After the Fire by Kathryn Shay

Detective Megan Hale comes to Hidden Cove, leaving behind painful memories of her policeman husband killed in the line of duty. But when she meets fireman Mitch Malvaso, Megan's heart is set ablaze-even if it knows the risks.

Near New York City, the Hidden Cove Fire Department responds to the dangerous Sinco fire. Three Malvaso siblings, who work at the same fire station, become trapped inside, but ultimately are rescued. Jenny insists that she, Mitch, the oldest, and Zach, the youngest, pledge to change their messed up personal lives as each one realizes how close to death they came.

Six months later, they're still on the job and have not yet made the changes they said they were going to.

Zach, who has been divorced from his wife for 2 years, vowed to win her back and prove that he's a reformed rake (apparently he cheated on her quite a bit while they were married) and try to be a better father, but not having much success with the former. Though he had made quite a bit of progress with the latter.

Jenny had vowed to have a child, via artificial insemination, so she finally works up the courage to ask her best friend since childhood, Grady O'Connor, if he'd be the donor. They've been friends since kindergarten and up to that point had no physical attraction between them. Jenny is afraid that she'll ruin their friendship with her request (they've both been scarred by previous relationships, though Grady seems more wounded than she), but Grady agrees. He suggests they do it the right way, though. At first, Jenny seems hesitant, not wanting to ruin their friendship, but eventually agrees.

Mitch had vowed to work things out with his shrew of a wife and become a better father to his two teenage children. Though he seemed to be making a genuine effort with his children, he hadn't been able to make any effort with his wife. When he meets Detective Megan Hale, and she proposes they start a camp for children of firefighters and police officers who were killed in the line of duty, he immediately agrees to help.

Megan is dealing with some losses of her own. Her husband had been killed in the line of duty several years before and her father had died in the line only a few months before she moved to Hidden Cove from the city.

Basically, the book was alright. I didn't like the fact that throughout the entire book Mitch was married while his feelings developed for the detective. The book is approximately 360 pages and until page 299 he was still sharing a bedroom with his wife. Though he didn't physically cheat on her, he definitely had an emotionaly affair with Megan. I couldn't seem to get past that.

Besides that, the story was kind of muddled, with too many POV's throughout the book. A lot of characters were introduced and there were several subplots with the Malvoso family (there are two other siblings not in the firefighter line of work), including issues with both Zach and Mitch's children. Apparently this is the first book of a trilogy, with Zach getting his story at a later date, so, in my opinion, a lot of the parts about him could have been shortened or cut out completely.

There was also a lot of technical information included, about the process of firefighting and the terminology they use. While I like to be informed, at times I felt like I was reading an instruction manual.

If my summary seems a bit muddle and confusing, it's because that's how I found the book to be. I have the other 2 on my shelf to be read, and I'm not sure I'll be able to read them.

Overall, I enjoyed the story of Jenny and Grady, but didn't really care for the book.

I give it a 1.25 out of 5.

Another New Start

Hey everyone! I know I haven't been reviewing here as long as the three ladies that are starting Book Binge, but I've enjoyed my time all the same.

BUT since Holly, Rowena and Izzy are leaving I've decided to make a new start too. Only I'll be doing it alone. Well mostly. lol.

I've started a new blog called Escape With Me where I'll be reviewing all the books I read, or listen to, and just talking about anything books. I'll also be having guest reviewers, and other fun stuff.

I'm really excited about this new start. Everything is not put together yet, like I still have a 'blogger template' till I find something I really like. And all my links aren't up. But I do have a new review up already. So check me out and I hope you enjoy yourselves. I hope to see you all there.

You've all been great, thank you!

~Nicole

Come Join Us In Our New Adventure!

There comes a time in a blogger's life when a fresh start is needed and that time has come for us. We hope that all of you lovely readers will join, Holly, Isabel and myself in our new book adventure over at Book Binge where we will be reading and discussing the books we know and love, along with whatever else we feel needs to be blogged about.

With this fresh new start, we plan to host lots of contests, free book giveaways and just loads of book lovin' fun.

For those new readers of Book Binge, we'd like to invite you to participate in our PIMP BOOK BINGE CONTEST (dude, try saying THAT three times real fast). All you have to do is post a blog up introducing Book Binge on your blog and then leave a comment on our new blog, letting us know that you did it (the link to your blog and the post will be most helpful thank you!) and your name will automatically be entered into a drawing to win your choice of any 3 books you want.






The winner will be announced one week from today, May 2nd at 3pm, PST.

Thanks and see you over there!

Hugs,
Rowena, Holly and Isabel!

Nerd? Me?

It's true, I'm a nerd. And I have to tell you, in true nerd fashion I'm seriously annoyed right now. Why? Because for almost 2 weeks I've been trying to read Demon Moon by Meljean Brook. I was lucky enough to win an ARC from Sybil's blog and Meljean emailed me ages ago with a download of it.

I was kind of on the fence about starting it, because I've been in a paranormal funk lately and this just didn't appeal. But so far? I LOVE IT! LLOOOOVEEE IITTT!

The problem? I haven't had time to read lately. We're in the process of painting MM's house, and I have 2 small kids, and we had Easter and family obligations and, well, the list goes on and on. I want to read. I don't want to deal with pesky things like breakfast for my children and laundry and painting. Ugh.

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Literature Nerd   Does sitting by a nice cozy fire, with a cup of hot tea/chocolate, and a book you can read for hours even when your eyes grow red and dry and you look sort of scary sitting there with your insomniac appearance? Then you fit this category perfectly! You love the power of the written word and it's eloquence; and you may like to read/write poetry or novels. You contribute to the smart people of today's society, however you can probably be overly-critical of works. It's okay. I understand.
Social Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
Musician
Drama Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Anime Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

What about the rest of you? Are you nerds just like me? Ever feel like screaming, "GO AWAY I HAVE TO FINISH THIS BOOK!!!!"?

Redux: Colleen Gleason is Guest Blogging

Quick! Head over to Twisted Kingdom now! Colleen Gleason is guest blogging and doing giveaways and Ames has a review up!

Guest Blogger: Rene Lyons ~ Contest: And The Winner Is....

Kailana!!!!!

Congrats, babe. You've won a free download of Tempting Darkness and your name has been entered in Rene's April drawing. To see what you might win from that, see here.

Kailana, please email either myself or Rene.

Congrats again!

And thanks so much to everyone else who visited yesterday. Don't forget to buy your copy of Tempting Darkness. You can get it here.

Guest Blogger: Rene Lyons on Fate

Recently the subject of Fate came up in a conversation I had with a good friend. Although I toss the word around in my books, I’ve never given Fate much thought when it came to my own life. Well, that conversation got me thinking about Fate and whether or not it was something I truly believed in. After lengthy consideration I came to the conclusion that I do believe in Fate. In spades. I just never realized it.

I believe things happen for a reason and they happen when they’re supposed to. I also believe people come into our lives for a reason. It’s pretty difficult for me not to believe that after the last year and a half. Since I’ve been published I’ve met a wealth of people, some who’ve hindered me and some who’ve become as vital to me as breathing is. But all have helped bring me to the point I’m at now. I believe this all goes back to Fate. I called it kindred – and with my friend that’s what it is. We’re two like spirits who found each other to make a whole. Cheesy? Maybe. But it’s true.

I also find that Fate had a hand in my writing. Since I was a kid I’d scribble plenty of “beginnings” but no “middles” and certainly no “ends” to the stories cooking up in my head. That all changed when a car hit my brother and ended his life at only thirty-eight. It made me take stock of myself. I looked around at all that I’ve never accomplished and realized I couldn’t lave this world without having ever tried to reach my dream of being a published author. That’s what compelled me to sit down to write a book to the end. I finished Midnight Sun three months later.

I took a chance and it paid off. But – even if I’d never gotten published, I believe Fate forced my hand to write these Templar books. Through my characters I came to know myself better. I saw my own pain reflected in Constantine. My guilt came to the forefront with Lucian and my sense of responsibility with Tristan. With Sebastian I realized that although I put up a good facade, I’m not as tough as I believe. And with Raphael I found my humor again. More importantly, through them all I’ve dug down deep and pulled out a strength I’d buried beneath the muck of life.

Fate began this journey I’m on almost thirty-four years ago and I have to say – it’s been one hell of a ride.

Do you believe in Fate? Do you think you'd be where you are today without it? Or do you think you make your own Fate?

Guest Blogger: Rene Lyons W/ Special Guest Andy Douglas

Andy graciously agreed to be tortured interviewed today.

Rene Lyons: When you get hit with a steel chair, what’s the first thing that goes through your mind?

Andy Douglas: OUCH!!!!

RL: What’s the craziest thing a fan has done to get your attention during a match?

AD: On more that one occasion, we've had female fans bend over and moon us and once we had this 40 or 50 year old lady flash us.

RL: What do you do if you get a “wedgie” in the ring?

AD: Slowly tip toe over to Chase and let him get it out for me!


RL: You’re being exiled to Transylvania. What are the three things you’ll bring?

AD: 1)Laptop 2)Underworld DVD 3)Rene Lyons

RL: If you had the chance to ask any one person (living or dead) one question, who would it be and what would you ask?

AD: Vlad the Impaler. I would want to know the truth...is he really the original Dracula?

RL: What’s one strange thing no one knows about you?

AD: I really really, someday, want to buy and restore a duplicate of the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazard.

RL: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it read?

AD: Here once Andy Douglas laid. In the grave he hadn't stayed. He's out there roaming in the dark. On the night he'll leave his mark.

Sanctuary’s Finest: What was it like modeling for a romance cover?

AD: It's an honor. I was extremely excited when Rene asked me to be a part of Tempting Darkness.

SF: Be honest now, did you feel less of a man for having done it?

AD: Ha, less of a man.......try twice the man! Having women reading a romance novel and having my picture as mental food.....doesn't get much better.

SF: Would you do it again?

AD: In a heartbeat.

SF: What would it take to talk you into reading a romance novel?

AD: Well before this it probably would never happen, but I do plan on reading Tempting Darkness.

SF: Is there anything upcoming with modeling now that you were on the cover?

AD: Well I have an appointment coming up here in Nashville with a major modeling company so who knows what's in store for the future.

RL: If you had to a pick motto for your life, what would it be?

AD: Live with no regrets!



Great Interview! If you have any lingering questions, leave a comment. Who knows, if we're lucky Andy might decide to pop by later and answer them. Andy? What do you say?

You can also visit both Andy and Rene online:

www.renelyons.net
www.andydouglas.com

And on MySpace:

Rene Lyons
Andy Douglas

Guest Blogger: Rene Lyons ~ CONTEST!!!!!!!

So......anyone want to win a prize? Tonight at 10pm est I'll select one person at random who's left a comment on one of our posts today to win a download of Tempting Darkness.

You'll also automatically be entered in my April contest, of which the winner will receive a mouse pad with the cover of Tempting Darkness on it, signed by both Andy and Rene. A bookmark, postcard with the image of Andy Douglas, and a print copy of Midnight Sun – all signed by Rene Lyons. From Andy, you’ll be getting a bandanna and a signed picture of him! Oh, and let’s not forget, a $10 gift certificate for My Bookstore and More!

Just leave a comment to be entered. GOOD LUCK!

Guest Blogger: Rene Lyons w/ Special Guest Andy Douglas

Rene Lyons:
When I was a kid I was afraid of everything. And I do mean everything. From the dark to latex Halloween masks – my fears knew no bounds. Forget horror movies. Even the cheesiest B-movie could keep me awake for weeks. But that all changed the day I happened to watch Dracula starring Frank Langella. I shared Lucy’s awe of him and ultimately, her pain when the sun took him from her. I walked away from that movie sharing her secret smile after seeing Dracula’s cape flutter across the sky – a hint that though he was gone - he wasn’t gone.

My love of vampires was born that day. I went from being the kid who was terrified to sleep with a foot dangling off the side of the bed (didn’t every bed have that damned razor-toothed demon living under it?) to sleeping with my window open and forgoing garlic (a nearly impossible feat in an Italian household). Basically, if Dracula chanced upon me, I was ready!

Yeah, I guess you can say I had it bad. Wait. Did I say had? I mean have. I have it bad. Some might even go so far as to say I have a (slight) obsession with vampires. I often get asked "what’s their appeal?". To that I answer – everything. People assume that because I write romance it’s the romantic aspect of them that appeals to me the most. They’re wrong. I’m not a very romantic person nor are my books heavy on the flowery romance. It’s the darkness of the vampire myth that I find most appealing. They’re creatures steeped in shadow, sin, and sexuality. And that captivates me. Their majesty and savagery fascinates me.

After Midnight Sun was published I met plenty of people who shared my love of vampires but none who shared my obsession - until I was introduced to Andy Douglas. His love of vampires matched my own and made him the perfect man to help bring Lucian of Penwick to life. I’m lucky to know him – even luckier to call him a friend. Now, with that said, allow me to turn this post over to my kindred spirit, Andy Douglas…

Andy Douglas:
I too was afraid of scary movies as a child. It probably didn't help that I watched the movie Poltergeist at age 5. I really didn't start enjoying scary movies until my late teens. However, there was always one scary character that I was never afraid of.......Dracula. I can always remember having a fondness for vampires and Dracula. My mom even made me dress up as something different for Halloween one year because she was getting tired of me being Dracula every year. I'm not sure what it is but the vampire world has always been a part of my life.

The aspect of the vampire world that I hate, is the "goth" side. Every time people find out that I'm in to vampires, they say "well you don't look like you would like that kind of stuff." And that's due to the fact that I don't wear all black, have a pale face, and paint my fingernails black. To me, goth and the vampire world are two separate things. What I do and what I enjoy is a belief and a lifestyle that revolves around vampirism and an idea of how vamps would interact within today’s society. It does not revolve around wearing black because my parents pissed me off. But hey, that's just me. Thank you.

What about you? What were you afraid of as a child? What creature of the night fascinates you now? Are there any clichés that drive you nuts now that you're older?

Guest Blogger: Rene Lyons

Most days run pretty smoothly around here. I rise bright and shinny at noon. My servant brings me a gilded tray bearing a steaming cappuccino, scones, and my morning paper. The nanny has Jesse fed, dressed, and in a wonderful mood. I languish in bed for an hour or so, thinking up some juicy plot-twist I’ll get to writing in between my manicure, massage, and hair appointments. After I write a bit, it’s usually off to some fancy boutique to shop for some cute clothes. Once back home, I take back to the computer where I spend the rest of my day lost in a world of vampires, demons, and demi-gods.

Well, the last part is true. The rest? Not so much.

I’m usually awakened at six (as in a.m. Blah) by a toddler yelling, “all done! Inside, Nae. Eat now.” In case you don’t speak “toddler” that’s “I’m all done sleeping. So are you, Mommy, so get your lazy butt out of bed and fix me some breakfast. Now!” And so, I drag myself out of bed, shuffle to the bathroom - where I contemplate flushing myself down the toilet. As I impatiently await my coffee to perk (is it me, or does it seem to take forever to make at that ungodly hour of the morning?) I make pancakes for my daughter, who by now is bouncing off the walls. I sit with her while she eats (no, I don’t do breakfast. Just the idea of food that early turns my stomach) wondering if there’s some law that prevents me from crawling back to bed, leaving her with the run of the house. (What? Don’t look at me like that! You’ve all thought the same thing too.)

By the time I get to the computer I already have a headache.

Throughout the day I try to get in as much work as possible without it getting in the way of my time with Jesse. I think I (sort of) have a nice schedule worked out. I’m sure when she’s older Jesse will be on some shrink’s couch talking about how I was a neglectful mom while she was growing up. And I’m sure I’ll think she’s lost her mind considering how hard I work to make time for both her and the writing.


Come the night, I work. And I mean work. I write until my fingers ache and my eyes feel as if they’re going to explode. I write until my head hurts so much I damn near have tears in my eyes. Most of what I write I keep. Some, come the next morning, I’ll trash and wonder what the hell I was thinking the before night. But always, I love what I’m doing. I’ve waited over thirty years to be at this point and never once have I forgotten I’m living my dream.

So although my life isn’t exactly calm, orderly, and luxuriant, it’s more than I could have ever hoped for. This is one hell of a ride I’m on. Thankfully, I have fantastic readers, a great family, and amazing friends to share it with.

- Rene Lyons

www.renelyons.net

We Have Guest Bloggers Today!

Today here at Sanctuary's Finest, we have the pleasure of having one of our most favorite authors, Rene Lyons guest blogging with us to promote her latest installment into her Templars Series, Tempting Darkness.

Tempting Darkness is Lucian's book and Rene will be guest blogging with Andy Douglas of TNA fame, who graciously posed for the cover of Lucian's book.

How awesome is that?

We're sorry that you lovely East Coasters are getting this later than us West Coasters, but well, us West Coasters wake up later than you guys! =)

But to make things a little interesting around here, Rene will be giving away a free copy of Tempting Darkness so make sure you stick around to find out how to win yourself a free copy of hottie Lucian, alright?!! =) =)

Ninth Key by Meg Cabot.

Heroine: Susannah Simon
Category: Young Adult
Grade: B-

Everything is going great for Suze. Her new life in California is a whirlwind of parties and excellent hair days. Tad Beaumont, the hottest boy in town, has even asked Suze out on her very first date. Suze is so excited that she's willing to ignore her misgivings about Tad... particularly the fact that he's not Jesse, whose ghostly status—not to mention apparent disinterest in her—make him unattainable.

What Suze can't ignore, however, is the ghost of a murdered woman whose death seems directly connected to dark secrets hidden in none other than Tad Beaumont's past.

This was a great addition to the series, it's got me hoping and wishing that in the next book, Reunion, that we'll be reunited with the boys that just up and disappeared from the first book. I want to see Bryce Martinson again, I want to see if him and Suze will hit it off like Tad Beaumont did in this book, even though Suze didn't really like him the same way that most girls like boys in school, I mean she only liked making out with him. But whatever, I want to see Bryce and Suze before I find another hottie guy for her to like.

I'm really excited to see Suze's reunion with her best friend, Gina from New York. I think that will be such an awesome story. I've been anxious to see what Gina would be like from all the talk that Suze does about her in the previous books.

But back to this book, it was good. I liked Shadowland better but I still enjoyed this story as well.

I enjoyed the whole "vampire" thing going on and I hecka enjoyed reading Suze's reaction to all of that. She's seriously the bomb.

I fell a little more in love with Jesse and dude, what is up with him and Suze? Can she really have relations with a ghost?

I WANT THAT FOR HER!

Nobody that Meg has introduced us to has come close to being perfect for Suze as Jesse has but I want her to get some experience before she goes on her merry way with Jesse, however that will be possible.

That's why I want her to have a thing with Bryce.

Well that and because he's such a cutie, even if he is a whiny baby. HA!

What I really enjoyed about this story was how the dynamics for Suze at home have changed and she DOES have a family with her step brothers and with Adam....and how her life in Northern California is started to grow on her and is becoming...HOME to her.

I loved the change in her relationship with her younger step brother, David. I have a soft spot for David and his nerdy geeky facts but I really love that he's in on Suze's little secret and understands. I just love this little guy a whole bunch!

Brad cracks me up, him and Suze's relationship is so funny to witness. Brad thinks he's all rough and tough and I totally think that Suze can kick his ass!

HA!

Jake, goodness, I want that boy to hurry up and get his Camaro so that he can get back to having a life. He's a handsome boy, he needs to start living it before a ghost comes and gets him and there goes his life. I really like him though, he's funny and he's good to Suze.

The parents are cool and it was cool to see Andy get all pissed off at Suze and yell and hollar at her the same way he'd yell and hollar at the boys.

They're a family, YAY!

I liked getting to know Tad and his crazy family and his Uncle? Holy wow, I wonder if he'll make an appearance later on in the series...hey, it could happen.

Anyway, this story was really good, I enjoyed the storyline, the interactions with all of the characters and it's made me look forward to a whole lot more from these guys. I'm really enjoying this reading experience and can't wait to start on the next book...tonight.

Great read for sure!

Shadowland by Meg Cabot.

Heroine: Susannah "Suze" Simon
Category: Young Adult
Grade: B+

Suze is a mediator -- a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations.

But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it's not that easy. There's a ghost with revenge on her mind ... and Suze happens to be in the way.

Meg Cabot strikes again!

A big thank you to Dance Chica for pimping this series to me a few months ago. I'm finally reading them and am super stoked about it. This was a great way to start out the Mediator series, it was great getting to know Suz and her new family.

You see, Suze's Dad dies and a few years later, her Mom remarries a guy named Andy from Northern California. He comes with 3 sons and his own construction business so it would be easier for Suze and her Mom to relocate themselves instead of having the Ackermans move to New York. Suze moves to California to make her Mom happy and she thinks that she can start fresh.

Because, you see, Suz has a gift.

She can see and talk to dead people.

She's a Mediator.

This story introduces a great cast of characters from Suz to her Mom, her new Step Dad Andy who seems pretty cool so far, her 3 step brothers, Sleepy, Dopey and Doc. I enjoyed meeting Adam McTavish, CeeCee and Father Dominic and holy wow, Izzy, how funny is it that Suz goes to get this, Father Junipero Serra's Mission School?

HA! We were just talking about Missions and Father Junipero just the other day.

But this was a great book! I loved it and I loved getting this little glimpse into a Mediator's world. I loved the little world that Meg Cabot created with Suz, Suz is one kick ass little girl and when she put Debbie Mancuso in her place that first day of school, I was laughing at the same time I was rootin' her on.

One thing I really enjoyed was her friendship and crush on her roommate ghost, Jesse.

Jesse is a fox and I cannot wait to find out more about him and his life. The mystery behind Jesse is a huge part of why I want to continue this series. I'm anxious and eager to see where the next adventure takes Suz but mostly I want to see her world unfurl before me.

I want to see if Adam and CeeCee ever get together, I want to see if David really is using steriods (yeah I know it's highly doubtful but I want to know for sure), I want to see what Sleepy does that makes him so tired and I even want to see if we see anymore of Bryce now that he's going to another school.

This book opens a door of great adventure and loads of laughs, I cannot wait to read the others!

A great read!

Guest Blogger: Rene Lyons

Rene Lyons has agreed to guest blog here at SF on Monday, April 16th, so be sure to stop by. She has something extra special planned for us, and I'm really excited about it.

Professional Wrestler Andy Douglas has agreed to guest blog with her. As you may or may not know, her newest Templar Vampire book, Temping Darkness, is now available in eBook format from Samhain Publishing. Andy Douglas graciously agreed to model for the cover, and Rene has been over the moon about it.

Go buy your copy from My Bookstore and More and then come back Monday and see what Rene and Andy have in store for us.

Hugs,
Holly (and the rest at SF)

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Hero: Valek
Heroine: Yelena Zaltana
Category: Paranormal
Grade: B++

You know your life is bad when you miss your days as a poison taster . . .

With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she'd been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can't help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways -- and her newfound friends and relatives don't think it's for the better . . .

Despite the turmoil, she's eager to start her magic training -- especially as she's been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia's throne for a lost prince -- and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.

If that wasn't bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies...

MAJOR SPOILERS IN REVIEW, DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ANY SPOILERS...YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
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Wow.

I zipped right through this book, it was so good.

I zipped from the beginning to the end, loving this book with every word that I read. Maria V. Snyder sure knows how to tell a story. She had me so engrossed in this story that I thought about the book when I was away from it, wondering what Yelena was going to get herself into when I was able to read again.

By page 200, though I was enjoying the new characters and enjoying learning more about Yelena and her background, I was missing Valek horribly. I even bitched at Holly for lying about there being more Valek in this book but then I kept reading and I got more excited.

I'm a reader who loves to revisit with old friends from previous books and Mrs. Snyder doesn't disappoint in this book. I loved seeing the Commander, Ari and Janco and most of all, I LOVED seeing Valek again. Seeing Valek in action and just being the amazing chamelion that he is, made the book just all the more great in my opinion.

I love how pure and strong Valek and Yelena's love is. I loved how intune with eachother they are and how fierce they are...together. I mean, apart their love never wavered but together, they are such a force to be reckoned with.

It was fantastic meeting Yelena's long lost family. I loved Perl and Esau, I loved reading about their reunion with their long lost daughter. I loved that they accepted Yelena for who she was and what she became and I loved how Perl wanted to make up for the fourteen years that Yelena was away from them. I loved how she worried Perl was when Yelena had to go and I loved Esau's intense faith in his daughter. I loved how instead of trying to keep her from the things she needed to do, they accepted that she had to do these things and even helped her with her mission. I loved how they had faith in her ability to get through all these complicated things and I just loved them.

They were a great family.

And then there was Leif. This guy totally annoyed me a lot throughout the book, with his crap toward Yelena. He was more of a hinderance to Yelena than anything else and that bothered me a lot during this book because I swore this guy was a bad guy...but I was glad that I was proven wrong with him because he proved to be a strong ally at the end with Valek and Yelena so I was glad that he was there to guard their six. haha.

The Master Magicians didn't prove to me that they were all powerful since Yelena was supposed to be no match to their all greatness and yet she singlehandedly took care of all of the problems that Sitia faced.

And she was the outsider.

What's really going on?

I loved all of the other characters that I met in this story, except Rose. I even liked Cahil up until the end, ooh, now I'm hoping that Valek will end him and rid his crap from Sitia and Ixia. I loved Mrs. Snyder's little world she's created with Yelena and Valek, I'm loving all of this magic business and cannot wait to get my hands on Fire Study.

The ride is not done and I'm so anxious to continue the ride in Fire Study. A total two thumbs up, get this book and read it, you'll love it!

What Have You Read?

I saw this ages ago on Emily's blog but completely forgot about it until today.

Look at the list of books below: *Bold the ones you’ve read* Italicize the ones you want to read* Leave blank the ones that you aren’t interested in. If you are reading this (and haven't participated yet), tag, you’re it!

1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling) (huh? Philosopher's stone? I've never heard of that...have i?)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18 The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44.The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58.The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy) (It took forFREAKINGEver, too)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According to Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96.The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

60/100
Not too bad, considering. Of course, I have a weakness for the classics.

What about you?

PS. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

A novel about holding on, letting go, and learning to love again.

Now in paperback, the endearing novel that captured readers' hearts and introduced a fresh new voice in women's fiction — Cecelia Ahern.

Holly couldn't live without her husband Gerry, until the day she had to. They were the kind of young couple who could finish each other's sentences. When Gerry succumbs to a terminal illness and dies, 30-year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces. But with the help of a series of letters her husband left her before he died and a little nudging from an eccentric assortment of family and friends, she learns to laugh, overcome her fears, and discover a world she never knew existed.

Grace did a really good review of the book here.

The Plot: Holly receives letters, one for each month, instructing her of tasks she must complete each month. Turns out, before her hubby passed away, he wrote these letters. Some are silly, like singing karaoke or buying a bedside lamp. Some are sad, like getting rid of his personal belongings. But they have a purpose, to help Holly move on with her life.

Gerry, the hubby, calls it the list of things to do. It started off as a joke. Holly and Gerry "fight" over who should turn off the bedroom light. Gerry jokes asking, "What will you do when I'm gone." She replies saying her new husband will do it. It's then Gerry says he's going to make her a list of things to do/not to do. #1 being, turn off the light. #2, watch out for the bed post. (because the light is now off and she can't see as she makes her way back to bed.)

We watch Holly do her best to move on with her life. She has her good days and she has her bad. When her best friend, Denise announces she's getting married and her other best friend Shannon, announce she's pregnant on the same day, Holly is genuinely happy for them. But she has those feelings of loneliness, hurt and being left behind.

I really liked this book. It made me laugh, it made me sad, and it made me misty eyed. It made me think what would I do in Holly's shoes. I finished this book in one day cause I had to know what Gerry's tasks were for Holly to complete.

I've heard this is going to be made into a movie starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. Gerard Butler, yummy. Hilary Swank as Holly though. Meh... Can't picture it.

Grade: B+

Into the Storm by Suzanne Brockmann.

Hero: Mark "Jenk" Jenkins
Heroine: Lindsey Fontaine
Category: Contemporary
Grade: B

In a remote, frozen corner of New Hampshire, a Navy SEAL team and the elite security experts of Troubleshooters Incorporated are going head-to-head as fierce but friendly rivals in a raid-and-rescue training exercise. Despite the frigid winter temperatures, tension smolders between SEAL Petty Officer Mark Jenkins and former cop turned Troubleshooter Lindsey Fontaine after an impulsive night of passion goes awry. And then suddenly Tracy Shapiro, the Troubleshooters' new receptionist, vanishes while playing the role of hostage during a mock rescue operation.

Teaming up with the FBI to launch a manhunt in the treacherous wilderness, Jenk and Lindsey must put aside their feelings as a record snowstorm approaches, dramatically reducing any hope of finding Tracy alive. The trail is colder than the biting New England climate until a lucky break leads to a horrifying discovery - a brutally murdered young woman wearing the jacket Tracy wore when she disappeared. Suddenly there is a chilling certainty that Tracy has fallen prey to a serial killer - one who knows the backwoods terrain and who doesn't play by the rules of engagement.

In a race against time, a raging blizzard, and a cunning opponent, Jenk and Lindsey are put to the ultimate test. Risking everything, they must finally come together in a desperate attempt to save Tracy - and each other.

I'm a straight up Suzanne Brockmann fangirl.

I love this woman for introducing me to some of my most favorite characters, EVAH. Anyone that knows me knows how much I love this series (despite how long it took me to read this latest addition to the series) and I really really loved this book.

I loved getting to know Mark Jenkins, who has only been in the background until now. I thought Lindsey was a kick ass heroine, I didn't think she was a TSTL heroine because she was a cop and she knew when it was okay to do what she had to do in order to get the job done. So yeah, Lindsey rocked my socks in that aspect but she was a real stupid head when it came to her love life.

I wanted to slap her upside her head so many times when she would push Jenk away and say stupid things to throw Jenk off her scent (which was clearly smelling like, DO ME NOW JENKY BOY! instead of the thanks for the great sex but I'm over you scent she THOUGHT she was sending out) and it pissed me off at first when Jenk just sort of walked away from her with his tail between his legs. It made me think, 'Where are the Sam Starretts and the Wildcard's of this series when they were assholes right back to their women because at least when they were assholes, they weren't whining like little panty boys over stupid girls.

Not that I thought Jenk was a whiny baby or anything, it was just...wow was he way different from Tom, Johnny and Sam them...he was so junior high compared to their college level of hotness. I felt older compared to Jenk when reading this book because of his whole situation, the whole crush/love thing he had for Tracy and then the whole I want Lindsey thing too...it was all just so childish to me.

But it didn't ruin the book for me, and this is where I don't know if Suz does this on purpose or what but she tends to highlight and make the secondary characters overshadow the sexiness of the main characters in these books.

Because in this book, it was ALL about Izzy Zanella for me.

I just love me some Izzy and I love his smart ass mouth and his sense of humor (which I totally got, each.and.every.single.time.) I loved HIM. And regardless of what you said, Ames, I want Izzy to end up with Tracy. She's his Lys. He's Sam and he's the new secondary character that I just can't get enough of. Izzy was the one that made me love the book and not think it to be a lame junior high, something that my niece Chelsea would call me after school and tell me all about. This guy liked this girl but liked this other girl too and he wanted to be with that girl and when he was the other girl who doesn't even love him called him to come help her and he took off running and blah blah blah.

Wow, what a way to set up Izzy's book though, man, that was the ish. I just effing loved it. What I loved most about this book was that EVERYONE was in it. I mean, not front and center, no, that was all Jenk and Lindsey and the people in Jenk's world, the world that we don't get to see because Sam, Johnny and Wildcard don't run in the same circles as them but even though they weren't front and center for this book (which I think Jenk should thank Suz for because they would have outshined Jenk for sure) I loved that they were still apart of the book, I loved that even Muldoon who only gets passing comments wasn't left out of this book.

I just loved seeing the crew again, back together again and ridding the world of the scum we all hate.

It was a great book, with the secondary characters picking up the slack for the front runners, Jenk was a good hero but that's about all it was for me, he was just good, he wasn't this hot shot YUMMY hero, but just your standard swoonworthy hero who was sensitive and the "good guy" instead of the Billy Bad Ass that all the women want to jump through hurdles to love and be loved by him in return.

It was a great read and I look forward to more from Suz on this series..but I'm hella looking forward to, Izzy's book and his heroine had better be, Tracy friggin' Shapiro.

Don't Look Now, But They're Out To Get You

I was out of town last week, so I missed the big blow up in Bloglandia about Meanie Reviewers and Authors Who Bitch About Them.

I addressed this some time ago, but a new thought recently popped into my head about this.

What exactly will bitching about this accomplish?

Are reviewers suddenly going to love your book?

Are they suddenly going to stop saying snarky things about books?

Somehow, I seriously doubt it.

Why bitch and moan then? All you do is turn yourself into a lamb to be slaughtered.

So...I have to ask myself, why would someone bring it up?

If I had to guess.....

Publicity

Wondering how I came up with that?

How many people didn't know *insert person complaining about Mean Reviewers here* name before she posted about how mean reviews are? And how many know it now?

And in a few months, chances are no one will remember exactly WHY we know the name
but we'll remember we heard it and maybe pick up a book because of it, right? I know this has happened to me in the past. I'll see a book on the shelf at my local store and think, "Hey! I remember that name." Then I pick up the book and read the blurb. Then, if it interests me, I buy it. But just because I remembered the name doesn't mean I remember WHY the name was mentioned. Maybe it was a review that got 5 stars. Or maybe she has a personal blog and wrote an article you found compelling. Or maybe she was one of those whiny baby types who complained non-stop about the "Mean Girls" of the world. Who can keep all these things straight, anyway?

Ehem.

In any case, what ends up happening is the name sticks in our minds (Or mine, anyway) even if the reasoning behind it doesn't. And the end result is....SHE WINS.

I'm telling you, it's all a big conspiracy.

Creepy, eh?

April's Hero of the Month: Edward Cullen.

This is a couple of days late but it's all good, better late then never, right? It's been quite a while since I've put up a new Hero of the Week and really its because I don't have as much time to blog as I did before and so because I so missed having our Hero of the Week posts, I have decided on not nixing the whole idea permanently, but making it easier on myself to do a Hero of the Month, instead of a Hero of the Week...that way, we all get what we want and I get more work done at work. LOL.



So with that said, this month we're kicking off our Hero of the Month with one of the heroes that became an instant hit in the Young Adult world. And an instant I WANT HIM IN MY BED EVEN THOUGH HE'S LIKE 17 FOR THE 200TH TIME for me.

Yeah, he's that good.

Edward Cullen of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight fame is definitely one of those heroes that you'd fight your best friend for.

I'm totally ready and willing to square up with both Izzy and Holly to lay claim to this hunk of juicy goodness.

Why do we all love him so? Let me count the ways....

When we first meet, Edward Cullen, he's got this intense disklike for the book's heroine, Bella Swan and we're all dying to find out why. You can feel just how intensely he feels and just how passionate a person he is by reading the first few scenes with him in it.

That scene where Bella walks into the cafeteria and her gaze drifts over to the mysterious bunch in the corner? The pale skinned group that keep to themselves and are just about the prettiest group of people she'd ever seen in her life...and then just Edward's reaction to her nearness sets off all kinds of warning bells in your head, wondering what's going through his mind to cause such intense feelings toward someone he doesn't even know.

And then trying to catch those glimpses of Edward throughout the rest of the book, loving when his presence is made known on the pages and has you just gobbling up the pages for more of...Edward's greatness. There are so many quotes and so many scenes that showcase all of Edward's swoonworthiness but you'll have to read the books in order to see for yourself, I will tease you guys with this little tid bit...

"You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever."

"You are my life now" he answered simply.

When he said that, my heart about melted right out of my insides and settled in a puddle right around my ankles. It was good...really good.

But that's only part of why we love him so much, we love how he was a constant champion to Bella. Bella was always finding herself in situations where she was either fainting, almost getting run over by another schoolmate and getting lost in a darkened neighborhood and it was just so sweet how Edward was always there, listening and waiting in the cut to be her Knight in Shining Armor.

He knew that it wasn't wise to develop any kind of lasting feelings for Bella and yet he couldn't help himself anymore than she could help herself when she fell like a rock for him. I couldn't help falling in love with him. There are plenty of scenes from both Twilight and New Moon (okay not so many scenes from New Moon since he wasn't really in this book a lot) that are totally Edward swoonworthy and instead of making this post longer than necessary, I'm just going to list those scenes and if you want to see for yourself why these scenes are so sweet, you've got to get out there and buy these books. They may not look like it by these short little sentences but trust me, they're GREAT scenes.

Be sure to check out:

-The scene where Bella almost gets runned over by a car but Edward saves her and doesn't even know why he does.

-The scene where Edward rescues Bella from the blood test thing and takes her home.

-The scene where Edward comes to Bella's rescue when she loses her way and is being followed by that group of men. How he shows up out of nowhere and takes her to dinner and doesn't notice that the waitress is already half way in love with him.

-The scene where Bella asks Edward to stay with her....and he does. He watches over her while she's asleep and it was just so friggin' cute.

And last but not least, here is Mr. Cullen in all of his young manly glory...=)

And this is what he would look like, older and sexier and HOTTER! haha.


Enjoy ladies...

Hot Ticket by Various Authors.

Here's a book of short stories that caught my eye on the Doubleday website. I bought it thinking that some short stories about hunky athletes (one of my favorite kind of men) would be just what I need at the time that I bought them. I wasn't all that impressed with some of these stories, I'll tell you that.

Lucky Charm by Julia London
Hero: Parker Price
Heroine: Kelly O'Shay
Grade: C

Uninhibited radio host Kelly O'Shay loves to take on the egos of overpaid sports stars. then she goes after hot-shot shortstop Parker Price, whose losing streak takes an unexpected turn when he goes head-to-head with his lovely nemesis-on the air and off.

This story was a great big ball of corn. I mean, we have a whiny hot baseball player who keeps whining about how the talk show radio host keeps talking about him (badly of course) on the radio and then he blames her for her poor performance on the field? Yeah, how is a whiny baby hero going to make me drool with delight? He didn't. I just didn't really care for the story, it was too short and just really corny.

Same Rink, Next Year by Deirdre Martin
Hero: David Hewson
Heroine: Tierney O'Connor
Grade: C-

I'm not sure what it was about this story that I just couldn't get. It fell flat for me, I couldn't really connect with the characters and I really wanted to because this story had such good potential to be such a cute story but the dialogue felt forced and the witty characters and most especially the talk between the hockey players seemed...silly. I know, that word silly gets me in trouble with rabid fangirls but I can't help it...that's how I saw it, it may work for others but it just didn't work for me. I read the chats between David and his friends as, not good. It didn't flow well with the personalities of the hockey players, it just didn't fit. But David and Tierny were good together, although once while they're getting jiggy, I laughed because well, while they're going at it, he says stuff like, "Better?" and "You like that?" and it totally just takes me right out of the scene...but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever read, it just wasn't the best either. So while the story could have been cute, it just sort of is silly.

You Can't Steal First by Annette Blair
Hero: Juan Santiago
Heroine: Quinn Murdock
Grade: C-

Famous for his big numbers at bat, Juan Santiago's struck out only once in his life--with Quinn Murdock. Now the Red Sox star player is getting one more shot with the sexy sporting goods magnate. But first he has to prove he's not just playing the field.

I don't know what's wrong with me but I did not really care for this story either. I mean, Tiago and Quinn are long lost lovers who have this big misunderstanding and go all these years without seeing eachother or talking to each other and then Quinn's friends throw her on his train thats heading for Orlando for Spring Training and on the train, they fall in love again? Hmm, okay, but the dialogue between these two, can it get any cheesier? Tiago didn't have as much game as he thought he did, if he said some of the things to me that he said to Quinn, I would have laughed at him. I didn't get how him and her kissing making it on the front page of the newspaper was funny...it seemed childish and juvenile. I just didn't get this and I didn't feel any kind of connection between Quinn and Tiago, though one thing that was a sure winner for me in this book, was the name Tiago...I like that Latin lover name, it's yummy!

Can't Catch This by Geri Buckley
Hero: Josh Weldon
Heroine: Lindy Hamilton
Grade: D/C-

Lindy Hamilton got her two-timing boyfriend right where it hurts--by stealing his pricey tickets to the Florida Moccasins football game. When she discovers that the really interesting action is in the stands, it proves to be the hottest season opener on record...

Okay, I think this was the worst of all of them. I really wanted to like ONE of the stories a whole lot because I love sports and sports stories like SEP's were such winners for me, but this one fell right on it's face for me. I was bummed because I felt like, ehhh, I can't wait til I'm done with this book so that I can read something else already. The problem that I had with this story was I didn't care for Lindy and Josh fell in love wayyy too fast with her, I didn't see them connect anywhere and yet faster than you snap your fingers, they were in love..it was unbelievable and I just didn't enjoy the interactions between Josh and Lindy. I thought the nephew was cute though, but that's about it. I thought it was really weird that Josh's cousin used Lindy as his lucky charm considering he had never met her or talked to her, it was hooky but whatever...so yeah this story was just blah for me.

The Rest Falls Away by Collen Gleason

In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy of vampire slaying, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous, moonlit streets, Victoria's heart is torn between London's most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her enigmatic ally, Sebastian Vioget. And when she comes face to face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make the choice between duty and love.

First of all I want to say, I read TWO books this weekend. Aren't you all proud. This being one of the books I read.

I heard about this book over at Zeek's blog. I almost read it in one sitting. The reason why I didn't cause my house needed cleaning. Damn chores. There are some things that reminded me of Buffy. Victoria wanting a normal life and trying to balance that with slaying. The final scene with her and Phillip. Sigh. The "poofing" once the vampires were staked.

But it's not totally like Buffy. For instance the origin of vampires. I thought it was original. Never heard that theory before. It's a historical and there's not just one slayer at one time. Oh no, there are others out there. And if you choose not to be a venator (slayer), your memory will be wiped clean and you can continue with you merry life.

The plot is Victoria and Max (another venator) must get the Book of Anwarth (sp? I'm too lazy to go upstairs and get the book) before Lilith, the most power vampire on Earth, gets it. If she gets a hold of the book, she can raise a vampire army. Between attending balls and falling in love, Victoria is out hunting vampires and foiling Lilith's plan. And proving she is worth of the Gardella Legacy.

I liked Victoria. She was willing to learn all she could. She wanted to be out there patroling and helping. Sure she had her doubts, but she knew she was fulfilling her destiny. I liked how she wanted to prove she could do the job. Especially to Max. He thinks Victoria is all about shopping, balls and catching a husband. These two have a lot of tension between them. Will something happen between them?

Sebastian. I'm up in the air about him. He owns a pub that vampires and humans can hang out at. Kind of like the bar in the Dark Hunter's book. It's neutral territory. You don't know if Sebastian is a good guy or bad guy. You want to trust him, but he has that bad boy thing going on.

Then Phillip. The man Victoria met when she was 12. The man that waited for her to come out to society to see what kind of woman she became. The man she falls in love with. I liked Philip. And that's all I have to say about that. You have to read it. Again the final scene with him and Victoria.. sigh.

The second book in the series, Rises the Night comes out on June 2, 2007. I'm defiantly picking that up. Thanks Zeek for the book pimp.

Grade: B+

Some Input Please

**This is a sticky, please scroll down to see our regularly scheduled programming. I'm extending this until Sunday, April 1st because I'll be out of town and won't have time to post before then. Please email me with your responses by then. Thanks!

I won't be updating for awhile because I'll be out of town. Thanks for your patience.

We're in the process of working on a post about Publisher/Editor/Author responsibility, and we could use some help.

The basic tone of my post is: Who's responsible for typos, etc, in the novels we read and why does the standard seem so much lower for ePublishers than it does larger publishing houses. I realize the companies are smaller, but does the quality have to suffer?

So, if you're a Publisher, Agent, Author, Editor or anyone else who has an opinion, please email me at cranberrytarts at gmail dot com or sfinest at gmail dot com (without the spaces). I do not intend this post to become a flame war between editors and authors, which is why I'd like you to email me. Once I have some answers I'll put my post together and if I choose to quote those of you who emailed me, I'll do so anon. That way we can avoid any negative feelings.

If you're from another blog here in Bloglandia, will you please spread the word?

Thanks bunches,

Holly (and the rest at SF)