Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

by:  Kendare Blake
published by:  Tor Teen
publish date:  August 30, 2011

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

The comments I had heard on this book ranged from hilarious to horrifying, needless to say I was intrigued.  Plus, I really like ghost stories.  I was really excited to read this book.  I loved the title, I loved the cover, it was a great set up for a really spooky story.

Overall I was impressed.  It was a good, creepy ghost story.  There were parts of it that were shockingly violent and completely unexpected.  Some parts were a little cheesy and hokey, but when don't you see that in a horror novel?  The characters were entertaining, but I wish more was explained about the cat, perhaps in later books. 

The one thing about this book that had me a little spooked was that Cas's dad was killed in a house in Baton Rouge.  The whole time I was reading the book I kept wondering why the author picked Baton Rouge.  Why not New Orleans?  There's more voodoo in New Orleans I'm sure and I don't work in New Orleans.  Just sayin!  I don't want to be thinking about man-eating, voodoo ghosties while I'm driving around.

Moving along...I saw that the cover for the next book has been revealed, but no release date

2 in 1 Novella Day

 I have 2 new M/M novellas for you, today.  Enjoy!

Right Street, Wrong House

Author: Pender Mackie
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Date Published: October 29th 2011

Lewis goes to a Halloween party to try to meet someone new and get over his feelings for his friend Dylan. When he goes to the wrong party, he discovers why Dylan won't date him. But Lewis has secrets too, and maybe they might be more compatible than Dylan thinks.

Right Street, Wrong House is the latest novella by Pender Mackie.  I really enjoyed her first one, Scent of Attraction.  I was eagerly waiting for her new story and I was not disappointed. Lewis has been in love with his friend Dylan for years, but he decides that he can't wait around forever for his to return his affections.  It is time to get out and meet new people.  One simple twist of fate, brings him face to face with the object of his desire. 

I really liked Lewis and Dylan.  I think the thing that appealed to me the most is that they have been friends for so long.  Their attraction felt very real and not forced.  This is a quick read and I won't spoil it for you.  I'll just say that it is a great story that will leave you smiling in the end.


Roping His Man
Author: Simone Anderson
Publisher: Total E-Bound
Date Published: 

When a vacation yields an unexpected surprise, choices must be made and love hangs in the balance.

When Colton Greenleaf returns to his parents buffalo ranch after college, he doesn’t count on long-buried feelings resurfacing or the pull of the Wyoming mountains luring him home to stay. He tells himself its only for two weeks, that he can put up with anything for two weeks. But, when he comes face to face with the man of his dreams his first night home, he isn’t so sure. Now, he must figure out whether to take the chance on love or follow his life plan and face losing out on love all together.

Emmanuel Keegan, known only as Hawk, knows that he is ready to settle down. The only problem is that the man he wants is twelve years younger and the boss’ only son. Not only that, Colt doesn’t plan on sticking around any longer than he has to. Hawk knows following his heart’s desire could make him the happiest man on earth or it could shatter his heart for all time.

Simone Anderson is a new to me author.  While she has written several other short stories, this is the only one that I have read. I enjoyed Roping His Man.  Both characters were very real to me.  I liked Hawk's character and could understand his reservations about getting involved with Colton, especially given the age gap between the two of them.  I think Colton had a bit of growing up to do before Hawk could commit.  


Roping His Man is a very quick read. It is well written with steamy and tasteful love scenes.  I loved the ending, but I won't spoil it for you.  You will have to read to see if they can get their HEA.  Ms. Anderson has a talent for writing and I look forward to reading more of her works.  

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

by:  Chris Bohjalian
published by:  Crown Publishers
publish date:   October 4, 2011

In a dusty corner of a basement in a rambling Victorian house in northern New Hampshire, a door has long been sealed shut with 39 six-inch-long carriage bolts.

The home's new owners are Chip and Emily Linton and their twin ten-year-old daughters. Together they hope to rebuild their lives there after Chip, an airline pilot, has to ditch his 70-seat regional jet in Lake Champlain after double engine failure. Unlike the Miracle on the Hudson, however, most of the passengers aboard Flight 1611 die on impact or drown. The body count? Thirty-nine – a coincidence not lost on Chip when he discovers the number of bolts in that basement door. Meanwhile, Emily finds herself wondering about the women in this sparsely populated White Mountain village – self-proclaimed herbalists – and their interest in her fifth-grade daughters. Are the women mad? Or is it her husband, in the wake of the tragedy, whose grip on sanity has become desperately tenuous?  

This book was in a word, tense.  I realized this when I was leaning forward, chewing on my thumbnail, gripping my iphone like one would a tennis racket because the audiobook narrator wasn't reading fast enough for me.  It starts off with a plane crash and ends in a way you wish you could change.

The Night Strangers is written in an interesting style.  It has alternating chapters of second and third person.  The second person chapters are told from Chip's point of view.  The third person chapters are told from various viewpoints, but most often Emily or one of the twins.  The dual narrators in the audiobook were brilliant with this.  The reader gets so much information this way, and it was a refreshing change of pace.

I've never read any of Chris Bohjalian's other works so I can't compare it to anything else, but I really liked this book.  The character building was great.  It was very interesting to see everything going on from Chip's perspective.  The reader really understands how tortured he is after the plane crash.  I think my favorite character ended up being Garnet.  I appreciated the little peeks at her feisty attitude.

The Night Strangers will more than likely make my favorites list of 2011.  It was the perfect mixture of creepy and compelling and scary without gory.

A Novel Seduction by Gwyn Cready

Author:  Gwyn Cready

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Date Published: October 25th 2011 

When snobbish book critic Ellery Sharpe screws up at Vanity Place magazine, her boss assigns her the ultimate punishment: write an ode to romance novels, a genre she considers the literary equivalent of word search puzzles. To make matters worse, he hires her sexy former party boy ex, Axel Mackenzie, to shoot the photos. Axel really wants the project to succeed. For one, the magazine will double his fee if he convinces strong-willed Ellery to write a story no woman can resist. Besides, getting Ellery to fall for romance novels might be just the push she needs to believe people can change . . . even him. At his sister’s advice, Axel gives Ellery a copy of Kiltlander, a much-adored romance whose warrior hero is utterly irresistible. To her dismay, Ellery finds herself secretly falling in love with the story—and with Axel, who’s drawing his own lessons from the book’s compelling hero. With her carefully crafted image of herself crumbling and her dream job on the line, will Ellery risk it all to make the leap from tight-lipped literati to happily-ever-after heroine?

I really wanted to like this book.  I love romance novels, so what would be better than a story about a book critic who is forced to write an article on the merits of romance? From looking around, I can see that this got great reviews, but I did like it, I didn't love it. For some reason, I had a hard time getting through this book, although I did finish it.  I don't know if it was the pacing or not.  Despite the humor and the "in-jokes" that I did enjoy, I found the story to be lacking something.  I never really got the connection between Ellery and Axel. I was frustrated with the amount of secrets.  I never understood why Axel would keep a key bit of information about his health away from Ellery.  Also, why would he let her keep thinking that he was still keeping up his old way of life, especially when he still loved her?  I'm not sure I really bought their HEA.

I will say that there is some great laugh-out-loud humor in this book.  I think my favorite scene is the one where Ellery and Axel try to figure out if the "positions" in one of the steamy novels are really possible.  That did have me giggling as I have often wondered if some of them were possible myself.   So, I think if you read it for the humor and shout outs to the romance genre, I think you will like it.  That is what sticks with me more than the actual romance in this book. 

Throwback Thursday: Dangerous Lies by Lisa April Smith

Author: Lisa April Smith
First Published in 2001 by Windgate Publishing


The trial had everything an ambitious prosecuting attorney could want: a solid case against a known crime lord and a seductively beautiful witness with a steamy past - ingredients guaranteed to pack a courtroom." From its first line, Dangerous Lies entices. Alternately raw, romantic, funny, and terrifying, this racy new thriller has two unforgettable protagonists. Tina Davis is the former mob mistress who inexplicably risks her life. Jake Stern, is the prosecuting attorney who hides a crippling fear behind a handsome stoic mask. Repelled by her past and obsessed with her presence, it's Jake's job to keep Tina alive.

Dangerous Lies is an interesting view into how our past can help to shape our future lives.  Ms. Smith draws you right into the story by first setting the scene in the present...a smart, beautiful former mistress of a mob boss, who is now a key witness in the case against a gangster and the prosecuting attorney who is intrigued by her. The story then takes us into the past to explore the upbringing of both characters.

Dangerous Lies is a well written and intriguing book. I really liked the characters. They were well written and well fleshed out.  Tina is a strong and ambitious woman.  After reading about her past, you can't help but understand how she got to this point in her life.  I really liked her.  The mystery was full of suspense and tension.  I'm not sure I liked the ending.  It wasn't what I was hoping for, but I can see why it ended the way it did.

I definitely recommend this throwback.  Ms. Smith has a new book coming out soon and I look forward to reading more by her!

Curbchek by Zach Fortier

by:  Zach Fortier
published by:  ebook
publish date:  August 30, 2011

Curbchek is the story of a damaged cop, Zach Fortier. Fortier worked in the police department for the city where he grew up. One foot in the world of the cops, courts and legal system. The other in the world of gangs, drugs, thugs and street violence. Where the laws and rules are made by the strongest, the schemers and the most brutal. Read about the transformation of Fortier from a green rookie to a damaged paranoid veteran seeing danger in every situation. Follow along as as he walks this tight rope. Trying to make difference, breaking the laws he promised to enforce. This is a story of law and order uncensored.

Curbchek doesn't really flow like a novel, it's more like a anthology of vignettes.  It's labeled as fiction, but it reads like a non-fiction account of a ride along with a cop on the streets.  Some of the stories are more developed than others, some are more interesting, some are better written, some made me roll my eyes at the arrogance.   

You might be sensing that this wasn't my favorite book.  It wasn't necessarily, because of the choppy style.  Even with down and dirty, true crime I like it to read like a novel, not hopping from one story to another.  However, I do see a lot of potential here.  If you know a police officer that works on the street, you know they are full of stories.  Mr. Fortier obviously has some stories that could work in great to any fictional crime novel.

My advice (take it or leave it) step back, take some creative writing classes, go to some writer workshops, learn how to write crime fiction.  Make a fictional character to build your novel around like Connelly's Harry Bosch or Kellerman's Milo Sturgis.  There's enough fodder there to create a series.

Gratitude Blog Hop

Today we are participating in the WoMen's Literary Cafe Gratitude Hop.  From the TBR Pile has been paired up with R. S. Guthrie, author of Black Beast: A Clan of MacAulay Novel. 

 

The WoMen's Literary Cafe is very thankful for all of the support from bloggers, reviewers, and readers during the Come Back To Me book launch and 99 cent event. 

As a thank you, we are giving away Black Beast: A Clan of MacAulay Novel for free today only. For your free copy, visit Smashwords   http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/59196 and enter in this code  SN36Y at checkout.




Make sure to check out the linky list below to see the other blogs included in this hop!

Synopsis:  Decorated Denver Detective Bobby Macaulay has faced down a truckload of tragedy over recent years. The death of his partner; the loss of his own leg in the line of duty; the companionship of his beloved wife to cancer; his faith in God to his inner demons.

After the man who ruined his leg and killed his first partner is executed, Macaulay becomes the lead detective investigating the Sloan's Lake murders. The method of killing in this double-homicide is so heinous it leads Macaulay and his partner down an ever-darkening path—one that must be traversed if they are to discover the evil forces behind the slaughter.

Just when Bobby Macaulay is questioning the very career that has been his salvation, he will discover a heroic history buried within his own family roots: The Clan MacAulay—a deep family lineage of protectors at the very core of a millenniums-long war against unimaginable evil.

Mr. Guthrie shared some thoughts about gratitude with us:

Praise the bridge that carried you over. 

~George Colman

It’s a great notion. Unfortunately in our busy lives, we many times forget that nothing we do could have been accomplished without a bridge, built for us by another. I know what you are thinking:

My mind. The things that I think—even my opinion about what was just written—are mine.

My heart.

My soul.

Mine, mine, mine.

Also a fabulous notion. But untrue. You owe debts of gratitude to your ancestors, providing a lineage for you, that you might grace this world at precisely this moment. Your parents, or your stepparents, or your grandparents, or a sibling, or a mentor…more than likely your mental and emotional formation was not spontaneously combusted in your head or your heart.

And if you believe in a higher power, perhaps for even your soul you owe a measure of thanks.

The point is, we are busy creatures. We probably want to thank everyone who has built a bridge for us to cross over—but too often, we don’t. Take a moment, right now, to consider someone who has recently given you a way to walk from one place in your life to where you are now. Decide to express your gratitude. It’s not difficult. 

Send some flowers.

Pick up the phone.

Launch a free e-card to their inbox.

There are easily a hundred ways you could make that person’s day by simply thanking them. Put yourself in their shoes. You undoubtedly do things for others—you build bridges, too. And no, you don’t do it in order to garner gratitude, or to gain commensurate bridges in return. You do it because it feels good to do it. You do it because others need help, too.

But doesn’t it feel grand when someone takes the time to acknowledge what you’ve done for them?

Yes. For most of us, that is more than enough fuel to keep us moving along. For many of us, it can make our day, plain and simple.

Gratitude is a funny thing. The dictionary definition is anything but exciting. It means “thankfulness”. That’s pretty much it. And if you look up “thankfulness”, it says “to feel grateful”. Not a necessarily poetic concept, is it?

But, so often, words put into practice far outweigh the significance of their printed counterparts.

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping

a present and not giving it. 

~William Arthur Ward

And here, dear reader, is the rub. When gratitude is unexpressed—even when we feel it in our hearts—it is relegated back to a simple word. Think about it. Who would buy a present, wrap it, and never deliver it to the recipient? Yes, it could happen. But not often. And think about the emotional worth of the present, once tossed into the closet with the tennis rackets and next winter’s clothing.

Just a box with last year’s wrapping paper, isn’t it?

Now think about the same gift, given to a friend or a daughter or a person in need. Imagine the joy it might bring. See the look on the face of the person who receives it.

Priceless?

Maybe. 

But it would, at the very least, far exceed the utter isolation of a gift un-given.

Gratitude is the memory of the heart. 

~Jean Baptiste Massieu

 

It really is, you know. And people who give it get just as much from the exchange as those who receive it. Memories grow exponentially when shared with others, because not only has one memory been shared, but there is also now a remembrance of the moment of sharing.

Gratitude is the same way. When we share it, we also pay it forward—we extend other’s gratitude to us in the same offering. And the people to whom we are grateful, they will share their own thanks with others. Like a wave of positive thought, such gifts travel on forever.

The great thing is, thankfulness—gratitude—costs us nothing to give, but it reaps limitless reward. It really doesn’t even cost time, not relatively speaking anyway:

A few moments to pick up a phone and call; ten minutes to write an email—less time than it takes to drive to the barista and order a warm espresso.

So do it. Right now. Remember the person you thought of earlier? The one who built that bridge so recently? Reach out. Thank them for it. Show them you are grateful and that you haven’t forgotten.

And create another memory for the heart. 

Thank you, Mr. Guthrie!

About the author:

R.S. Guthrie is a Mystery/Horror writer and author of Black Beast: A Clan of MacAulay Novel. Black Beast is the first in a series featuring Denver Detective Bobby Macaulay. The second book in the series, LOST, releases in time for Christmas, 2011. Guthrie started "Read a Book, Make a Difference", a site that showcases compassionate authors who are giving back. Guthrie lives in Colorado with his wife, three Australian Shepherds, and a Chihuahua who thinks she is a 40 lb. Aussie.


Blog link: http://robonwriting.com
Website: http://www.rsguthrie.com
RABMAD: http://RABMAD.com

Dont forget to visit the other blogs on the hop!

Author interview & Review - Till Abandon by Avril Ashton

Today, we welcome, Avril Ashton, author of Till Abandon.

Publisher: Total E-Bound
Date of publication: October 17, 2011

They call her ‘The woman in white,’ whisper ‘Death-Bringer’ with their last breath, but no one knows exactly what she is. Not even Voltaire herself. The deadly magic within her is a living thing, able to crush anyone and everything with a blink. Abandoning the blood-soaked world she’s used to, Voltaire seeks out the one constant in her tired life-the green-eyed wolf in her dreams. She’s ignored the wolf’s call for years, afraid to surrender, but danger haunts her mate. He needs her. 

Wolf-shifter Blake Montez is in the middle of a war, battling the usurpers intent on taking over his territory. Unfamiliar magic hums in the air, unnoticed-it seems-by everyone but him. He finds the source already under his nose, in his home. The delicate woman in white knows things no one should know, and the heat simmering between them is unlike anything he’s ever felt. His wolf recognizes her as his mate, though Blake remains unsure he can trust her. 

Voltaire sets out to prove herself with time running out. Enemies are on the prowl, some foreseen, others remaining cloaked in shadow. She and Blake team up, fighting side by side, but in the end Voltaire might be the biggest threat to their love.


My Thoughts:
Till Abandon takes you into a unique world of the paranormal.  Voltaire, known as "Death Bringer" has known for years that Blake is her mate.  She just has to prove it to him.  Blake is shocked to discover that a woman other than a Wolf-shifter is his mate.  It takes some convincing but once he believes, his feeling grow quickly.  I did enjoy the book.  I only wish there was more back story on Voltaire and Blake.  I felt like I was walked  into the middle of a movie and had to catch up.  While the story is well written, I just wanted more. 

And now to our interview with Avril:

Kari: What inspired you to become a writer?

Avril: I’ve always been a reader, but it wasn’t until a few years back that after reading a book that really made me cry I thought. ‘I have to do this. This is it for me.”

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

Avril: The characters all popped into my head. They showed me who they were and why and I just wrote it. It’s the same with all my books and my characters. I don’t find them, they find me.

Kari: What is your favorite part of the book?

Avril: My favorite part of Till Abandon…I have a lot of those, but I’d have to say the bar scene where Blake first sets eyes on Voltaire is up there for me. The chemistry and the tension, hell the banter…that was just…aahh.

Kari: What exciting projects are waiting in the wings?

Avril: Right now I’m in the midst of working on three wips: Wicked Is His Touch, the last book in my Wicked series; Love The Sinner, a m/m story that just grabbed hold of me and never let go; and Wes and Jayce’s story from Make Me Sweat. Book #2 in the PSC series, Till Surrender, is already with my editor and I’m just waiting on edits and a release date. I also await the release of book #3 in my Wicked series In Wicked Chains (no set release date yet). So, my dance card is full, writing wise, but I’m loving it.

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

Avril: A goldfish. No muss, no fuss.

Thank you, Avril!

About the author:
A Caribbean transplant, Avril now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y with a Spousal Equivalent of eight years. Together they raise a 7 y/o daughter who loves reading and school (wonder how long that will last). Avril’s earliest memories of reading revolve around discussing plot points of The Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys with an equally book-minded mother.
Always in love with the written word, Avril finally decided to do the writing in August of ’09 and never looked back. Spicy love scenes, delicious heroes, and wicked women burn up the pages of Avril’s stories, but there’ll always be a happy ending; Avril remains a believer of love in all its forms.


Till Abandon available @ Total E Bound: http://bit.ly/pyBzg9

http://avrilashton.blogspot.com

http://avril-ashton.blogspot.com

http://facebook.com/writeravrilashton

On Twitter: @AvrilAsh

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Author: Jackson Pearce
Publisher:  Little, Brown August 2011

Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again. 

Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel. 

Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful.


Sweetly is the companion book to Sisters Red, which Autumn and I both shared our thoughts in September.  I enjoyed Sweetly a lot more than Sisters Red.  This time around, the book is all in one character's perspective.  For some reason, that made the book flow better for me.  The author continues in the world of the Fenris and adds a little more to the mythology.  


The characters in this book were more likeable.  I really liked Gretchen.  She has not only had to deal with the loss of her twin, but the loss of her parents as well.  She thinks she is weak, but when put to the test, she is able to find her own strength and stand on her own.  Her and Samuel's relationship was very sweet. 


There is less action in this one, mostly in the end.  While I was able to figure out most of the end before it happened, there were a couple of surprises, which was nice.  I felt like the ending left more room for another book involving the Fenris.   I'm hoping the author explores them a little more.  If you liked Sisters Red, I know you will enjoy this one.


--Kari

Guest Post - Stacy Eaton

Once again, we have author Stacy Eaton with us.  She is promoting  the second book in her series, Blue Blood for Life.  Stacy was with us last month for an interview and promotion of her first book, My Blood Runs Blue. Welcome back, Stacy!

Publisher: Outskirts Press (September 2011) 
 

After a month off, Kristin comes back to work happier then she's been in a long time. Her new status in life has her solving crimes faster and better than she ever could before.
When Alex goes missing, Kristin finds she finally has to reveal the secrets of her life to her friends. Will they be able to stand beside her after they learn all that she has hidden from them?

Julian and Gabe stand beside her faithfully as they try to locate Alex. They are surprised to find Trent in Fawn Hollow, but know that Trent may be the only one to do what Alex has asked them to do. As one more choice is taken away from Kristin, she attempts to make the best of it, but finds herself drawn to Trent in a way Julian and Alexander could never compare to.

Trent goes to work with Kristin to keep her safe but will he be able to handle all that her police world entails? Can he handle the side of her that she reveals, the one that Alex and Julian know nothing about? When Kristin and Trent uncover the connection between her job and the kidnapping, they are finally able to put the pieces together, but can they get to Alex fast enough? Will Kristin be able to handle rescuing Alex and all that she learns in the process?

Join Kristin, Julian, Trent and Alexander as they dive into a new mystery that will have you turning the pages quickly to find out who is responsible and how Kristin’s life is forever changed once again.

From Stacy:

It is a pleasure to be back on the To Be Read Pile blog!  Thank you for having me again!

As many people have learned by now, I am a police officer.  When I was 30, I made a huge career change and entered into the police academy.  Since December of 2000 I have worked on the streets in a small township as a patrol officer.  Now just because I’m a patrol officer doesn’t mean I don’t do things other than write tickets and drive around taking care of reports and accidents.  

My department is small, only 10 of us there. So over the years I have had the chance to do more than just be a patrol officer.  One of my favorite things to do is investigate.  I love to get to a crime scene and look it over, study it and see what the pieces tell me.  I love to put all those pieces together and figure out what happened and why.  

So when I started writing, I used that knowledge and that love of my job to enhance my stories.  While in the My Blood Runs Blue series, I write more from the patrol officer side, I do write more about investigations and detective skills in some of my other books.  The fact that I have this knowledge lends credibility to my stories and helps readers to understand it. 

I learned a long time ago when I would testify in court that many of the public don’t always understand why we do the things we do or understand the terminology as we use it.  While I am writing, I try to make it clear what is going on so that the average person can understand it and while they are seeing it through the eyes of a police officer, they can understand it better. 

I hope that by using my knowledge, I can not only entertain people, but I can help to educate people.  Investigations are not like you see on television; they take days, weeks and months to figure out things. I want people to see that and understand that.  I want people to know that when they see a real cop out there on the streets and they might look like they are doing nothing, they are probably doing more then you know.

I enjoy being able to use my knowledge and my experiences to bring life to characters and pull readers into a story that they can enjoy.  The most awesome thing I can hear from people is when they say, “this author knows what she’s talking about and it shows in her work.”  

Thank you again for allowing me to visit on your blog!! I hope to hear from your readers!!! 

About the Author:

The author Stacy Eaton is a police officer and business owner. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two children and her dogs, Dakota and Garda. She is an avid photographer and enjoys reading and charity work.
Website: http://stacyseatoncom.fatcow.com/
Visit my Blog: http://stacyeatonauthor.blogspot.com/

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

by:  Gillian Flynn
published by: Shaye Areheart Books
publish date:  September 2006

"My sweater was new, stinging red and ugly." An edgy first line, and it provides the perfect opening for this gritty debut novel by journalist Flynn. Her protagonist, Camille Preaker, is a reporter for a second-rate Chicago newspaper. A solitary woman with a cynical bent, she appears to have carved out a workable life for herself despite a painful past and an estranged family. But when a second young girl turns up missing in Camille's hometown -- shortly after another local girl was found murdered -- Camille's editor sends her home to Missouri to cover the story. The question is, can Camille get to the bottom of the story before her demons get the best of her?

A classic whodunit, Sharp Objects is an gripping page-turner. Readers follow Camille to the field as she examines crime scenes, interviews the friends and family of the victims, and probes reticent investigators for information. After all, the world of investigative reporting is tantalizing. Take, for example, the provocative flirting between Camille and a Kansas City detective assigned to the cases. Is it sex they're after, or simply information? And the gradual unfolding of Camille's alarming past will keep readers riveted until the very last page.

Autumn's Thoughts:

This book has been on my To Be Read list for a long time.  I happened to notice the audiobook at the library and snapped it up.  First off I will say that the audiobook was good.  It was well read.

I'm not very familiar with cutters, but that seems to be one of the topics du jour.  I could probably start listing on my fingers all the books I've read in the last year or so that have dealt with the issue in some fashion.  This book far transcended all the ones I've ever read though.  Camille took cutting to a level I sure haven't heard of before. 

This book is described as edgy and gritty.  I would agree with that.  It was dark and at times I felt kind of dirty listening to the audiobook.  At times I felt sure I knew who did it, then something would happen and I would second guess myself and focus on a different character only to be wrong.  I'll just say I should have stuck with my first instinct! 

Kari's Thoughts:

I read this a while back this is what I wrote on Goodreads: "This was one twisted story. I liked it, but I'm not sure it is for everyone. The main character is very messed up. The ending was just disturbing."  That really sums up the book for me, Dark, dirty and disturbing!  Like Autumn, I kept waffling over who did it in the end.  The end was very disturbing to me and left me feeling kind of depressed.  I listened to the audiobook as well, and I liked the narrator, Anna Marie Lee.  She did a great job!