Archive for December, 2012

This Woman’s Happy New Year!

Posted: December 31, 2012 in Holidays

The countdown has almost begun. The New Year is almost here. What will you be doing this New Years Eve?

Some of you will be at parties, shaking your bootie and celebrating with friends.

When Midnight comes around many of you will be kissing the person next to you!

Champagne corks will pop! Glasses will be raised!

An important thing to remember, Don’t let friends drink and drive! Take the keys away or give them up before the party begins!

Then get started! Celebrate! Look to the skies!

While my New Years Eve will not be doing any of these things, I will be spending it doing something I love!

I’ll be safely snuggled on my couch, current read in my lap. soothing glass of wine to sip and at the stroke of midnight I’ll raise my glass, hug my son and my sister, and ring in the new year with a good book!

Cheers! I’ll see you next year!

2012 in review

Posted: December 31, 2012 in Uncategorized

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 18,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 4 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

mailbox photo: MAILBOX MAILBOX.jpg

This is my own version of a bookhaul post where  I’ll be telling you about all of the books I got this week, whether print or e-book.

I got quite a few books this week, some free, some for review, and some I purchased just for my reading pleasure.

First up is freebies. I can’t help it. I just have to grab some. Here’s what I got this week.

Here’s what I received for reviews.

These are books I won.

This one my sister gave to me.

These are ones I bought. Some new and some used.

This is not a typical weeks haul. There usually aren’t this many.

I have many happy hours of reading ahead and a heck of a lot of notes to take!

You can click on the covers to purchase any of these.

So what did you get this week? See something you like? Do you have any of these? Leave a comment and let me know.

Perfect Strangers by Liv Morris is free Dec. 28th through Dec. 30th! I spotted this short story last night and had to have it. The cover is sassy and the contents fog up the car windows. Thanks so much Liv.

Go here to get your free copy! Don’t wait too long.

PERFECT STRANGERS - (A Love in the City Short)

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Here it is, New Years Eve, and Katrina is still hard at work trying to get her yearend reports done. When her boss comes in to shoo her home, she’s just finished with them. Now for a whole week off!

Finally the doors slide open and I practically jump in. As the cage starts to descend, I do a little happy dance. My vacation has officially begun. Yay, me!

I’m free for a whole seven days and plan on being a lazy sloth. Days filled with wearing yoga pants and watching old Audrey Hepburn movies are awaiting me. Oh, and ice cream. Lots and lots of chocolate ice cream.

Aah, a girl after my own heart.

When Katrina exits the building, she grows concerned. The supposed two inches of snowfall has turned into a winter blizzard and it’s going to be a tense, hazardous drive to meet her parents for dinner. If she’s careful, and takes it slow she should be okay.

Well, as fate, or cupid, would have it, she’s not okay.

Pulling out of the parking garage, I’m hit with a wall of snow. The weatherman said flurries were likely this afternoon, but this is close to being a complete whiteout.

A bus in front of her fishtails and she can’t escape the pileup that ensues. A bump on the head is her only injury.

When a handsome young man taps on her window, she assures him she’s okay and accepts his offer to wait for emergency vehicles in the warmth of his car. It may be a long wait, but things are looking up!

Quote I liked

Yeah, I tend to speak like a crazy person when I’m around a hot guy. I have a chronic condition of hormone-induced Tourette’s.”

I loved the conversation between Katrina and Drew. It’s funny how you find yourself telling things to a complete stranger. Their banter is funny and the sexual attraction is heating up.

I can’t resist a short story. It’s a great way to get a sampling of an author’s writing and after reading Perfect Strangers,  I know I like the way Liv Morris writes.

I was into the story from the opening and rubbed my hands together in glee as I read on. I had an idea of what was ahead, but had a great time getting there.

While I don’t wish to be stuck in the snow, if I were, I’d hope to “bump” into someone like Drew.

Four of Cupid’s Arrows for Perfect Strangers.

     

While on Amazon, I bought Liv’s other short story, Magic at Macy’s. It’s only 99 cents! and free for Kindle Prime Members. You can get your copy here.

Magic at Macy's

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I’m really loving the cover art for Liv’s Love in the City collection.

Yale University freshman Ally Brown is spending her first Thanksgiving away from home. Feeling alone and restless in a deserted dormitory, she sets off on an adventure to tour the amazing holiday window displays along New York City’s Fifth Avenue.

But her plans get sidetracked as she switches from tourist to stalker after spotting her crush, Jack Prescott, who is taking the same train into the city. He’s the handsome Editor in Chief of the Yale Daily News and the man of her dreams—if only she could work up the courage to speak to him.

Certain that it would take a miracle for Jack to notice her, Ally experiences her own “Miracle on 34th Street” when things take a surprisingly romantic turn, thanks to a little Magic at Macy’s.

I’ll be doing my review  for  Magic at Macy’s soon and can’t wait to read her first full length novel, Happy Hour, when it’s released.

About the author

Liv Morris

Currently Liv resides in Manhattan with her husband of twenty-eight years. They have three grown daughters who are scattered across the United States. She was raised in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri and feels blessed to have a supportive and close family.

Liv received a B.S. in Communication from the University of Maryland. She has published her first short story/novella in the “Love in the City” collection and is currently writing her debut novel, Happy Hour.

Contacts

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

To purchase her books, click on the covers

Today is your lucky day. To all fans of horror and the darkest depths of the human mind, What the Dark Brings is free now through December 30th.

Get your free copy here.

What the Dark Brings

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Follow Edward Lorn out of the light and into the darkest recesses of his mind.

What the Dark Brings is a collection of 19 short stories, beginning with “Literary Sweets”, a tender jaunt into Christmastime that proves all is not lost for one jaded gentleman. But by the time you reach the final tale, “Come to Jesus Meeting”, the darkness is all encompassing.

Tales of hope, heartache, and horror abound.

Come find What the Dark Brings

***As an added bonus to new fans, Edward Lorn has included his mini-anthology, Three After, complete and uncut, at the end of this collection. A total of 22 tales of terror coming it at over 40,000 words.***

Check out my thoughts on Edward’s Bonus stories.

Edward Lorn’s Three After takes you to the darkside with three chilling tales.

Three after

If you like your horror twisted and dripping blood, these three tales will give you that and then some. I will give you fair warning that Edward writes very descriptive, almost visual scenes, and they ain’t pretty.

1. World’s Greatest Dad

This is every father’s, hell, everybody’s worst nightmare.

Kimmy is gone. While Carl was trick or treating with his daughter, somebody snatched her. He was only distracted for a moment, but that was all it took.

The last time Carl saw Kimmy, she was talking to a man sitting in a rocking chair wearing a wolf costume. Now the chair is empty and Kimmy is gone.

They found Kimmy, but it was too late. Her body was discovered in a garbage bin, thrown away like so much trash.

Carl is consumed by grief and guilt. The police investigation is going nowhere. There is no consolation to be found.

Carl’s friend David inadvertently hands him a cup of coffee, the cup made by Kimmy. It reads World’s Gratest Dad and, yes, that is how she spelled it. Not able to bear it, Carl asks for a different cup. As he passes it back to David, the words on the cup change.

Help Her

He was the only one to witness it. Believing it to be a message from his daughter, Carl uses the messages that appear on the cup to try to save Her and find his daughters killer.

This is a story of redemption, betrayal and vengeance. What wouldn’t you do for your child?

2. An Affair To Remember

Jimmy has crossed the line. His rage at finding out his wife was having an affair, and with a jerk like Ray, pushed him over the edge.

What happens to Ray is horrific, but he has only himself to blame. Should have kept his pants zipped and stopped taunting Jimmy when he was caught.

But after brutally torturing and killing his wife and her lover, things get really bizarre for Jimmy.

Maybe Jimmy should have just walked away from the whole sordid mess.

3. Snuggles

She seems like such a sweet young girl. Elizabeth loves cats and she has three, Cuddles, Snuggles and Bumbles. Her favorite is Snuggles.

One day, her dad accidentally lets Snuggles outside. These are indoor cats and are not supposed to be let outside because of the road.

Yep, you guessed it. Her mom finds Snuggles in the road and tells her that he has gone to heaven.

Elizabeth is heart-broken and what she does to get Snuggles back is beyond belief.

This story goes from shocking to stomach-turning in a blink. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Five screams for really creeping me out!

           

Stay tuned for more reviews of Edward Lorn’s stories.

About the author
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Edward Lorn
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Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person. Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recanted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother. With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history. Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.

Website

Twitter

Goodreads

To purchase these books, just click on the cover images.

 

Most of you know how much I like collections and short stories. Corpus Corruptum is an anthology with something for everyone.

I’m a huge fan of Adam and Evans Light and have read and reviewed many of their stories. These two brothers write horror like it’s meant to be written. Their short stories and collections leave you shaking in your boots.

I’m currently reading this anthology and will be reviewing it soon.

Now for the good stuff. It’s free to download from Amazon now until midnight on December 30th. Go here to get your free copy.

The Corpus Corruptum

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These stories are our mutant children, fever dreamed hallucinations that don’t necessarily fit into any particular genre – no matter how weird they are, we love them anyway.
THE CORPUS CORRUPTUM collection peeks into what happens when the body goes bad, the most universal of all human fears. We hope you enjoy it.

About the authors

About Adam Light and where to find him.

I have spent the better part of my life in northeast Florida, but I was born in West Virginia. I was consumed at an early age by an unquenchable thirst for the written word. Words, in general, when I think about it.

I was a quiet bookish kid, but after moving down south I grew into a wild and rebellious teenager. I grew my hair long, became enthralled with heavy metal music, and all the rest.

I’ve mellowed somewhat, but I love life, I love my family, and I love to write stories. I have a mad passion for it.

I am proud of the stories I have written and sincerely hope that readers like myself have enjoyed reading them as much as , and plan to continue tapping away at this keyboard until my fingers won’t move anymore.

Thanks to everyone who has supported my madness so far; I look forward to sharing much more of my mind’s crazy ride with you.

Goodreads

Amazon

To purchase Adam’s books, click on the covers.

Books written with Evans Light

About Evans Light and where to find him

Evans Light has lived here and there across the United States, from the mountains to the beaches to the desert, and currently chooses to reside in a warm, southern state where the living is easy.

Frequently drawn to uncommon experiences, Evans has thrown himself headfirst into a wide range of unusual situations, from testing low-level-entry parachutes with British Army Airborne units to travelling the vast reaches of inner space using sensory deprivation tanks. He is the proud father of fine sons and the lucky husband of a beautiful wife.

Evans Light has been in love with the written word from an early age, and works in a wide variety of genres, including horror, thrillers, sci-fi and humor – but stories of the “Weird Tales” variety still remain his favorite. Evans is currently hard at work completing a collection of short stories entitled “Obsessive Deceptions”. Each story from this compilation is being released as a stand-alone title on Amazon as it is finished. The first five have been collected in the anthology “Stories, Inc.”.

Evans is also writing his first full-length novel, which is expected to be released sometime before his death.

Author contacts

Goodreads

Facebook

You can find all of Evans Light’s books here.

Evans Light

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To join in, copy and paste these rules and the above banner into your Fanged Mania post and add your link to this week’s Fanged Mania post at Elisabeth Wheatley’s Blog. Fanged Mania is a Friday meme counting down to the release of Fanged Princess and displaying all things vampire and awesome. Fanged Mania posts can be a review of a vampire book, a quote from the latest Vampire Diaries episode, a showcase of a cool vampire book’s cover, or whatever you like so long as it is vampire related. Don’t forget, participants will be entered in the drawing to win a fanged-abulous prize pack!

The prize pack I mentioned includes Vampire Diaries and Breaking Dawn posters as well as a paperback copy of Erica Steven’s Captured (my review here) and the complete collection of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter stories by Jennifer Malone Wright, in paperback, too! =D

Oh, and the contest is international. And the more Fanged Mania posts you have, the more entries you get! So what are you waiting for? Hop on the bandwagon!

This weeks spotlight shines on Taylor Dean and her awesome series, Lancaster House!

Lancaster House

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Zoe Grayson needs a change. So, she moves to another state, purchases an old, dilapidated 1920s Victorian Mansion, and sets out to restore it to its former glory. As she begins the restoration, she finds herself falling in love with the old house . . . not to mention its illustrious builder, Mr. Lancaster. Zoe becomes obsessed with the house as she discovers its secrets; hidden rooms, secret passageways . . . and a mysterious man who seems to think the house is his. Who is he? More importantly, how does he live in her home unseen and unheard?

The unexpected answers leave her reeling—and questioning everything she’s ever known. To her dismay, Zoe’s actions land her in the local psychiatric hospital, scheming for ways to return to Lancaster House . . . and the love of her life.

I recently entered a contest for these books at fundinmental and I won! Man, the pictures here do not begin to show how beautiful the cover art is in print. I can’t wait to read these.

Here’s what Sherry @ fundinmental has to say.

“This was definitely a different twist on a vampire (?), ghost (?) or madwoman (?) story. I got about halfway through and thought WT. Never saw that coming. Now I get it, or do I?

A psychological thriller that will keep you guessing. The minute you think you have the answer, you better think again.”

Check out Sherry’s full review of Lancaster House here.

The Middle Aisle (Lancaster House)

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The Sequel to Lancaster House

Zoe Grayson is back in Lancaster House, ordered to bed rest for the duration of her unexpected pregnancy. Doctor Wade Channing, her overzealous psychiatrist, is living in Lancaster House, taking care of her, waiting on her, and tending to her every need. It seems to be the perfect arrangement.

There’s just one catch.

She has to tell him her story—everything that has happened in her life since the moment she escaped from Serenity Hills. It’s been quite an adventure to include renovating another home and a walk down the middle aisle.

But, that’s all over now. Nothing is real. It never was.

How did she end up in this miserable situation?

And here’s what Sherry has to say about The Middle Aisle.

“The ending left me stunned, I smiled as tears ran down my face. It was one of the best endings of any book I have read and left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling that lingered long after I had finished the book.”

For her full review go here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Taylor Dean

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Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense-you’ll find all sub-genres of romance in her line-up.

To find out what Taylor Dean is up to, follow the links below:

Website

Goodreads

To order any of the books below, simply click on the cover.

The Holiday Book Sale new

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The Post-Christmas Holiday Book Sale, hosted by the Indie Book Festival, will kick off on December 28 and run through December 31. All books will be .99!! The Indie Book Festival will be posting the participating books to their Facebook page as well.
The Indie Book Festival website is the premier online website for seasonal e-book sales events! From Halloween to Valentine’s Day – we’ll celebrate it by bringing you bestselling books by today’s hottest Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal and Young Adult indie authors.

Indie Book Festival | Facebook | Twitter

You can also enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card now!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you still here?

What are you waiting for?

Go get some great books!

Enter to win a fantastic prize!

Have fun and Good Luck!

If you want to know

If he loves you so

It’s in his kiss…

It's in His Kiss

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This is a really fast read. Only 40 some pages, but I just loved it.

Ely is a writer of YA books. Her agent is pushing her to have her 16-year-old character from her series experience her first kiss. As Ely lives through her writing and has no experience herself, she calls on her friend to help her out.

Lisbeth is a hot looking siren, you know the type. All of the guys crowd around her vying for her attention as she preens and flirts, while you are brushed aside.

Ely doesn’t care about all that. She just needs her advice on describing a young teens first kiss.

Lisbeth suggests they go to a nightclub to do research and what happens there is much more than Ely ever dreamed of.

I adored this story. Even if I had an idea where it was going, it still surprised and delighted me. I felt all warm and fuzzy inside and had a lot of laughs at Ely’s expense. She’s a good sport and puts up with a lot of crap from Lisbeth.

There are some hot guys in this and even though you don’t get to know a lot about them, their personalities make you wish you did.

It was fun reading a story about a writer developing and researching her character and making her grow and mature. All writers should have fun with this short and sweet tale.

I give this 4 Kisses!

     

It’s now only 99 cents and well worth it!

*My review is unbiased and my thoughts are my own.

About the author

Caitie Quinn loves to laugh, has been told she smiles too much, and honestly believes that Jeeps… the vehicle and the guy… are better with the top off. If you like her stories, you need to thank her two grandmothers, Grammy M and Nana, for passing on that wonderful (hereditary) storytelling gene.

Contacts

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Amazon

To purchase the books, click on the covers.

Winner!!

Posted: December 26, 2012 in Blog Tour, Book Promos, giveaways, Winners!

Time to tell you who won The Awakening and Other Stories by Emma Meade!

The winner is:

Stephanie Anne Grego

Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone for your comments. I really enjoyed reading them.

Thank you so much Emma for letting me host your giveaway.