And the Winner of UNWRITTEN by Charles Martin is...

Thanks for checking out UNWRITTEN. It sounds like a great story and I can't wait to read it. One of you won't have to wait long because you're the winner! And the winner is...Vicki!!! Congrats.

Please email me with your contact info, so I can pass it on to the publicist. If I don't hear from you in 72 hrs, I'll select someone else. The winner was chosen randomly.

Toodles, y'all

Book Giveaway: UNWRITTEN by Charles Martin

Hi guys! I have UNWRITTEN by Charles Martin, but I haven't had time to read it yet. The cover really intrigued me. I love a beach setting. Plus, I think the author's cute...Lol...Then I read the description and really got pulled in. Check it out...



Charles Martin

 Martin is the author of eight novels known for their Southern settings and inspirational themes, including the New York Times bestseller Where the River Ends. The rights to another book, The Mountain Between Us, recently sold to 20th Century Fox; actor Michael Fassbender is slated to star in the film. His books have been translated into 17 languages.


The new novel, UNWRITTEN, tells a story that seems ripped from the headlines. Gifted actress Katie Quinn attempts to end her life by hanging herself from the balcony of her Miami apartment, the burdens of fame and a life-long secret taking the ultimate toll. But before she can jump, her priest, Steady, comes to her aide, along with a mysterious stranger known only as Sunday. Sunday helps Katie dismantle her life by faking her own death, and then hiding in the Ten Thousand Islands off the Florida coast where he has lived alone for years. But Katie believes that in order to truly be free, she must make peace with her past, which is buried in the countryside of France. Sunday reluctantly leaves behind his solitary existence to help Katie with her quest. Little does he know that in helping her, he will finally be able to confront his long-hidden demons.

UNWRITTEN is a moving story about the price of our culture’s celebrity obsession, and the power we all have to choose a happier life. You can read Martin’s blog and find out more about his writing at www.charlesmartinbooks.com

I love getting good books into your hands, so I asked the publicist if she'd be willing to send another copy to a giveaway winner. She said, yes! Thanks, Angela! So, if you're interested in a chance to win it, just leave a comment that includes your email. That's important. I want to be able to reach you if you're the winner!

Giveaway is open to residents of the US only, at publicist request.

Toodles, y'all!

In My Mailbox...

Boy. It's been a long time since I did one of these posts. I have received some interessting books over the last few weeks. Take a look...

Entangled Publishing has been especially generous in sending me reading material. They are the force behind all the books above. I've only finished Dear Cassie so far. It's the companion book to Pretty Amy. If you haven't checked out the author, Lisa Burnstein, you should put her on your radar. The girl has serious writing chops.

My thanks to Ballantine Books for The Clover House. It goes back and forth between modern Boston and 1940's Greece. Family secrets are waiting to be revealed and I'm looking forward to finding out what they are!

Toodles, y'all!

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter--The Movie...My thoughts...

Now, I know I'm late to this party. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter came out almost a year ago, in June of 2012. I had an interest in seeing it, but never got around to it. It probably didn't help that the reviews were less than enthusiastic. Maybe that played a part in me not pushing myself to go. Last weekend I was channel surfing and came across it on HBO. It was 20 minutes into the show and caught my attention immediately.

I screamed, yelped and hid my face at the graphic violence of scene after scene. Even my husband,who's not partial to TV or movies, kept looking over to see what was going on. Since I didn't catch the show from the beginning, I didn't understand what was going on. I tried to watch it when it repeated, and again, caught it 20 minutes into the showing. I finally managed to see it from the beginning. And LOVED it!

I know it didn't get good reviews, but after watching it at lease three times, I'm impressed with the author's imagination. He not only wrote the book, but adapted the screenplay if I'm not mistaken. I thought he did a good job of transforming history to include this vampire lore. A lot of the reviews thought it was silly, but it took a highly creative mind to integrate that mythology into significant historical events like the civil war and the life of our sixteenth president.

Also, the more times I watched it, the violence wasn't as shocking, allowing me to process the storyline.

The Novel

It's not as bad or silly as the reviews made it out to be. I think it's pretty entertaining and well worth a look. If it comes on again, I'll probably watch it---again! Lol...Now I want to read the book!

Toodles, y'all.

The Winner of Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green is...

Thanks for dropping in girls to enter the giveaway. I wish I had a copy for each of you. And now for the good stuff. The winner of Truth or Dare,  by Jacqueline Green is...

Tiffany Drew!

Congrats, Tiffany. Please email me with your address so I can pass it on to the publisher. The book will be coming directly from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. If I don't hear from you in 72 hours I'll choose another winner.

The winner was selected randomly.

Until the next giveaway....

                                                                           

book one

Happy Release Day! If I Should Die by Amy Plum

Book Three

If I Should Die is the final book in the unique Revenants trilogy by Amy Plum. Revenants are zombie-like creatures committed to dying, sacrificing themselves over and over again for the sake of the humans they are sworn to protect.

Seventeen-year-old Kate has forged a relationship with one: Vincent. They’ve endured a lot to be together, and then the unthinkable happened. Violette, one of his own, betrayed Vincent. He was killed and his body burned to ensure that he would be unable to reanimate.

Kate is not willing to let go. She is not going to accept that her beloved is doomed to roam the earth as a disembodied spirit—not if she has anything to do with it.

Kate goes in search of an ancient ritual that may or may not be true. It holds the only chance of bringing Vincent back to her. She finds herself positioned to give her all and if she should die . . . that’s the chance she has to take.

This last book does not disappoint. Each novel in the series ratchets up the action and the tension. Amy Plum is to be congratulated for her creation of the Revenants. It is a fresh and original mythology.

Ms. Plum manages to keep the romantic element alive even though, through most of the story, Vincent is in spirit form. It’s a credit to her skill at characterization. The author also strikes a good balance between the romance and the action of the story. If I Should Die is well plotted with a final twist that will keep readers on their toes.

I can't wait to see what Amy Plum will come up with next.

Book Two

Toodles, y'all!

Book One

                                      

Book Giveaway: TRUTH or DARE by Jacqueline Green.

Book one of a trilogy

In this highly charged debut thriller, perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars, an innocent game of TRUTH OR DARE spins out of control for three girls who find it’s no longer a party game. It’s do or die.

It all started on a whim: the game was a way for Tenley Reed to reclaim her popularity, a chance for perfect Caitlin “Angel” Thomas to prove she’s more than her Harvard application. Loner Sydney Morgan wasn’t even there; she was hiding behind her camera like usual. But when all three start receiving mysterious dares long after the party has ended, they’re forced to play along—or risk exposing their darkest secrets.

Paranoia builds as each little slip of paper taunts the girls with dares that threaten not just their reputations but also their lives. How far will Tenley, Caitlin and Sydney go to keep the truth from  surfacing? And who’s behind this twisted game?

I dare you to take a chance and try to be the winner of this giveaway! Lol...I guarantee you, it won't cost you your life to try...hee hee hee...If you're interested, leave a comment and tell me if you've ever played a memorable game of Truth or Dare. If you did, tell us about it. If you didn't, no worries. You're still eligible to win. Don't forget to leave your email so you can be contacted if you're the winner.

Jacqueline Green, author

My thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for making this novel available.

Giveaway open to residents of the US only at publisher request.

TRUTH or DARE by Jacqueline Green releases May 14,2013

Toodles, y'all!

In Memory of a Fiesty Girl...

Boozie: Warrior Princess!

"As sand passes through the hourglass, so goes the days of our lives." Those are true words. Time and therefore life, passes oh so quickly. I can't believe today makes three years since we lost our dear Boozie.

Boozie was a very confident cat, self-assured and unafraid. She was an old-timer on the block. I remember once when she was in the yard and a stray cat passed by. Boozie ran out and confronted the cat. The stray bowed down and submitted to Boozie. I couldn't believe my eyes! Lol...That was my girl...

I can't count the times I held her in my arms and hugged and kissed her as I told her I would never forget her. Today's post is part of keeping that promise.

I have to let the world know that Boozie was here.

And she was loved.

Boozie: A bright light in our life.

Movie Review: Evil Dead. The old vs the new!

2013 Remake

When I first heard about the movie Evil Dead this year, I didn't realize it was a remake of the 1981 original. I saw the original some time ago and I LOVED it! The Evil Dead was seriously creepy, scary and I've-got-you-by-the-throat terror. It became a cult classic. I took my niece to see a couple of the sequels and we LOVED it. I was really interested in seeing if this remake could hold a candle to it.

Well...First, I didn't realize how much of the original movie I forgot. It took me a while to get the gist of the story because I could only remember the main scenes from the original which focused on one guy. I didn't remember how the story started or who else was even in it beyond the fellow and the demons! Lol...So...getting up to speed on the story held my interest---for a while. Let me tell you, Evil Dead 2013 doesn't even come close to the original. It didn't have that creepy something's-about-to-get-you-but-you-don't-know-when-or-where-or-how sensibility that had you on the edge of your seat with the original.                                            

1981 Original

This remake put all the emphasis on blood and gore. There were

a number of amputations that I simply couldn't stand to look at. I had to hide my face several times. It wasn't scary, it was just disgusting. I guess the original had amputations too, judging by the guy holding the chainsaw above, but I can't remember. That's a good thing because the movie didn't depend on that kind of action to scare the daylights out of you. The very atmosphere had your heart pounding.

Evil Dead 2013 did win first place at the box office that week. *shaking my head* Go figure. I guess the kids love that yucky kind of stuff...but I did see a few people walk out...
                                                                                

1981 Original

Go and see it at your own peril...lol...Better yet, check out the original. It's scary movie making at its best.

Toodles!
                                                             

Movie Review: The Host vs Twilight. Stephanie Meyer competes against herself!

Stephanie Meyer has her work cut out for her going forward with any film after Twilight. My husband and I went to see The Host on Saturday. Here's what my husband had to say after seeing Twilight: "That was a nice, little, romantic movie." This is what he had to say within ten to fifteen minutes of watching The Host: "Who sits down and thinks up this kind of crap?" ROFL...LOL...Well. Now that I've gotten his initial opinion out of the way...lol...

The movie has an intriguing premise and this is what kept me going during those slow moments. Admittedly, the film did start kind of slow and the tension level was low. I've had the book a couple of years and haven't read it yet, so I had only a rudimentary knowledge of what the story is about.

As the movie continued, it got better. I don't know if Meyer intended this or not, but the movie had some unbelievably funny moments! My husband, who is the quiet sort, was cracking up laughing, as were others in the theater, over the rivalry between the two boys over the girl--Yes. There's a love triangle--sort of. Since two identies inhabit the same body, they each have a thing for two different boys. Seeing them trying to negotiate that using only one body was hilarious. My husband even yelled out comments to the boys on screen several times! LOL....

Listen. This is no Twilight. It doesn't have that angsty, romantic-I'll-do-anything-for-love sensibility. But, if you can sit tight through that slow beginning, it is an entertaining movie. It even has a part that can make you feel a little teary toward the end.

Stephanie Meyer set the bar so high for herself with Twilight, she'll probably never be able to top it. But I'll continue to be interested in seeing her try!

Toodles, y'all!

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Today is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Some may ask what this is. Well, it's a seven day festival. In the Old testament, Leviticus 23:6-4, this is a seven day period in which leavening or yeast is put out of dwellings and is not eaten.

Yesterday, I briefly discussed the Passover sacrifice of Christ. It is through his sacrificial death that we are justified, forgiven of our past sins and "made right" in relation to God---if we believe and confess such. But even though we are now forgiven our past sins, how will we become "overcomers" and put sin completely out of our lives? The Festival of Unleavened Bread provides the answer. It pictures the next step in God's plan.

Right after commanding the Passover, God told Moses: "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation (Sabbath), and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat--that only may be prepared by you. So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance" (Exodus 12:15-17).

How does this apply to us today? Egypt is a symbol or "type" of sin. Jesus warned his disciples to "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees" (Matthew 16:6). Literal leaven or yeast causes bread to rise or puff up, just as the attitude of sin or self will and indulgence causes us to puff up with pride and do our own thing instead of what God wants us to do.

Paul commanded the Church: "Therefore let us keep the Feast (of Unleavened Bread), not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1Corinthians 5:8).
                                                                        

         
During the next seven days, while you root out leaven and products that contain it, it is symbolic of rooting out sin and evil in our heart and minds. Let us use this time to examine ourselves against the Lord's Ten Commandments as the standard. Where will we find hidden flaws and things within ourselves that we know in our hearts is not right and need to be corrected? We'll only know when we make the effort to search them out, be honest with ourselves and trust the Lord to give us the strength and means to make the changes necessary.

I pray you have much success on your endeavor.

Be blessed!

Happy Passover!

Many people don't connect the Passover with Jesus Christ and that's a pity because did you know that Jesus is our Passover lamb? What does this mean? 1 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that: "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us."

The Israelites of old sacrificed a lamb and placed the blood of that lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their home as the Lord instructed them. The Lord told them, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by everlasting ordinance." Exodus 13-14.

God planned that his own Son's blood would be shed as a sacrifice on behalf of all of mankind. The wages of sin is death. Whoever believes and accepts the sacrificial death of Christ on their behalf will be saved. When God sees the blood of Jesus upon such persons, God passes over the sins that were previously committed. (Romans 3:24-25).

                                                                          

Now, THAT'S something to celebrate!

Be Blessed!

Book Review: SEVER (The Chemical Garden Trilogy) by Lauren DeStefano

Book Three

Sever is the final book in The Chemical Garden Trilogy. It picks up exactly where Fever, the second book, ended: Rhine, our teen heroine has been re-captured by her father-in-law, Vaughn.  As part of his eagerness to find a cure for the virus that plagues the young people of the day, Rhine is subjected to his torturous experiments against her will. She escapes and finds sanctuary with a surprising savior: Vaughn’s brother, Reed.

Rhine now knows her own brother, Rowan, is alive, but he’s not the boy she remembers. He’s part of an underground rebellion that’s bent on destruction. She has to let him know she’s still alive before his grief pushes him to carry-on with his plan for total destruction.

Time is running out as each year brings Rhine closer to falling to the virus’ deadly consequences.

The author did an excellent job of letting us know who the characters are from the inside out and their relationship to each other. She took their interconnectedness to unexpected realms. Ms. DeStefano is not afraid of letting bad things happen to good people. There are a number of revelations and delicious twists that will leave one more than a little surprised and perhaps saddened.

Ms. DeStefano excels in world building throughout this series. The description of the unique environs play a part in setting the stage, in combination with the sensibilities of the characters; how they interact with the rather dark and dreary world they inhabit. In spite of such somberness, the author displays her writing skill by her ability to evoke an undercurrent of hopefulness. The readers will find themselves eager to find that light at the end of the tunnel right along with the characters, wishing them the very best as they seek a better world in which to live and flourish.

The author crafted such a unique world with this series, I'm looking forward to what she's going to create next. I want to know what else is cooking in that head of hers!

Toodles.

Happy Book Birthday! Review of MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza

Mila 2.0, the debut novel of Debra Driza, is a sci-fi thriller in the style of The Bourne Identity. Mila is a teenage girl who inadvertently learns she is not who she thought she was. She’s an android, an experiment in artificial intelligence. She made her way out of the lab when her “mother”, the scientist who helped create her, ran off with her after learning Mila was exhibiting human emotions. Government operatives as well as rogue forces with their own wicked agenda are determined to capture her. Mila and her mother are on the run.

The story is of the moment in this age of ever growing technological advancement. Mila 2.0 manages to stand out with a fresh premise in an ever-crowded young adult field.

The novel starts slowly and somewhat mysteriously as Mila tries to grasp fleeting memories of her father and times past, all in the hopes of making sense of her life and her mother's rather odd sensibilities and behaviors.

The relationship with Mila and her mother is one of the main threads throughout the story. When Mila discovers her true identity, she reacts as any teenager would that feels betrayed: hostile and angry. Since the story takes place after the woman Mila only knows as Mom runs away with Mila from the lab, we never get the chance to see that build up of human emotion that motivates her creator-mom to kidnap her, all in the hopes of giving her a real life. I think it would have been kind of fun to see that evolution of emotion as it happens.

In fairness, adding this bit in would probably have greatly added to the page count as there are other elements the author delved into in addition to the great escape: Mila’s flawed friendships with schoolmates, as well as her burgeoning first romance. The romantic aspects are a fairly small part of the story. They're real teasers: Mila's connection to her first high school interest and one of the government operatives. As a romance junkie, I'm hoping these relationships will get a bigger play in the next book. Based on the way the novel ended, I'm sure at least one of them will play a big role.

The story escalates to an edge-of-your seat adventure as Mila and her mother try to evade being caught. An essential element that the readers are privy to is Mila’s struggle to reconcile what she is with who she wants to be and how the two merge.

Ms. Driza writes a novel full of drama, excitement and sadness. It is a smooth and successful story arc that leaves the reader awaiting the next installment.

I've heard this story has been picked up as a TV show. I can certainly see the appeal. It reminds me of the old David Jansen show, The Fugitive, I watched as a kid.

Toodles!

 

Book Review: Catherine by April Linder

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I'm so taken with the signature covers of this author's novels. I have the first one, Jane, on my Nook and I still have to get to it. When Little, Brown offered me the opportunity to read an advanced version of Catherine, I hurried to get it read. Linder's thing seems to be the re-telling of classic stories: Jane is a modern take on Jane Eyre and Catherine is a modern version of Wuthering Heights. Check out the description...

Catherine is tired of struggling musicians befriending her just so they can get a gig at her Dad's famous Manhattan club, The Underground. Then she meets mysterious Hence, an unbelievably passionate and talented musician on the brink of success. As their relationship grows, both are swept away in a fiery romance. But when their love is tested by a cruel whim of fate, will pride keep them apart?

Chelsea has always believed that her mom died of a sudden illness, until she finds a letter her dad has kept from her for years -- a letter from her mom, Catherine, who didn't die: She disappeared. Driven by unanswered questions, Chelsea sets out to look for her -- starting with the return address on the letter: The Underground.

Told in two voices, twenty years apart, Catherine interweaves a timeless forbidden romance with a compelling modern mystery.

The story alternates between mother, Catherine and daughter, Chelsea. Even though there is a 20 year time difference in their stories, they are both teens as they're telling their tale. Initially I got a bit mixed up with which one was which. This is a minor problem, though. It did not impede me from enjoying the story. It's a mixture of romance and suspense. The characters in the story are so complex and interesting; there are no generic, cookie-cutter characters here! As one who likes to dabble in writing myself, I was fascinated with how the author arranged the story and plotted it. As a romance junkie, she fulfilled that desire by exploring the coming-of-age saga of first loves of both the mother and the daughter. I had to know if these romances were going to come to fruition and have a happy ending, but underscoring that, was the mystery of what happened to Catherine, Chelsea's mother. That's the running theme of the story throughout and it's a real page turner. 

I thought of all sorts of possibilities. The ending shocked me. I came close to figuring it out, but I didn't quite make it. I don't want to say anything that will spoil the surprise, but for all of us who has had a mother...let's just say the ending stuck with me for a while after the last page was turned.

I understand the author is in the midst of writing another one-name book: Lucy, based on A Room with a View. I know I'll be checking it out and I have to make time to read her first book too! It's waiting for me....

Catherine released 1/1/13 by Poppy (Little, Brown and co.)

Toodles, ya'll!

Linder's debut novel

WARM BODIES vs BEAUTIFUL CREATURES...And the winner is...

I've been trying to see WARM BODIES since it first came out, but the weather was so crummy last week, I couldn't stand to leave the house. Then BEAUTIFUL CREATURES came out and I was behind schedule with my movie watching. I do love going to the theater, so for Christmas, a couple of folks gave me $100.00 worth of movie gift cards. Yipee!!!

This past weekend, I decided to see BEAUTIFUL CREATURES. I read the book, so I was very interested in seeing the movie. I was disappointed they didn't show that weird dog/human-like creature called Boo Radley (I think that's his name. It's been awhile since I read the book). The name was mentioned, but they never showed the creature.

Overall, I enjoyed it. It was a bit low on tension and drama, somewhat more on the quiet side, but I felt it was very consistent with the book and made for an interesting evening out.



It wasn't my intent to see WARM BODIES the same night, but since it was starting shortly after BEAUTIFUL CREATURES ended and it was a fairly warm evening, I decided to hang out a little later and see it.

OMG! I LOVED it! Of all the paranormal creatures, I don't care for zombies, but I'm making an exception. This movie was so absolutely sweet, adorable, funny, scary, a bit disgusting...It was awesome, okay? You had to root for the zombie boy to find love. He was so lonely and sad with his "life". There were so many girls in the theater squealing and making ooh's and ah's. There was a lot of good natured laughter too. I didn't know this was a book. I want to know if it's as good as the movie. You cannot NOT enjoy this movie. WARM BODIES is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.

So, the winner is...WARM BODIES of course! Duh! Lol...

Toodles, Y'all