Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

by:  Jessica Martinez
published by:  Simon Pulse
publish date:  October 18, 2011

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

Mainly I picked this book, because I really liked the cover.  That's an awesome cover right?  Contemporary romance isn't generally my cup of tea.  That's Kari's scene.  However, I did like this story.  I found it particularly impressive for a debut author.

I don't play an instrument so I can't comment as to the musical aspect of it.  I've seen some of the comments about this book are a little negative about that part.  From an outsiders point of view it all worked fine for me.  I think pretty much everyone can relate to the idea of performance anxiety and understand the pressure that the kids would be under to succeed.

The relationship between Jeremy and Carmen at first seemed a little convenient I guess.  I agreed with Carmen's mother that he was just trying to get to her to make her lose the competition.  After that it seemed like the progression their relationship took felt realistic.  The ending was a surprise and a detour I wasn't expecting and I liked where they were in the end.

Blog Tour: Creatures of the Night That We Loved So Well

Author:James Fetters
Publisher: Sabre E-Books
Date of Publication: February 8th 2011

Jeepers Creepers Theater in 1962 ignited a love of horror hosts that was the beginning of a life-long addiction for many fans. But as much as the audience loved the shows, they never knew the horror that occurred off-screen — live adult stage performances, lawsuits and cutthroat competition. What started off as risqué and sexy by 1954 standards ended as risqué sexy by 1984 standards. Horror hosts affected 30 years of television history… a phenomenon that is not known by today’s generation but well remembered by the Baby Boomers and now chronicled for future generations.

Much of this 365-page book is packed with detailed reference material that has been sadly lacking on the subject. In Creatures of the Night That We Loved So Well, you will find: Little-known trivia, Over 250 photos, ads and images–many never seen before movie listings by date, actual scripts, interviews with hosts and writers, and identities revealed for the first time. 

I remember watching Creature Double feature on Saturday mornings when I was child. While there was no host for the show, this book brought back lots of memories of those B-horror movies that I loved so much!  Creatures of the Night gives us a glimpse into the unique lives of the hosts of past late night horror shows, such as Vampira and my personal favorite, Elvira. This book is loaded with quotes, photos, anecdotes and time lines.  While I loved eery part of this book, I wish some of the scanned documents and articles were a little bigger.  Some were difficult to read and I found this a bit frustrating at times. 

Creatures of the Night is a great book for any fan old B-horror movies, like myself.One of my favorite parts on of the book is toward the end where a number of old movies are listed, each with a synopsis and credits.  I will be sitting down with this list an browsing Netflix to see what I can add to my queue!  This is a fun book and I know you will enjoy it!


--Kari

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
James Fetters grew up watching and recording TV horror host shows on a reel to reel tape recorder starting in 1962. Finding the tapes years later inspired him to start a website, which led to contact from directors, script writers, actors, and the creators of the programs he so enjoyed. He’s also written articles and worked as webmaster for Scary Monsters Magazine. Currently he lives in Boise, Idaho and spends his time writing and dreaming when he’s not acquiring history from nationally shown TV horror hosts.

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

by:  Jo Nesbo
published by:  Knopf
publish date:  May 10, 2011

The night the first snow falls a young boy wakes to find his mother gone. He walks through the silent house, but finds only wet footprints on the stairs. In the garden looms a solitary figure: a snowman bathed in cold moonlight, its black eyes glaring up at the bedroom windows. Round its neck is his mother's pink scarf. Inspector Harry Hole is convinced there is a link between the disappearance and a menacing letter he received some months earlier. As Harry and his team delve into unsolved case files, they discover that an alarming number of wives and mothers have gone missing over the years. When a second woman disappears Harry's suspicions are confirmed: he is a pawn in a deadly game. For the first time in his career Harry finds himself confronted with a serial killer operating on his turf, a killer who will drive him to the brink of insanity.

I'm a big fan of Jo Nesbo.  So I wasn't surprised that this was another excellent mystery by him.  If you're a fan if murder mysteries, police procedurals, that type of book, Jo Nesbo won't disappoint.  All of his books take place in Norway which makes for an interesting backdrop.  After 4 books I feel like I know Oslo and I've never been there.

I do have one small complaint about this book in comparison to his other books.  I felt like the ending was overly long.  It could have been a nice tidy ending, but I felt like it kept dragging out and dragging out.   I listened to the audiobook and I think if I had read the actual book I probably would have skimmed the last 30-40 pages or so.

Despite that, Harry Hole (and his unfortunate name) is one of my favorite characters.  I can't wait to read more about him and his constant struggle with sobriety.  I find this aspect of his character to be very well written and compelling.  I always find myself crestfallen when he takes the next drink or cheering him on when he doesn't. 

White Heat by M. J. McGrath

Author:M. J. McGrath
Publisher: Penguin Group (August 2011)
Audio by Blackstone Audio. Inc.

Nothing on the tundra rotted ...The whole history of human settlement lay exposed there, under that big northern sky. There was nowhere here for bones to hide. On Craig Island, a vast landscape of ice north of the Arctic Circle, three travellers are hunting duck. Among them is expert Inuit hunter and guide, Edie Kiglatuk; a woman born of this harsh, beautiful terrain. The two men are tourists, experiencing Arctic life in the raw, but when one of the men is shot dead in mysterious circumstances, the local Council of Elders in the tiny settlement of Autisaq is keen to dismiss it as an accident. Then two adventurers arrive in Autisaq hoping to search for the remains of the legendary Victorian explorer Sir James Fairfax. The men hire Edie - whose ancestor Welatok guided Fairfax - along with Edie's stepson Joe, and two parties set off in different directions. Four days later, Joe returns to Autisaq frostbitten, hypothermic and disoriented, to report his man missing. And when things take an even darker turn, Edie finds herself heartbroken, and facing the greatest challenge of her life...

White Heat is beautifully written.  The author did a wonderful job of describing the area in which the story took place.  As I was reading, I really felt like I had been dropped into the Arctic region.  Her descriptions of the landscape make me want to visit there myself someday.  I also really liked her characters.  Edie was so believable and not without fault.   I want to know more about her and I hope that the author visits her again.  I also enjoyed the friendship that develops between Edie and Derek.  It was appropriately not romantic and therefore more believable.  


While I enjoyed this one, I thought it was a bit long.  There was definitely some content that could have been cut out as I felt it was not necessary to the advancement of the story.  I listened to the audio version and I enjoyed the Kate Reading's (the narrator) voice.  Her accent in pronouncing the Inuit names and dialect gave the story a genuine feel.

 --Kari

2 in 1 Novellas Day

I haven't done one of these in a while.  Today, I have 2 novellas from Carina Press:

Three Days, Two Nights
Author: M.J. Fredrick
Publish date: October 2011


Nathaniel Reis screwed up. He put his career as an air force pilot before his marriage to Tess, and wound up divorced. Now that he's left the service, he has a plan to fix things, if only he can get her alone for a few days. 


When Tess misses her flight to a corporate retreat, Nat's there with his island-hopper plane and a plot to get stranded in paradise thanks to "mechanical problems." But his plan goes awry when a storm blows them off course and they have to make a real emergency landing—and not on the island where he's stashed supplies.
Tess is furious. She's anxious to get to her retreat, and away from Nat. She's even angrier that being so close to him arouses her in a way she hasn't been for a long time. Rescue can't come soon enough, but in the meantime, she's going to have to trust Nat to keep her safe. Even if she's in danger of falling for him all over again.
(19,000 words)

Of the two, I liked this one the best.  Nathaniel and Tess have split up due to a major lack of priorities and communication.  Nathaniel wants Tess back and has cooked up a scheme to win her over.  A storm throws his plan off track, but he makes due and gets busy trying to win her trust back. This is a great story to read on a rainy day. What could be more romantic than a tropical island with a waterfall?  I liked both characters.  Because of their past history, I believed their HEA.  I recommend this one. It is pretty short with a sweet ending.

  
Sapphire

Author: Jeffe Kennedy
Publish date: October 2011

A successful executive, M. Taylor Hamilton is on track with her ten-year plan. Too bad her personal life consists of hitting the gym and grocery shopping. Enter the seductive Adam Kirliss. They may have a working relationship, but everything changes at an office party when he handcuffs her to the rail of a yacht. 

Taylor writes off the adventure as too much champagne, but when Adam challenges her to a date, she agrees to meet up with him. And follow his rules. They share a night of exquisite intimacy, brimming with both pain and pleasure. But afterward, fearful of losing her heart, Taylor pulls back emotionally.

Adam is determined to prove that she longs for the loss of control he can give her—and the passionate release it provides. How can he make her see that he wants her, and not just her body?
(32,000 words)


I didn't care for this one.  I didn't like either character or their personalities.  I didn't believe that anything that Adam did to Taylor would really make her want to be with him.  If you ask me, I think she should have stayed away.  While I understand this was a Dom/Sub story, I thought that Adam was crude and forceful.  I'm not sure I ever saw the moment that Taylor decided to trust Adam.  Other then lust, I never got the sense that Adam felt anything for Taylor. In my opinion, I think that you could skip this one.


--Kari

Guest post and review: Ron Gavalik

Today, we have author, Ron Gavalik, who is here to talk about Grit City Emotobooks.  Welcome, Ron!

Grit City Issue #1
Author: Ron Gavalik
Publisher: Grit City Publications (July 1, 2011)

Grit City is a dark and calamitous world in the throes of self destruction. Dillon Galway, a freelance journalist and blogger, risks his life to expose violent corruption from the heights of skyscrapers to the depths of the underground. He relies on Alyssa Stephano (gun for hire) to help expose the perpetrators and deliver justice.

My thoughts: 

The first issue of Grit City introduces a a unique take on story telling. Throughout the story, illustrations have been placed to attempt to enhance the readers experience. They allow the reader to better connect with what the character is feeling in the scene. Being my first experience with this style, I wasn't sure what to expect. I enjoyed it more than a graphic novel. It allowed me to still envision my own scene, but just added a little extra. The story itself was interesting. It is short and being a serial, it ends in a cliffhanger. I look forward to reading more. --Kari

Ron Writes:

Grit City Emotobooks Revolutionize Fictional Storytelling

Ron Gavalik

As a writer it’s always been a goal of mine to bridge the gap between the cerebral gratifications of well-plotted writing and the visual stimulation of illustrative art or film. Like a mad scientist with crazy hair and a battered lab coat, I experimented with various styles, structures, and word painting exercises. Nothing seemed to achieve my goal.

Then it came to me. I had a mini-epiphany. Insert abstract, emotionally representative illustrations during peak moments of tension. By delivering a visual of what the character feels and experiences, the reader becomes more intensely immersed in the story.

The term emotobook is simply a portmanteau word I conjured, as a fun and memorable label for this new medium of fiction.

Unlike comic books that use direct illustrations as the primary storytelling device, Grit City emotobooks are written mystery noirs, with an urban fantasy twist. The four of five illustrations in each thirty-page installment merely lend a visual experience to the internal emotional processes of the characters.

It’s lots of fun.

Grit City is continuing story, published each month to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks and other eBook retailers. In each installment the reader is exposed to a dark and calamitous world, where the nefarious rule.

Our main character is Dillon Galway, an idealistic freelance journalist in his mid-twenties, who barely scrapes out a living reporting on corruption for the metro newspaper and his own blog.

Dillon embodies a double meaning of the term grit. He is a gritty individual, who drinks and lives meagerly. But he also possesses grit. Courage and strength of character are his dominant personality traits.

I’ve constructed a world where Dillon shares a symbiotic relationship with the city. Its failures have lowered him, yet he remains hopeful for the restoration of peace and opportunity. Occasionally, he relies on the sexy and sultry Alyssa Stephano (gun for hire) to help when situations require her nickel-plated Colt .45 revolvers.

Grit City was an ideal place to live at one time. We all know of towns that have fallen over the years. The murder of Dillon’s Father and the rise of the Syndicate started Dillon’s downward spiral. All meaningful power in business, politics, and law enforcement were funneled into the hands of this wealthy organization.

But in the shadows of the back alleys, whispers stir in the underground of an unnamed force. Something or someone that’s determined to upset the status quo. When Dillon is tipped about horrifying activities he’s propelled into a perilous investigation that may lead to dire consequences.

As the series progresses he’s faced with unfathomed challenges, but also gains abilities most consider impossible.

We’ve all dedicated our lives to the pursuit of a new fiction medium. We’re thankful such a broad audience is heralding the story. It seems our tagline on the website is true: Read one installment and you’ll be hooked until the gritty end.

Grit City is the maiden series of Grit City Publications. Our team of illustrators and editors are working with writers to launch a catalog of emotobook titles in 2012. It’s our goal to offer emotobooks in the following genres: Mystery, Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Western, Romance, Erotica, and Inspirational. Cross genres are welcome and encouraged.

Maybe you have what it takes to write or illustrate for us.

Author Bio

Ron Gavalik has devoted his life to the written word. He’s practiced a long and successful career in fiction writing, journalism, and technical documentation. His short fiction has appeared in several magazines and online venues. His news articles have informed thousands of readers throughout the United States.

He conceived the new medium of emotobooks in 2010 while earning his M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Grit City is the maiden serialized story, and is receiving accolades among a large and diverse base of readers throughout the US, UK, and Germany.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Ron spends much of his free time in the outdoors of Southwestern Pennsylvania. He enjoys fishing, hiking, and riding his trail bike. He can be reached through his website at: RonGavalik.com.

Throwback Thursday - Stardust of Yesterday

Author: Lynn Kurland
First Published in 1996 by Jove

When Genevieve inherits a castle, she isn't expecting the incredibly sexy 13th century knight that accompanies it. Unfortunately, he's a ghost, so fantasy is all Genevieve and Kendrick de Paiget are able to share until Kendrick actually becomes corporeal, and Genevieve has to overcome her fear of the flesh. Hardly your normal problem with a ghost!

A friend of mine has been trying to get me to read any book written by Lynn Kurland  for years.  When I saw that the first one was available for download on my library's site for MP3, I decided it was time to give in.  I'm glad I did.  Stardust of Yesterday is unlike any paranormal romance that I have read before.  The premise is unique.  Genevieve and Kendrick both live in a castle and become friends.  They slowly fall in love with each other.  The catch...Kendrick is a 700 year old ghost.  


Parts of this book are heart-wrenching and I had tears in my eyes.  But, it is also filled with many humorous scenes and word play between the two lovers.  I loved Genevieve and Kendrick together and found myself holding my breath to see if they would have their HEA.  There are also a score of other characters that only enhance the story.  I hope some of them show up in later books.


I definitely recommend this throwback.  It is cheesy in parts, but such a sweet story that you can't help but want to ignore them.


--Kari

Review and Interview - Eye Contact by Rebecca Royce

Today we have an interview with author Rebecca Royce who is promoting her book Eye Contact.   Welcome Rebecca!

Publisher: Decadent Publishing (March 2011)

Thirty years ago, after the breakdown of an oil negotiation, the President of the United States decided that all people born with unusual abilities, which he would now refer to as “the condition”, would be locked away from the general public where they couldn't harm others. Parents and loved ones of these people, most of whom were children, were forced to turn them in upon penalty of death. Formed to keep the institutions secure, the Committee for the Protection of a Free Society now rules these institutions with an iron fist. 

The granddaughter of one the Committee members, Addison Wade has lived her life wary of the institutions and all they represent. A woman of secrets, she is forced to turn to Safe Dawn, one of the facilities designed to hold conditioned people, when her nephew is kidnapped and, despite her best efforts, cannot be recovered. She knows the last thing anyone in 'Safe Dawn' will want to do is to help a Wade with any problems, but she is desperate and out of options.

 

Spencer Lewis is famous for being the premier conditioned ‘locator.’ There's no one he can't find and he has a soft spot for missing children. But, Spencer has been through a trauma and locating Jeremy Wade may be dangerous both to himself and to those around him. In addition, he takes one look at ice cold Addison Wade and wants nothing more than to knock her down a peg. Never having turned down an opportunity to help a child, he reluctantly agrees to help recover Jeremy. 

In a world where nothing is as it seems and every person they encounter has his own agenda, Addison and Spencer will find that the only people they can trust are each other. But how can anyone fall in love living in a world that wants you dead just for being born? 

My Thoughts:


I really enjoyed Eye Contact.  Ms. Royce has created an interesting world where people who are born with special abilities are called Conditioned.  It reminded me of the X-Men, except the Conditioned have been kept away from society.  They aren't even thought of as human.  They have no rights at all.  Spencer Lewis is one of the special Conditioned who is let out occasionally to use his special ability to find lost people. Addison Wade hires him to find her kidnapped nephew.


I expected a paranormal romance, but what I got was so much more. The story is well written with intriguing characters. The mystery was well thought out and had a nice twist at the end.  I loved Spencer and Addison together.  I think my favorite scene was the one where Spencer gets to drive for the first time. It is such an endearing scene that made me fall in love with both of them!   I look forward to reading the next books in the series.  I hope she features more of the secondary characters that appeared in this one.  Eye Contact is definitely worth reading!



Rebecca was kind enough to answer some questions for us:

Kari: What inspired you to become a writer?

Rebecca: I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I wrote my first book when I was in fourth grade.  But, it was about finally finding the courage to follow my dreams that allowed it to actually happen.  That happened when I was pregnant with my second son. Let’s blame the pregnancy hormones.

Kari: Where did you come up with the idea for your book?

Rebecca: I have no idea where my ideas come from. I know this is a frustrating answer but I can’t pinpoint those things. Its like they go ‘boom’ and they’re suddenly there.

Kari: What is your favorite part of the book?

Rebecca: There is a moment where Spencer sees Addison with her defenses down as she’s standing on the street.  I loved writing that scene. 

Kari: What exciting projects are waiting in the wings?

Rebecca: I am writing the next Westervelt Wolf book right now!

Kari: Just for fun, if you could be any animal, what would it be and why?

Rebecca: A Siamese cat.  I was raised with them. I love them. I’d love to be one. Well, one of the ones that lived in my house. LOL

About the author:

 

As a teenager, I would hide in my room to read my favorite romance novels when I was supposed to be doing my homework.  I hope, these days, that my parents think it was worth it.

I am the mother of three adorable boys and I am fortunate to be married to my best friend.  We live in northern New Jersey and try not to freeze too badly during the winter months. 

I am in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and try to use all of these elements in my writing.  I've been told I'm a little bloodthirsty so I hope that when you read my work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. I love to write series because I love to see characters develop over time and it always makes me happy to see my favorite characters make guest appearances in other books. 

In my world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

I'd love to hear from you!

Blog Tour Promissary Pay Back & Unrevealed

Today, we are featuring Laurel Dewey, author of the popular Detective Jane Perry series.  Up for review are her recent collection of short stories, Unrevealed and her novella, Promissory Payback, both featuring Jane Perry.

Publisher: The Story Plant 
Date Published: October 4th 2011

Laurel Dewey’s Detective Jane Perry is quickly becoming one of the most distinctive, dynamic, and unforgettable characters in suspense fiction today. She’s rock hard, but capable of extraordinary tenderness. She’s a brilliant cop, but she’s capable of making life-altering mistakes. She’s uncannily talented, and she’s heartbreakingly human.  In Unrevealed, Dewey gives us four indelible portraits of Jane Perry:

ANONYMOUS: One of Jane's first AA meetings leads her to an encounter with a woman in need of her detection skills...and a secret she never expected to uncover.

YOU CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER: Forced by her boss to speak at a high school career day, Jane meets a troubled boy and finds that his story is only the beginning of a much more revealing tale.

YOU'RE ONLY AS SICK AS YOUR SECRETS: An early-morning homicide call introduces Jane to a mystery as layered as it is unsuspected.

THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM: Jane finds herself sharing a 2:00 am conversation at a downtown bar with an old acquaintance. Will the bloody night that proceeded this moment complicate Jane's intentions?

Filled with secrets disclosed and others desperately covered, Unrevealed is an absolute treat for all Jane Perry fans – four stories, all told from Jane's distinctive and unparallelled perspective.

 I really enjoyed Unrevealed.  I haven't read any of the full length novels featuring Jane Pery, but if these short stories are any indication, I know I will love them. This collection of short stories was very well written and gave me a good sense of Jane Perry as a person and as a detective. Unrevealed is a very quick read.  It features 4 short stories.  Each story has a "secret" that is revealed in the end.  As I was reading this book, I felt like I was reading one of those 5 minute mysteries books that I loved in high school.  Where the end has a twist that I didn't see coming.  I definitely recommend this one!

Publisher: The Story Plant
Date Published: August 2nd 2011
Laurel Dewey’s Detective Jane Perry is quickly becoming one of the most distinctive, dynamic, and unforgettable characters in suspense fiction today. She’s rock hard, but capable of extraordinary tenderness. She’s a brilliant cop, but she’s capable of making life-altering mistakes. She’s uncannily talented, and she’s heartbreakingly human.

In this novelette, Jane is called in to investigate the gruesome murder of a woman who profited greatly from the misfortunes of others. The case leaves Jane with little question about motive...and with a seemingly endless number of suspects.


Promissory Payback is a longer than Unrevealed but featured only one story.  I liked this one because I felt like I got to see a little more of how Jane Perry works.  She has a way of making people talk even when they don't want to reveal anything about themselves.  I enjoyed watching her work out who the killer was.  I think to talk about it more would ruin it for you.  It is definitely worth a shot.  I know I will be picking up the full length Jane Perry mysteries in the future!




- Kari




About the author:

Laurel Dewey was born and raised in Los Angeles. She is the author of two nonfiction books on plant medicine, a Silver Spur-nominated Western novella, hundreds of articles, the Jane Perry novels, PROTECTOR, REDEMPTION, and REVELATIONS, and the Jane Perry novelette, AN UNFINISHED DEATH. She lives in Western Colorado with her husband, where she is currently working on a standalone novel.

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop Winners

The following winners were chosen using random.org.  Both winners have been contacted by e-mail. Huge congrats!  Thank you to everyone who left a comment!!

-Kari & Autumn

Prize Pack #1 - 1 Hardcover copy of Damned by Chuck Palahniuk & Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Dawn M.

Prize Pack #2 - 1 ARC of Wedlocked by Bonnie Trachtenberg and 1 ARC of The Time  in Between by Maria Duenas


Deranged Pegasus

Here Be Monsters: 50 Days Adrift at Sea

by:  Michael Finkel
published by:  GQ Magazine
publish date:  August 9, 2011

They did it for the simplest of reasons: adventure. Three young friends, on a drunken dare, set out on a dinghy for a nearby island. But when the gas ran out and they drifted into barren waters, their biggest threat wasn't the ocean -- it was each other.

This was released as a Kindle Single.  My first experience with the Kindle Singles was Mile 81 by Stephen King and it was a good one so I thought I'd check this one out.  I like survival stories and this one sounded like it was going to be a good one.

It was just ok.  The story was interesting.  How these boys lasted for so long with so little I don't know.  The part I liked most was all the other survival stories that were interspersed throughout the article.  I was disappointed in the ending.  I guess I was hoping for more of a storybook ending and not a real life ending. 

Was it worth it to buy the Kindle Single?  Probably not.  Since I now know it was originally published in GQ, it would have been better to track it down online.