Upcoming Title : Smolder by Melina Morel

I'm pleased to announce that this is the first time that this cover has been introduced to the blogging community! I contacted Melina Morel about reviewing a copy of her upcoming title Smolder, and she was kind enough to email me back with the cover art and told me I could share with my readers! I'm still not sure if I'll be able to review it, but I'm still hoping! Here's the new cover for her upcoming title Smolder. It's set to be released January 2010.

I think it's gorgeous! I love the colors on this cover. The two covers below are titles of Morel's that have already been released, that I recommend! The newest cover, however, is my favorite of the three.

Friday Finds - July 31st

This week's Friday Finds are :

Angel's Lie by Melissa de la Cruz

Publisher : Simon & Schuster
ISBN : 978-1416939931

Release Date : October 27, 2009
Series : Unknown

From Amazon :

ANGEL'S LIE by Melissa de la Cruz is a peek into a world where people will trade anything for wealth and power.

On The Edge by Ilona Andrews
Publisher : Ace
ISBN : 978-0441017805
Release Date : September 29, 2009
Series : Yes, #1 The Edge Series

From Amazon :

The Broken is a place where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is nothing more than a fairy tale.

The Weird is a realm where blueblood aristocrats rule and the strength of your magic can change your destiny.

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, the place between both worlds. A perilous existence indeed, made even more so by a flood of magic-hungry creatures bent on absolute destruction.

Bite Marks by Terence Taylor
Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN : 978-0312385255
Release Date : October, 2009
Series : Yes, #1

From Author Website :

BITE MARKS: A Vampire Testament is an urban horror novel set in the downtown art world/club scene of late 80s New York. At heart, it's the story of Steven and Lori, artist and writer, an interracial couple working their way through a bad break up, but bound by a contract to do an illustrated coffee table book on vampires. When they stumble across the real thing their feelings for each other intensify as they're reunited to battle monsters they scarcely believe exist.

They join forces with Perenelle de Marivaux, a five hundred year old French vampire who poses as a trance channeler in the West Village; Rahman-al-Hazra'ad ibn Aziz, her black Moorish ex-lover, the 1000 year old leader of subway-dwelling albino bloodsuckers so old, that even ordinary vampires fear them; Jim, the traumatized teenage brother of the murdered girl; Angel, the Latino leader of a subway vigilante group called the KnightHawks, and his movie star mistress.

Hidden in the East Village, guarded by a nest of vampires recruited from an HIV infected gang of junkies, the baby unknowingly spreads a fast-acting mutant plague through lower Manhattan. In the middle of the worst blizzard in New York history our heroes plan to slip through army barricades, fight their way through a mob of the infected, find the baby and stop the plague by putting the infant to rest. But fate has other ideas; their nightmare is just beginning...

The story takes us from a Fifth Avenue penthouse to subways inhabited by vampires who prey on late night commuters; from downtown dance clubs, to East Village art galleries. Behind the scares, it's a story of diverse people in circumstances that seem beyond their control, who can only survive by putting aside their differences, to work together. Real events and people are fictionalized, to create a convincing new history that make us see the city differently. No one who reads this novel may ever walk New York's streets, or ride the subway, in comfort again. It will be out in October of 2009 from St. Martin's Press.

Friday 56 - July 31st

The Friday 56 is hosted by Storytime With Tonya and Friends!

Rules :

* Grab the book nearest you, Right Now!
* Turn to Page 56.
* Find the 5th sentence.
* Post that sentence (along with one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog , and post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.

Here's my Friday 56 :

"How long have you lived in Orion?"

"My whole life." My answer was more terse than polite because Amanda struck me as kind of weird. First of all, she was wearing bright, bright red lipstick, which looked even brighter because her face was super pale, like she'd powdered an already uber-white complexion.

The Amanda Project : Invisible I by Stella Lennon

Friday Fill In - July 31st

Friday Fill-Ins

1. It's time for me to get ready for work, unfortunetly.

2. My Mailbox; it's not a bad place for the books that come in, but the junk mail has no room.

3. I must be out of my mind...

4. Being in love is the best thing I have ever known.

5. My bookshelf is simply brimming with adventure.

6. The last time I laughed really loudly was last night when my friend accidently gave a coworker a condom in a gift.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to working with my best gay friend, tomorrow my plans include sleeping, and reading and Sunday, I want to start reading a new book!

Contest Closed : I Can See You by Karen Rose

Thanks to Miriam Parker @ Hatchette Books, I'm able to give away 3 copies of the fantastic book, I Can See You by Karen Rose.

Read my review Here.

Description From Amazon

New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose delivers her latest pulse-pounding suspense novel, where the line between the virtual world and everyday reality blurs when it comes to murder.

Eve Wilson's face was once scarred by a vicious assault. Terrified and ashamed, she escaped to the online realm, where she could choose the face she allowed people to see. Years later, her outer scars faded and inner scars buried, Eve has fought her way back to the real world and is determined to help others do the same. Now a graduate student moonlighting as a bartender, Eve researches the addictive powers of online communities. When her test subjects begin turning up dead as a result of apparent suicides, she doesn't know where to turn.

Homicide detective Noah Webster is one of the few people who believe the victims are connected murders. Eve becomes Noah's online guide and realizes that the handsome detective may have secret scars as painful as her own. As Eve and Noah chase a killer who is always one step ahead of them, together they try to overcome the tragedies of their pasts and learn to trust again, but they soon discover that danger is much closer than they think.

Giveaway

To ENTER you MUST post a COMMENT including a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS, no email, no entry.

Extra Entries

+1 Become a Follower (Existing Followers mention you are for an entry)
+1 Become a Twitter Follower ; my username is jenni7202 (mention username ; Existing Followers mention that you are for entry)
+1 Subscribe to the Feed (post a comment saying that you did)
+2 Post about this contest on your blog / twitter (post a link please)

Happy Birthday Entry!

+1 If you already told me your birthdate in a previous post (I have recorded all birthdates), and your birthdate falls within the Start and Finish of this contest!

Current and New Followers, post your Birthdate (I will be keeping record), this will be used for upcoming contests (not this one), if your birthdate falls between the start and finish of a contest that you've entered, you will get an extra entry!

Deadline August 13th @ 11:59 PM Est.
US & Canada Residents Only. No PO Boxes.

Skullvine Press Contest!

***This post was directly lifted from the Skullvines.com website. This contest is not hosted here, please read the rules below to enter at Skullvine Press.***



Welcome to our first annual Skullvines Blog Contest!

Would you like free books for a year? Can you write a nice review?

You’re perfect, then!

***

First off, here’s what you could win:

FIRST PRIZE: Get the entire Black Jack Derringer trilogy as they come out (the first is at the end of 2009, the rest are in 2010). They will be signed by Karen Koehler and she might even draw something funky inside.

Also, you’ll get one free copy of all the other titles released by Skullvines Press from January1st, 2010 to December 31st, 2010 (if a book is scheduled during this time and it isn’t released, you will not receive it. Simply put, if a new title comes in stock during said time, one copy is yours).

SECOND PRIZE: Get the signed Black Jack Derringer trilogy as each book is released.

THIRD PRIZE: Pick one Skullvines Press title available at the time of the contest’s end. We’ll send you a free copy.

***

Before we get into the details, check out the cover for Black Jack Derringer:

Sweet huh? Karen created it.

Okay, this is what’s needed to enter the contest:

1. Buy any Skullvines Press title in any form (We’re working on Kindle/pdf versions of selected titles at Horror Mall) and from any place that sells them.

2. Post a review of the title on your blog. IMPORTANT: Only blog sites qualify, like wordpress, blogspot, etc. Places that DO NOT qualify are Amazon.com reviews, message board posts/threads, etc. You’re still welcome to re-post to those places, but we need a blog post to enter the contest. If you post to a blog on MySpace, The Haunt, Facebook, etc, that’s fine so long as it’s visible to the public (not kept private). Basically, if it’s a blog and we can link to it so anyone can read the review, you’ve got an entry.

3. The review can be good or bad, so long as it is honest. It MUST be in depth, however. If it just says, “It was great!” or “It sucked!” or if it looks like you only read the description on our site, we will reject it or ask for more detail. Don’t give away spoilers – just convince us that you actually read it.

4. Send us a link to the review – mail@skullvines.com
If you do not get a response from us after a few days, try again in case your email went to our spam folder and we missed it.

5. That’s it! You will be entered into the contest, and we’ll post a link to your review on our MEDIA page for others to visit.

6. Winners will be chosen randomly just before the release of the first Black Jack Derringer book, scheduled for the end of the year. This offers plenty of time to read some books. There is also no limit to the number of entries. You can enter again and again with each review of a Skullvines title.

So get crackin’! If you have any questions at all, please feel free to Contact Us.

My Last Twenty : Err 12

I've been reading a lot of these posts lately, wow. It's a quick way to see how much we bloggers depend on publishers and authors for our review sites. I'm still pretty new here on the blogosphere, but I thought I'd show how I recieved my last 12 review books. I figured after seeing Bloody Bad's, The Story Siren's, and Presenting Leanore's posts, I should contribute too!

1. Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs - borrowed from a friend at work.
2. Night Huntress by Yasmine Galenorn - Paperbackswap.com
3. Ghosts I Have Been by Richard Peck - borrowed from a friend at work.
4. The Lie : A Novel by Fredrica Wagman - offered by Publisher.
5. The Satanic Mill by Otfried Preussler - borrowed from a friend at work.
6. No Mad by Sam Moffie - offered by Author.
7. Deadly Desire by Keri Arthur - Purchased.
8. Beg For Mercy by Toni Andrews - Paperbackswap.com
9. Between Wyomings : My God and an iPod on the Open Road by Ken Mansfield - requested from Publisher
10. He Who Sings Last by Lisa Laird DiRosso - offered by Author.
11. I Can See You by Karen Rose - offered by Publisher.
12. A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi - 0ffered by Author.

I don't think I did too bad! Most of them were either Swaps, Borrows, or Purchased...not to many requested or offered, YAY! I'm more than positive that will not be the case for some of my upcoming reviews, as I have a busy month ahead of me with tours and requested reviews..look out for them!

Waiting on Wednesday - July 29th

Waiting On Wednesday

Hosted by Breaking The Spine

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This weeks's pre-publication "can't wait to read" is :

Rough Magic by Caryl Cude Mullin

Release Date : October 2009

From Amazon :

Follow the interwoven stories of two girls and one woman, their lives all tied to the enigmatic figure of Caliban, the character first introduced by Shakespeare in The Tempest, his famous play of love, loyalty, and magic. Caliban is the strange, half-wild man Prospero and Miranda discovered on an island after being shipwrecked. Rough Magic forms both prequel and sequel, telling the stories of the sorceress Sycorax, Caliban's mother; Miranda's daughter Chiara, who becomes like a daughter to Caliban; and Calypso, a magical young woman with ties to them all. All three must fight against a world that sees magic as evil and uses women as political pawns. Finally, it is the island and its power that draws them all back, demanding amends from the humans who have exploited its natural wonders. A spellbinding story that combines an old-fashioned tale of dragons, shipwrecks, adventure, and sacrifice, with an inspiring message of the earth's power and our environmental responsibility.

I love stories involving magic, especially if there are dragons involved! The cover of this one is gorgeous too, I can't wait to read it! Luckily, October is just around the corner...

Pre-Order your Copy from the following Online Stores :
Amazon.com

IndieBound.org

BarnesAndNoble.com

Contest Winner : No Mad by Sam Moffie

Congratulations!

• 
  
  heatherzilla
  
  
  Winner will have until Friday Morning to respond to email with snail mail! If no response by then, I will choose another winner.
  
  Still want a chance to read No Mad by Sam Moffie? Order it!
  

Contest Closed : Knight of Desire by Margaret Mallory

Thanks to Anna Balasi from Hatchette Books, I am able to give away 5 copies of Knight of Desire by Margaret Mallory.

Description From Hatchette :

His surcoat still bloody from battle, William FitzAlan comes to claim the strategic borderlands granted to him by the king. One last prize awaits him at the castle gates: the lovely Lady Catherine Rayburn.

Catherine risked everything to spy for the crown. Her reward? Her lands are declared forfeit and she is given this choice: marry FitzAlan or be taken to the Tower. Catherine agrees to give her handsome new husband her body, but she's keeping secrets, and dare not give him her heart. As passion ignites and danger closes in, Catherine and William must learn to trust in each other to save their marriage, their land, and their very lives.

Giveaway

To ENTER you MUST post a COMMENT including a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS, no email, no entry.

Extra Entries (you can post in one entry)

+1 Become a Follower (Existing Followers mention you are for an entry)
+1 Become a Twitter Follower ; my username is jenni7202 (mention username ; Existing Followers mention that you are for entry)
+1 Subscribe to the Feed (post a comment saying that you did)
+2 Post about this contest on your blog / twitter (post a link please)

Happy Birthday Entry!

+1 If you already told me your birthdate in a previous post (I have recorded all birthdates), and your birthdate falls within the Start and Finish of this contest!

Current and New Followers, post your Birthdate (I will be keeping record), this will be used for upcoming contests (not this one), if your birthdate falls between the start and finish of a contest that you've entered, you will get an extra entry!

Deadline August 18th @ 11:59 PM Est.
USA & Canada Residents Only. No PO Boxes.

The Queen's Meme : The Culinary Meme (What is the Meaning of Thyme and other Deep Questions)

The Queen's Meme is hosted by Mimi over at The Queen's Meme on Tuesdays. Hurry up and join the royal court before you land yourself in The Dungeon!

This Week's Theme :

The Culinary Meme

1. If you could put thyme in a bottle, what is the first thing that you'd like to do?

I'd probably cook something! I don't know what though, because I've never used Thyme before :)

2. Do eggs really crack or do they merely have a nervous breakdown?

Personally, I think they are having a nervous breakdown..because well, they're about to be eaten!

3. Why are you whipping the butter? What did it ever do to you?

It added a lot of extra poundage to my thighs! It deserves it I tell you.

4. Do your spoons spoon in the drawer? Have you ever noticed? And more importantly, if wooden spoons spoon do they get splinters?

Eww! I never thought of it that way. Those naughty spoons. Well, I guess spoons need love too. I don't have wooden spoons though, but I 'wood' suppose they'd get splinters, but who cares when your already wood?

5. You hear: "Dumpling, my Dumpling, come hither." The candles are lit, the fondue is dipping, the Godiva is pouring, the scallions are steaming and the music is playing.....but wait, the windows are open.Why did you close them?

It's cold out and duh, can't have everything getting cold on me!

6. Do you need a recipe to cook or are you a bohemian chef? Show us your reckless and wild side in the kitchen. Don't have one? Here's a recipe I made just for you: You will need a spatula, a whisk, a gallon of Chardonnay, a banana and a rump roast. What is the name of your dish?

Well I usually go for a recipe, but there has been special occasions where I've just gone with it and created my own dishes. Usually things turn out pretty good, but I've had some times where I wish I could hide my face in shame because of the turn-out. If I had to make your above dish, I'd probably call it...A Battle on my Rump

7. After dinner, the dishes are so dirty that the dishwasher refuses to wash them.What did they say to get in hot water?

They said that my dish was wonderful, but if they had to wear it again they would make me tomorrow's dinner :( Naughty dishes!

8. Is your pot black?

Yep! Although, I do have some friends that say their's is green...hmm...are we talking about the same thing here?

9. What is the sexiest spice or condiment in your cabinet? What makes it so?

Well, I'd have to say vanilla. It tastes gross by itself, but it can really make a sweet dish. Plus, the scent can make my man jump me faster than I can whisk up a bowl of pudding...

10. How much crock is really in your crock pot?

Well, my crock pot is in the closet, and hasn't seen the light of day for some time. I think that it should be put in the dungeon..

Teaser Tuesday - July 28th

Teaser Tuesdays

Hosted by Should Be Reading

Anyone can play along!
Just do the following :

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from anywhere on that page.
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (be sure that what you share doesn't give to much away, you don't want to ruin the book for others.)
5. Share the title & author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR.

My Teaser :

"Girls. They always like those dangerous types. He even said he dtarted playinh bass because of all the attention he gets. I think it's because oh his tight pants, cutting his huevos in half."

pg. 69

This book will be in an upcoming Blog Tour on August 11, 2009.

A Falling Off The Shelf Update : July 28th

Well, first of all I would like to say Thank You to all of my readers, it's been fun here on Falling Off The Shelf. I didn't expect to get so many followers (over 100!) in such a short time.

Also, I'd also like to inform you all that, Featured Famous Birthday posts will now be once a week, on Monday's. They will also be reader requested! From now on, my readers will be the ones to choose who gets showcased here on Falling Off The Shelf. Names will go into a virtual hat, and chosen by Random.org, UNLESS there is multiple requests for one Famous person. The person who chooses the Featured Famous Birthday for each week will get 5 entries into any contest (current or upcoming) that they choose. You can hold onto your 5 entries for as long as you'd like! All you'd have to do is post 'I'm using my 5 Featured Entries', and voila, there you go!

I'm going to be posting a few more contests this week (2), but I'm not going to tell you what they are because it's going to be a surprise :) Well, not too much of a surprise because I'm going to post one of them shortly!

Well, now that things are updated, I'm going to continue on my way...

Thanks for reading!

Jenni

Mailbox Monday - July 27th

Mailbox Monday
Hosted by The Printed Page

Could it be that this was the craziest week so far? Yowzers...I'm afraid of what's going to happen this week!

For Review from Hatchette Books :

1. Show No Fear by Marliss Melton
2. Love You To Death by Shannon K. Butcher
3. Insatiable Desire by Rita Herron
4. Chosen By Desire by Kate Perry

For Review from FSB Associates :

1. Water Witch by Deborah LeBlanc

Upcoming Blog Tours :

1. Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz by Belinda Acosta
2. Seduce Me by Robyn DeHart
3. Dark Hunger by Rita Herron

Won :

1. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson (From The Book Butterfly)
2. The Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel (From Book Soulmates)
3. Faces by Martina Cole (From Silvia Reads...)

Bookmooch :

1. Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
2. Black is For Beginnings by Laurie Faria Stolarz (ARC)

Monday Crazy Questions : Threesomes and Bad Habits

Monday Crazy Questions is hosted by Lani, over at Monday Crazy Questions. You should head on over and show support by participating!

1. Your mate or spouse or the person you have known on a personal level for quite a while, comes to you and suggests that things need to be spiced up and suggests a threesome. what is your reaction?

Lucky for my fiance, he is not stupid enough to suggest something like this. I think all I would have to do is give him the look..because buddy, it wouldn't happen in a million years!

2. You are doing the shopping at the grocery store and there is one bad habit you wish your mate would give up and it's on your list to buy. Do you conveniently forget the item or go ahead and feed their habit?

Well, being as I'm doing the shopping, I conveniently 'forget'. He can buy the things he likes and I hate him liking...on his own :)

3. Your spouse/mate/date is driving and you are feeling seriously scared about the speed that they are traveling. You have already complained twice about their driving skills. Do you demand they slow down? or bite your lip? Will they call you a backseat driver and will an argument more than likely breakout?

Well, my fiance would never have to make me ask him more than once. I had a bad experience early in our relationship..and now I have a little fear of going fast. A girl pulled out in front of us while we were on our way home from his job, and PLOW...yeah, needless to say he was placed in the back of an ambulance, and thank God neither of us were seriously hurt!

4. Your neighbors put their dogs out at 630 AM everyday and they bark non stop and wake you up. How do you handle the problem?

Well, I have no complaints here...because thats what we do every morning! My moms dog, Katie, does not shut up. The minute she is outside she finds something to bark about, and then barks about coming in, and then wanting to go out...it's a vicious cycle. Most of the time I'm yelling at her to get rid of the dog so that I can sleep during the day! (I work overnights by the way...eww)

5. Tell us about something that you can do that more than likely not a lot of other people can do.

I can make my tongue touch the tip of my nose :) Been able to do it ever since I was little, after I got ran over by a bicycle.

6. Do you still have any of your childhood toys that might be worth some money?

Nope, I don't have any of my childhood toys. My parents might have some hidden away somewhere, but I doubt even that.

7. What is/was your all time favorite Beatles Song??

Well, I'm honestly not a Beatles fan...sorry :(

8. If you felt motivated to really tighten up the house hold budget, what item would you need to give up to save money?

Haha, wow. This is an easy one! Shipping books out every paycheck. I spend about $40 a month on just shipping books out alone!

Musing Monday - July 27th

Musing Mondays
Hosted by Just One More Page

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about online book sites…

Do you have an account with an online book database site (LibraryThing, Shelfari, GoodReads etc)? If so, do you have a preference? Do you use it for - your own record keeping? Finding new books to read? social networking?

I actually have an account with both LibraryThing and GoodReads. I use both of them (more GoodReads than LibraryThing though). I use them for a little social networking (I love to communicate with other bloggers!). I also use them to keep track of the books that I'm reading (although I just started this recently so there isn't much posted...but I have tons more than what is posted there, and have read much more too!). I also like to keep track of the current giveaways going on through both GoodReads and LibraryThing. I actually won a copy of a book through GoodReads, so that was exciting!

I also post my reviews on both sites! This is a good way to help promote for authors, because a lot of people use these sites for their book organization. I also post my reviews to Paperbackswap, Borders, B&N, Target, Amazon, and Indiebound.

Feel free to post links to your Musing Mondays in my comments, I'd love to read them!

Featured Famous Birthday - July 25th-27th

Happy Birthday!

Matt LeBlanc

Birthdate - July 25, 1967

Birthplace - Newton, Massachusetts

You Can Find Him In :

• "Married With Children" (3 Episodes)(1991)
• The Killing Box (1993)
• Lost in Space (1998)
• Lookin' Italian (1998)
• Charlie's Angels (2000)
• Charlie's Angels : Full Throttle (2003)
• "Friends" (1994-2004)
• "Joey" (2004-2006)

Happy Birthday!

Kate Beckinsale

Birthdate - July 26, 1973

Birthplace - London, England, UK

You Can Find Her In :

• Prince of Jutland (1994)
• Haunted (1995)
• Alice Through The Looking Glass (1998)
  Pearl Harbor (2001)
• Serendipity (2001)
• Underworld (2003)
• Van Helsing (2004)
• Underworld : Evolution (2006)
• Click (2006)
• Vacancy (2007)
• Underworld : Rise of the Lycans (2009)
• Whiteout (2009)
  
  Coming Up In :
  
• Everybody's Fine (2009)
• April 23
  
  Happy Birthday!

Ashlyn Sanchez

Birthdate - July 27, 1996
Birthplace - California

You Can Find Her In :

• Crash (2004)
• "CSI : Crime Scene Investigation" (2005)
• "Without a Trace" (2007)
• Universal Signs (2008)
• The Happening (2008

Followers :

1. Now Post your Birthdate (Month/Day)
2. I will record it for future Contest use.
3. If your birthdate is already in my database, and it falls between the Start and Finish of a Contest that you enter, you will get an automatic extra entry.
4. If it is not in my database, and you post your birthdate to the contest, you will get no extra entry for it.

Contest Winners : The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock

Congratulations!

Winners will have until Wednesday Morning to respond to emails with their snail mail, if they do not, I will choose new winners!

• jtcallaway
• throuthehaze
• Luvdaylilies
• RachieG
• Amy

Review : A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi

Title : A Circle of Souls

Author : Preetham Grandhi

Publisher : Cedar Fort Publishing

Genre : Suspense

ISBN : 978-1599552354

Series : No

Rating : 4

From Amazon :

The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. With the murderer on the loose, the police desperately look for any clues to lead to his identy. Meanwhile, a psychiatrist in a nearby hospital is also in a desperate search to find the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings' devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya's parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope. When these two situations converge, they set off an alarming chain of events. In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.

Review :

Dr. Peter Gram makes his living as a children's psychiatrist in a hospital nearby Newbury, Connecticut. He has dedicated his time to helping those children in need. When a seven year old girl named Naya Hastings comes into his ER because she almost jumped off a balcony during a dream, he has his work cut out for him. Naya seems as though she is a healthy little girl, but still she suffers from nightmares that no person should have to deal with. She dreams of murder, and death, and there is no way that what she is dreaming could be real, could it?

When a young girl in the town of Newbury, Connecticut winds up brutally murdered, the authority figures of the town call in special FBI Agent Leia Bines to help them solve the case. They have no leads, and no way of locating the murderer, until they spot a certain doctor roaming through their crime scene. The murderer and Dr. Gram's patient may have a connection, but there is only one way to find out...

I read this book in a mere two days and enjoyed it very much. It was very easy to read, and author Preetham Grandhi has a way of wording this novel so that it flows nicely. He gives his characters lots of feeling and depth, making them come alive.

I really liked Naya's character, because although she was young she was very brave and mature for her age. She understood the importants of life, and always showed how serious it was. It made me realize how some children grow up so quickly. Peter Gram's character wasn't too bad either, although his lack of relationships was a little disappointing. I like to see characters happy, and Gram was a workaholic, and didn't show any interest in romantic relationships.

I'd like to thank author Preetham Grandhi for sending me a copy of his book, which was very good in my opinion for a first novel. I hope this author continues to write, because I would love to read more about Peter Gram, Agent Leia Bines, and Naya Hastings. I think this would be an opening to a wonderful series, although it is a stand alone.

Order your copy from :

Amazon.com

IndieBound

Trailer : Storm of Visions by Christina Dodd

Storm of Visions by Christina Dodd will be hitting the shelves on August 4th, 2009. It is the first book in the new series The Chosen Ones.

Christina Dodd had to choose a man to portray Caleb in the video by this description :

(Lifted from Christina Dodd subscribed email)

He was nothing but a dark silhouette against the bright sunlight: long and lean, narrow hips wrapped in fitted, faded denim and a black silk t-shirt stretched across broad shoulders. He stood aggressively, with his arms held away from his body, like a bullfighter prepared to face the final challenge. Without even trying, Mr. Aggressive commanded the notice of everyone in the tasting room. He was one of those guys, filling the space, taking the oxygen, putting his stamp on the place, the hour, the atmosphere.

AND

The image of him seared into her brain. Dark hair, close cut. Olive skin. Sinful cheekbones. And blue eyes. Pale, brilliant, cold eyes like blue diamonds.

So here's the trailer for Storm of Visions :

Do you think she did a good job picking out Caleb? - I DO!

You can also read an Excert from Storm of Visions here.

And here's the trailer for the series The Chosen Ones :

You can Pre-Order your copy of Storm of Visions by Christina Dodd at
Amazon.com
IndieBound Books

Friday Finds - July 24th

This week's Friday Finds are :

Dream Girl by Lauren Mechling
Publisher : Delcorte Books For Young Readers
ISBN : 978-0385735216
Release Date : July 22, 2009
Series : Yes, #1 Claire Voyante

From Author Website :

Claire Voyante has been having strange visions ever since she can remember. But the similarity between her name and her talents is purely coincidental. The name is French, and unlike the psychics on TV, she can't solve crimes or talk to the dead. Whenever Claire follows her hunches, she comes up empty - or ends up in pretty awkward situations. But that all changes on Claire's 15th birthday, when her grandmother, Kiki-former socialite, fashion icon, and permanent fixture at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel - gives her something a little more extraordinary than one of her old cocktail dresses: a strange black-and-white onyx cameo on a gold chain. It's not long before Claire's world becomes a whole lot clearer. And a whole lot more dangerous.

Friday 56 - July 24th

The Friday 56 is hosted by Storytime With Tonya and Friends!

Rules :

* Grab the book nearest you, Right Now!
* Turn to Page 56.
* Find the 5th sentence.
* Post that sentence (along with one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog , and post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.

Here's my Friday 56 :

The cave where his mother had burned to death.

He swalled hard, emotions churning in hid chest as the memory became clearer.

It had been a hot day, yet another in a sereies of vicious and cruel beatings. His mother had tried to protect him, but his father had raged and dragged her into the woods, into the Black Forest.

Insatiable Desire by Rita Herron

Friday Fill In - July 24th

Friday Fill-Ins

1. It will only be a new beginning, it is not the end of the world.

2. Sitting here, listening to the sound of rain falling, I wish I could go back to sleep.

3. My cold pepsi tastes so good!

4. Sometimes, putting others first is a good way to show you care.

5. The sunrise I get to watch every morning is breathtaking, really.

6. Well, maybe there is something at the end of the rainbow.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading some more of A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi, tomorrow my plans include sleeping and Sunday, I want to be able to write up a review for my current read and start a new book!

Featured Famous Birthday - July 23rd - 24th

Happy Birthday!

Daniel Radcliffe

Birthdate - July 23, 1989

Birthplace - Fulham, London, England, UK

You Can Find Him In :

• The Tailor of Panama (2001)
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix (2006)
• December Boys (2007)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Coming Up In :

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I (2010)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II (2011)
• The Journey is the Destination (2011)
  
  

Happy Birthday!

Anna Paquin

Birthdate - July 24, 1982

Birthplace - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

You Can Find Her In :

• The Piano (1993)
• Jane Eyre (1996)
• Fly Away Home (1996)
• She's All That (1999)
• X-Men (2000)
• Almost Famous (2000)
• Darkness (2002)
• X2 (2002)
• X-Men The Last Stand (2006)
• "True Blood" (2008-2009)

Coming Up In :

• Margaret (2009)
• Flying Into Love (2009)
• Open House (2010)

Followers :

1. Now Post your Birthdate (Month/Day)
2. I will record it for future Contest use.
3. If your birthdate is already in my database, and it falls between the Start and Finish of a Contest that you enter, you will get an automatic extra entry
4. If it is not in my database, and you post your birthdate to the contest, you will get no extra entry for it.

Review : I Can See You by Karen Rose

Title : I Can See You

Author : Karen Rose

Publisher : Grand Central Publishing

Genre : Romantic Suspense

ISBN : 978-0446538343

Rating : 5

From Amazon :

New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose delivers her latest pulse-pounding suspense novel, where the line between the virtual world and everyday reality blurs when it comes to murder.

Eve Wilson's face was once scarred by a vicious assault. Terrified and ashamed, she escaped to the online realm, where she could choose the face she allowed people to see. Years later, her outer scars faded and inner scars buried, Eve has fought her way back to the real world and is determined to help others do the same. Now a graduate student moonlighting as a bartender, Eve researches the addictive powers of online communities. When her test subjects begin turning up dead as a result of apparent suicides, she doesn't know where to turn.

Homicide detective Noah Webster is one of the few people who believe the victims are connected murders. Eve becomes Noah's online guide and realizes that the handsome detective may have secret scars as painful as her own. As Eve and Noah chase a killer who is always one step ahead of them, together they try to overcome the tragedies of their pasts and learn to trust again, but they soon discover that danger is much closer than they think.

Review :

Eve Wilson has spent the last few years of her life healing both internal and external wounds from an attack by a psychotic killer. It took her quite some time to even go out into the real world, but she's still not as comfortable there as she should be. In her fight to survive, Eve started playing an online virtual reality game, Shadowland, where you can be who you want to be without anyone ever knowing your true identity. Shadowland helped Eve, so now she believes it will help others that are hiding from reality, so she starts to study a group of people through the game to see how things will change for them. All is going well, until those test subjects start turning up dead due to supposed suicides, and now Eve thinks it's all her fault.

Noah Wilson, homicide detective for the local Hat Squad believes that these suicides are anything but that. He thinks these people have been murdered, and he's determined to track down the killer. With the help of Eve, his online tour guide of the virtual world, they will track a sadistic killer in hopes of saving the next person on his list.

I was hooked from the very first page of this book, and read more than half of it in one sitting. Rose has a way of describing both her characters and her plot so that it paints a perfect picture in your mind. You know what they say about a picture, it's worth a thousand words, and this book is worth just that and more.
Rose's characters are extremely well rounded. They are compassionate, determined, and generous, all characteristics that had me loving each and every one of them. I could not for the life of me figure out who the killer was beforehand, because Rose has a way of making her suspects look suspicious, yet innocent in their own way. I look forward to reading more of Rose's work, and plan on purchasing all books in her backlist. I'd also like to say, if this book were made into a film, I'd be one of the first people waiting in line at the theater!

I'd like to thank Miriam Parker of Hatchette Books for sending me a copy of this book to review. I'm extremely greatful to have been able to review this book before it's release date. I'll definitely be adding this book to my 'favorite books of the year' list.

To Order your copy visit Amazon.com

Or Go Indie!

Contest : Autographed copy of He Who Sings Last by Lisa Laird DiRosso

Many thanks to new author Lisa Laird DiRosso for sending me an autographed copy of her new book He Who Sings Last to giveaway here on Falling Off The Shelf. I was lucky enough to read and review a copy of this book here, and extremely ecstatic to be able to interview the author.

Read my Review.
Read the Interview.

Don't want to wait to see if you win? Order your copy from Amazon.com!
Or Go Indie!

Description from Amazon :

Just how far will one fan go to prove her loyalty? In her novel He Who Sings Last, Lisa Laird DiRosso expertly knits a blanket of obsession laced with suspicion and murder in a suspenseful crime novel centered on has-been celebrity Jimmy Covelli. He leads a quiet, post-fame existence until some ghosts from his past come back to haunt him after nineteen years, when an unsolved murder case is reopened by a zealous New York detective. Covelli charms and harms wherever he goes, and in his destructive path, he leaves behind a host of resentful family members and brokenhearted fans. Will the detective catch him and be able to prove his guilt? Find out in He Who Sings Last.

TO ENTER you MUST post a COMMENT telling me YOUR CELEBRITY CRUSH and a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS. If you fail to supply either of these, your entry will be void.

Extra Entries (you can post in one entry)

+1 Become a Follower (Existing Followers mention you are for an entry)
+1 Become a Twitter Follower ; my username is jenni7202 (mention username ; Existing Followers mention that you are for entry)
+1 Subscribe to the Feed (post a comment saying that you did)
+2 Post about this contest on your blog / twitter (post a link please)

Happy Birthday Entry!

+1 If you already told me your birthdate in a previous post (I have recorded all birthdates), and your birthdate falls within the Start and Finish of this contest!

Current and New Followers, post your Birthdate (I will be keeping record), this will be used for upcoming contests (not this one), if your birthdate falls between the start and finish of a contest that you've entered, you will get an extra entry!

Deadline August 12th
US Residents Only (I will be shipping to the winner)