Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris~~DIK Reading Challenge

"Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability". She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome- and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life...

But Bill has a disability of his own. He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of- big surprise-murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next..."


MY Thoughts:

 Dead Until Dark did not appeal to me on several reasons... let me clarify that statement-- I did not want to buy this book because I didn't think the synopsis on the back was very intriguing or interesting and the cover is rather silly. We all know that there is a mass of people out there raving on this series. I started watching the HBO True Blood series on Demand a few months ago and became addicted. I sat in my husbands recliner for several days watching the 24 episodes of  Seasons 1 &2, and then had to impatiently wait for Season 3 to start in mid June. My mother in the mean time had been sending me her entire set of books, which I kept telling myself  (and her) I was not going to read. I finally resigned myself to reading them... I mean I was in love with the TV series and the books had to be even better right?!!


So I finally picked up book 1 Dead Until Dark and I am happy to say that the events did follow along closely with the HBO series ( I guess I should really say the TV series follows closely to the books). And I should stress "events" because I was extremely shocked and disappointed to find that Tara was not mentioned in this book and Lafayette did not show as much flair as he did in the TV series. I absolutely love these two people... and then to find out that they are not related at all (ok that is definitely later, but still shocker to me). I had to get past all the first person POV and the fact that you really don't get to see what the other characters are doing when Sookie is not around, but hey the books are about Sookie and her friends not friends and Sookie.  I did completely love the book!! At first I had mixed emotions, I wasn't sure if I would have read the book if I had not watched the TV show and didn't know if I liked the book enough to continue on with the series, etc. I waited a couple of days mulling it over and definitely decided that I needed to continue to read. So that being said I have read the entire series--yes all 10 books have been read!! So I have a feeling that this review is going to be hard for me because I don't want to give anything away and hope that I don't get my stuff mixed up!!


Sookie is a Southern girl living with her Grandmother in Bon Temps, Louisiana. She has what she calls a disability... she can read people's minds (whether she wants to or not at times). She is working as a cocktail waitress at Merlotte's. Because of her "disability" keeping friends and having boyfriends is almost an impossibility. People around town thinks she's crazy and look at her funny or steer clear of her completely. Being able to hear every thought running through someone's head definitely has it's disadvantages when it comes to dating and therefore she doesn't date. 


Vampires have decided to "come out" of the coffin and make themselves known to the public. The Japanese developed a synthetic blood making it possible for them to live among the living without harming anyone. This doesn't always work out the way it is suppose to but both sides are attempting to make a go of it. 


Bill walks into Merlottes one night and Sookie instantly knows that he is a vampire. There is something definitely different about him and she is amazed that no one else in the bar immediately recognizes him for what he is. Sookie finds a peace that she has never experienced when she is around Bill and they hit it off quite well. 


While Sookie and Bill are dabbling in Sookie's first romance there is a murderer running around town killing women. Some of the victims have close ties to Sookie and she is starting to fear for her life. 


Dead Until Dark definitely did its job of introducing us to the world where Vampires and Humans are trying to find common ground and a peaceful existence with each other. The characters are all memorable and I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. I don't know if my rating is due to the conflict I have with the book and the HBO series or if it was the book itself (and I have tried desperately to separate the two), but all in all I really enjoyed the start of this series and was drawn in enough to continue reading the next nine books cover to cover without stopping!!


rating: 4

Thank You!!

I have been extremely absent of late to both my blog and the internet. Every year we go to a beach house just north of St. Augustine, and while there I don't use the internet...not because I don't want to but the signal there is not very good. So instead of getting upset that the computer can't keep up with me or it won't load properly I just relax without using the internet. In truth it is very nice most of the time not using the computer and just enjoying my time with the family playing on the beach or strolling through St. Augustine (I do love that city!).

 kids on our deep sea fishing trip

When we got home we were busy running the kids to cheerleading and football camps/practices and having several of their friends running around the house. I felt it better not to get on the computer... once on it all else ceases to exist for a few hours. Besides I got totally engrossed in the Sookie Stackhouse books. I don't think I have read this many book in one month in over a year, and that was only because I was participating in a game/contest.

Once I got past the shock of how different the books are from the HBO series True Blood and got use to the first person POV I could not put these books down. I have succeeded in reading all 10 books plus one short story in an anthology. I will eventually get the book containing all the Sookie short stories, but for now I am content.  I absolutely loved the books and really started understanding Ms.M's sentiments on "Dull Bill" and her rooting for Eric, however I was extremely disappointed when things did not quite work as planned with Quinn. If I didn't think my husband would sneak into my closet and take my collection away I would already be rereading them.

Then we had the dreaded problems with our modem. I guess it just worked its little heart out for the last 5 or 6 years and couldn't continue any longer. We got the run around from AT&T...one person tells you one thing and another tells you something else, then they try and remedy to the problem only to screw it up  and have a total Jerk Off tell me something else entirely. So I said screw you and dropped AT&T completely and went with Comcast for telephone and high speed internet. So I was completely with out internet for almost 2 weeks here at the house. Everything seemed to going great until I went outside to mow my yard. The blasted cable guy left the box hanging wide open with all the wires exposed and when I try to log on after finding that mess my internet won't work. So here goes another day and a half without the internet. The new cable guys tells me that the problem with the internet has to do with the first guy not closing out the job properly. Yippee!! I am so done with all this at the moment. I am ready to chuck the computers out the window and say screw the internet. I did fine without it before I found it and I might be able to be fine without it again...

NO I won't I am addicted to my books and this is how I find new ones and share my thoughts about the ones I am reading!!

 So I want to send out a big

 

to all my followers, readers, and friends that I have made during my time on the blog. I know that sometimes life gets in the way of being as active as we would like to be with our blogs and commenting on our fellow blog posts, but I want you guys to know how much I really appreciate all of you!

WINNER

I apologize for this announcement coming so late!!! I have been without internet for over a week now and just finally got it back! Thank You Comcast for coming to my rescue!!!

The winner for the Fortunate Harbor giveaway is:

Tetewa

Congratulations! And because I have been so absent for so long I will be emailing Tetewa to get her information!

Author Q&A and Giveaway~~Fortunate Harbor by Emilie Richards

Fortunate Harbor by Emilie Richards

Join five women connected only by friendship and the road that runs like a lifeline through a run-down development called Happiness Key.

Southern California socialite Tracy Deloche finally gets a chance to swap business for a romantic evening with down home environmentalist Marsh Egan, but dinner goes cold when she spots her ex-husband prowling outside her cottage. Janya Kapur, finally settling into an arranged marriage, envies every pregnant woman she sees, but Rishi, her husband, is suddenly reluctant to talk about children. Waitress Wanda Gray loses her job after new owners turn the Dancing Shrimp into a tapas bar. At the suggestion of wise neighbor, Alice Brooks, Wanda starts her own business, until Wanda starts Pie War I with the local bakery.
When the empty cottage at Happiness Key is rented by single mother Dana Turner, all the neighbors believe this spit of Florida Gulf Coast land will be a fortunate harbor for a mother and daughter who have moved far too often. Until they discover Dana's shocking secret.
As the women of Happiness key struggle to discover the whole truth in time to help their new neighbor, their only weapon is friendship. But will friendship be enough?


 Today I have the pleasure of sharing my blog with Mrs. Emilie Richards and she has generously agreed to answer a few questions about herself and her newest release Fortunate Harbor. Please help me welcome Mrs. Richards!!!

Will you please start of by telling us a little about yourself and how you started writing? 

With a master's degree in family development and counseling, I worked in several kinds of counseling/social service positions until the birth of my youngest son. Since I planned to stay home with him for his first few years, I realized I had a golden opportunity to give writing a chance. I'd always loved what little fiction I'd written in school, but my life had gone in other directions. The moment I began, I knew I would never stop as long as my fingers moved and my brain still whirled with stories. Writing was like coming home.

Are there any idiosyncrasies or items that you must have while writing? 

I've written everywhere in all kinds of situations. I don't need a view or the perfect study, and even though I'm surrounded by silly mementos, they aren't essential, either. Give me a working computer, a comfortable chair, and relative quiet, and I'm good to go.

Visiting your website, I see that you have a few series out, is Fortunate Harbor part of one of these series, a new series, or a stand alone? Please tell us a little about it. 
Fortunate Harbor is the second book of three which began with Happiness Key, and will end with Sunset Bridge next year. Happiness Key was a stand alone novel, or supposed to be, but as so often happens, I enjoyed the characters so much, and so did my publisher and readers, that I was asked to continue. So Fortunate Harbor picks up where Happiness Key leaves off. It's the story of a shabby beachfront community on Florida's Gulf Coast, and four very different women who become friends and confidantes. Fortunate Harbor introduces a new renter, Dana and her daughter Lizzie, who come to live in the last house in the little "development" called Happiness Key. Of course Dana is not what she seems, and life is filled with twists and turns for all the characters.


What inspired you to write Fortunate Harbor?
 I enjoyed my characters so much that given a chance to follow them a bit into their futures, I couldn't say no. I had introduced a number of situations in Happiness Key that were fun to explore more fully and resolve or even complicate. Ex-spouses, blossoming, unsolved mysteries. It's almost as if I wrote the first book with a second book in mind, even if that wasn't conscious. And once I was finished with Fortunate Harbor, it was clear to me that there were still plot threads to conclude. So Sunset Bridge is now in progress.


What would you say to someone who has never read one of your novels… how would you describe it to them in a manner that would entice them to read something from your bookshelf? 

I think first and foremost I'm a storyteller, who explores complex characters and situations with a view toward positive resolutions. I want my readers to feel better about the world we all inhabit when they've finished one of my novels, but I still want them to have food for thought and feel they've grown in some small way along with my characters.

Is the location of Fortunate Harbor significant or special to you? 

Fortunate Harbor is set on Florida's Gulf Coast where I grew up. Palmetto Grove isn't a real town, but I picture it near Ft. Myers. I lived a little farther north in St. Petersburg.

Who are some of the authors that inspired you or that you are currently reading? 

I've been inspired in some way by every well written book I've ever read. The books that were not well written inspired me to work harder at my craft and try to avoid those mistakes.

Are you working on anything currently? Would you be willing to give up some top-secret information for the inquiring minds? 
I'm about halfway through Sunset Bridge. After that I have a new idea, this time a series I'm planning right from the beginning. So my next step will be to write that up and present it to my publisher for discussion. The beginning of a series is like the beginning of a love affair, filled with promise and possibilities. I'm looking forward to that, even while I'll be sad to part with Tracy, Janya, Wanda and Alice, of Happiness Key.


Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and answer a few questions. I have really enjoyed spending the afternoon with you and look forward to sitting down with Fortunate Harbor in the near future!

Planned Television Arts has been kind enough to offer up one copy of Fortunate Harbor to be given away. 

All you have to do is leave a comment to be entered. 

The contest is open to the United States and Canada only. 

The contest closes July 11 at noon (Eastern). 

I will post the winner either that night or Monday morning.

Pleasure Unbound by Larisa Ione~~DIK Reading Challenge

Demonica Book 1
Grand Central Publishing
July 2008
ISBN-10: 044640103X
ISBN-13: 978-0446401036
Order At Amazon
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Order at Borders
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Find at Indiebound
 
In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life…
She’s a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure—but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.
Two lovers will dare to risk all.
Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his desire to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable—and let Tayla possess him, body and soul…

My Thoughts:

I have seen this series floating around blog land and Shelfari for quite some time now, and always say to myself that I will get to it some time. DIK Reading Challenge was just the kick in the butt that I needed to finally get Pleasure Unbound off my TBR list and onto my reading list. I don't guess I need to tell you that Pleasure Unbound was the first book I read by Larissa Ione.

Eidolon has built a hospital, Underworld General, that caters to the needs of various demons. Only a select few are denied care in his hospital, and unfortunately he never foresaw the need to include the Aegis on that list. He has a passion for helping and healing others and as part of his genetic makeup he follows the rules, so when Skulk brings in Tayla Mancuso he feels duty bound to treat her wounds, regardless of the desires that are voiced by several others including his brothers to take her out of the hospital and destroy her.

He is battling some very dark demons of his own. Eidolon's maturation is coming and unless he can find a woman that he is willing to bond with, and who is willing to bond with him, then his darker side is going to come to the surface and he will be forever changed...

Tayla is deep in enemy territory. Her body is betraying her on several levels and now she is faced with a hot doctor who is turning her into putty. She needs to figure out a way to escape the hospital, get back to headquarters and convince the regent that she is not compromised.

Larissa Ione has created a world of dark humor, explosive sexual tensions, and bone breaking battles all centered around Eidolon and Tayla. There are plenty of sub characters to enrich the plot and ensure that this story remains a page turner. I am definitely hooked on this dark underworld.

Rating: 4 stars

Tied Up Tied Down by Lorelei James

...The strongest bonds are the ones unseen.


Businesswoman Skylar Ellison is firmly in control of her life. So getting tangled up with a sexy Wyoming cowboy—and conceiving a baby in the parking lot of a honky-tonk—wasn’t in her plan. Since it appears the daddy has taken off for greener pastures, the only thing to do is pull up her bootstraps and carry on alone.

Cattle rancher Kade McKay returns home after a year on the range, and is knocked for a loop when he learns he’s the father of a three-month-old baby girl. When Skylar refuses to marry him, Kade grits his teeth, moves in and plays house by her rules to prove he’s a man in for the long haul.
Despite Skylar’s insistence they are to remain strictly parenting partners, their old passions flare hot as a brush fire, spurring Kade to demand absolute sexual surrender from the headstrong woman. Skylar willingly submits her body to the hot-blooded cowboy but she’s leery of handing Kade the reins to her heart.

Can Kade convince Skylar the wicked sex games aren’t a temporary distraction? Or will he have to bust out the ropes to show her he wants to be tied to her…forever?

Warning: this book contains: no holes barred kinky sex scenes, wicked rope play, blunt language, and yowza! lots of hot cowboy nekkidness.

My Thoughts:

This book was so much more than I was expecting. It was sweet with the added erotic scenes. You are faced with a couple that is trying to learn how to come to terms with their feelings for each other while learning how to be parents. Skylar is a head strong woman who loves to be in control of all aspects of her life. When she is faced with a surprise pregnancy she is delighted. She decides to keep the paternity a secret thinking the father has a right to know before everyone else in town does and he is nowhere to be found. Once her secret is out she is faced with the whole McKay/West family and questions as to why she never said anything while being excepted into their family wholeheartedly. Kade is the ideal man and faced with the knowledge that he is a father he steps up to the plate and hits a home run. I loved his reaction when he first sees his little girl Eliza.

My Shelfari friend Janon highly recommended this one after reading it not too long ago. I have to admit that the title threw me for a loop. I seriously didn't want to buy this book because I thought it would have a major kink factor going on. I finally read the blurb the other day and being nostalgic over my own relationship with my husband I thought I would give it a try. Upon turning the first page I see Ms. James' Dedication, which reads:

To those of us who've realized a surprise pregnancy isn't the end of the world...but can be the start of something magical.

I can so relate to this dedication. Many of you may have read my story on CJ's blog the day that Cecile was visiting, for those of you who didn't here is the long and the short of it...My husband and I were practically a blind date. I wasn't looking to get involved or even date after moving to Iowa with my sister. I had just gone through a break up of a three year relationship. This didn't stop my sister and her new husband from meddling and throwing  a dinner party. Ron, my husband, stuck around after everyone left to hang out with us a little longer and some how we started playing Phase 10. In my family, especially if the kids are not around, this turns into a drinking game. After that night we were practically  inseparable. And not too long into it I realized I was pregnant. I have always said that my relationship with my husband started out much like the movie Fools Rush in starring Selma Hyak and Matthew Perry. We didn't instantly get married... I was having none of that. We did finally get married when our son was five months old. The road hasn't always been smooth, but what is life without those bumps and pot holes, but we do love each other very much and all three of our children have brought something special to our lives. My daughter is the only granddaughter my husband's mother has...hell she is the only granddaughter for three sets of grandparents. His son gave me a dose of what to expect from teenagers before my daughter was out of elementary school and has continued to add an extra spice to our lives...I just pray that he doesn't make me a grandmother anytime soon. And the baby, 7 years now, is showing me what raising a boy is really like. 

So with all that being said, Tied Up and Tied Down is going to hold a special place in my heart. 

Rating 4 stars

Guest Post~~~Marshall Chamberlain

Today I have the pleasure of sharing my blog with Marshall Chamberlain. He has prepared a little something to talk about how he became an author and the books in his Ancestor Series. 

Welcome Mr. Chamberlain!! 

I thank the host for inviting me to write this guest-post as part of introducing The Mountain Place of Knowledge, Book I in my Ancestor Series of adventure-thrillers. In order for readers to get a feel for me, I’m going to say a little bit about my background, how I came to be an author, what “The Mountain” and Book II, The Ice Cap and the Rift, are about, what I’m writing now, and offer short answers to several questions I’ve been recently asked by readers and writers.

SO, ABOUT ME AND HOW I BECAME AN AUTHOR:

 

 Way before taking up the pen, I received graduate degrees from Michigan State University and The American Graduate School of International Management, served as an officer in the USMC, and spent many years in investment banking and finance. Today I live and write on Estero Island, better known as Fort Myers Beach, in an apartment near the water I refer to as “The Writing Rock.” Believe me, it was never my intent to write fiction books. I had dabbled with a novel in my late twenties, and during my career in investment banking I put together many business documents and published several metaphysical articles. But on August 14th, 1998, anchored and living aboard my thirty-foot sailboat, The Shard, in the back-bay off Fort Myers Beach, my habit was to dingy in, get in my car and go about my business. On that day I sat reading in the Fort Myers Beach Public Library when a story involuntarily began surfacing, and it spewed from my pen as fast as I could write. In a year and a half’s time the first draft of the four-book Ancestor Series materialized. Since then, it has been a long road to learning how to effectively edit and enrich a story, and prepare and guide a completed manuscript through the publishing and promotion processes. Along the way I found the need and time to author and publish the trade paperback, Creative Self-Publishing in the World Marketplace.

NOW THE BOOKS:

 

 Although I’ve labeled the books in the Ancestor Series adventure-thrillers, they would fit well in one or more of the other thriller sub-genres: action, suspense or mystery.. BOOK  I, The Mountain Place of Knowledge, centers on discovery of a mysterious place of knowledge created by “The Ancestors” 180,000 years ago and located inside a mountaintop in Belize. The plot focuses on two feisty scientists, unable or unwilling to acknowledge they care for each other, who are recruited to investigate the mysterious death of a UN administrator vacationing in Belize. The unfolding adventure turns perilous with the discovery of an ancient Mayan codex, describing the secret entrance to a mountain and unfathomable wonders inside. The two stalwart characters are forced to deal with the encroaching interests of the CIA, a local museum curator afflicted with a case of avarice, and a strange Indian monk sent to assist them. A small force of NATO troops is sent to provide security at the mountain site; a covert attack is feared from major powers intent at any cost to gain possession of what lies inside the mountain.

In BOOK II of the Ancestor Series, The Ice Cap and the Rift: A comboquake rakes the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. A fifteen-mile rift rips open across an Icelandic ice cap, dissecting a huge cavern holding mysterious ancient technology. A UN scientific expedition discovers the cave was occupied 180,000 years ago and contains a perfectly-preserved high-tech habitat and an inter-planetary traveling machine. Deceit and violence manifest as nations and terrorist groups ferret out the existence of the discoveries and mount operations to seize control of the ancient treasures. Lives are expendable in frantic action across oceans and air-lanes, from Iceland to the US, Libya, France, Spain and China.

The STORIES IN THE ANCESTOR SERIES contain scatterings of plausible technological gadgetry, are sprinkled with eastern metaphysical philosophy, and run for readers like raging rivers. Themes of the existence of mythical ancient races, adventure in strange inhospitable environments, discovery of arcane ancient technology and instruments of immense power, encounter with various forms of evil and heedless slaughter, and attraction and growth of a young man and woman sharing experiences of hazardous sojourns are ageless attractions for avid thriller readers. I’ve attempted to make the stories riveting, the characters captivating and real, and to stir the strings of excitement by luring readers into a personal sense of presence in the adventures and their mysteries.

 

WHAT I’M WRITING NOW:

 

 After returning home to the “Writing Rock” on Fort Myers Beach in July of 2008 from a great conference in New York City called ThrillerFest 2008, I decided to apply my efforts to a new book I’d been taking notes on since 1999. Several authors at the conference liked the “what if” I’d developed to describe the heart of the proposed book, motivating me to put my half completed Book III in the Ancestor Series away for a while. The new book is entitled The Apothecary. It’s about a demented scientist disappearing from a DOD top-secret project along with an inventory of proprietary hi-tech nanites. Eluding his trackers, he produces a line of designer drugs for the Mafia and gains the interest of the North Koreans in the development of the ultimate soldier. When the DOD learns the scientist’s nanite replication process could easily run out of control and lead to a catastrophic event, his capture and containment become a major national security issue.

SOME QUESTIONS I’VE BEEN ASKED LATELY:

 

Often I’m asked about my favorite books and movies, especially ones that inspired my writing. To boil it down, I learned the most about plot development, concise writing, twists and turns, and character development by reading books in the thriller genre by authors Michael Crichton, Lincoln Childs and Douglas Preston. Outside the genre I favor James Patterson, Patricia Cornwall and Greg Isles, especially for their character development. And then there’s Faldo on Golf —sorry that just slipped in.  For movies I like action and intense drama, unique stories that hold my attention and don’t rely heavily on just gory or spectacular special effects. Recent notables that come to mind are Avatar, Blade Runner, Braveheart, Jurassic Park series, Star Wars series, Terminator series, Minority Report, Man on Fire, Paycheck, Predator, Gladiator, The Kingdom, and alas and of course all of James Bond.

After checking out my Facebook profile, several curious readers wanted to know something about the “Writing Rock.” Well, it’s a generic name I’ve given to where I do most of my writing, i.e. Estero Island, better known as Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The name derives from my sense of the island as a place of power; the Seminole Indians were possessors of the land for hundreds of years. I’ll also offer this: During my years of searching for meaning I have become sensitive to “loose spots” in the fabric of reality, power spots that facilitate and foster contemplative clarity and spontaneous imagination. I am at great peace living in such an island environment.

Some readers have asked me if the Ancestor Series is part sci-fi, and if the books were influenced by the Raiders of the Lost Ark books and movies, and why I choose Belize as the setting for Book I, The Mountain Place of Knowledge.To answer, all the books are indeed part sci-fi but within plausible reality — in other words not at all far out, and they were not influenced by any other books unless my subconscious has an agenda beyond my understanding, which I’m sure has to be the case — but which leaves me unaccountable. As far as Belize is concerned as the setting for Book I, it came about from some of the first story pouring out so long ago and that I later cut from the manuscript; the beginning of the first draft of Book I was originally about Myakka, a young girl on her path to becoming a powerful sorceress. I got the name from a river in Southwest Florida. The name sounded Mayan, so I set the first book in Belize because 600 years ago the area supported several powerful city-states.

I hope readers here will enjoy the Ancestor Series books and periodically check at my website on how The Apothecary is coming along. I look forward to any feedback — always looking to sharpen my skills to better entertain avid readers. The following links should help you searching for more info:

My Facebook Page, “Marshall Chamberlain Writes:”  

My Website “Weekly E-book Gift” on the Home Page

My Website “Sample Content” Page with Book-trailers and Sample Chapters

Purchase Hardbacks or Paperbacks:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon.com                                                       

Purchase E-books in Multiple Reading-device Formats at Smashword.com:

 Book I in the Ancestor Series, The Mountain Place of Knowledge:

Book II in the Ancestor Series, The Ice Cap and the Rift:

YouTube.com for Book-trailer Videos

Contact Me, Marshall Chamberlain:    mailto:author@gracepublishing.org                                                                    

Cheers to All,

Marshall

Thank you Mr. Chamberlain for stopping by and spending the day with us and talking about your novels. I am really looking forward to reading The Mountain Place of Knowledge.

What Im doing besides reading!!

School has been out for few weeks around here and we have been busy little bees. My son left with my mother two days after they got out, right after his last baseball game. The following weekend we headed up to West Virginia to spend Memorial weekend with my mother, stepfather, and sister and her family. They all recently relocated up there leaving me in north GA with the closest relative being four hours away. So it was really nice to spend several days with them in what one of my friends calls "Twang Town"

We then came home to do some weeding and cleaning around the yard and house. The FedEx lady brought the kids a special treat...Six Flags season passes! So I spent the entire day Thursday convincing my son that  he was not afraid of the big roller coasters and that there was a lot more to do than the water slides in Skull Island. My daughter's friend Robyn was sweet enough to sit with Cody for about an hour while Michaela and I rode the Superman roller coaster. This was my first time on it! I absolutely loved it!!

Saturday rolled around which meant I had to take my baby, yes I mean the soon to be 15yr old, to the airport for her annual trip to her Dads. This time it was particularly hard on me. She no longer has to fly Unaccompanied Minor...saves lots of mullah but I don't get to walk her to her gate. So my baby had to walk through security and find her way to her gate at the Atlanta Airport all by herself. I was a nervous wreck!! I sat in my car in the parking garage until her flight left. My daughter was really awesome!! She catered to her mother's needs and text me every step of the way letting me know when she got on the Tram, when she made it to her gate, when the plane arrived and started kicking passengers off to make room for her. She then text me when she landed in Baltimore and again when she landed in Michigan. She laughed at me when I thanked her for being so understanding of my needs!!! How Dare she?!!! LOL

Now I am going to be letting my son go back to Moms for another two weeks! I was originally going to drive him up there, but Lil Sis is going to be down this weekend and said she would take him back with her.  Great news for me!!

Now what am I going to do with myself for the next two weeks having no kids in the house and my husband in and out on business. Im throwing a huge party!!! Yes anyone want to join me?!! I plan on repainting my living room hallway, and dining room. And if time permits the main bathroom. I am also going to be looking into new lights for my kitchen. I am really hating the track light that has been there since we bought the house. It does not match anything and the stupid bulbs, which cost almost $8, are constantly burning out. To help me in my search for new  lights CSN stores  has an array of light fixtures. And they have given me the opportunity to review one of their products. With so many projects going on around my house I am sure to find something from their 200+ stores. So be looking for an upcoming review on something that is so not book related but will be something special to me!

The Wasteland Series/Anthology

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The Wanderer-by Crystal Jordan
This story opens up the reader’s eyes to a whole new world. Kadira and Ezra’s chemistry burn up the pages, not to mention what happens when they bring more people into their bed. The Wasteland comes alive in a wild post apocalyptic way that reveals a tribal community with technological know how and a lot of…um…interesting customs.
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The Whore-by Lilli Feisty
You may think the title says it all. And its true, no one does in your face gritty like our Feisty, but there is a lot of vulnerability, humor, and yes, man on man while a woman is watching love as well. Feisty takes us to the edges of city life. The darker edges. Shows us that there is more to this Wasteland than meets the eye. And she shows us pirates…I mean…pirates for heaven’s sake.
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The Breeder-by Eden Bradley
Nitara brings us into the heart of Kroy Wen, the sacred Temple. She shows us civilization-the fragile, barely hidden barbarity of it. And she shows us that when love is involved, acts of great courage are still possible, even in the Wasteland. (And yes, you heathens, she also shows us dirty nookie and threesomes and man on man love.)
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The Priestess-by RG Alexander
The final book gets to touch base with each of the worlds. Most closely intertwined with Eden Bradley’s Breeder, it starts in the Temple. But Xian, The High Priestess, comes into contact with pirates, thieves, and Wanderers. Hel, her Sun Guard, has a past with them as well. When Xian goes off to discover the truth about the world shes living in, why she doesn’t have all the answers as High Priestess, she takes Hel along and they discover the addictive taste of freedom.
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I finally got all four books and took the time to sit down and read each one back to back!! I have to say having only read two of the four authors I was pleasantly surprised to have loved all four stories. Yes you must read all four of them, I don't think that it is a  must to read them in order except for The Breeder and The Priestess...these two definitely play off of each other and you really need to read The Breeder before reading The Priestess. The words Steam Punk completely throw me for a loop and I have to say that I normally turn my nose up and walk away from a book with that label. And I almost did it with The Wasteland. But after spending so much time with these authors in their Yahoo Group and reading several excerpts I just couldn't pass  up on the opportunity to try something new.  This just goes to show that you really shouldn't judge a book by its labels! 

These four ladies did an awesome job of putting together a world where the caste systems...or a should say who falls into which caste...are determined by one woman, the High Priestess. Lets see how best to tell you about The Wasteland ...

***You definitely need to read all of the warnings on these books... OMG were they HOT (think the hottest pepper and multiply it by 10)***

Outside of the city living in the deserts and caves you have The Wanderers. Within this group you have several smaller groups or clans who battle each other, trade with each other, and twice a year put all differences aside to celebrate in the Spring and Fall Rites.

Kadira and Ezra heat the pages from the very start. The sexual tension electrifies you as soon as you start reading. These two have watched each other at all the Rites from afar for several years, this year however Ezra has his mind made up he will have Kadira no matter what the cost. Kadira is a shaman which means that she must remain untouched for several weeks during the Rites to perform the coming of age and bonding ceremonies. She is also a warrior who pushes herself to be better than everyone else. Her past demands it of her and she will not allow this chieftain to distract her from her duties. 

I was so wrapped up in this book I burned dinner... does that tell you something !! I loved how Kadira and Ezra allowed their past to dictate their lives until they came together and could no longer stick to their guns of never falling in love. Ezra's possessiveness or should we say protectiveness of Kadira was endearing and it made it even sweeter when he realized that he could share her without doing bodily harm to someone. Yes this story is jam packed with several sexual scenarios but the love story that builds and culminates was awesome!


Inside the city the women do not come and go as freely as they would with the clans. Women are revered and protected. They are not allowed to walk the streets of the city...it is not safe for them. There are three classes of women in the city... The Rose or the Whore, The Breeders and The Priestesses. 

In The Whore we meet Bryn, a Rose or a prostitute. She is unusual in that she does not enjoy her work. In the evenings she sneaks out in boys clothing to run to the docks. One night she is not so successful in going unnoticed and runs into three thugs that want her earbob. The only problem with just handing it over is that it is part of her disguise and hides the rose tattoo that symbolizes her station. If anyone finds out that she has left the safety of the house her punishment will be harsh. There won't be any debilitating isolation for such a defiance. Thankfully two extremely hot men come to her rescue. Bryn knows immediately that they are pirates and follows them listening to their conversation. Without thinking she gives herself a way out of prostitution but could possibly have created a much bigger problem for herself. 


The Breeder Nitara is having doubts about her upcoming sacrifice. She is dreaming about him instead of the babies that she will bring into the world to help repopulate the Earth, gifts for the Goddess. Akaash is not like other Wanderers that have been captured and brought to the Temple to be the Virgin Sacrifice. He is not as susceptible to the drugs used to keep the warriors immobilized in a constant state of arousal. Nitara and Akaash use her Taming Moon to become better acquainted, each becoming aware that the other is more than they seem. 


In The Priestess we see how the escape of a sacrifice and a Breeder effect the High Priestess. Her doubts about her world are only intensified after the escape. Needing to find answers she has her Sun Guard Hel accompany her on a journey that breaks every rule/law of the Temple.

All I can say is WoW!! This world is explicit and passion is expected. It is believed that the passions shared is a must in order to keep Man subdued. I loved this series and highly recommend it to any one and everyone that has no qualms about reading very sexually explicit stories. I am really building a love hate relationship with novellas right now. I thoroughly enjoyed these novellas. All four ladies did a wonderful job keeping the flow of the world and the stories intertwined in a way that stayed connected. ---Does that make sense?--- You can tell that they put in many painstaking hours in creating their own stories while staying true to the overall theme of the story. This is how it should be done!!! The Wasteland definitely earns a 5 star rating!!!

Dangerous Winner--Updated

I just got home from spending 5 days with my mother and sister in W. Virginia so this is going to be a quicky post !!!

THE WINNERS ARE

elaing8
etirv

elaing8 and etirv please email your snail mail information to jstpeachy1976 at yahoo dot com and I will forward it on to the publisher.  Congrats on your win!!! Happy Reading!