Where I pick my best/favorite books of 2011!!

Hello all! I've been wanting to do this for a few years, so darnit, I'm doing it this year! I'm going to list my top books of this year.. in no particular order. I'll also link to my review on here or on Romance Reviews Today when applicable!

1. "Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones. LOVED this one. I'm so mad I never thought to pick this one up before this year! Reviewed on my blog, check that out HERE.

2. "The Guardian" by Sherrilyn Kenyon. More than a few of Kenyon's recent Dark-Hunter novels were a little, shall we say.. formulaic. But "The Guardian" blew me away! I absolutely loved it, and it's now my second favorite Dark-Hunter novel! Reviewed on Romance Reviews Today, go HERE for that review!

3. "A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man" by Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan. One of those books where I very nearly cried at the end.. because I was just so darned happy! Reviewed on my blog, check it out HERE.

4. "Beg for Mercy" by Jami Alden. I was practically shaking the entire time I read this. I'm not usually one for suspense, but this book was FANTASTIC! Reviewed for Romance Reviews Today, but the review hasn't been archived on the new server yet, alas.

5. "The Restorer" by Amanda Stevens. This one was so good, I picked it as my next book club choice for the Positively Paranormal Book Club at my library. I can't wait to hear what our patrons think about it! And darn, this is another one that hasn't been archived. Hopefully soon!

6. "Credo's Hope" by Alison Holt. I'll admit it, I wasn't sure about this book when I agreed to review it. But the author really blew me away. I was lucky to review the sequel to this, "Credo's Legacy," as well, and it was just as good.. but since "Credo's Hope" was the first one, I chose that one to be on the list. Excited for the third in the series, which I hope will release soon! Reviewed on my blog, see my review HERE!

Well, those are my choices for the top books I've read this year. There were tons on my original list.. but I wanted to limit it to 6 or 7. And don't you dare ask me to pick an absolute favorite out of those, I could never! Ha.

So you've heard my choices, what are yours? Comment below with your list, or a link to your list!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

BLOGOVERSARY: GIVEAWAY and GUESTPOST with author Alison Holt

Welcome everyone! This week, Novel Addiction is celebrating its SECOND BLOGOVERSARY! I'm also celebrating my birthday, so it's a super fun week! Be sure to check back every day for more great, fun content - go HERE to check out the schedule. Today, I'm lucky to offer you a guest post from Alison Holt, author of The Alex Wolfe mysteries, and "The Door at the Top of the Stairs"!!! And Alison has kindly provided Ecopies of her books to giveaway - there will be THREE winners! See below for details.
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How often have you read a crime thriller and wondered, "Is that how a cop would really act in that situation?" Plenty, I'm sure, and as a retired police lieutenant and an author, I can tell you that the thought process is magnified a thousand times over for police officers. Most officers I know, and I know quite a few, don't even watch police shows because of the persistent eye fatigue they get from rolling their eyes so often. They're even more particular about which authors’ works they'll read. Over the years I've had a wonderful time collecting Police Pet Peeves from cops who aren't shy about telling me exactly what drives them crazy about fictional police officers in murder mysteries and suspense novels.

I thought today would be a perfect opportunity to share some of those irritating peccadilloes with my fellow murder mystery aficionados. For example, one police sergeant, whose hair pretty much turned a dashing shade of grey during my rookie year, can't stand it “when the idiot officer, empty handed, approaches the suspect and talks him out of the gun he's been pointing at the officer's head." Whoa, big no no. Rule number one, never go to a gunfight empty handed. Rule number two, bad guy points gun at cop, bad guy dies. The moral of the story is if you want your protagonist to look brave by walking up empty handed to a loaded gun pointing at his or her chest, realize that, in this case, brave equals stupid.

Our second scenario comes to us courtesy of a woman who worked as a patrol officer for her entire twenty-two year career. Her biggest complaint is that most detectives in murder mysteries lead the way on a high-risk building entry. Although it does make it more exciting for your main character to lead the way by kicking in the door and rushing into a hail of bullets, the truth of the matter is quite different: one, it's darn hard to kick in a door, and two, if they work for a large enough department, SWAT will usually make the high-risk entries. If time is of the essence or if the entry is in the jurisdiction of a small town cop, then patrol officers will make the entry. Sure, sometimes, if the detective gets to the scene in time, and if he can find a vest, and if he can locate his gun in the trunk, he might be able to sneak onto the entry team. (Just kidding guys. I used to be a detective, and I love to jerk their chains.)

Finally, equipment issues. To any cops reading this, need I say more? For you authors, in your novel, does your main police character ever experience dangerous and often embarrassing moments in the patrol car? These examples came from a friend of mine with somewhere around thirty years of police work under his belt. "Ever had a cop in a murder mystery where either the radio just wouldn’t work or there was an oversaturation of airtime and he can't get on the air? I was in a chase once and couldn’t tell anyone. One time I was going Code 3 (lights and siren) while leaning out the window and banging on the light bar to keep it working. Another time a cab driver stopped traffic so I could get out of the 4th Avenue tunnel on a Code 3 run when all my equipment quit. Another time I was about to stop a drug car for MANTIS (Metropolitan Area Narcotics Trafficking Interdiction Squad) and my car died every time I hit the lights." If you want realism, write the most ridiculous equipment failure you can think of. I guarantee that some cop somewhere will read it and say, "Hey! That happened to me!"

Thanks for letting me bend your ear. Oh, and by the way, yes, the cops in some of my books often act "uncoplike" simply because it's more fun to write them that way. I would have loved to be able to act like my main character in Credo's Hope, Book One of my Alex Wolfe Mysteries, but the reality is I would have lasted all of about one month before I was hauled up in front of a board of inquiry and fired. In other books I've written, such as The Door at the Top of the Stairs, my characters are spot on in their reactions and personalities. The difference is essential because one of the books is a lighthearted, humorous look at police work while the other is deadly serious. With the one, feel free to take liberties with your character, with the other, you'd better know exactly how real officers will react in certain situations. Hopefully, this little blurb will help you on your road to writing your next great detective novel.

 If you'd like to read more Police Pet Peeves, or if you'd like to peruse one of my books, you can find them at http://www.Alisonholtbooks.com.

             

Now for the GIVEAWAY! Alison is offering up THREE Ecopies of her books, so there will be THREE lucky winners! See the rules and form below to enter!

RULES and GUIDELINES:
~ Fill out the form below to enter. Comments do not count as an entry.
~ There will be THREE winners.
~ Contest ENDS Sunday, July 17th, at 7 PM EST. Winners will be announced Monday, July 18th.
~ Open INTERNATIONALLY (prizes are Ebooks).
~ You must be at least 13 years old to enter.
~ Novel Addiction is not responsible for items lost in the mail or authors/publishers failing to deliver prizes.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
+1 for following Novel Addiction
+1 for commenting on the guest post!



Be sure to check out Day 1 of my Blogoversary Celebration! Lisa Beth Darling, author "The Heart of War," stopped by to talk about anniversaries, and offers up a copy of her book to one lucky winner! Go HERE to enter.
Then head over to Day 2. Jessica McHugh, author of "The Sky: The World," "Rabbits in the Garden," and more stopped by to chat about the end of her epic fantasy series. She's offered up a LIMITED EDITION print copy of "Rabbits in the Garden" to one lucky duck! Go HERE to enter!
And be sure to enter my giveaway for three print books by Lori Foster! One winner will receive Lori's three newest releases! Go HERE to check that out.

Want to get me a present for my birthday? *Wink wink* Check out my RAK wishlist!

Happy Reading! And be sure to come back tomorrow for more fun tomorrow!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Alex makes me want to be a cop. REVIEW of "Credo's Legacy" by Alison Holt

Why this book: Author sent me book one, Credo's Hope (click the title to see my review), for review. And after finishing it, she asked me if I would like to do book two as well. Considering how much I loved Credo's Hope, I jumped at the chance.

Disclaimer: I was given this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Type: Series, Fiction, Mystery, Police Fiction, Procedural Fiction, Long Hours, Fighting the good fight

About the book: Alex Wolfe returns in Book 2 of the Alex Wolfe mysteries. Set in the lush deserts and barrios of Tucson, Az, Credo’s Legacy delivers an intricate, interwoven story of deception, hidden agendas, and the occasional murder, punctuated with episodes of laughter and humanity. A sexy Mafia boss and a brassy eleven year old accused of murdering her foster father help turn Alex’s life upside down.

My Review: Occasionally, the second book in a series doesn't even come close to the first - this is definitely not one of those books. "Credo's Legacy" packs just as much punch as "Credo's Hope," maybe even more so! I'm not much of a suspense junkie, but I decided to give this series a chance because hey, we all need something different now and again, and I have never regretted picking up this book. Alex is still the tough chick, passionate about her work and finding the truth in every situation, no matter how much trouble she gets into because of it. And boy does she get into a lot of trouble.

While it is the story that keeps me reading, it's the characters that draw me in, in the first place. And the Alex Wolfe series boasts a menagerie of excellent characters, and equally wonderful character interaction. There are no extra, useless scenes. Even in the moments when it seems like Alex is just having fun with her friends, she's using them to help sort through a few extra details in the case, or they're helping her solve a problem in her life. Alex's friends and coworkers help with the pacing of the book, as well as add in a light element. Alex Wolfe's life can be dark and gritty, especially working on the cases she does, but time spent with her friends gives the reader a few bright moments in the dark.

This story had me hooked from page one. And even better than that, it had me guessing until the very last page. The mystery played its part, I didn't know why the villain characters did what they did, and I had to keep reading to find out. I cared about Alex, Shelley, Gia, and more. The ending was definitely a good one, I felt like I needed so much more. I had to know Alex and the crew would get their happy endings, that even though some of these characters suffered so badly, things would be all sunshine and puppy dogs. I guess I'll just have to tune in for the next book - I hope there will be a next book!
Cover Loving: Good cover. The fiery-ness of it really suits Alex's personality and drive in this novel. And the vague heart shape is perfect, considering Alex's huge heart. Gruff personality sometimes, but huge heart.

Recommendation: Definitely check out "Credo's Legacy," and it's predecessor, "Credo's Hope." I loved both of these, and they really are excellent mystery/suspense novels. There is just so much I love about these books.

Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). Another excellent Alex Wolfe book by Alison Holt. I really love this series, be sure to pick up your copy of "Credo's Hope" and "Credo's Legacy!"

Have you read "Credo's Hope" or "Credo's Legacy" by Alison Holt? Share your thoughts in the comments! Want to pick up a copy? Try Amazon.com or Smashwords.com!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Freeze, it's the police! REVIEW of "Credo's Hope" by Alison Holt

Why this book?: Author requested a review.

Disclaimer: I was given this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Type: Series, Fiction, Mystery, Police Fiction, Procedural Fiction, Long Hours, Licky the Carnivorous Puppy, Great Friends, Even better Partners

About the book: Alex Wolfe works for the Tucson Police Department, and if her case load isn't enough as it is, her friend convinces her to take on another one. Alex is already bogged down with work and trying to steer clear of her easy-to-anger boss, now she has to look into an old, closed case to prove a man innocent, hopefully before his final appeal and subsequent death sentence should his guilty verdict hold. Alex has no problem saying he's guilty and leaving everything to the attorney, but some things just don't add up, and she isn't going to rest until everything is tied up nice and neat.

Review: I will gladly shout from the rooftops about how much I enjoyed this book. From page one I was interested in the story and the characters, and couldn't wait to read more. Wolfe was smart and bold, and felt incredibly genuine. Perfect reactions, I'd say she was one of the best, real feeling characters I've read in, well.. maybe ever. I was struck by how accurate Wolfe's police career was portrayed, only to find out the author not only works on the police force, but also offers tips on her blog for authors that want to write accurate police characters. For readers who enjoy comparing characters and book series, I found some similarities between Wolfe and Stephanie Plum, though Stephanie relies almost entirely on luck, and Wolfe has the brains and the guts to solve the case.

I loved the plot, and the mystery was well thought out, with just enough little hints along the way so the ending was a pleasant surprise (I never expected that one!), but not a huge, out-of-left-field kind of shock. My favorite part? When Wolfe's supervisor, Kate, assigned Wolfe to on-call duty as "punishment" for going against her orders. Talk about some great revenge!  But you'll just have to read it and find out why. The only issue that made me stumble when reading "Credo's Hope" was the abundance of side characters. While they weren't technically all necessary, they did add a lot to the story, and I was grateful for their presence. There was an occasion or two where a name was mentioned and I forgot who that was, but generally the context was enough for me to pick it up right away.

Cover Loving: I like it. Short, Sweet, and to the Point.

Recommendation: Definitely recommended! Fans of Procedural/Police fiction and Mysteries will absolutely love "Credo's Hope." I'm not a huge mystery person (just an occasional fan) but this book had me hooked from page one, literally.

Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). Definitely a winning book. The story and characters felt so incredibly real and genuine. Excellent novel, definitely a series and author to watch!

Where to buy the book:
Amazon: Credo's Hope (Alex Wolfe Mysteries)
Smashwords: Credo's Hope

Barnes and Noble: Credo's Hope
FIND THE AUTHOR HERE!

Have you read "Credo's Hope" or another book by Alison Holt? Share your thoughts in the comments! Want to pick up a copy? See the links above!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~