It got me thinking a little more about the theory behind e-books in general. I've always been a bit mixed in my views in regard to technology in general. Mostly my attitude came about because I never even had a computer of my own until I was a senior in college--and then only because a pre-law friend of mine gave me her hand-me-down. I was very grateful since I had been using a step-up from a type writer, a Brother word-processor. I loved that old thing, even though I had to feed each page by hand. But the thing is, I don't really like change. And technology requires constant change. Anyway, I thought I'd put down here my thoughts about e-books in general because now that I have them, I don't want to give mine up! 

So, for the survey, I wrote:

I don’t believe I have ever paid more than $7.00 for an e-book. Some may be priced higher than that, but I wait for a coupon code at various publishers or go to Amazon after the book has been out a while. I am in an area where only a very few, mainstream authors are purchased by the library and there is not a large trading system like there was back home. And, unless something has changed very recently, there are no e-books to be used for free either. There are only a handful of internet-ready computers anyway.
So, my best bet are the cheaper e-books, sharing e-books at places like goodreads with the nook and kindle apps, and going to the flea market where we can buy, sell, and trade hard copies of books for .50-$2.00. The problem with the flea market is that you are at the mercy of whatever other people are reading and the weather. I went to an e-reader and computer so my husband also wouldn’t have the physical reminder of my hobby (mounds and mounds of books!). If I am not allowed to resell an e-book (which I totally understand) or share it multiple times with as many people as I want, then it should cost significantly less than a hard copy book.
But, in order to not have hard copy books disappear completely like some movie rental places have been because of things like netflix, the price should definitely be more than, say .99. It would be a real shame if my children’s children don’t get to build up their arm muscles like we did when we were in school! And now most research in college classes are being done in data bases instead of in the stacks. So I know not getting to rely on printed materials very soon in the future is no idle fear.
Think about the drive in movie theaters. I loved them as a child. Now you can hardly find one. Cost efficiency experts are costing us and our descendants far more than a few dollars. It’s changing our world. I love my Kindle. But I don’t fondly look at it and think about passing it on to my grandchildren the way I treasure the Secret Garden and the Children’s Book of Poetry my neighbor gave me when I was young. She was born in 1901 and died while I was in college. Think about all that she had seen and done. And what were two of the things she gave me–books.

Let me know what you think.....

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Girl Scout Controversy?

There seems to be a disagreement across America about whether to allow transgender youth into the Girl Scouts. From my understanding, at least one of the councils in Colorado have already made the decision to allow it. And so, with the annual cookie drive coming up, many people with be either buying more than they usually do or boycotting the Scouts' most important way to fund themselves as a non-profit. I was a Girl Scout for years and earned my Gold Award (similar to the Boy Scout Eagle Award). I have always believed in their teachings, and I hope that they will still be a strong organization when I am lucky enough to have a daughter of my own. If a Girl Scout comes knocking on my door, I'll definitely be buying some thin mints. Maybe even a second box. Even though I've already lost twenty-pounds on my diet. Hell, they taste especially good in the summer straight out of the freezer.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Some good news!

Hey anyone out there,

My dog is doing much better--thank God! We got to bring him home last night, and he is finally drinking water and taking his medication on his own. They are still not sure whether he was poisoned with rat poison or had some type of food poisoning, but he is bleeding some internally (based on his swollen mid-section, some tests, and his feces) and he is not eating anything. The vet believes, though, that his drinking on his own, being a lot more steady on his feet, and seeming "perky" when responding to us is a good sign. Nevertheless, he mostly is just sleeping and still is breathing heavily. I often have to wake him to encourage more drinking. I think he will make it, though. We were so afraid that a couple nights ago would be his last.

Here are some links in case something like this happens to a pet you love:

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/top-10-dog-poisons

http://www.dogsymptomscure.com/dog-rat-poison-symptoms.php

http://www.2ndchance.info/antifreeze.htm

I have not been doing any real reading or writing--it's just too taxing with the time commitment for my German Shepherd and for spending time with my son and husband. I've been looking around the property to try to find out where he may have stumbled into the poison, but with the snow it may be a while before I can tell--if I will ever be able to. But, my husband has encouraged me to surf the net to keep up with what's going on out there.

He also took me on a mini-date yesterday afternoon to my favorite Chinese buffet and then to a pawn shop. You may think it odd to go to a pawn shop on a date, but I have been dying to find a cheap 9mm, preferably a LCP for getting my concealed carry, and I have also wanted to see about a compound bow. Neither of things are cheap, but they may be affordable at a pawn shop! I don't like to go to those places alone--he is the better haggler when it comes to money!

Anyway, once my dog is out of the woods, I will get back to my thank-yous for contests won and read the books that are on my contest lists for January and from the won contests so that I can post the reviews. The hard-working authors deserve that! For now, a few personal lines here and there, and some random blog hops are all I feel up to. I hope everyone has a great second-half of the month!

Ann (Kyreadinggirl)

Friday, January 13, 2012

May be not posting for a few days!

I may not be posting for a few days...

We had to take my poor 8.5 year-old German Shepherd to the emergency vet at 3 am last night--he has to stay overnight tonight too. They are giving him fluids, antibiotics, and vitamin K. We think he somehow got rat poisoned while being let out to go to the bathroom--but wouldn't that have had to have been intentional? And only about three months ago we had to put down my poor 10.5 year-old Brittney-Spaniel/Beagle because of cancer. I hope my GSD pulls through. Please pray for him and us!

My reading and, therefore my writing, will be cut short. I'll try to check messages, but may not be answering much until next week.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Thank You!

I haven't been writing on the blog as often as I should, but I wanted to make sure I thanked a couple people in the next few days! The first is an author whose contest I won last week for a signed copy of All Bets Are Off by Marguerite Labbe. I can't wait to read it, but I have had to stop the temptation to start it several times because of other books I have already started and committed to finishing and computer problems that I am "trying" to learn to fix. I will post a review later after finishing her book!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Goodreads M/M Member's Choice Awards Jan. 7

The M/M reading and writing group on www.goodreads.com will be hosting its 2011 Member's Choice Awards. This will be a live event, held via a chat room, twitter, and facebook. You MUST be a member of the group to participate, as well as asking to join the Facebook M/M Romance Group before the event. This will be a fun time to see what authors and books have been nominated and have won the coveted positions! Please join us 4:00-9:00 PM EST (New York Time, or Kentucky time for me as well!) on Jan. 7.

Review of "Twenty Years Later: Welcome Home to the Conquering Hero!"

I really enjoyed this look at two boys' relationship that grew from friendship to young love, then ended for about twenty years when they fell out of contact with one another. I especially found the dual marriage proposals adorable. I usually do not enjoy divorce mixed in with my romance, but this story treated it justly, and the wife was portrayed logically and gave the husband--a good father--at least partial custody or visitation rights, something that I am a proponent of. Finally, the vignettes at the end add just the right additional material for the plot and characterization that couldn't effectively be worked in otherwise. I highly recommend this read and it a 5-star ranking!