Follow Friday time!

Happy Friday everyone! It doesn't feel like a Friday to me, since I'm working the next four days in a row, but help me make it more Friday-y by joining in on Follow Friday.




Welcome! For anyone new to my blog, my name is Morning Glow (aka Amanda), and I've been blogging for a year and a half now. I started this blog so I would have somewhere to talk about the books I've read, since once I finish a good book, I want to tell everyone about it. I read a little bit of everything, but mostly Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance. However, I was raised on Science Fiction and Fantasy, so expect some of those, and I like to throw in the occasional Mystery just to confuse people.

So again, welcome! And have a great weekend! =)
Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

Review of "In the Company of Vampires" by Katie MacAlister

 OMG IT'S FINALLY HERE! The book I have been waiting years for! THANK YOU, KATIE for finally get Ben and Fran's story out there.

Disclaimer: This book was purchased for me by my aunt, because she is awesome. I was not given this book, nor anything else, in exchange for a review. I am an Amazon Affiliate, which means... please buy via my link?

Type: Paranormal Romance, Dark Ones, Reunion, Vikings run amok, Weasel Gold, Regaining a soul (or not), A were that knows nothing about relationships

Why this book?: DUH, it's BEN and FRAN! I've been waiting for this since finishing book two of the Goth Faire series!

About the book: Francesca Ghetti's best friend was just kidnapped. Fortunately, Fran managed to find her, but after a frantic phone call or four, she notices her mother has also gone missing. So Fran decides to return to Europe to hopefully find her mother and maybe see her exboyfriend Ben - oops, I mean just to find her mother. But more and more things are going missing, and life with Ben is getting interesting, so maybe she won't be running away again after all... Toss in some secret relatives, a gaggle of amazingly hilarious Vikings, a romance to sigh over, and you have the start of an AMAZING book.

This is it, the book I have been waiting for FOREVER, or at least it feels like it. When I started reading Katie MacAlister, I read *everything* by her, including her teen fiction series, the Goth Faire books, under the name Katie Maxwell. I inhaled them, and I still pick them up and re-read them from time to time. But they ended far too soon, after only two books. I resigned myself to never hearing more, until Katie announced Ben and Fran would be the hero and heroine of the next Dark Ones book. I followed all the status updates giving hints about the books, I eagerly read the blog posts, I entered all the contests hoping to get an advanced copy.. but alas, no. So instead, on the release day, November 2nd, I went to SIX stores to find my copy.. and ended up only getting it at 9:45 PM that night. My Mom ran out with me (it was a 30 plus minute drive there), and my aunt was kind enough to give me a gift card to buy it with. So there you have it, my not-so-epic tale of anticipation for "In the Company of Vampires." Maybe now I should get to the review.

I laughed out loud in the car, earning weird looks from my family. I snorted and threw my hands up during frustrating moments, earning weird looks from people in other cars on the interstate. And when it was over, I felt.. empty still. Katie MacAlister has recently mentioned that while Ben and Fran will feature in other Dark Ones books, they will not be the main characters again, at least it's not likely. And while Ben and Fran's story is mostly told, there are so many questions left unanswered, it was hard not to feel a little let down at the end of the book. In the first few Dark Ones books, things were mostly wrapped up by the end of each book, but we've started getting more and more questions in the past several books in the series - and now "In the Company of Vampires" added a dozen or so more.

I'm not sure readers that are not familiar with the original Goth Faire books would truly appreciate all of the jokes, and most importantly - Ben and Fran's relationship. And lucky for those readers, the two Goth Faire books have been released as an omnibus with a swankified new cover! That's right, Katie MacAlister released "Confessions of a Vampire's Girlfriend," so any interested reader could get caught up. Even without reading these books, however, I think ItCoV can stand on it's own as a hilarious story - the Vikings will literally make you laugh out loud. But I really do recommend reading "Confessions of a Vampire's Girlfriend" as well as the previous Dark One novels, not just for the backstory.. but because they are quite awesome. But anyways, I thought the book was handled well - Ben and Fran had been apart for so long (or barely seeing each other), that they had to re-learn who the other is, which means any reader new to the Ben and Fran books can re-learn right along with them... Or just learn, as they would not really be re-learning but.. Well, you know what I mean.

So I'm giving "In the Company of Vampires" by Katie MacAlister a FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). Any book that can make me laugh that hard and squeak in public deserves the highest rating possible. I'd probably give it a six if that wasn't fangirl-y overkill. If you need a laugh, and love a good reunion story with some paranormal friction tossed in, be sure to pick up "In the Company of Vampires".. or really any of Katie Mac's books.

Have you read this book? Tell me your thoughts in the comments! Want to read it? Pick up your copy at Amazon.com by clicking the link to the left.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow ~!~

Whatcha Got Wednesday?

Yay! Another installment of "Whatcha Got Wednesday!" One of these books I got before my trip.. the rest were waiting for my upon my return (which was an extra special treat).

Received as a gift:
"In the Company of Vampires" by Katie MacAlister - I went to SIX stores the day this was released trying to find it, with no luck. So my Mom called a few stores, found one that had it and had them set it aside for me. And then my aunt gave me a gift card to buy it with. My family can be the sweetest. =)

Won:
"Captured" by Julia Rachel Barrett - she was running a contest via her newsletter, can't wait to read it!
"Hot Wheels and High Heels" by Jane Graves
"The Raven Prince" by Elizabeth Hoyt
"A Hint of Wicked" by Jennifer Haymore - These three were part of a romance collection giveaway.

So that was my week - what about you guys? Get anything you want to share or are excited about? Or maybe you just want to brag? Comment away!

Check back tomorrow for a new review, and Happy reading!!
~!~ Morning Glow ~!~

Review of "Trial By Desire" by Courtney Milan

 I'm back from vacation! Back, and with a host of reviews to share. So let's get right down to it!

Disclaimer: I won this book in a contest. I was not given this book in exchange for a review, positive or negative. But I am an Amazon Affiliate.

Type: Historical romance, Strong women, Tortured men, Trust, Misunderstandings, Reunion

Why this book?: When I first started seeing reviews of this book, I desperately wanted to read it. It just sounded so good! I love reunion stories - where couples were together in the past, but something pulls them apart, and they reunite down the road. Lucky me, I won this book in a contest, and the author signed it for me.

About the book: Lady Kate Carhart has been alone for the past three years. But Kate refused to pine her life away, waiting for her husband to return from China. Instead, she came up with something that kept her more than busy - saving women from their abusive husbands. Up until now they were all women Kate knew only by aquaintence, but this last case was her only friend Louisa. In fact, it is after securing Louisa away in a small cottage that Kate happens gets in the middle of a terrible accident, a horse goes wild after being startled and Kate is almost trampled. She's saved by a kind gentleman who gets her out of harms way and frees the horse from the buggy, and it's only later that Kate finds out the man is none other than her wayward husband. Ned expected things to be different when he came home- he thought he could pick up where he left off, just slightly more in control, but Kate still leaves him feeling powerless. And after a walk down to a cottage that should be abandoned yet now hides Lady Louisa, Ned knows there is way more to his wife than he and everyone else thought. So Ned comes up with a plan to seduce his own wife, learn her secrets, and hopefully earn the right to her heart.

I really enjoyed this book, both of these characters are strong and real - if these two fictional beings were real people I would love to be friends with them. Ned has a great sense of humor, witty little comebacks and such that had me giggling every few pages. And Kate has had to withstand so much in her time alone, and while she has her own set of failings and weaknesses, she is a driven woman who will risk herself to help others. And the villain of this story - Harcroft, is so deliciously evil. He's the type of smarmy, demented man that any reader will love to hate, and the ending is all the more sweet because he's so dark and awful. The characters were what really made the story for me, and while the plot is almost as good, the characters were what really stood out to me as a reader.

And speaking of plot, I knew I would probably like it since I'm such a fan of reunion stories, but this one surpassed by expectations because of the intensity of what these two great characters have to go through to get their happy ending. There are many obstacles in the pair's way, Harcroft and Lady Louisa, the couple's past, and even Ned's mental health, and it was a delight to be caught up in Ned and Kate's story. This is one of those books you just can't put down, because you need to know the characters are alright, that they get some sort of happy ending, that the bad guy doesn't win in the end.

This is the first book I have read by this author, but I know she has another book, "Proof By Seduction." I'll definitely be checking that one out as soon as possible. And be on the lookout for "Unveiled," coming out January of 2011. Trust me, this is definitely one of those authors to watch, especially if you're a lover of Historical romance.
I'm going to give "Trail by Desire" a FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). It has a good, complex plot, it had characters I fell in love with almost instantly, I'll recommend it to any lover of Historical romance (or romance in general!), I'm so going to pick up anything and everything else by this author, and it was just a danged good book. So be sure to pick up your own copy of "Trial By Desire" asap!

Have you read it? Share your thoughts in the comments! Want to read it? Pick a copy up at Amazon.com!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

A quick update! (I'm going on a cruise!)

First off, Happy Halloween everyone!! I hope you all had a great - And safe!!! - Halloween.

A note about where I disappeared to last week - On tuesday I was feeling the beginnings of a toothache. On Wednesday it had started to swell, and I managed to get in to the dentist, and on Thursday I had my first root canal EVER. The root canal itself didn't hurt, but the needles being shoved into my gum to numb me sure did! That said, I took my time relaxing afterwards, and trying to get over the swelling and sore-ness. I'm actually still swelled, and still easily worn out (I have no clue why, possibly the medication I'm on). That said, today will be just an update, tomorrow (hopefully) a review that I have saved up to post, and Wednesday will be "Whatcha Got Wednesday" as usual.

But after that? Well dear friends - I won't be back until next week! Why?!?! Because I'm going on a Disney Cruise!!! That's right! My family and I are leaving right after I get off work Wednesday afternoon and driving down to Florida, where we will board the ship. It's a three day cruise, so we return to the port on Sunday, and begin our drive home, and we'll probably get home just in enough time for me to get an hour or two of sleep before I'm off to work on Monday morning! So beware, there may not be a post on Monday either.

Wish me luck, I'm in the process of packing, finalizing a couple reviews for RRT, need to finish a library book that's overdue (thank goodness I don't get fines), trying to get better and get my swelling down, and of course working (ick). Hope you all have a good week! And I'll get a review of "Crescendo" by Becca Fitzpatrick up for you tomorrow.

Happy Reading!
~!~ MG

Whatcha Got Wednesday!

Yay! Another awesome installment of Whatcha Got Wednesday. And I'm very excited about this weeks haul.. even though I'm no where near being through last weeks... or the several weeks before.

Bought:
"Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins - I'm holding off on reading this one. I'm just not ready yet.
"The Year of Living Scandalously" by Julia London - Couldn't pass this one up.
"Hard to Hold" by Julie Leto - I've seen the buzz about this for a while, and I've never been able to get it out of my head, finally I got myself a copy!

Won:
"Trial By Desire" by Courtney Milan - SIGNED! Yay! Thanks to the author and KB. :)

For Review:
"Wild Heart" by Lori Brighton (ebook)
I reviewed Lori's book "The Ghost Hunter" and enjoyed it, so she sent me "Wild Heart" to read and review as well.

That's it for me this week, what about you guys?

Virutal Blog Tour: Author Russell Brooks here with a contest!!

Please help me welcome author Russell Brooks, promoting his new release "Pandora's Succession." Find out more about his book and the author himself on my Blog Tour Teaser Post, his blog, and his website. And follow him on the rest of his blog tour - dates and links here!   So let's all give a big welcome to author Russell Brooks as he talks about his new release, and be sure to comment to be entered to win one of ten ecopies of "Pandora's Succession!"

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 And the actor to play Ridley Fox is…

By Russell Brooks

My associate came up with the idea of turning Pandora’s Succession into a graphic novel and asked me which celebrities did I picture emulating the characters. It was interesting because in this story I had already envisioned actual actors portraying the characters. So without further ado, allow me to share with you the actors and actresses that I had in mind when I wrote Pandora’s Succession.

Ridley Fox—Christian Bale

I’ve always pictured someone who’s athletic, tough, but with a bit of a soft, emotional side. Christian Bale is perfect as the troubled CIA operative, Ridley Fox. Aside from having the right height, build, and age, he’s been a gentleman at times while a bad-ass at others. The best examples of this were when we watched him in The Dark Knight and Terminator: Salvation. Furthermore, Bale has a certain charisma that attracts women, not to mention the physique, that is, until he has a meltdown. In addition to being British-born, he has facial features that could make him pass for a native of almost any country, which would allow him to easily emulate the multilingual, chameleon-like talents that Fox possesses. The only thing that Bale needs is to learn to play the piano and the violin, because that’s what helps Fox think and to relax.

 

Dr Nita Parris—Zoe Saldana

Alright. Being of Barbadian ancestry, I know that this will put me in hot water the next time I go to Barbados because I didn’t picture Rihanna. After all, the former CIA weapons analyst turned field operative, Dr Nita Parris, is a native of Barbados. She was a tough one to envision because unfortunately I find that too many young actresses are way too anorexic. I also needed someone exotic and athletic to play the role of the former star track athlete turned scientist. I was captivated by Ms Saldana after seeing her in Pirates of the Caribbean and in Star Trek. Ms Saldana would be the perfect NOC agent (CIA term for Non-official cover). She appears to be intelligent, docile and innocent—yet aggressive and feisty when she needs to be. The type of woman that could put Ridley Fox in his place and keep him grounded.

 

Dr Tabitha Marx—Claire Stansfield

This will be a treat to fans of Xena the Warrior Princess. But who could not have nightmares after watching Ms Stansfield incarnate the role of Alti the Shamaness. In fact, in a previous draft of the novel, I had modelled Dr Marx’s character too close to Alti, that my writing coach advised me that Dr Marx was far too evil a character and that I ought to tone her down a bit. In addition, standing at over six feet tall, she could easily stand face to face with Ridley Fox and not be intimidated by him as other characters in the story were. Sigh, if only she was still acting today.

The October Man—John Gottfried—Jeremy Irons

As you see, it’s a toss-up. John Gottfried was my first choice after having watched him play a Russian General in the James Bond epic, Goldeneye. Although he’s German, he played a very convincing Russian and he even has the right tone of voice for the mysterious shadowy character.

Jeremy Irons was my second pick. He has a certain darkness about him in his appearance that would make him an ideal ex-KGB operative. The only thing that’s missing? Give him a pen to twirl.

Valerik—Robbie Coltrane

This one was too easy. After starring twice in two James Bond movies as an ex-KGB turned Russian mafia lord, Valentin Zukovski, he’s no stranger to being a Russian that likes to get into trouble. He was the first person that came to mind when I had the idea of having him accidentally spill an espresso on his shirt and then dip his table napkin into another patron’s drinking water to clean the stain.

Sveta Stechina

Look at the picture and guess which British actress this is. The first person to guess wins a prize. Hint, she’ll surprise the living daylights out of you. Tune in to the end of the virtual book tour when I post the winner of this mini-contest.

I’d like to thank Ms Amanda for giving me the chance to be a guest on her site.

The STOP THE SUCCESSION virtual book tour continues to November 24, 2010.

Simply leave a comment on a blog or site with your email address. Everyone that leaves a comment with their email address (in the body of your message) will win an autographed ebook cover. After the blog tour, 10 commenters from all of the blogs will be drawn to win free autographed ebook copies of Pandora's Succession.

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And thank you, Russell, for coming! I loved seeing which actors you would choose to play your characters - and I'll admit being a little stumped as to which actress you would like to play Sveta - I'll bet you guys can figure it out, though! Leave a comment with your guess and email - Russell will announce the winner at the end of his tour and that lucky someone will get a special prize.