Sunday, December 20, 2009

Review of "Love Is A Battlefield" by Annalisa Daughety



Yay! I'm finally back with a review! School is over for the year, and I am a college graduate! With a Bachelors in History! I'm hoping to go back to school, but for the moment, I can honestly say I'm happy with what I have now, and I'm proud of myself for getting to where I am. But enough about me... This book was almost perfect for the end of this semester, because the main characters work at a National Park, a site of a battle from the Civil War - A dream job for a lot of American History lovers.

First off, where I got the book: I recieved this book via Librarything.com 's Early Reviewers program. I was sent this book in exchange for a review, whether that review is good or bad. So here goes!

From the back of the book: "All relationships are doomed to fail - At least that's what History has taught Kristy O'Neal. Left at the altar, Kristy returns from her solo-honeymoon to ask for her old job back as a park ranger at Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee. But the position's already been filled. So she takes a seasonal position, praying something will open up before the job ends on Labor Day. Ace Kennedy gets off on the wrong foot with beautiful, spunky Kristy - not only does he have her job, but apparently she doesn't like the way he does it. But he has a secret: He's really there to write a history of his family, who can be traced to the Shiloh battlefield. Ace is appalled to learn Kristy doesn't believe in true love. Using the story of his ancestors as proof, Ace begins the battle to win Kristy's heart. But when Kristy learns he's keeping secrets from her, her skepticism seems justified. Can she risk her heart on the battlefield of love one more time? "

I would like to first start by saying, overall, I enjoyed "Love is a Battlefield" by Annalisa Daughety. As a History buff, I like that it was set in a National Park, and the setting felt real. A quick google search tells me that there is a real Shiloh National Military Park, and I firmly believe the author did some research, or maybe even volunteered or worked at that park or another at some point, because the list of duties, etc, seemed extremely accurate. As far as the characters, I thought both Ace and Kristy seemed natural and real, and even the side characters were all quite believable, and I didn't find any of them overly annoying. Sometimes lesser characters that are only there to drive the plot along can seem unnatural and irritating, but I found very little instances of that in "Love is a Battlefield."

Just a few little nit-picky points, there was a slight over-emphasis on the mysteries in the book. Kristy is suffering from some instances of vandalism, which is an interesting part of the plot, but I would at least like to see some subtlety with the mystery, instead of her wondering some form of "Who could do this?" every time something happened. We can assume Kristy wants to know who's doing this, and the audience wants to know too, the author does not need to keep saying "Kristy wanted to know who was doing this." or "Who could have done this?" [Not exact quotes], etc.

But I'll say it again. I enjoyed reading this book, and I liked both Kristy and Ace. And actually, "Love is a Battlefield" made me want to go out and visit some National Parks (you all should go to! Support the National Park system!), and heck, maybe I could get a seasonal job at one too!

I would give this book a THREE POINT FIVE out of FIVE. The copious amounts of prayer was a little much for me to get over, but I did enjoy this book.

Happy Holidays everyone, and Happy Reading. Expect another review soon!
~!~ Morning Glow

PS: Check out my new layout! Thanks to my bestest friend. Loves ya!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Sorry guys, an update

-Sigh- I have missed my blog so much, and I have been longing to come back to it. But the truth is, I won't be able to for at least a little longer. I am in my last semester of my undergraduate studies. Assuming I pass all my exams (I dang well better, considering how hard I worked this semester), this time next week, I will hold a Bachelors in History. What's next? Either going to a different school to get my much desired Bachelors in English, or to graduate school to obtain a Master of Arts in Creative Writing. Next week is my exams, though I only have one real exam, the rest are papers. I love having a blog, I love reading, and I love reviewing my books on said blog, but I always told myself this can't get in the way of my schoolwork, especially in this important last semester. So here I am, but I will return.

I will be back! And thank you to those that have stuck around, and will continue to stick around until I'm back.

Happy reading!

~!~ Morning Glow

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Gobble, Gobble



To those of you that celebrate it, I want to with you a Happy Thanksgiving! And.. well, if you don't celebrate it, I'm wishing you a very happy Thursday! And for everyone's enjoyment - it's a sexy turkey!

My family is taking a different route this year, usually we go to someone's house and have a HUGE meal, this year we're all doing our own thing.. so my household is going to the Grand Victoria Casino for their Thanksgiving buffet. Here's hoping it isn't crowded!

So, let's list a few things that I'm thankful for, to get in the mood. I'm thankful for my friends and family, they're there for me through it all. And I'm thankful for, of course, YOU dear readers. Blogging wouldn't be quite as much fun without you guys here to read and comment once in a while. I know my blog is still technically small scale, and I'm maybe a little slow at getting things to review, but I enjoy doing it, and I've met some great people so far. Well, I'm off to find suitable clothes for gambling (oh yes, we will be gambling as well) and still look nice for Thanksgiving. Wish me luck!

Happy Reading, and Happy Thanksgiving (or Turkey Day, or Thursday, or whatever you want to celebrate today!)
~!~ Morning Glow

Monday, November 23, 2009

Just a reminder (Kindle II Giveaway)

Hello again, lovelies! I just wanted to remind you all about Bibliofreak's Kindle II Giveaway! So far only one is being given away, but if you do your Christmas shopping through her amazon affiliate program (click on one of her amazon links on her blog, then either buy what you were linked to, or anything else), the number of kindles will increase. And don't worry, all your personal information is completely safe!

To enter the giveaway, just follow this link! Thanks, and expect a review soon of "Vampire Taxonomy" by Meredith Woerner.

Happy Reading! And Happy Gobbles, if you celebrate it!
~!~ Morning Glow

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Dear Readers/Followers.. your opinions please!

My dear friends, the new year is quickly approaching, and with it, I would like to make this blog something more.. accessible, I think. By the middle of next month, I will have graduated with my Bachelors (oh my gosh, I'm not ready!), and with that big change, I want to bring a change here. So far, it's just been me doing reviews, and occasional updates on what's coming out that I'm interested in, what my favorite authors are doing, etc. Buuut....

Here's the part where I need your help! What should I start including? Should I start taking part in memes, would you like to see themed daily posts, should I include more of myself in the posts.. or maybe would you like to see more information about the books within the reviews? Of course, I will only take part in things I feel comfortable with, if I feel like it's something I'll feel "blah" about doing... I won't do it. I want to have fun as a blogger, as much as I want you all to enjoy reading it. And neither of us will have fun if I'm all "yeah, and then there's this stuff... and blah..."

I do plan to do some giveaways (nothing huge, I'm not exactly rolling in money right now), but something to just show my readers I appreciate them, and I'm thankful that they participate on my blog. I also plan to get reviews out quicker, I'm sooo backed up! But as we all know, school comes first. Though I'm actually furthering my procrastination by writing this.. I have a rather big research paper due Tuesday, and it's taking up all my time.

Please, comment and let me know what you think would be nice to see, or what memes or themes you enjoy participating in, or just comment about how the weather is, if the urge strikes you!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Review of "Me and My Shadow" by Katie MacAlister



Another Katie MacAlister book come and gone.. I get so excited on the release day, I buy it, inhale it, then have to wait until the next one... On to the review!

From the back of the book: " May Northcott is a woman at the end of her rope. She'd almost gotten used to her employer, the ex-demon lord Magoth, spending his days hanging around her home and interrupting her private moments with her love, Gabriel. Then trouble appears on her doorstep in the form of a nearly dead man.

With May fighting to control the dragon shard, Magoth wrangling to regain his position and powers, and a mysterious and deadly dragon bent on their destruction, Gabriel has his work cut out for him. Now he'll have to claw his way through all the distractions and convince May that their love is strong enough to conquer all of their enemies. "

"Me and My Shadow" by Katie MacAlister is the next installment in the Silver Dragons series, which followed the Green Dragons series. Katie MacAlister is famous, at least to me, for some great quick reads, because I really can inhale her book in a few hours after buying it. There has been times when I so looked forward to her next book that I made sure the evening of the release day was free and clear of appointments, or whatever else.

I really love Gabriel, and while I wasn't sure about May as a character at first (when we met her in the first book), but I quickly came to enjoy her. As usual, some of the side characters came to annoy me, but this is something I've found happening more often in all the books I read, not just one particular author. Cyrene (May's "twin") was a little too much for me at times. And she has an extremely logical (sort of?) reason for being so.. so.. bothersome? No, that's not the word.. So Argh!, but there were several times I just wanted to punch her and get it over with. I'm interested in reading the next book in the dragons series ("Love in the Time of Dragons") to see what happens with Cyrene. And Magoth.. ahhh Magoth. Except for his temper tantrums, which could indeed be life threatening, I loved having him around to make dirty little comments and just make everyone uncomfortable. The only thing I wish I could have seen more of was some May and Gabriel alone time. Not necessarily sexytimes, but the two main characters were often in separate parts of the world, and would just communicate via phone. I would have preferred to see them together more often, interacting in person.

That said, I give "Me and My Shadow" by Katie MacAlister a FOUR POINT SEVEN out of FIVE. I love Katie MacAlister, she's one of my favorite authors ever, and I will buy and read everything she does, but I'm not sure this book WOWed me as much as she usually does. I still enjoyed it, I still love the characters, and I can't wait to find out what happens next with the dragon septs, I just feel a little.. I feel like it left with a few too many questions, maybe is the problem.

That all said, make sure to check out "Steamed" by Katie MacAlister, coming out February 2nd, 2010. This is her first foray into the steampunk genre. And also coming next year is Katie's "Love in the Time of Dragons," so far scheduled for May 4th, 2010. "Love in the Time of Dragons" is the first book in the Light Dragon's series, and I have a post with the cover and other little tidbits somewhere on the roster.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Book was purchased by myself, not given in exchange for review.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Review of "Branded by the Sheriff" by Delores Fossen


Another book review, yay! Today we have "Branded By The Sheriff," a Harlequin Intrigue title by Delores Fossen!

From the back of the book:
" Years ago, Sheriff Beck Tanner had believed the worst about Faith Matthews. Now she was back in their small Texas town, forcing him to question everything he thought he knew about her. And when the killer who'd murdered her family set his sights on Faith - and her innocent baby girl - Beck's protective instincts kicked into high gear. As dangerous pranks turned into deadly games, and with a sadistic killer circling closer, all of Beck's attention had to be on keeping Faith's baby safe.. and ignoring his inconvenient attraction to the beautiful mother... "

So, last night before bed, I wanted a quick, good read, and usually for something like that, I either pick an anthology and read a couple short stories, or a Harlequin title. Obviously, you can guess which one I chose. And frankly, I'm super glad I did. I loved this book, and I have to be honest, the end shocked me a little. I mean, I had my suspicions, but I never would have guessed it was... HA! Not giving it away, read it yourself! Yes, there was some predictable aspects, but the somewhat surprise ending (at least for me) far outweighed anything like that. And I'll be honest, I usually don't read books where the heroine already has a kid, or is pregnant. So I did have a few reservations when starting "Branded by the Sheriff" because of the already-having-a-kid-thing. But it was good. Very good. The characters were believable, the motives were believable. A side note, though.. I don't suggest reading this right before bed, unless you're a sound sleeper. It wasn't scary, it just gave me some very creepy, vivid dreams. But at the same time, I like a book that affects me so much my dreams are a little screwy the night after I read it... or at least sometimes.
So for a rating, I give this book FOUR out of FIVE stars. I liked it, I'll definitely recommend it to people (How about you guys?!), and I'm going to keep it on my bookshelf for reading in the future. Or maybe let my mother/aunt/some relative borrow it and enjoy it as well. I wasn't much of a Harlequin Intrigue person, but this book has made me want to check out more of the line.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A contest for a Kindle II!

I have a link for you all to check out. Bibliofreak blog is giving away up to 15 Kindle 2's, brand new! All you have to do is follow the link I'll provide here, and pick ways to sign up! There's several, becoming a fan on facebook, twittering the post, etc. Trust me, I'm doing as many as possible! I really suggest you all check this contest out, and then look around the rest of the site. I'm new to the blog, but it seems a little slice of awesome.

So please, go visit! Enter for a chance to win a Kindle II!

HERE !!!

Happy Reading!
~Morning Glow

Monday, November 9, 2009

Books, books, everywhere! Bought, Received, etc

It's been a while since I've done a books received post.. maybe it's time, especially since I've gotten a lot in recent days... here goes!

Bought:
"Queene of Light" by Jennifer Armintrout - I loved her vampire series.
"Intertwined" by Gena Showalter - Looked interesting, but similar to her adult Lords series.
"Dracula: The Un-Dead" by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt - I love Dracula when I read it years ago.
"The Tycoon's Rebel Bride" by Maya Banks
"Hot-Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal" by Heidi Rice
"Count Maxime's Virgin" by Susan Stephens
"The Ruthless Greek's Virgin Princess" by Trish Morey
The last four were bought at my local library for 25 cents each!
"Me and My Shadow" by Katie MacAlister - yay a new Katie Mac book!
"Unbound" by Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, and Jocelynn Drake - I bought it for the Bones story, but I'm sooo going to read the rest of them.

Received in exchange for review:
"Love is a Battlefield - A Walk in the Park, Book 1" by Annalisa Daughety -
Thanks to librarything.com's Early Reviewers program for this one!

Books won in contests, etc:
"A Highlander's Temptation" by Sue-Ellen Welfonder - Looks yummy!
"Branded by the Sheriff" by Delores Fossen - This should be a quick, good read.
"Night's Knights" by Emerian Rich - This book came with a bunch of Halloween-y goodies!
"Going Bovine" by Libba Bray - This one sounds awesome. And the author interview for it? Pure gold! She does it dressed as a cow!
"Mistress of Mellyn" by Victoria Holt - I don't remember what this was for...
"Mine Till Midnight" by Lisa Kleypas - I've never read this author before, but I know she has a huge fan base. I'm excited to try it out.
"Deja Demon" by Julie Kenner - I've not read any of her other books, I'm hoping I can jump right into this one.. anyone that's read this, your advice?
"Nothing But Scandal" by Allegra Gray - won at The Season Blog. Such great contests there!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Review of "According to Jane" by Marilyn Brant



I literally JUST finished "According to Jane" by Marilyn Brant and.. whoa! I received this as an ARC from a Jane Austen week contest (it was great! Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, etc!), and I FINALLY got around to reading and reviewing it, and boy am I happy I did!

The blurb: " It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." From nowhere comes a quiet "tsk" of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there.

Jane's wise and witty advice guides Elli through the trauma of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually, more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go, but Jane's counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. STAY AWAY, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham.

Still, everyone has something to learn about love -- perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie's head is being downed out by another, urging her to look beyond all she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected happy ending... "

Ooooh, sounds good right? Honestly, when I first got the book, I thought it was a Young Adult book, I don't know why. But really, not at all. Yes, you do get snippets of when she was in High school, but she's an adult for most of the book. In fact, I got the sense that until the last few chapters of the book, she was in her thirties, and just retelling this story for my benefit. Marilyn Brant did a wonderful job with this story, and it kind of makes me want to have Jane Austen in my head, guiding me through life, as a constant companion. Brant weaves (yes, weaves is the best description) a beautiful tale of Ellie's life from High School to her thirties. I loved the ending, I gotta say, it makes me giddy with happiness. And I really connected with Ellie. I've had some... trials in the love department, as well as seen others get married and find happiness, even have children, all while feeling a little lost and alone. You can really watch Ellie grow up, mature, and find herself. And that's another thing I love about the book, that she does manage to mature on her own, without the need of a man being there and guiding her.

I give "According to Jane" by Marilyn Brant a FIVE out of FIVE stars. I loved it. I'm recommending it to everyone, really. Heck, if I could give it a higher score, I would, but I don't want to get into weird fractions, or impossible numbers. I really do hope you all read and enjoy this. As I'm sure you gathered, it's not really paranormal-y, except the fact that Jane Austen's ghost is present. And I wouldn't necessarily call it romance-y either.. more.. Fiction, or maybe chick-lit. Really good chick-lit.

Happy reading, and check out "According to Jane!"
~ Morning Glow

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Copy was won in a contest, review was not done in exchange for book.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Review(ette?) of "Dhampir Passions" by Mary Corrales

I won a .pdf copy of "Dhampir Passions" by Mary Corrales from a Halloween contest, and am I glad!

The premise:
" Living in the post-war American Western Barrans, Linea Kamiya is in danger of becoming a vamp master's minion. While she hides Desmondi's evil mark from the townsfolk of Whickeup, the town council intends to take her farmland for themselves. Linea's only hope lies with an enigmatic stranger.
Raduslav Dracula is hunting for the vampire who stole the Draculesti Bloodstone from his family's gravesite. When Radu's attraction to Linea turns physical, he knows he will have to battle with his heart as well as the demon Desmondi. Is the half-blood Dhampir strong enough to embrace his own cursed nature to defeat Desmondi? "

Oooo sounds good, right?! It is! I was so interested in the setting, it says "post-war" in the synopsis, but it seems to be post-some-huge-nuclear-war-that-changed-everything. Okay, not everything. But people are sterile, or at least some of them, and single women are.. well, I don't want to say taboo, but they only have a few years of being single, and if they don't find someone to marry them, they have to go to whorehouses. Really, the author could have just focused on this world and created a book and then some. I would have loved to see more development of the world, but that's just me wanting to read more about it. Which is a good thing, of course. As for the plot, I liked it. As usual with shorter books, I wish there was more ("Dhampir Passions" is.. well, we'll say about 40 pages). But despite how short it was, I think the characters were well developed, likeable, and I kinda want my own Radu. I also thought it was interesting that she actually made Radu part of the Dracul bloodline.. and instead of being a full vampire like most do.. he's a Dhampir. I thought that was great.

So! I would give "Dhampir Passions" a FIVE out of FIVE. I really liked it, I just can't get over how cool the world was, and as I said, I want my own Radu. Christmas is coming up, you know.. someone get on that!

Happy Reading, everyone!
~ Morning Glow

Photo courtesy of Eternal Press (publisher)
.pdf copy was won in a contest, copy was not received in exchange for a review. Review was provided for fun.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

A Contest for you to check out!!

The blog Fangs, Fur, and Fey are celebrating their three year anniversary with a wonderful contest! What are they giving away to the lucky winner(s) you may ask?! Well! The grand prize winner gets a Kindle! And twenty two other winners will get a 20 dollar gift card to a vendor of their choice (they have a list to choose from).

I've already sent in my entry, what are you waiting for??? Oh.. the link? Right! Here you go!
HERE Good luck!

And on another note, yesterday (Tuesday Nov 3) was the release day for Me and My Shadow, Katie MacAlister's next Silver dragons novel. I'm heading out to grab my copy later today. Here's hoping I find it in the first store I go to! My city isn't big on book stores.. and the ones we do have, almost never have new ones out.

Happy reading!!
Morning Glow

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Writing contest - I need your votes!

Hello lovely readers! I have a huge favor to ask of you...

Just to get myself writing something, ANYTHING, I entered into a contest over at Writtenwyrdd. The prize isn't money, but an adorable Chthulu plushie. Plus, it'll allow me to put a "win" on my record. Horror isn't my genre, but at least I tried! My story is called "The Haunted House" and I'd be super greatful if you would go and vote for my story. Or just vote in general!

The link to the vote post is: HERE

Thank you!! And I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!!

~Morning Glow

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Review of "oh. my. gods." by Tera Lynn Childs



Yay! A review! Ahem. Okay, there are three things that I am obsessed with. Right right, more than three.. but when it comes to reading and research, three things.. mostly. I'm sure you've all picked up on the fact that I obsess over Vampires. You might have even caught my love of fallen angels.. but have you yet discovered that I love mythology? Any kind, really, but Greek mythology is the top of the list. So when a fellow book blogger mentioned this particular book, I practically ran to the library to borrow a copy. And yes, I know I'm not usually a YA fiction person, but I like to branch out of my comfort zones sometimes, and I just couldn't pass this book up.

From the book jacket: "If Phoebe Castro can keep her grades up and have another stellar cross-country season, her dream of attending USC with her best friends is only a track scholarship away. She's made all her plans, so it's a complete shock when her mom announces she's marrying a mysterious stranger and moving them halfway around the world - to Greece. Phoebe's stuck on a secret island in the Aegean, attending the super-exclusive Academy, where her new stepfather is the headmaster, and the kids are anything but your average students - they are descendants of the Greek gods, superpowers included. That's right, Greek gods are no myth! If Phoebe thought high school was hard, she knows this is going to be mortal misery. Securing that scholarship seems like Phoebe's only ticket out of Greece, but training and maintaining her grades will be gruelling, even without a sabotaging steosister from Hades and a gorgeous guy - what a god! - who just might be her Achilles' heel. One thing is for sure - summoning the will to win and finding her place among the gods could be Phoebe's toughest course yet. The Greek gods get a makeover in this romantic odyssey of mythic proportions."

Well, what to say, what to say.. I liked it. I thought it was a fun read, and heck.. I finished it in under two hours, while I enjoyed a little downtime between finishing errands and beginning work. As far as books go, I wouldn't say it was monumental, something that changed my life (oh yes, there are books like that!), but it was cute and enjoyable. I wish it hadn't been quite so predictable. I mean, from a third of the way in, you start getting inklings of the "big shocker" that occurs in the end. And I think the stepsister angle could have been done a little better - the character of the stepsister just seemed to change a little too quickly. But as I said, I enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to others. I'm always interested in how different authors will bring mythology into their work, whether figuratively - as inspiration, or literally - as in this case.

Supposedly, there is a sequel "Goddess boot camp," and I'm a little upset that my library does not have a copy.. I suppose I shall have to find it elsewhere!

I think I will end up giving this book a THREE POINT FIVE out of FIVE. I will probably recommend it to others, but probably only those that read YA fantasy/sci fi/this sort of thing.

Woo, it feels good to get another review up. I feel so accomplished! Now back to my readings for school, which.. if you're interested is - "Cane" by Jean Toomer, and "Neuromancer" by William Gibson. The first, ehhh... the second, I think is really interesting, I just wish I could understand it better. I love sci-fi, but he glances over things a little too quickly, so I don't catch them, then have to go back later and figure out what that meant.. well, anyways!

Happy reading, everyone! Only a few more days to Halloween - better get your spooky costumes and yummy candy out and ready!
~Morning Glow

Copy was borrowed from the library, I was not given it in exchange for a review. Photo courtesey of Amazon.com.

Work, (e)Books, and Bugs, oh my!

It's my bloooog I can rant if I want to, rant if I want to, rant if I want to..

Books! and eBooks! They're piling up around me, and I have yet to get two seconds to myself to read them. To earn some extra money (and because I needed to get out of the house more), I took on a very temporary job at a Halloween store. While I have plenty of hours available to work, I was planning on 20-25 hours. The first week? They scheduled me full time! Even after arguing with the managers, and then even the store owner, I finally managed to lessen the hours, but to 32. This week they did a little better, but I'm still at 28. So by the time I get home (the only two days I'm off are days I have classes full time) I have time to get some homework done before I crash. But I want to read! All these pretty books, they're calling to me! And not just print books, but I have recently recieved some ebooks from two authors that I told them I would gladly review them, and promote the books. I can't do that if I don't have SOME free time, dangit! Don't worry readers, I will be back! Just give me until the second (or so) of November (yay that's less than a week!) and I'll be able to at least do SOME reading and reviewing.

Want to know the books?
"Dhampir Passions" by Mary Corrales and
"The Ghost Downstairs" by Molly Ringle
The second author, I've been following her blog for AGES - she did some amazing "Lord of the Rings in 15 minutes" parodies, as well as other movies. And I was excited to receive a copy of this book to read and review. Heck, I was/am excited to receive BOTH of these!

Rant the second: BUGS! Ah! I know it's getting colder outside, and that usually means prime time for mice and bugs to get into the house since it's warmer inside.. but seriously world?! I live in a basement, and to date, I have found THREE crickets, a grasshopper (first time I've seen a grasshopper outside of the movie A Bug's Life), a spider the size of a quarter, etc. I have a love hate relationship with bugs.. they exist, and I love to hate them. Yes, I know they do good, I just wish they would do said good outside of my room. They make me all... cringey. Maybe if I print small signs and place them around my room telling bugs this is a bug free zone.. would it work?

I hope everyone has a fun (and safe!!) Halloween. Remember to beware, there are werewolves and vampires about! Just kidding, most vampires stay in and watch cheesy movies about themselves on Halloween. And werewolves would only be out if it's the full moon... better check the moon cycle!

Happy Reading, everyone!
~Morning Glow

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Another contest(s) for you!

Okay, everyone needs to check out Princess Bookie, because she's having some major contests for her read-a-thon. She got so many responses for authors and others for books to give away she had to start on them early!

But I'm here to tell you about one contest for ARCs, the one I desperately want. I love Advanced copies of books.. I love the unfinished cover, I like the colors they come in (I've had yellow, black and shiny, pink, etc) and frankly.. I'm a sucker for how they look on my shelf. ARCs and Swag are two of my weaknesses.. and, well.. Books in general are a big weakness. So check out this particular contest at
Princess+Bookie

Much love and books (hopefully) to you all!
~Morning Glow

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Review of 'How to catch and keep a vampire" by Diana Laurence!



Ah! Finally, you say - a review! Yes, I know. It's been forever, but... well, I just don't want to get into it. On with the good part!

From the back of the book:
" Who needs a book on dating a vampire? Well, Bella Swan and Sookie Stackhouse to name just two... Bella and Sookie are fortunate to have vampire boyfriends. But what the heroines of Twilight and True Blood don't have - and could use - is some advice on getting along with them. Everything they and every other red-blooded American girl (and guy) wants to know about finding a dreamy blood- drinker and keeping him is within How to Catch and Keep a Vampire: A Step-by-Step Guide to Loving the Bad and the Beautiful"

My thoughts: Well, I definitely enjoyed this book, and found myself smiling while reading it. And it's not just FAQs and answers, oh no.. there are case studies! As well as Diana Laurence's own person experiences with some vampires. And! I shall share with you the secret of the red ribbon... if you wear a red, satin ribbon on your right wrist, it's a sign for vampires, so they know you know they exist, and you're more likely to attract a good (or bad!) vampire. But if you wear the ribbon on the left wrist.. you're likely to attract an evil vampire. One that would rather kill you than keep you as their sex goddess, I mean.. lover. There are some things, especially near the end, that I didn't exactly agree with, in regards to turning, keeping your mortal boyfriend even though you're also dating a vampire, etc. But it was still a fun read. I especially liked the section about taming a vampire - why, you ask? To put it simply, she explains you can't tame a vampire! Sure, all us vampire addicts knew that, but it's always amusing to hear stories/case studies of people trying!

Are you running out to get a red satin ribbon yet? I was! I'm surprised I haven't seen more promotion for this book. I thought it was an interesting idea, and great for any vampire-lover. And I'd love to see people wearing red satin ribbons become a trend.

I'm going to give this book a FOUR out of FIVE. I enjoyed it, I'm recommending it to some people, it's interesting and well written. Yep, definitely a four. That's it for now, check back soon (I hope! Darn you real life!) for another review.

Happy reading!
~Morning Glow

Photo courtesy of amazon.com
Book recieved free of charge via a promotion on a blog, no review required - I am reviewing it of my own free will.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Be in a book!

BE IN A BOOK! YOUR NAME, NO CONTEST, NO KIDDING!

Urban fantasy romance author Jaime Rush is giving you the chance to have your name in a nationally-published book as a way of thanking you for your support, being a friend, or just being you. There is no contest, no "lucky" winner. You're all winners! Tell your friends, too. Go to her website (www.jaimerush.com) or MySpace page (www.myspace.com/jaimerush) and sign up by October 30th!

A Cool Contest for Readers and Writers –A little fame & a little fortune!
Jaime Rush (aka Tina Wainscott) is celebrating the second book in her urban fantasy romance series, OUT OF THE DARKNESS (Avon), with her Kick Butt First Line contest. Shocking, suspenseful, funny…make us want more! Cash prizes! Contest runs from through November 1, 2009. For aspiring authors, it's a chance to get your name out there and add a "win" to your bio. For readers, it's a chance to play at being a writer. For details, and to check out the entries, go to www.JaimeRush.com and click on the Contest link.

I've already done it, maybe you should too! And spread the word!
Happy Reading!
Morning Glow

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

A contest for everyone to check out

As I'm sure you all know by now, I'm a big fan of paranormal creatures. Especially vampires and werewolves. Especially especially vampires. And guess what, there's a great contest being held over at Bloody Bookaholic - for a vampire or a werewolf book.

From the publisher
Those obessed with fangs – the vampire and werewolf kind – will DROOL over VAMPIRES by Joules Taylor and WEREWOLVES by Jon Izzard – both published by Octopus Press USA. VAMPIRES explores the ancient and modern myths from around the world, details accounts of real-life vampires both mental and physical, and profiles the popularity and fascination with vampires in pop culture. WEREWOLVES is a riveting volume about the transformations, inner rage, extra human strength, mysterious curses and modern cures of these complex creatures. I’ve attached the press release for your reference.

Now, go check the contest out! And if get there via my post, can you please say you were referred by me? Thanks bunches!

Here's the LINK now go check it out!

Happy reading everyone!!
~Morning Glow

Almost there!

For anyone and everyone that keeps checking back in, even though I've been rather MIA these past couple.. weeks(?!), I'll be back soon, I promise! I have one more midterm and then I can get back to what I love- reading and blogging. Good thing I decided to allow myself a break to check some blogs out, it looks like we now have new FTC guidelines to follow, lovely! I guess from now on if I receive/buy/get/win/whatever a book, I better write down where it comes from, how I got it, etc..

And just FYI, I got a copy of "How to catch and keep a vampire," "According to Jane" (ARC), "Covet," and a few others that have been added to the now overwhelming TBR pile.. at last count it was at 22 something.. ah! Though I know as soon as midterms are all taken care of, I won't have a problem curling up under a nice warm blanket infront of our fake fireplace (anyone else own an Amish fireplace stove thing? My family just HAD to have one) with an excellent book.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Sorry!

I'm just posting to show you all that I am definitely still alive.. and to apologize for being gone so long. And I'm afraid it might have to continue, though I'm working on budgeting my time a little better. And just to show I'm not making this up, here's what I have going on the next couple weeks...

This week: Exam in my film studies class.. studied for that all weekend, and you know, I think I did okay. We can hope, anyways!
Also this week: The show!! That's right, everyone.. on top of being a book worm, I'm also a theatre geek! I used to be in shows all year long, but lately I've moved myself into a techie role, as my mother and aunt have moved into the production/directing roles. Oh, I always did techie stuff, usually helping said mother or aunt, but once again, I'm doing this on my own! You're looking (reading?) at the Stage Manager for a show that opens tomorrow (thursday, eek!). This is only my second time stage managing, and yes, it can be a scary thing.. Anyways, this will finally end Sunday, but then we have to strike the set, and the cast party after.

Next week!: Another exam, this time in my english class, where I have to review 5 different authors and their works (W.E.B. Du Bois, James Weldon Johnson, etc..) and know their stories, and their lives. Yikes..

On top of all this, I have the usually homework for class (a half to a full book per week for my one English class, and an author a week for my other english class, but reading in the text for film studies, and projects and such for my online class). All of that, PLUS reading a book on my own for one of those english classes, and starting the research for a paper based on it.

I keep looking longingly at my TBR pile(s)... I will be back, everyone, I promise! I miss the blogging world! I still manage to get some time to check the blogs of my followers, and some favorites of mine. But I miss the exploring, the chatting, etc... Sigh!

Much love, and happy reading!
Morning Glow

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Books (and such!) bought, received, swapped, etc! Sept 09

So many things received today! Well, okay... today and the past couple days. Here we go!

Received:
"Dawnbreaker" by Jocelynn Drake (SIGNED!) I got this from the author herself via a contest on her blog. I'm excited to read it!
"Feels like the First Time" by Tawny Weber. Sounds great!
"The Lion's Shadow" by Marthe Arends (SIGNED!) I can't wait to read this, supposedly this is actually Katie MacAlister's first historical romance. And I'm sure, by now, you all know how much I LOVE Katie MacAlister!

Swapped:
"The Accidental Demon Slayer" by Angie Fox. I'm eager to check this out, sounds good, and I think the cover is adorable!

Bought:
"Born of Night" by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I love this author, and I'm eager to check out this series.
"The Renegade Hunter" by Lynsay Sands. I eagerly await each Argeneau series book. This one looks to be just as good.

And now for what else I received! I won a contest on the Shooting Stars Mag for a Tshirt from www.crazydogtshirts.com and it came in today! And the guy from the site that I talked to was so nice, he threw in another shirt for me for free! I definitely found my newest Christmas and Birthday gift site, there's so much on there I want to buy.. for myself. I mean.. for others! Please check them out, and become a fan of their facebook page - they have daily trivia contests to win a free shirt!

Check back soon for some reviews! Hopefully I can get them up soon, anyways. I'm close to getting behind in my schoolwork, just barely keeping up, so (unfortunately) that has to come first.

Happy Reading!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Book-y Meme!

It's been a while, so I decided to fill up some of the time between reviews (next up: "Dark Hunger" by Rita Herron!) with a nice little meme I found.

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
Hmm.. mass market, usually. But I like books in general, so... all?

Waterstones, Borders or Amazon?
Amazon, usually. Unless I have some excellent coupons for borders.

Bookmark or dog-ear?
I try to use bookmarks as much as possible. Which is part of the reason why I love getting swag and promo stuff from authors, because it usually includes bookmarks. But if it's an emergency, I will dog-ear.

Amazon or bricks-and-mortar?
Amazon. Definitely amazon. All the time. I'm on there at least three times a week!

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
Author, usually. All my authors are together, and if it's a series, they're in series order. Otherwise, I usually organize my bookshelves by favorites at the top, semi-favs at the bottom, etc.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
Keep, usually. Though if it's one I know I will never want to read again, I will sell it. Though I'm getting more and more into the idea of swapping things via Paperback Swap.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Are you kidding?! Keep, of course!

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
I take it off and set it aside when I read the book. I usually shove books in my purse and take them with me, therefore should something happen, the beautiful dust jacket won't get ruined!

Short story or novel?
Novel, definitely. I like more development, and short stories just don't give me that. The only short stories I've liked to date have been Sherlock Holmes.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Harry Potter. I've read most of the Lemony Snicket ones, and I think they're interesting.. but Harry Potter all the way!

Buy or borrow?
I like to keep them, so buy. Besides, if I borrow something and like it, I'll just end up buying it anyways!

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
All three, actually! I faithfully check my amazon recommendations. Browsing in the store is always fun for me. And book reviews by my favorite bloggers give me plenty of ideas of what to look for. And if they like it, I know I will too.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
If the novel is just a stand-alone, I want a tidy ending. If it's going to be part of a series, a cliffhanger is okay. But I hate when authors leave this HUGE cliffhanger, then don't put the next book out for years.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
Nighttime, usually. But I have afternoons and evenings free most of the week, so I like to curl up on the couch and read then, too.

Stand-alone or series?
Series, definitely! There are several series that I follow religiously - Katie MacAlister (all of them!), Sherrilyn Kenyon (all!), Laurell K. Hamilton (both), Lynsay Sands (Argeneau series), Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress), Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, etc etc etc!

Favourite children’s book?
Probably the Dinotopia series by James Gurney. I love the pictures. I love the story. Ahh..

Favourite YA book?
"Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick, at the moment. Harry Potters...

Favourite book of which nobody else has heard of?
Probably "The Fallen" series by Thomas E. Sniegoski. If the series wasn't on my bookshelf, I would have thought I imagined it, because no one knows about it! Even though they supposedly made a miniseries out of it, called "Fallen".. but I only watched less than an episode before getting disheartened.

Favourite books read last year?
Oh man, I don't know! So many... the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher? At least some of them. I didn't get to finish the series.

Favourite books of all time?
Ah! Like I could pick?! Probably the Dark-Hunter series.

Favourite book to recommend to an 11-year-old?
The Harry Potter books, if they haven't already read them. The Dinotopia books. I don't read many books suitable for 11 year olds, lol.

Favorite book to re-read?
"Seize the Night" by Sherrilyn Kenyon. And "Bite me if you can" by Lynsay Sands.

Do you ever smell books?
Oh man, is it creepy if I say yes?

Do you ever read primary source documents like letters or diaries?
Yes I do, lol. But then I'm a History major, as well as a general History nut.

What are you reading right now?
"Dark Hunger" by Rita Herron, and "The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle. One is for fun/review, the other is for class. But I'm enjoying both, lol.

What are you reading next?
"Drawn into Darkness," "The Lost Symbol," and then "The Greatest Knight." Those are the next three in the To Be Read pile, with 9 more sitting there waiting to be read. Plus the five (or six) more that haven't arrived yet. I need to get on this stuff!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Review of "The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker"



There must be something wrong with me, so many posts in such a short amount of time! But I don't want to hear any complaining!

Now tonight, we have a review of "The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker" by Leanna Renee Hieber.

Because the back of the book is better than my own explanation.. "What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Hidden in the dark heart of Victorian London, the Romanesque school was dreadfully imposing, a veritable fortress, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met its powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadows, of the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She saw simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow white hair, pearlescent skin and uncanny gift. This arched stone doorway was a portal to a new life, to an education far from what could be had at a convent - and it was an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death..."

Now for my thoughts - wow! I've not read any historical paranormal romance before, or anything historical paranormal for that matter. Except maybe Dracula, if that counts. Well, it's not really a secret that I love any and all things dealing with mythology, especially Greek, and this book hit the spot for me. Not just mythology, but ghosts! I think we need to see more books with ghosts, especially ones where they are not always the bad guys.

The description in this book was breathtaking, as was Miss Percy Parker herself. Other than her "condition," I was able to identify with her - I also love languages and the study of them, and I am certainly not the best student in math. In fact, it is because Percy Parker is so bad at math that she must have weekly tutoring sessions with her professor, Alexi Rychman. And woof, if you like your men dark and brooding (I know I do!), look no further! I also rather enjoyed her take on Jack the Ripper. Now, the scenes dealing with "The Darkness" were a little confusing, but maybe they needed to be vague. I give this book a FIVE out of FIVE. Yay!

That said, I've heard there is to be a sequel! I hope so, I'd love to heard more about this all! AND! Lucky me, Leanna Renee Hieber is a local author (from my city even! Southwest Ohio represent!), and she's doing a book signing in the area! I'm going with a couple of friends.

Happy Reading! And be sure to check out "The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker" by Leanna Renee Hieber!

Photo courtesy of amazon.com

Monday, September 21, 2009

Review of "Mr. Darcy, Vampyre" by Amanda Grange



Just finished "Mr. Darcy, Vampyre" by Amanda Grange. What's with all the Jane Austen sequels, etc coming out now? "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," "Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters," "Mr. Darcy's Diary," etc. Not that I'm complaining.. I love "Pride and Prejudice" and I love to see Elizabeth and Darcy's story continued. On that note...

"Mr. Darcy, Vampyre" picks up where "Pride and Prejudice" leaves off. We begin with Darcy and Elizabeth's wedding day, and follow them on their wedding tour of Europe. But Elizabeth is worried, because her husband seems so preoccupied, he isn't showing her the affection she expected of a husband. And indeed, it seems he has quite a secret that he is keeping from her.

I love that this book references "Pride and Prejudice" on several occasions, Elizath and Darcy teasing one another about past occurances, or discussing how they met, etc. Both Darcy and Elizabeth are kept in character for the most part, though we can only assume that is how Elizabeth would act when faced with such a situation. A nitpicky point here, maybe, but I felt there was a little too much repition in the beginning. Several times Darcy asks Elizabeth if she had been overseas, or in a boat. And not just him, but other seems to keep asking the same. It just got old fast.

I liked her version of the vampire myth, which is not something I've seen much of lately. Each Vampyre family has a different weakness. One has no reflection, another can't handle religious items, and another still must be indoors at both sunset and sunrise because they become transparent.

All in all, I thought the book was good, and will give it a THREE POINT FIVE out of FIVE. I thought the story was interesting, but it moved a little slow for me, and I really don't see myself re-reading this much in the future. It'll probably sit next to my copy of "Pride and Prejudice" and whenever I have the urge to re-read that, I'll probably follow it up with "Mr. Darcy, Vampyre." However, I can totally see Darcy as a vampire, and I know there are plenty out there who will agree! Make sure to check out "Mr. Darcy, Vampyre" by Amanda Grange

Happy reading!

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Katie MacAlister covers!



Since I was talking about favorite authors recently, I figured I would promote one of my favorite authors, by showing some cover art of two of her upcoming books.

First we have "Steamed" her first book in the steampunk genre. I've not read any steampunk before.. infact, I didn't even know it existed until she started talking about writing it. Now I can't wait! And just look at that cover, isn't it wonderful? Very bright, very eyecatching.. I'm sure it will fly off the shelves! I know I can't wait.








And what do we have here? Her next book in the dragons series (this time it's a novel of the Light Dragons!) titled "Love in the Time of Dragons." For those of you that follow her Dragon septs series, it's Baltic's story.



For more information on the dragon book, she has a blog_post that answers some questions.


And for more information on her writing process, her life, and some dishy guys (every monday!) visit her BLOG !


And, not a fan of paranormal romance? Don't worry, she also writes contemporary romance, historical romance, as well as her paranormals. She has also started writing a paranormal mystery series under the name Kate Marsh. AND she has some YA fiction under the name Katie Maxwell ("Circus of the Darned" is my favorite!).

Check it out! And be sure to drool over the amazing covers.

Covers courtesy of Katie MacAlister's blog

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Favorite authors, what makes us stay?

So today, I received some books in the mail, and one of them was "The Brat" by Lynsay Sands. I opened it, admiring the beautiful new copy (the one I read was a library copy, and an old tattered one to boot), and found out it was signed! I instantly became giddy. I love Lynsay Sands, mostly her Argeneau series, and I was overjoyed just to own something she's signed. So that got me thinking about my favorite authors, why they're my favorites, and wondering what everyone else's favorites are.

I have several authors I consider my favorites, and I will read anything and everything they write, whether it's my genre or not. So I'll list them here for you, and include a thing or two about why I love them.

Katie MacAlister (aka Kate Marsh, Katie Maxwell). - She's quirky, her stories are magical, and her Dragons and Dark Ones make me drool. And it was because she started writing a mystery series ("Ghost of a Chance" Kate Marsh), I decided to start checking out other mysteries. And she's writing a Steampunk novel now ("Steamed"), so I'll be trying a steampunk romance as soon as that comes out!

Sherrilyn Kenyon (aka Kinley MacGregor) - I love mythology, and I love how she uses it in her novels. I have enjoyed every one of her Dark-Hunter series books, and own them all. And "Born In Sin" (Kinley MacGregor) is now and always will be my favorite Historical Romance.

Lynsay Sands - As I said, I love her. Her Argeneau series is wonderful. Another series where I love the characters, and keep going back to the series to see those characters again. I think my favorite Argeneau is Lucian. His book is my favorite to date, but she keeps coming out with good ones, that might change.

Laurell K. Hamilton - Two great series here, the Merry Gentry series (faeries), and the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. I can't tell you which I like more anymore. For a while, it was the Merry Gentry series, because she stayed with the plot, the story kept moving forward at a good pace. The Anita Blake series, for a while, got to a point where it was just mindless sex, the plot was confusing and forgetful, and so on. But her most recent book ("Skin Trade") was very good, back to the old Anita Blake that made me love her. Well, with a few nitpicks, anyways.

Jeaniene Frost - I actually read this series out of order. I read the second one first, then went back and read the first. I love Cat. I might love Bones a little more, but shhh. And her most recent book, I've never wanted to cry, smack a character, and laugh at the same time. I can't wait for her next book. And bonus, if you follow her blog, she occasionally has "flash contests" where if you're the first couple people to comment on the post, you automatically win. It's how I won a signed copy of one of her books that if I had a treasure chest, it would be in it.

That said, who are your favorite authors, and what makes you keep going back to them?

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Review of "The Blue Enchantress" by M. L. Tyndall

So I just finished "The Blue Enchantress" by M. L. Tyndall, and I will be completely honest in saying I had to force myself to finish it. I reviewed this book as part of an Early Reviewers program, and I refuse to do a review if I haven't read the whole thing, as difficult as that may be.

From the back of the book:
" Still grieving the loss of her mother - and private tragedies of her own - Hope Wescott plays the part of a dutiful admiral's daughter. But longing for the love and acceptance she never felt at home, Hope plunges into Charles Towne society... and an illicit affair with Lord Falkland. For Captain Nathaniel Mason, wealth means security, so he is determined to build his shipping business - ignoring God's call on his life to become an impoverished pastor. He also ignores his attraction to the frivolous, vain Hope Wescott. Hope's adventure seeking lands her in the hands of an unscrupulous ship captain who wants to sell her to the highest bidder. When Nathaniel sees Hope on the auction block, will he listen to God and sacrifice his ship, cargo, and security to save her? "

So... I will be the first person to admit I don't read Christian literature. But I received this book and told myself to give it a fair chance. However, some issues, at least issues to me, arose while reading. I really don't have a problem with God appearing in books, not popping up in the story, I mean, but being present or being a part of the story. I understand some characters have religious ties, I'm okay with that. But this book seems to take it a little too far. I thought this would be a love story, but instead I found myself being preached to, with a little bit of a love story on the side, shoved to the backburner. I think the biggest problem I had with this story was that while the main male - Nathaniel Mason, loved the heroine - Hope Wescott, he wouldn't admit his love to himself or her until she "gave herself to God." He wouldn't even allow himself to picture a future with her until she became religious. Before she "turned to God," he did nothing but judge her, and himself for liking her. Heck, even after she had this miraculous change, he kept judging her. I'm all for issues between characters that they have to overcome to be together, that's part of a good love story, but this seems a little extreme.

All that said, I'm giving this book a TWO out of FIVE. I would give it a ONE out of FIVE, since I thought the story itself was awful. But M. L. Tyndall had a very good, descriptive, flowing writing style, and for that alone, I brought the grade up a point. I really don't suggest this book unless it's your sort of thing. I know there are people out there that liked to be preached to, and by all means, check out "The Blue Enchantress." Me, however, I think I'll stick with my vampire romances, hunky cowboys, and handsome devils.

Happy Reading!

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Monday, September 14, 2009

Blogger Award - Zombie Chickens!


I received an award, which I'm so excited to get! My first ever! And now I get to pass it on!


I received this award from Romantic_Harbor and now I get to pass it on!

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken-- excellence, grace, and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all."

I'm passing it on to..
1. J_Kaye
2. BOOK_JUNKIE
3. Stumbling_Over_Chaos
4. Park_Avenue_Princess
5. Literary_Escapism

These are some of my favorite blogs, I check them every day, and you all should too! Please let me know of any of those links don't work, and I will fix them, I want everyone to be able to visit these great blogs!

Happy Reading!

BBAW!

Well, it's Book Blogger Appreciation Week!! I'm excited. Since I'm still so new to blogging in general, I decided not to participate in a big capacity. Mostly I'm just sitting back and watching the madness. And entering contests like crazy.

But this week is a great way to discover new blogs. I've already found several (just today!) that I will be following from now on. Next year I plan to participate a little more actively, maybe have some contests of my own, do more to celebrate. This year I can just watch and observe. I'm good at that. I'm close to finishing another book to review, so that should be up in the next few days, barring massive amounts of reading for school. So look for the review of "The Blue Enchantress" by M. L. Tyndall.

That said, happy reading everyone! And Happy BBAW!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Review of "Dead Men's Boots" by Mike Carey (Felix Castor series)



Well! I just finished "Dead Men's Boots" by Mike Carey, part of his Felix Castor series, and wow! This is definitely a book everyone interested in science fiction/fantasy should read. If you like Jim Butcher, you'll like him!

From the book jacket: " Castor's fellow exorcist John Gittings made several calls asking for help before his untimely demise, and if Castor had answered them, his friend might still be alive. So when a smooth -talking lawyer comes out of nowhere to claim the corpse, Castor owes it to John's unhappy ghost and even more miserable widow to help out. But life is rarely that simple for Felix Castor. A brutal murder in King's Cross bears all the hallmarks of a long-dead American serial killer, and it takes more good sense than Castor owns not to get involved. He's also fighting a losing battle for the body - if not the soul - of his demon-possessed friend, Rafi, and can't shake the feeling that his three problems might be related. With the help of the succubus Juliet and paranoid zombie data-fence Nicky Heath, Castor might have a chance of fitting the pieces together before someone drops him down an elevator shaft or rips his throat out. Or not... "

Well, there you go. Oh, you mean you wanted my thoughts on the book? Oh! Oh, okay, well then.. I quite enjoyed this book. But it's not the first book in the series, and if I hadn't been busy with school work, I would have gotten the others from the library and read those first. But despite it not being the first in the series, it was very easy to get into, and things were explained enough that I got it all fairly quickly. As for the book itself, Carey is very descriptive, and in fact, has problem the best description of a knee to a man's happy place I've ever read. "... I sidestepped it and kicked him in the crotch. He folded in on his pain, his universe shrinking to a few cubic inches of intimate agony" (73). As morbid as it may be, I couldn't help but snicker a little at that line.

The story itself has a very interesting premise - in the not-too-distant past, ghosts started rising in numbers people would never have guessed, and people with the exorcist gene, such as Castor, have their work cut out for them. As I said, Felix Castor is a very Harry Dresden-esque character, and he's someone you can connect with. And if not.. well, you want to know what trouble he gets into, and how he manages to get himself out of it, if he does. I loved the beginning hook, definitely caught my attention! "I don't do funerals all that often, and when I do, I prefer to be either falling-down drunk or dosed up on some herbal fuzz-bomb..." (1).

As for an official raiting, I would give this a FOUR out of FIVE. I liked it, I do recommend it, and I plan to find the other books in the series and give them a read as well.

Happy Reading everyone, and thank you to Marta Acosta for the book!!

Image courtesy of amazon.com

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Books received 09/09/09

You know, maybe today really is a lucky day, like I've been told. I received two books in the mail today, well.. technically I received one of them yesterday, but it was shoved into my mailbox rather late at night (Fed Ex has some odd operating times..) and I didn't notice it until today. Okay, actually I got 3 books, but one is for school.

"Dark Hunger" by Rita Herron was the poor dear left overnight in my mailbox. I got this one courtesy of Chris at http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/ Love that blog. I check it every weekday. And I never used to be a cat person, but I find myself curious what Chaos and Mayhem are up to each day.

The second book "The Blue Enchantress" by M. L. Tyndall, the second book in the Charles Towne Belles series, was sent to me by Barbour Publishing. Got this one through http://www.librarything.com/ 's Early Reviewer program. If it wasn't for that program, I never would have gotten the urge to start my review blog.

See? Now I have even more books to read, I need to get out of this slump! Not to mention I got two books from the library today (Mammoth book of paranormal romance, and Mammoth book of vampire romance). Oh, and the book for school? Sherlock Holmes. All in all, not a bad day!

Happy Reading, and happy Hump Day!
~Morning Glow

ETA: For anyone going "Where the heck is the review for Bad Moon Rising??" Well, I know I said I'd give one, but I just can't. It wouldn't be a fair, unbiased review. I love Sherrilyn Kenyon and all she does, and I always will. After finishing the book, I just gushed over it for days. Maybe when I've taken some time to get over it, I'll post the review. In short, Loved It! Five stars! And I definitely recommend the whole series (Dark-Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon) to anyone and everyone.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

A slump???

Yes! I've been in a reading slump lately! And it's not that I don't have anything to read, I currently have 6 books in the TBR pile, plus at least a few more on the way. I just can't get into anything, all I have the urge to do is re-read some old favorites, and even that urge is rare.

The only explanation I can come up with is that school is back in session, so now I'm doing reading for school (which so far isn't bad, just time consuming, and takes a good deal of concentration). But summer can't last forever! Unfortunately. Actually, I love winter more than anything. Curling up under mountains of blankets with a good book.

Maybe it's just a beginning-of-the-semester thing. I hope so, because I have some very interesting books in the pile. I've listed them before, but next up is "Dead Men's Boots" by Mike Carey (Supernatural Thriller). I've heard he's every bit as good as Jim Butcher, whom I enjoy. Following that, I have "Mr Darcy, Vampyre" by Amanda Grange. Stay tuned!

Happy reading! And I hope you all had a great Labor Day Weekend, if you celebrate it!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Review of "Hush, hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick


It's April, almost the end of the school year, and yet Nora Grey's biology teacher decides it's time to switch partners. This lands Nora with the new guy, Patch, instead of her normal partner, and best friend, Vee. And their first assignment as new partners - an interview of each other. Patch isn't very forthcoming, but he knows a little too much about Nora, too close to the truth to be mere guesses.

It's only after she meets Patch that her life starts going crazy - she feels someone watching her all the time, she's attacked one night while driving home.. and the hits keep coming. Is it Patch that's stalking her? Or is he the one person she can feel safe with?

Now for my review - First things first, I LOVE this cover. If I had any power in this area, I would vote this the best cover of the year. It's eye-catching, and moving. If I saw this in the store, I would definitely pick it up. Actually, I'd like a poster with that image on it. Someone get on that!

As for the book itself, to sum it up, I loved it. I know this is something I'm going to read over and over, and I've already recommended it to a ton of people. This book really deserves some buzz! I'm not too much of a YA reader, but for a book like this? I gladly stepped out of my comfort zone. Everything was well written, Nora had all the right reactions in the right places, and you can really sympathize with her. She's attracted to Patch, but if he's the one behind everything.. what do you do in that situation? The story is powerful and compelling, and once again, I had the urge to make some high-pitched fangirl sound at the end, because I was just so excited. Ever since I read "The Fallen" series by Thomas Sniegoski, I've been a little over obsessed with Angels, fallen or otherwise. And after reading a brief synopsis of this book some time ago, I knew I had to have it. The story played out amazingly, keeping me in suspense, and I had to keep reading to find out what happened to Patch, Nora, and the rest of the crew. Who was the bad guy? And what were the motives? As I said, definitely a must-read.
Now for the cons.. really, I can only think of two. There is a beginning sequence, happening centuries before the rest of the book, and I know why the author wanted to keep some description out of it, so you're not sure who is who, and where they will fit in in the rest of the book, but I think a little bit more description, clothes, stringy hair, anything would have been nice. And Nora's friend Vee? I will admit to being a little annoyed with her. But that's just her character, so nothing really wrong with it.

I would give "Hush, hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick FIVE out of FIVE stars. I loved it, and I know everyone else will too. Even if YA isn't your thing, it's worth checking out. This book is definitely going to be a keeper. Look for it October 13!!!

Well, that's it for now. Next book to read and review? "Bad Moon Rising" by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
Happy reading, everyone! And have a great week!

~ Morning Glow ~

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Review of "Soul Catcher" by Leigh Bridger


Ladies and Gentlemen, I will give you my honest reaction to this book - AHH!! I loved it. I've never read anything like it, this would be one of those books I would call "epic."

This book is so.. amazingly wonderful, and I'm still so giddy after finishing it, that I don't think I could write a proper book blurb plot thing. Instead? I'll give you what it says on the back of the book.

" Deborah Smith is the New York Times best-selling author of A PLACE TO CALL HOME, SWEET HUSH, A GENTLE RAIN and others. Now, writing as Leigh Bridger, she enters the sinister alternate reality of both good and evil, battling for their own wills as well as the will of mankind. From the gothic eccentricity of Asheville, North Carolina to the terrifying recesses of the Appalachian wilderness, from modern demonology to the ancient Cherokee mythology, SOUL CATCHER follows the tormented journey of many lives by a sadistic and vengeful demon. Livia and her loved ones, including her frontier-era soul-mate and husband, Ian, have never beaten the demon before. Now, in this life, he's found them again. "

As I mentioned, this book does seem rather epic, and I'm so thankful that I got the chance to read and review this book. The idea that the soul is eternal, that once you die, you just get reincarnated, and even more so - there is one soul mate for you, one person that you will meet again life after life. And the battle between good and evil, the spirits that help, and those that hurt. This is one of those books that really make you look at life differently, look at people differently. And the characters, gosh. I don't think I could get over Livia and Ian. Even the side characters, the boons, pogs, and spirits that help them, they were all excellently done. But Livia and Ian's lives, their love, how even through time, different lives, and a demon out to kill them, they find each other, and fight for each other.

If I had one complaint, which I could not care less about by the middle of the book, was that the author seemed to over describe some things, while under describing others. Now, I may not necessarily want to know the details of Livia being raped (I promise, no spoilers there, happens in the first few pages), I think a little more detail of that whole scene would have helped, instead of telling me that she was hurt and in bed for a month healing from the ordeal. And really, this is the only big instance of this issue that I found in the entire book. From that point on, things are described clearly enough, not too much, not too little.

So on to the rating.. would anyone really be surprised that I'm giving it a FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS? I know this is something I will recommend to absolutely everyone, I know I will re-read it, and when the sequel comes out (it's supposedly the beginning of a trilogy), I will buy it day one, if not pre-order it.

"Soul Catcher" by Leigh Bridger (aka Deborah Smith) will be released October 1, 2009. I suggest you all run out to get your copy, preorder it, anything!

Happy reading, and I hope you all have a great weekend!

All books photos courtesy of Amazon.com

Thursday, August 27, 2009

My TBR pile is growing!

Just a quick update post to show you all that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, and that there will be plenty of reviews coming to keep you all entertained. The books in my TBR pile, which is growing by the day, will all be reviewed, and you can expect one by tomorrow night, I promise!

Curious about what's coming up? Here we go!
"Soul Catcher" by Leigh Bridger (aka Deborah Smith)
"Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick (my first YA novel to review, yay!)
"Bad Moon Rising" by Sherrilyn Kenyon
"Dead Men's Boots" by Mike Carey
"Seduce Me" by Robyn DeHart
"Mr. Darcy, Vampyre" by Amanda Grange
and "Four Dukes and a Devil" by Cathy Maxwell, Elaine Fox, Jeaniene Frost, Sophia Nash, and Tracy Anne Warren

There are also a few more books coming my way.. But we'll worry about the ones I have for now, right?

Happy reading, everyone

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Review of "Indiscreet" by Carolyn Jewel



Hello again, everyone! I'm back, and this time with my review of "Indiscreet" by Carolyn Jewel, which is set to be released October 6th, 2009. I almost wish my copy, a yellow bound ARC, had this cover! Now, onto the plot..

Sabine Goddard's reputation was ruined several years ago, incorrectly so, by a former friend of Edward, the Marquess of Foye, hereafter referred to as Foye. Now Foye is travelling, and comes upon Sabine and her uncle, who have left England to get away from the rumors. Neither are described as traditionally handsome or beautiful, but they are almost instantly attracted to one another. Just as they profess their love for each other, Sabine's uncle decides it is time for them to continue on their travel, to the palace of a rich, popular, rather unlawful local - Nazim Pasha. Foye knows Nazim Pasha has set his sights on Sabine, and she may be in danger. So he follows them, and lucky for them both that he did, otherwise Sabine may have ended up sold into slavery, or gifted to a friend of Nazim Pasha. Foye manages to rescue her, but that's just the beginning, they still must make it out of Turkey before Pasha finds them, and steals Sabine back. And they are constantly hit with hard times along the run.

So! To put it simply, I enjoyed this book. The writing was good, the characters were interesting, and I really liked the fact that Foye wasn't classically handsome, and Sabine wasn't a mindless twit, but a truly smart woman. At the beginning of most of the chapters, the reader is given the date and their current location, as well as some other little tidbits before the actual chapter begins. At first this confused me, it seemed much like the stage directions for a play, but when I really got into the story, they didn't phase me at all, in fact they were downright helpful at times. I think the only real complaint I had was that it seemed to move a little too quickly. I wanted more time with the characters, but that's when you know a book is good, when you fall so in love with the hero and heroine that you don't want them to go when the book ends.

All that said, I would give this book a four out of five stars. I can see myself re-reading it in the future, and I did really enjoy it.

So everyone! Make sure you pick up "Indiscreet" by Carolyn Jewel October 6th. I know you will all love Foye and Sabine.

Happy Reading! And I would like to say thanks again to Anne Aguirre for the book!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Review of "Happy Hour at Casa Dracula" by Marta Acosta


Long time no see! Sorry guys, it's been so hectic with work and getting ready for school. But I'm back, and with a new review to share!

So, I read "Happy Hour at Casa Dracula" by Marta Acosta. You know, at first, I felt like this book and I would clash, or more specifically, the main character and I would clash. But I would have to say, I ended up being pleasantly surprised. Milagro is an interesting, snarky character that I quickly fell in love with, and I can't wait to read the others in the series.

The main character, Milagro, lives in a small rat-infested apartment, and while at a party for one of her clients, meets up with an old.. shall we say, "friend." After her not-so-wonderful conversation with her old flame, she meets a new man, Oswald, who talks about interest in what she writes, and took her back to his hotel room. After one very passionate kiss complete with a little accidental lip biting, and some time later, Milagro finds herself sick, and craving red meat. After she begins to get her strength back, she ventures out of her apartment, only to be kidnapped by the old flame, Sebastian Beckett-Witherspoon, who proceeds to tell her she is now one of the soulless undead, a demon. One crash and a shot fired to a man's groin later, Mil is taken from her kidnappers to a ranch owned by Oswald's family. There, she has to learn to deal with not only her newfound interesting traits, but the family - Sam, Edna, Winnie, and even Oswald. To make it worse, Sebastian and his vampire-hunting organization, CACA, will stop at nothing to rid the world of the vampire kind, even if they're good people.

Now, as I said, I enjoyed the characters, and I definitely see myself reading the sequels, since I have them next to me as we speak, but there were a few things here and there that bothered me. For example, Milagro is obviously a very smart person. She's witty, snarky, amusing, everything I love about a character. But on some issues in the book, she seemed almost too blind. The book is from Mil's point of view, but I figured a few things out in the book chapters before she realized it all. Her life in this novel is pretty hectic, so I can see her maybe being somewhat behind on the uptake, but it just seemed like she's too bright for it to have taken as long as it did. That being said, I loved the character interaction, and of course the ending. I would have to say my favorite person in the book, besides Mil, was Edna. One of the characters said it right, Edna is indeed the last "femme fatale." She's strong, snippy, and there's just something about her that makes you love her, whether you want to or not. The writing itself was excellent. At first I feared it might get too uppity feeling as I kept reading, but I enjoyed it.

All that said (and it was a lot!), I would have to give this book 3 stars. I will definitely read the sequels, and I will recommend it to others, if this is there type of book.

So, stay tuned for my review of "Indiscreet" by Carolyn Jewel, which I finally received in the mail. Can't wait to start it tonight!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Sorry everyone!

Sorry for not being around much lately. I've been cleaning cleaning cleaning. Plus, I'm waiting for the books I've won to arrive. After this weekend, hopefully, I'll have some free time to read and get some reviews up, as well as share some contest links with you!

Okay, okay, I'll spill. I may not be just cleaning.. I also managed to finish Stargate SG-1, which I've been watching for months, and the fifth season of Stargate Atlantis, and.. well, currently I'm watching Middleman. I love this show, it's so cute! Obviously I have a scifi obsession, hm?

Bah! Back to manage cleaning overload. I've got a party this weekend, work starts next week, and then school a couple weeks after that. Yikes!

Happy reading, everyone!

Friday, July 31, 2009

Review of "Destined for an Early Grave" by Jeaniene Frost


So, I just finished "Destined for an Early Grave" by Jeaniene Frost, and all I can say is.. Oh my gosh! I wish I had more friends who read this series so I would have someone to talk to about this book. Man.. just.. whoa! When I finished the last page, I squeaked. I kid you not, it's that kind of story. This would have to be the best book I've read all year, but then Jeaniene Frost hasn't disappointed me yet!

So! In this book - Cat, Bones, and the crew are back, and this time the bad guy is stronger than they could have imagined, with a claim that has Cat and Bones worried. The vampire Gregor, called the Dreamsnatcher, is claiming to be married to Cat under vampire law, since she was sixteen. Mencheres arrives to explain to Cat that the memories of her month spent with Gregor have been blocked, and only if she agrees to go to Gregor and have him bring her memories back will she know the truth of their supposed marriage. Cat and Bones aren't taking the situation well, and tempers are rising. Are Cat and Gregor really married? And if she gets her memories back, will she choose Bones or Gregor?

As I said, I loved this book. Cat is such a great heroine, stubborn but strong. And Bones.. whew, I'd take him any day! And of course I love their friends- Mencheres, Spade, Rodney, Vlad, and the new addition - Fabian. In the beginning, part of me wanted Gregor to be somewhat of a good guy, maybe to make the decision just a little harder, give him some redeeming qualities, maybe. But as the book wore on, no more. I wanted Cat and Bones, and all their people, to survive. I wish I could get into the ending, the amazing twists, the heart wrenching moves.. Oh, dear. All I can do is suggest that everyone read this, and of course the books before it. Frost already has a few books planned out, Cat and Bones will have at least three more, and Spade and Mencheres will each have their own book. I can't wait!
I give this book a five out of five. I couldn't put it down, and I know I will keep going back to it over and over. It has everything I wanted and needed, romance, drama, emotional ties to amazing characters, and the thrill of seeing the characters fight for their lives, and their love. Make sure you all check out "Destined for an Early Grave" by Jeaniene Frost!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Never fear!

Hello readers! No, I haven't forgotten that I have a blog, and need to update it every so often, I promise! I have been busy, with my work orders, rainy days (meaning wet basements!), it's Fair week in my county, and the best part is a big book sale in a nearby town tomorrow. Who knows what treasures I may find.

All that, and I've been waiting for my Amazon order to arrive, which it did today. "Destined for an Early Grave" by Jeaniene Frost (which was released this tuesday, everyone go get a copy!) has finally come, and I've already got my nose buried in it. My review of it will be up in another day or so, I assume.

And, I want to give special thanks to Ann Aguirre (her blog can be found HERE ), because thanks to her, I won an ARC (advanced reader copy) of "Indiscreet" by Carolyn Jewel. You can expect that review soon, as well. And also, thanks are due to Marta Acosta (check out her blog HERE ), because thanks to her contest, I won a copy of "Dead Man's Boots" by Mike Carey. And you can expect a review of that following "Destined for an Early Grave" and "Indiscreet."

Take care, everyone, and I will be back on here soon with my reviews!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Review of "Finger Lickin' Fifteen" by Janet Evanovich!


Well.. to be honest, I've been procrastinating this review for a while now. I just don't know how I feel about it. I love the Stephanie Plum series, mostly for the drama and the characters reaction to said drama, but this one.. Hm, well let's get into what it was about first.

In "Finger Lickin' Fifteen," the fifteenth novel in the Stephanie Plum series (minus the "Between the Numbers novels), it's the people in Stephanie's life that have problems, not her. Houses and businesses protected by RangeMan Security are getting broken into, and he needs Stephanie's help fingering the culprit. And Lula, former 'ho, witnesses a man getting his head chopped off, and now the murderers are after her to keep her quiet. With Lula hiding out in Stephanie's apartment, Stephanie goes to stay in Ranger's apartment at RangeMan, and nervous sexual tension ensues.

Now.. as for my opinion. Well, I love the series, as I mentioned, and I love the characters, but this book almost felt like one big joke to me. The drama was nonexistant, it wasn't even Stephanie that was having problems, unless you include losing two cars (a common event in each novel), and having to deal with Lula's snoring. This book felt more like a short story to me, more like one of her between the numbers novels, but less satisfying. I felt a little cheated. I've waited a long time for the next book in the series, and it just didn't satisfy me. That being said, I'll still keep reading the series, but I'm really hoping for a redemption in the next novel, whenever that will come out.

So as much as I love Stephanie Plum, I'll have to give this book two and a half stars out of five. I probably won't be suggesting "Finger Lickin' Fifteen" to anyone that isn't already a fan of the series. This definitely wasn't Janet Evanovich's finest Stephanie Plum novel.

Now off I go to continue watching some Family Guy, Seinfeld, then Stargate SG-1. A schedule, I has one. Happy reading, everyone!
Morning Glow