Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week.

Last week lots of goodies came for me ;) I received ~

Spin a Wicked Web: A Home Crafting Mystery by Cricket McRae

The Big Dirt Nap: A Dirty Business Mystery (Dirty Business Mysteries) by Rosemary Harris

Posed for Murder by Meredith Cole

While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky

The Whispering Room by Amanda Stevens

The Battered Body: A Supper Club Mystery by J.B. Stanley

Still Life: A Novel by Joy Fielding (ARC)

Everyone Is Beautiful: A Novel by Katherine Center (ARC)

The Whispering Room by Amanda Stevens

Work is a welcome refuge for New Orleans homicide detective Evangeline Theroux. Feeling suffocated by her new baby, in whose eyes she sees only her dead husband, she throws herself into a high-profile murder case.

Reclusive writer Lena Saunders offers Evangeline a provocative theory about the crime: it is the work of a lunatic vigilante. Lena spins the sordid story of Ruth and Rebecca Lemay, whose mother brutally murdered her male children in an insane effort to root out an "evil" gene. The girls survived and grew to adulthood—but one is carrying on her mother's grisly work.

When the case takes a terrifyingly personal turn, Evangeline's whole life will depend on a crucial, impossible choice: the lesser of two evils.

Buy the book here ~ The Whispering Room

Still Life by Joy Fielding (ARC)

Beautiful, happily married, and the owner of a successful interior design business, Casey Marshall couldn’t be more content with her life until a car slams into her at almost fifty miles an hour, breaking nearly every bone in her body, and plunging her into a coma. Lying in her hospital bed, Casey realizes that although she is unable to see or communicate, she can hear everything. She quickly discovers that her friends aren’t necessarily the people she thought them to be–and that her accident might not have been an accident at all. As she struggles to break free from her living death, she begins to wonder if what lies ahead could be even worse. (From Amazon)

This book is due to be released in March 2009. Pre-order it here ~ Still Life: A Novel

Free Book Friday

Have you heard of Free Book Friday? It's a fairly new site. Each week, Free Book Friday features a new YA author with an exclusive author interview podcast or written Q&A and host a drawing to win free signed copies of his/her book.

All you have to do to enter to win each week is sign up using the entry form on the left sidebar at Free Book Friday. Winners are chosen at random and posted on the site every Friday morning. Hence the name, "Free Book Friday!"

Head on over to Free Book Friday to see what all the fuss is about. Love teen books? There's a sister site for Teens. Click here to check that out.

Thanks for the heads up J. Kaye

While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky

The Snow family faces a devastating crisis when oldest daughter Robin, a runner training for the Olympics, suffers a catastrophic heart attack. Molly, Robin’s younger sister, gets the call from the hospital and is immediately guilt-stricken: she was supposed to accompany Robin on her run. When Molly, her older brother, Chris, and her parents, Kathryn and Charlie, gather at the hospital, they learn that Robin is in a coma and might be brain dead. While Kathryn refuses to believe the worst, Molly reaches out to David, the handsome teacher who found Robin after the heart attack, and tries to determine whether Nick, a charming reporter who once dated Robin briefly, is truly concerned about the family or just pursuing a big story. The Snows try to come to grips with the reality that Robin might never wake up, and Molly, attempting to discern what Robin would want, stumbles across Robin’s diaries and learns some startling family secrets... Delinsky’s popularity should ensure demand for this engaging exploration of every family’s worst nightmare. (From Amazon)

Buy the book here ~ While My Sister Sleeps

Newsletter & Contest

Jessica Conant-Park of the Gourmet Girl series has teamed up with author Michele Scott of the Wine Lover's series and they have a new Food Fiction newsletter with recipes and wine pairing, book news, guest authors, and great contests.

Click on either authors name to sign up for this fantastic newsletter. And while you're there, make sure to sign up for the incredible contest they're having with fellow author Mia King.

Jessica is running a contest in conjunction with two other wonderful authors. Up for a prize are signed copies of TURN UP THE HEAT and the latest Gourmet Girl mystery, FED UP. Authors and friends Mia King and Michele Scott will be giving away signed books, too! Michele is offering up her complete Wine Lovers series, including her February release, Corked by Cabernet. Mia is giving away a copy of her book Sweet Life and a copy of Good Things. We are all including some surprise Valentine's Day treats! To enter, email us at
foodfiction@gmail.comfoodfiction@gmail.com with the subject line "Food Fiction Contest."All you have to do is tell us your favorite meal or send us your favorite recipe! (You will be added to Michele and Mia's newsletter list unless you note to opt-out.)

The contest runs from now March 1, 2009.

US mailing addresses only, please. One entry per person. A winner will be chosen at random and notified by e-mail within a week of the contest deadline.

Please visit Mia and Michele at their sites and come find us all on FACEBOOK!

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay

Four months after her husband's death, Janie LaMarche remains undone by grief and anger. Her mourning is disrupted, however, by the unexpected arrival of a builder with a contract to add a porch onto her house. Stunned, Janie realizes the porch was meant to be a surprise from her husband—now his last gift to her.

As she reluctantly allows construction to begin, Janie clings to the familiar outposts of her sorrow—mothering her two small children with fierce protectiveness, avoiding friends and family, and stewing in a rage she can't release. Yet Janie's self-imposed isolation is breached by a cast of unlikely interventionists: her chattering, ipecac-toting aunt; her bossy, over-manicured neighbor; her muffin-bearing cousin; and even Tug, the contractor with a private grief all his own.

As the porch takes shape, Janie discovers that the unknowable terrain of the future is best navigated with the help of others—even those we least expect to call on, much less learn to love. (From Amazon)

Buy the book here ~ Shelter Me

Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

The streets of San Francisco would be lined with hardcovers if rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright had her way. And her mentor wouldn’t be lying in a pool of his own blood on the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration.

With his final breath he leaves Brooklyn a cryptic message, and gives her a priceless—and supposedly cursed—copy of Goethe’s Faust for safekeeping.

Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to the humorless—but attractive—British security officer who finds her kneeling over the body. Now she has to read the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice… (From Amazon)

Buy the book here ~ Homicide in Hardcover: A Bibliophile Mystery

Teaser Tuesdays

It’s that time of week again, everyone, and time for the Tuesday Teaser. Again the reminder of what this is all about. We are asked to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share two teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• Share the title of the book that the “teaser” comes from, so people can find the book if they like the teaser.
• And again remember – avoid spoilers.

Here's mine ~

He yanked the wheel and turned in the direction of Gemma's farmhouse. The decision was made without conscious thought.

This teaser comes from an ARC I'm reading for review, Unseen by Nancy Bush, due out at the end of March. What is YOUR teaser?

What's New This Week....

Here are some titles that are coming out this week ~


While My Sister Sleeps ~ The Snow family faces a devastating crisis when oldest daughter Robin, a runner training for the Olympics, suffers a catastrophic heart attack. Molly, Robin’s younger sister, gets the call from the hospital and is immediately guilt-stricken: she was supposed to accompany Robin on her run. When Molly, her older brother, Chris, and her parents, Kathryn and Charlie, gather at the hospital, they learn that Robin is in a coma and might be brain dead. While Kathryn refuses to believe the worst, Molly reaches out to David, the handsome teacher who found Robin after the heart attack, and tries to determine whether Nick, a charming reporter who once dated Robin briefly, is truly concerned about the family or just pursuing a big story. The Snows try to come to grips with the reality that Robin might never wake up, and Molly, attempting to discern what Robin would want, stumbles across Robin’s diaries and learns some startling family secrets...


Posed for Murder ~ Lydia McKenzie is an artist whose medium is the camera. She’s having her first one-woman show. It is a series that ties to actual murders committed in the city’s past. Her method is to find a model—someone who can match in a general way the actual female victim—and pose her in the clothes and position in which the actual victim was found. The night of her showing, however, is disappointing; the owner of the gallery makes her pay for the invitations down to the stamps, hang the whole show herself, and rush for the usual wine and snacks. But what happens next is much worse: two plainclothes policemen shut down the event and take Lydia in for questioning. A young woman whom she knew well, and who was the model in one of her photographs, has been murdered. Worried that the police aren’t doing what they should, Lydia and another friend set out to find the killer.

The Big Dirt Nap: A Dirty Business Mystery (Dirty Business Mysteries) ~ A hit with mystery lovers and gardening fans nationwide, Pushing Up Daisies introduced Paula Holliday, ex-NYC media exec turned Connecticut gardener, in Rosemary Harris’s celebrated series debut. Now in The Big Dirt Nap, Paula is back in a second scent-sational thriller.Something stinks to Paula Holliday, and it isn’t just the corpse flower, titan arum, named for its off-putting fragrance. When Paula’s friend Lucy asks her to tag along on an all-expense-paid junket to the Titans Hotel, it seems like a good idea. Paula even manages to squeeze a few bucks and a byline out of the local paper for writing an article on the titan arum, a rare flower that’s just about to bloom and on display at the hotel.But when her friend is unavoidably detained, a would-be suitor is found with a gaping hole in his head, and the corpse flower refuses to bloom, the entire venture starts to seem like less of a good idea.

Spin a Wicked Web: A Home Crafting Mystery ~ Things are getting serious between Sophie Mae and Detective Ambrose. But there's another love in her life — spinning. Pursuing her newfound passion is great fun . . . until fellow co-op member Ariel is found strangled to death with Sophie Mae's first skein of yarn. Every male in Cadyville noticed Ariel. Young, pretty, and a pro at wielding her sexual powers, she preyed on married men. Was the murder victim truly a gold digger in hot pants? Or a troubled girl who lost her parents at the age of sixteen? Can Sophie Mae unravel the truth and solve this tightly-knitted murder mystery?

Book Giveaway - Simmer Down by Susan Conant & Jessica Conant-Park (Autographed)

Simmer Down: A Gourmet Girl Mystery by Susan Conant and Jessica Conant-Park

After a trendy club owner is bludgeoned with a food processor, Gourmet Girl Chloe Carter finds the list of suspects longer than the line to get in to Simmer, her chef boyfriend's hot new restaurant.

Now on to the RULES ~~

1. Open to residents of the US only
2. Post a comment here. You MUST LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS OR ACTIVE BLOG ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT. Any comment that DOES NOT INCLUDE this information WILL BE DELETED. I have to have a way to contact you if you win!!!!
3. If you blog this contest and leave a link in your comment so I can check it out, you will receive an extra entry to the contest.

Contest open through February 23rd and the winner will be announced on February 24th.

Book Giveaway ~ Shadows Still Remain ~ Winner

Congratulations

Melsy

Melsy is the winner of my ARC of Shadows Still Remain. I've sent her an email requesting her address. If I don't hear from her by Wednesday I'll choose another winner. Thanks to all who have entered.

Unseen by Nancy Bush

Gemma wakes up in a hospital room...bruised...bloody....and confused. She doesn't remember smashing her car. she doesn't remember anything from the last three days. But local detective Will Tanninger wants to know if she's responsible for a fatal hit-and-run....


Hoping to restore her shattered memory, Gemma has no choice but to put her trust in Will. Torn by her growing feelings for him, and haunted by her shadowy past, she is determined to learn the truth. But, in this case, the darkest truths are unknowable....and the deadliest enemies are unseen.... (from the back cover).

Gemma has no idea how she ended up in the hospital ~ bloodies, bruised and missing three days of her life. Even scarier is that a pedophile lay dying in the same hospital and the police think she is responsible. Well, all but one detective ~ Will Tanninger. Unfortunately she can't do anything to prove her innocence, because she can't remember. When Gemma, who has a gift of "seeing things", leaves the hospital she returns home to try and piece her life back together, hopefully with memories she can find at home. But she is still plagued with periods of "lost" time. In the meantime "Lucky" is plotting her next kill ~ another pedophile. A cunning woman who doesn't hesitate when it comes to killing someone. And while someone is eliminating pedophiles in this small town, a man who calls himself the Wolf is out killing women he perceives to be "witches". Are these three people connected? What reason does Wolf have for killing these seemingly unconnected women? Does Gemma suffer from multiple personality disorder with Lucky as her alter ego? Or is the real story so unbelievably twisted one could never figure it out? While fighting their growing attraction to one another Gemma & Will work together to discover the astonishing truth behind the murders and how they're all connected. A truth that leaves you speechless. An intense, taut thriller that will have you turning the pages faster than you can read them to reach the stunning conclusion. A fantastic read!

This book will be released March 31st. Preorder it here ~ Unseen

The Diary by Eileen Goudge

When the two grown daughters of Elizabeth Marshall discover an old diary of their mother’s in her attic, it comes as a shock to learn that the true love of Elizabeth’s life was not their father. This is the mystery the two daughters must unravel as they stay up late reading the words penned by Elizabeth so long ago. Their mother can’t give them the answers: After a massive stroke, she lies mute and near death in a nursing home. Only the pages of her diary can provide clues to what really happened.

In a richly detailed journey into the past, we see Elizabeth lose her heart to one man while remaining devoted to another. Finally, she must choose between the stable, loyal Bob...and the electrifying and unpredictable A.J., who spent time in juvenile detention as a teen. When a suspicious fire in the neighborhood is linked to A.J., Elizabeth is faced with another dilemma: She’s the only one who can clear A.J.’s name, but to do so would ruin her reputation. Surprisingly, it’s Bob who comes to the rescue, forcing Elizabeth to make perhaps the most painful decision of her life....

The Diary is a love story. It’s also the story of the unshakable bond between a mother and her daughters. (From Amazon)

As Elizabeth Marshall lies in a coma, her daughters take on the daunting task of packing up her home. As they're cleaning out the attic they come across a diary their mother had written before she had been married and start reading. What they discover rocks them to their core. Their father was not their mothers "One true love." As they continue to read the story of Elizabeth, Bob (their father) and AJ (her true love) they realize the depths of their mothers love for AJ while trying to balance that with her devotion to Bob. And when AJ gets blamed for something he didn't do, Elizabeth makes a choice that could ruin her reputation forever. Not to mention destroy whatever relationship she has with her mother. Will it all be worth it? Will she lose out on true love forever? Before long Elizabeth has to make a choice ~ the reliable Bob or the troublemaker, love of her life AJ? Will she do what's "right" or follow her heart? An emotion filled story of two sisters struggling with the knowledge that they didn't know everything about their parents they thought they did. A love story that will have the reader turning the pages as fast as they can to find out if true love conquers all. With an ending so surprising, yet tender you'll be reaching for the box of kleenex.

This book will be released on April 7th. Pre-order it here ~ The Diary

Summer on Blossom Street

Summer On Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber (ARC) ~~

Knitting and life. They’re both about beginnings — and endings. That’s why it makes sense for Lydia Goetz, owner of A Good Yarn on Seattle’s Blossom Street, to offer a class called Knit to Quit. It’s for people who want to quit something — or someone! — and start a new phase of their lives.

First to join is Phoebe Rylander. She recently ended her engagement to a man who doesn’t know the meaning of faithful, and she’s trying to get over him. Then there’s Alix Turner. She and her husband, Jordan, want a baby, which means she has to quit smoking. And Bryan Hutchinson joins the class because he needs a way to deal with the stress of running his family’s business — not to mention the lawsuit brought against him by an unscrupulous lawyer.

Life can be as complicated as a knitting pattern. Just ask Anne Marie Roche. She and her adopted daughter, Ellen, finally have the happiness they wished for. And then a stranger comes to her bookstore asking questions.

Or ask Lydia herself. Not only is she coping with her increasingly frail mother, but she and Brad have unexpectedly become foster parents to an angry, defiant twelve-year-old.

But as Lydia already knows, when life gets difficult and your stitches are snarled, your friends can always help!

Welcome back to Blossom Street :) Lydia and her sister Margaret come up with a new idea for a knitting class ~ Knit to Quit. A class for those that are trying to quit something ~ from smoking to forgetting about a fiance. There are also old friends who are back, who aren't taking the class, but who have new stories of their own to tell. Alix joins the Knit to Quit class to quit smoking so she & Jordan can have a baby. Newcomers Brian and Phoebe join the welcoming circle of friends. Brian takes up knitting to de-stress, and Phoebe to forget about what ails her heart. Anne-Marie and her adopted daughter Ellen are just back from Paris to a surprise that Anne-Marie never saw coming (but will allow Ellen to cross something off her Twenty Wishes list). Something that could tear her precious new family apart. And in the midst of helping others, Lydia and Brian are working on their own family. Finally approved as adoptive parents, they begin their wait for the newborn baby they know will complete their family. However, when their social worker calls with an emergency placement of a troubled preteen girl, Lydia & Brian are unsure of what to do. They never expected this small act of kindness would provide them with the one thing they've been looking for all along. This is a wonderful story of friends coming together to support one another, of finding ones self and finding love when you least expect it. I always enjoy my visits to Blossom Street and this time was no different.

This book is due to be released May 1st. Pre-order your copy here ~

Summer On Blossom Street

Guest Post ~ Bruce Skye

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A former technical writer, detail is important to Bruce Skye. His research for the Deathsong Chronicles included medieval armor and fortresses, as well as Celtic names and magic. "If you create a world, it must be consistent. And that's what I strive for Grayrider's world to be. I've built a database of material for each of the Deathsong Chronicles. Those databases aid me in keeping the world the same from book to book.

"When I wrote Grayrider, I followed the advice of Stephen King. I did not write the book following any sort of outline. I have no more idea than my readers do when I write a novel what will happen in the midst of the story. It makes it more exciting for both the readers and myself."

You can visit his website at www.bruceskye.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Gabriel, the exiled king of Rivalin, comes before King Airell to warn him the Ansgarian army will invade his kingdom before the night is over. Airell tells him he has no one to send. Gabriel wants revenge for the murder of his family by the Ansgarians. He decides to fight the incursion without help.

As this takes place, Deirdre (Airell’s daughter), flees the kingdom of Cynyr north of Boadhagh. She knows now her mentor, Morrigan, created the Ansgarian army her father has fought for years. She goes south to warn him of her. Because Deirdre does not believe in herself, the young sorceress has difficulty in performing magic.

Once she is reunited with her father, she tells both he and Grayrider about Morrigan. Her power is growing; only Gabriel’s magical sword may yet destroy her. He must go to Cynyr to fight her. He agrees if Deirdre attends him, seeking her counsel. On that journey they fall in love and foil many efforts by Morrigan to kill Gabriel by both armies and sorcerers.

Grayrider fights Morrigan and sees his beloved slain by the sorceress before he is finally able to kill her. He returns to Rivalin brokenhearted. The ending is a complete surprise the reader will not expect at all.


GUEST POST

Practical Advice for Beginning Fantasy Writers
by Bruce Skye

My advice for those wanting to become published in the fantasy genre will start with writing itself and go outward from there. And so, Grasshopper, be patient and all will become clear in time.

First of all, above all else, keep writing. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, said he did not understand how people could believe you could go out and bang out a bestseller without having to practice as an Olympic athlete does daily. He’s right. Stay at the keyboard. If you’re not willing to do that, you’re not a true writer.

Secondly, study fantasy authors you love and see how they do the essentials such as plot, characterization and dialogue. Adapt what you learn from them to your work.

Third, get people to read your writings. Writer’s groups are great for this. Get feedback and learn. If you can’t take criticism, you won’t succeed in this business. Writing is a craft. And you’ll never know it all. But if you’re willing to learn, you can and will succeed.

Fourth, when you see yourself ready to be published, get a literary agent. Agents know the people you can’t get to: editors of publishing houses. If you send your manuscript to these people, it will be tossed into the trash without a second thought. But, if the agent submits your writing to that same editor, he/she will examine it. Why? Because literary agents act like filters, siphoning off the bad stories and only submitting the stuff they know is good and will sell.

Fifth, stay away from POD publishers if at all possible. POD means Print On Demand. Many newspaper reviewers turn up their noses at works put out by such houses.

Finally, be willing and able to spend lots of money and time promoting your published novel to the public. You’ll discover you spend 50% of your time promoting and the other 50% on writing new material. I don’t know if it’s possible to have a bestseller if not published by a mainstream publishing house. But I’m trying.

Malice in Miniature

Miniaturist Geraldine’s nephew arrests a local for murdering her boyfriend. Enlisted to help find the real culprit, Gerry comes upon criminal artists who wish she’d mind her own tiny business.

Gerry Porter couldn't be happier. Her husband, daughter-in-law and granddaughter Maddie are living with her while their new home, now much closer to Gerry, is being finished. She loves having Maddie around all the time, and knows she'll be a big help in finishing up her room box for the great President's Day celebration. But when her neighbor June comes to her crying foul because her best friend has been arrested for murder (by Gerry's nephew & June's boyfriend no less), Gerry can't turn her back on her. She knows she must help. Unfortunately several people want Gerry to keep her nose out of their business and in her miniature creations. With the help of her little partner in crime Maddie, Gerry sets out to figure out just who wanted the artist dead. I appreciate how the author gives readers tips on how to create the tiny masterpieces for her creations as this is something I've always wondered about. The crime solving team of Gerry & Maddie is not one you normally see in cozy mysteries, and I think it's why I enjoy this series so much. Now that Maddie lives closer I'm sure there will be many more mysteries for this grandmother and granddaughter to solve together, and I can't wait to find out what they are.

Buy the book here ~ Malice in Miniature: A Miniature Mystery

Corked by Cabernet

Corked by Cabernet: A Wine Lover's Mystery by Michele Scott ~

Nikki Sands, manager of the Malveaux Estates in Napa Valley—and girlfriend of the owner—is blissfully happy. Until a guru’s devotee is killed on the famous Napa Valley Wine train and ruins her peace of mind.

Back from their trip to Australia, Nikki is moving in with Derek and enjoying her fun, but busy job as manager of the Malveaux Estates. With very little time on her hands she is not happy when Dereks brother Simon and his partner Marco book a seminar for Guru Sansibaba (Alan Sansi) and his entourage. When an associate, and later his companion are murdered, Nikki must "help" Detective Robinson solve the crimes and save the reputation of Malveaux Estates. While Derek is absent for a good portion of the book, it allows Nikki to do her sleuthing with out his warning her to stop. The motive comes a little late in the book, but the journey you take getting there is an enjoyable one. The Sansi family is complicated, yet solid. And it was a pleasure getting to know them. I was pleased to see the return of both Alyssa and Detective Robinson and hope to see much more of them in the future. It's wonderful to see the relationship between Nikki, Simon and Marco continue to develop making them seem like they've known each other forever. A humorous, fun, easy read that has an ending as sweet as any Manischewitz Passover wine I've ever had.

Buy the book here ~~ Corked by Cabernet: A Wine Lover's Mystery

Evil in Carnations by Kate Collins

Determined to help her roommate Nikki out of her singles slump, Abby Knight encourages her to give speed dating a try. Of course, Nikki wants the guy at the very bottom of Abby’s list, Jonas Treat—a.k.a. “Treat the Cheat”—and figures just one date with him couldn’t hurt. But then Jonas is found dead—and evidence points to Nikki as his killer.To clear Nikki’s name, Abby enlists the help of her hunky ex-Army Ranger boyfriend, Marco. But Marco’s rambunctious extended family turns Abby’s hectic life into a disaster zone. With her patience seriously wilting, and a killer on the loose, Abby is determined to dig herself out of this mess—before someone buries her instead... (From Amazon)

Now that Abby and Marco are back together and heading in the right direction, she wants everyone to be just as happy as she is. So she encourages her BFF and roommie Nikki to try speed dating. Of course the one person that Abby doesn't like for Nikki happens to be the one guy she goes after ~ and who just happens to wind up dead. Now with Nikki facing jail time, Abby must enlist the help of all her friends to find the real killer and keep Nikki out of the big house. In the meantime, there are of course several times in which something Abby says or does that is misconstrued by either her family or Marco's. Leading to an an event that went from what people thought it was (even though it wasn't) into what they thought it was. Confusing? Sure, but telling you more will ruin it for you :) Another fantastic addition to the Flower Shop series. Abby is just as spunky as ever. It's nice to see all of the "regulars" back and once again working with Abby in her quest to figure out who-done-it. Abby and Marco are a cute, fun loving couple and I can't wait to see what happens next with them. The next book is due out in early '10. So I will patiently wait for the next book knowing it will be just as good as the rest of them ;)

Buy the book here ~ Evil in Carnations (Flower Shop Mysteries, No. 8)

Run For Your Life

Run for Your Life by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge ~~

A calculating killer who calls himself The Teacher is taking on New York City, killing the powerful, the arrogant, the don't-give-a-darnst-about-anyone rich. For some New Yorkers it seems that the rich were getting what they deserve at last. For New York's social elite, it is a call to chaos and terror. The Teacher's message to the wealthy is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences!Detective Mike Bennett is assigned the case. Managing the pressure from his Commissioner, the Mayor, and the New York media would be enough for anyone, but Mike also has to care for his 10 children-who are all under 12 and who all have the flu!

Detective Bennett discovers a secret pattern in the Teacher's lessons-and realizes he has just hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history. (From Amazon)

Detective Mike Bennett is back in another face paced thrill ride that will have you on the edge of your seat as you turn each page. When someone starts taking out random people in the city, Mike is called in to head the investigation. Mike certainly has his hands full this time ~ from the madman known as The Teacher terrorizing the city to his ten children at home sick with the flu. But he is determined to bring this crazed killer to justice. Following tiny clues (and some misdirection) along the way Mike slowly finds himself inching closer and closer to the killer and what drives him. The sick and twisted reasons behind his killings will leave you shaking your head in disbelief. And with nothing to lose, The Teacher sets out to destroy as much as he can before being taken down himself. And in a unforeseen twist of fate, Mike and his family are taken hostage by this psychopath. Now Mike must use all of his negation skills to save both himself and his children. The team of Patterson and Ledwidge have done it again. Another fantastic thriller that will leave you breathless and wanting more. I can't see what new killer they have Mike tracking down in the next book. You don't want to miss this one!

Buy the book here ~~ Run for Your Life

Book Giveaway ~ Shadows Still Remain by Peter De Jonge ~ ARC

Shadows Still Remain: A Novel by Peter De Jonge (ARC) ~

New York City, 2005. Thanksgiving weekend. Tower Record is still in business and topless Kate Moss peers down from a billboard over rain-splattered Houston. Street. Escaping a troubled past, Francesca Pena came to the city and reinvented herself as a successful. charismatic student. Yet after a night of drinking, Pena has gone missing. Detective Darlene O'Hara of the Seventh Precinct in Lower Manhattan "catches" the case, and with her partner, Serge "K" Krekorian, sets out to find her. When Pena's body, encased in a plastic and carved up like a totem pole, is discovered in a men's bathroom in East River Park, the case turns high profile, and Homicide, led by legendary detective Patrick Cooney, is called in.

But the thirty-four year old O'Hara, who has an eighteen year old son she saddled with the name Axl Rose O'Hara, and whose binge drinking exacerbates the massive chip on her shoulder, refuses to let go. Risking both her and K's careers, she secretly pursues her own investigation, a hunt that leads from NYU's ivory towers to Brooklyn tattoo parlors, from a skanky strip club to a whitewashed boutique run by a Korean madam. But O'Hara has to move fast, because Cooney and the NYPD are about to make a devastating mistake that will leave the real killer free. (From the back cover)

Now on to the RULES ~~

1. Open to residents of the US only
2. Post a comment here. You MUST LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS OR ACTIVE BLOG ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT. Any comment that DOES NOT INCLUDE this information WILL BE DELETED. I have to have a way to contact you if you win!!!!
3. If you blog this contest and leave a link in your comment so I can check it out, you will receive an extra entry to the contest.
   

Contest open through February 13th and the winner will be announced on February 14th.

Book Giveaway ~ Pushing Up Bluebonnets ~ WINNER :)

Congratulations

Lynne

Lynne is the lucky winner of this fantastic autographed copy :) I've sent her an email. If I don't hear back from Lynne by Friday. I will choose another winner.

Thanks again to all who entered.

Shadows Still Remain

Shadows Still Remain: A Novel by Peter De Jonge (ARC) ~


New York City, 2005. Thanksgiving weekend. Tower Record is still in business and topless Kate Moss peers down from a billboard over rain-splattered Houston. Street. Escaping a troubled past, Francesca Pena came to the city and reinvented herself as a successful. charismatic student. Yet after a night of drinking, Pena has gone missing. Detective Darlene O'Hara of the Seventh Precinct in Lower Manhattan "catches" the case, and with her partner, Serge "K" Krekorian, sets out to find her. When Pena's body, encased in a plastic and carved up like a totem pole, is discovered in a men's bathroom in East River Park, the case turns high profile, and Homicide, led by legendary detective Patrick Cooney, is called in.


But the thirty-four year old O'Hara, who has an eighteen year old son she saddled with the name Axl Rose O'Hara, and whose binge drinking exacerbates the massive chip on her shoulder, refuses to let go. Risking both her and K's careers, she secretly pursues her own investigation, a hunt that leads from NYU's ivory towers to Brooklyn tattoo parlors, from a skanky strip club to a whitewashed boutique run by a Korean madam. But O'Hara has to move fast, because Cooney and the NYPD are about to make a devastating mistake that will leave the real killer free. (From the back cover)


Having co-authored The Beach House with James Patterson, Peter De Jonge strikes out on his own with this intense tale of prostitution, deceit and murder.

When seemingly good girl Francesa Pena goes missing after a night of drinking with her friends Darlene "Dar" O'Hara and her partner Serge "K" Krekorkian catch the case. When her body is found, the case quickly becomes "high profile" due to the "connections" of her rich friends. This forces Dar and K's boss push them for a quick close to the case. With 72 hrs to find the killer before having to turn the case over to homicide, and egotistical Detective Cooney, Dar pushes things to the extreme. When Cooney sets his sights on a suspect, Dar knows in her gut that he's not the one responsible and decides she's going to find the killer, even if it means having to do it on her own and potentially lose everything she holds dear. After pushing things to far, Dar is put on suspension. Going over each minute detail of the case, she is able to track Pena's movements throughout the night. And what she finds will both keep the reader riveted to the pages while at the same time make their stomach churn. An incredibly twisted tale of bad girls gone good ~ gone bad again. A tale of murder and greed. This powerful thriller will have you turning the pages well into the wee hours of the morning even though, at times, you're sickened by what you're reading. Mr. De Jonge has great future ahead of him as a solo writer and I hope to see more of Dar & K in the future.

The book is due to be released April 21st. Pre-order it here ~~ Shadows Still Remain: A Novel

Bookmarked For Death

Bookmarked For Death (Berkley Prime Crime Mysteries) by Lorna Barrett ~~





Tricia Miles, owner of the Haven’t Got a Clue bookstore, must solve her own mystery when a bestselling author is found dead in the washroom.

When local celebrity/bestselling author Zoe Carter is found dead in the bathroom of Haven't Got A Clue, Tricia knows she has another murder to solve. While her "friend" Sheriff Adams has the store shut down, Tricia has nothing but time on her hands. While her employees help out at her sisters store (much to their dismay), Tricia sets out to figure out just who wanted Zoe dead. Was it one of the members of her Tuesday Night Book Club (who were all at the signing) or was it Zoe's assistant/niece Kimberly who left the signing in a snit? The more Tricia digs, the more secrets she uncovers. Secrets that someone wants to leave dead and buried. How far will Tricia go to solve the murder? Will she risk hurting one of her dearest friends just to uncover the truth ~ or will it be just the thing her friend needs? I absolutely LOVE this series. Ms. Barrett has created town where any book lover would happily reside in, a great cast of characters and plenty of potential suspects that will keep you guessing right up until the very end.

Buy the book here ~~ Bookmarked For Death (Berkley Prime Crime Mysteries)

January Books Read

A Crazy Little Thing Called Death by Nancy Martin
A Deadly Yarn by Maggie Sefton
A Wedding To Die For by Leann Sweeney
Breakneck by Erica Spindler
Bronx Justice by Joseph Teller
Evil Without A Face by Jordan Dane
Fatal February by Barbara Levnson
Fed Up by Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant
Find Me by Debra Webb
Getting Old is a Disaster by Rita Lakin
Hail to the Chef by Julie Hyzy
In The Dark by Brian Freeman
Killer In High Heels by Gemma Halliday
Leftover Dead by Jimmie Ruth Evans
Out of Circulation by Jo Dereske
Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan
The Spare Room by Helen Garner
Torn by Chris Jordan
Trick My Truck by Don't Mess With My Heart by LuAnn McLane
Whisper of Warning by Laura Griffin