ARC Review: The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

The Demon Lover
Author: Juliet Dark
Source: Amazon Vine
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Releases: 12/27/2011
Genre: Paranormal Romance

SUMMARY:

Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of writing her bestselling book, The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. After all, Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she finds herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.


But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: He’s not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the incubus, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this demon lover from her heart.

MY THOUGHTS:

This book had such promise for me after reading the summary.  I thought it was going to be a paranormal romance with modern and gothic elements woven into the story, but this book was nothing like I expected.

The book starts out slow for me and doesn't pick up much after that.  The character of Callie was hard to get attached to in the fact that I couldn't find myself really liking her.  I am not sure if it was her personality or the overall writing of this character but Callie never evolved into a true character in my mind.  I also felt the cover to be misleading as well.  When you look at the cover before reading the summary, you expect it to be young adult.  That cover just screams that genre to me.  Then when you read the summary, you realize this is in no way a young adult book.  The sex scenes involved in this book were poorly executed and just creepy at times.  Also, unless you are a fan of heavy narrating, be prepared for quite a bit of story with very little dialogue.  Predictability is very prominent in the story as you will have figured out the plot line very early on.  So if you are looking for suspense and drama in that aspect, be prepared to be disappointed.

This was one of those books that I had to force myself to finish and it felt like a chore reading it instead of enjoyment.  This is book is proof that you can't judge a book by its cover, but also by its summary.

MY RATING:

       

I did not like this book at all!

WOW: Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. WOW spotlights forthcoming titles that we absolutely can't wait to read.

DARK KISS by Michelle Rowen

Estimated Release Date: May 22, 2010

Publisher: Harlequin

SUMMARY:

After her soul is stolen in a kiss, a 16-year-old must join a force of demons and angels to protect humanity from an immortal threat. 

REASON I CAN'T WAIT:

Um, hello? Did you see who the author is? Michelle Rowen is an awesome writer! I love every story she comes out with and this will probably be just as great as her previous works.  Plus, look at that cover! HOT!  Need I say more?

Please excuse the mess!

Updating the site, so please excuse the mess for the day!

Spell of the Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

SPELL OF THE HIGHLANDER
Highlander #7
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Source: Personal Purchase

• 
  

• Publisher:
 Dell (May 30, 2006)

• 
  

• ISBN-13:
 978-0440240976

SUMMARY:

Powerful. Sensual. Seductive. He is all that is shamelessly erotic in a man. In her sexiest Highlander novel yet, New York Times bestselling author Karen Moning stirs up a sizzling brew of ancient mystery and modern passion as she brings together a devilishly handsome Celtic warrior trapped in time . . . and the woman who’s about to pay the ultimate price for freeing him. Age-old secrets haunt them. Deadly danger and irresistible desire shadow their every move. It’s a relationship for the ages. And all that separates them is a mere thirteen hundred years. . . . 


Jessi St. James has got to get a life. Too many hours studying ancient artifacts has given the hardworking archaeology student a bad case of sex on the brain. So she figures she must be dreaming when she spies a gorgeous half-naked man staring out at her from inside the silvery glass of an ancient mirror. But when a split-second decision saves her from a terrifying attempt on her life, Jessi suddenly finds herself confronting six and a half feet of smoldering, insatiable alpha male.


Heir to the arcane magic of his Druid ancestors, eleven centuries ago Cian MacKeltar was trapped inside the Dark Glass, one of four coveted Unseelie Hallows, objects of unspeakable power. When the Dark Glass is stolen, an ancient enemy will stop at nothing to reclaim it, destroying everything in his path–including the one woman who may just hold the key to breaking the ninth-century Highlander’s dark spell. For Jessi, the muscle-bound sex god in the mirror is not only tantalizingly real, he’s offering his protection–from exactly what, Jessi doesn’t know. And all he wants in exchange is the exquisite pleasure of sharing her bed.


Yet even as Cian’s insatiable hunger begins to work its dark magic on Jessi, his ancient enemy is about to obtain the final and most dangerous of the Unseelie Hallows–and the ninth-century Highlander must stop him from getting it. Nothing less than the very fabric of the universe and two passionately entwined lives are at stake–as Cian and Jessi fight to claim the kind of love that comes along but once in an ice age. . . .

MY THOUGHTS:

After reading the Fever series by this author, I just knew I was going to have to read her other books.  The only thing though is that I had never really read a book involving Highlanders.  I didn't know what to expect because I thought a Highlander would be set in the past.  I certainly didn't expect a Highlander to be so sexy and drool worthy!


When Jessi -- who is swamped with school work and such -- is asked by her professor to go sign for a package at his office while he is in the hospital, she never expects to fall into a world full of supernatural beings and a gorgeous man to protect her.  She unknowingly uncovers a mirror that is a relic of the Unseelie.  Inside this mirror is a tall and certainly sexy man.  Jessi thinks it is her overtired mind causing hallucinations and a man in the mirror is a figment of her imagination.  When she finally accepts that Cian MacKeltar is real, she has to make a choice in helping him or running for her life.


Karen Marie Moning gives us her witty humor, sexual tension and dark suspense that she has  never failed to give us.  Her writing is exceptional and definitely has me craving the other books in this series.  While this was the seventh book in the series -- before spinning off into the Fever series -- it can be read as a stand alone novel.  With that being said, when you meet the side characters of the book, you will be scrambling for the others like I am.  

MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf

For Rereading! 5 STARS

 

Calling all Twi-Hards! You are needed!

It just so happens that I am the advocate for Bella Swan from the Twilight Series in the YA Sisterhood Tournament of Heroines!!

Not only is Bella going to suck the life out of the other competitors, but she is calling on all of the Twi-Hard fans for her support! 

This is my first time participating as an advocate and Bella needs all the support she can get!  Your mission is this my fellow vampire wannabe's:

Leave me some comments with your opinion on why Bella is the strongest of the bunch!  What makes her such a strong heroine and what makes her the role model for Young Adult awesomeness?

You see, she is going up against Janie from Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning.  The voting for Bella's first match will begin on Dec. 7th!  We need to start our planning now!

Don't be shy and tell me in the comments why Bella deserves to win!
Snag the button below to add to your blog as well or use as an avi for your Twitter!








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Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

  DEARLY, DEPARTED
  Author: Lia Habel
  Source: Amazon Vine
  Publisher: Del Rey
  (October 18, 2011)
  Language: English
  ISBN-13: 978-0345523310

SUMMARY:

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses. 



But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

MY THOUGHTS:

Many people have been reading and reviewing this book.  I was hesitant on reading it for a couple of reasons.  One reason is that I am not a huge fan of Steampunk and Victorian era books.  I am not really sure why, but for some reason they just aren't usually a big hit for me.  Another reason is that it involves zombies and I have also never been a huge zombie creature fan.  Lastly, there was so much hype and amazing reviews of this book that it made my expectations for the story unbelievably high for a new series.

I will say that the prologue of this book instantly captured my interest.  It gave us the feel of creepiness that was going to be the tone of this book.  The book is set in the year 2195 and the world is now living as a Victorian era.  The days of proper women, manners and society standards and classification is now the world that Nora is living in.  Not only is she living in this new world, but she is also hearing about the rise of people called "Punks" trying to convince everyone that we are repeating past mistakes. 

I was turned off by the overabundant amount of story set up that the first few chapters offer.  I felt I was reading a history textbook and just wanted it to end.  If the author could have woven some dialogue into the history it would have been much better.   I did like how the author gave the zombies a different name though calling them The Laz.   I was able to digest them being called The Laz better than zombies because it didn't creep me out as much.  Just a personal opinion on that and not a dig at zombies books in particular.  It just sits better in my mind.  After the book started to take off though, I found myself caught up in the new world from this authors imagination and the romance that was weaved within the mystery.

If you are a fan of the Victorian era with Steampunk thrown into the mix, then I have no doubt that this will be a book you will enjoy.  Throw in romance, mystery, conspiracy and zombies and you have one thrilling ride of a book!

MY RATING:

Very Good! I would recommend this book! 4 STARS

*I received this ARC free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Winners!!!!

Happy Black Friday!!!

I have a few winners to announce. 

First the winner of The Black Sun's Daughter Series (4 books) is:

JenM

Second, the TWO winners of Genie Knows Best is:

Patti Williams

and

RobinK

Congrats to all of you!

I will be forwarding your info to the publishers and your books will be coming directly from them.  I will be contacting you through email as well to confirm your win!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Stray by Rachel Vincent

STRAY
Shifters #1
Author: Rachel Vincent
Source: Personal Purchase

Mass Market Paperback: 624 pages
Publisher: Mira (June 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778324214
ISBN-13: 978-0778324218

SUMMARY:

There are only eight breeding female werecats left . . .

And I'm one of them.

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.
Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back . . . for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them . . .

MY THOUGHTS:

After reading the young adult Soul Screamers series by the same author,  it was recommended that I read the adult Shifter Series.   Since I really enjoyed her young adult series,  I was thrilled to start a series focused in the adult genre of books by Ms. Vincent.

I will say that this book gave me a feeling of love/hate for the series.  While Faythe was a strong heroine in the series that doesn't take any crap off of anyone,  she did tend to get on my last raw nerve with her antics and personality.  There were times I rolled my eyes at her and wanted to shake some sense into her spoiled and bratty mind.  Everything revolved around what she wanted and she didn't really think about what her actions would bring to the Pride.  She couldn't decide which guy she wanted to be with considering she was dating a human boy from school -- which is a big no-no in her world -- and then she had to string Marc and Jace both along. 

Marc was a very possessive and strong leading hero.  I loved him but at times I wanted him to curb his jealousy a little bit.  He came off a little too strong at times and he needed to step back and take a good look at Faythe and her actions.  I wanted him to actually grow a pair and tell her off several times!  I think he makes a good match for her, but he desperately needs to see through her attitude and bring her down a notch.

Jace was just as appealing as Marc, but I ended up feeling more than sorry for him for even attempting to start something with Faythe.  Not only did he not deserve her attention, but he really didn't deserve to have Marc at odds with him.  Frankly, I think they both needed to lose interest in Faythe long enough for her personality to grow up with her age. 

The side characters of the family was quite enjoyable as well.  I loved Ethan the best, but the rest of the family was just as interesting as the main characters.  I look forward to reading more about them in the future books. 

While the actual plot was not one that I found completely enjoyable, the characters involved did make the story a pleasant and fun read.  The book did start out a slower pace than I normally like, but about half way through it really starts to pick up and take off.  The big surprise was the reveal of who was helping the bad guys and how it was going to be dealt with.  I am curious to see how the author is going to redeem this person if she does decide to take that path.

While I did have some problems with the main heroine, the book itself was a great read.  I look forward to reading more of the series and will keep my fingers crossed in hoping that Faythe will grow up a little more in the books to come.

MY RATING:

Very Good! I would recommend this book! 4 STARS

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

From my family to yours…

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

WOW: A Devil Named Desire by Terri Garey

 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. WOW spotlights forthcoming titles that we absolutely can't wait to read.

A Devil Named Desire by Terri Garey

(The Devil’s Bargain #2)

Expected Release Date: January 24th 2012

Publisher: Avon

***********

SUMMARY:

Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest...

...and no one knows that better than Sammy Divine, High Prince of Darkness. Once an angel, now cast down, Sammy's out to prove he's not the only angel who can be led into temptation...

Hope Henderson's sister has disappeared without a trace, and Hope will do anything to find her--even make a deal with the Devil. An ancient text holds the key to unspeakable power, and it's the Archangel Gabriel's job to make sure it stays hidden, even if he has to become human to do it. Lives, love and the fate of the world hang in the balance, as Hope and Gabriel learn that when passion's involved, it may be impossible to withstand a devil named desire.

**********

Why I am waiting for this one:

Hello?! Look at that hot cover! Those abs! Plus it is from a great author who can write the best stories.

Organization in Your Home Library: PART THREE

PART THREE: The big sort!

Last week we discussed the sorting process involving the books.  This week we are discussing the process of creating a master list of your books.

When it comes to purchasing books, no one wants to be in the predicament of either wondering if you own a title already or if you bring it home and realize you now have two copies of the same book.  Believe me, I have done this many times in the past and kicking myself for it.  The solution I have come up with – and the one I will be sharing with you today – is one that has fixed this problem for me and has made organization a big help.

At this point in the process all of your books should already be sorted into some sort of system that works for you and on the shelves already.  I know it is hard to stop looking at your hard work, but there will be time to admire it when we are all finished. Take one last look and then have a seat.

There are two ways you can do this – by hand with paper and pencil, or with a computer that is hopefully nearby.  I am going to say that some people choose to use Goodreads as their main database, but I have found the way I use to be better for me.  If you would like to use Goodreads instead, then try it out and see if it works or use this way as a backup system.

We are going to do this shelf by shelf to start with.  Go to your first shelf and lets get started.  At the top of your page, write down the books on that shelf.  If it is several series, write a heading of the authors name for each one. 

For example:

AUTHOR

SERIES NAME

BOOKS YOU OWN

(REPEAT)

After you have done this to each shelf in your library, and your fingers are sore from typing or writing, we are going make another decision.  You can either keep your master sheet in accordance with your shelves or you can alphabetize it.  Personally, I move my books around so much I have found it easier just to alphabetize my list by author.  When you have all of them alphabetized, you are going to print these if you are on a computer.  When you go to print these out, make sure you leave some space between each series and each author in case you need to add later on.

Now make sure you have paper in your printer and print those pages out.  While you are waiting to for them to print out, get a binder, dividers, and a hole punch.  On the side of the binder I wrote “Master List” because I have a little bit of OCD inherited from my parents.  LOL

Once all of the pages are done you need to punch holes in them and add them to the binder.  Don’t forget to put the page dividers between each different letter of the alphabet!

Now you have a master list that includes every book you own. But wait, we are not done!

Behind the last set of pages, you are going to put two more sections! One you are going to label “WISHLIST” and the other you are going to label “READ/BORROWED”.

In the Wishlist section you will keep a running tab of books you would like to buy.  Once you buy them, cross them out and add them to the appropriate section in your binder. (Remember we left space between each author)

On your Read/Borrowed pages you are going to list the books you borrowed from the library or friends and have read already. Try to keep it in alphabetical order as well with a page for each letter of the alphabet.

Once this is done, it should be pretty easy to maintain.  I go into my computer file that I saved and update it every 4 months or so.  I also only reprint the pages that have changed so I am not wasting too much paper.

Now I have a main binder full of my collection.  Whenever I go out on a shopping trip, I take this with me.  Yes, it can be bulky, but so can those huge coupon binders that everyone is carrying now.  Plus it has saved me a ton of money in buying duplicates.

Next week we are going to take a break due to the holidays, but be prepared! When we return with the feature we are going to take a peek into each of our libraries!  I am going to show you mine and I hope you will link up with photos of yours!

Contest & Guest Post with Judi Fennell

Welcome to My Overstuffed Bookshelf today!  It is my great pleasure to introduce you to author Judi Fennell.  She has a new release titled Genie Knows Best and there is a contest for this great new book at the end of the post.  Ms. Fennell is here to today to discuss a Genie Thanksgiving!!

*****

Good morning, and thanks for inviting me to blog on My Overstuffed Bookshelf today! With Thanksgiving this week, I thought it would be fun to explore what a Genie Thanksgiving would be like, and I thought it would be even more fun to have one of my favorite side characters from Genie Knows Best, Dirham, tell you all about it!

The Very First Genie Thanksgiving

As told by Dirham, Magical Assistance Assistant to Kal, genie of the lantern
(Magical Assistance Assistants are assigned to djinn who are not permitted to use their magic when confined to their bottles/lanterns for long periods of time to help with daily life. Dirham is a fennec fox, a small, large-eared fox whose family members live in the Sahara desert.)
Hello everyone. My name is Dirham, and I volunteered to fill in for Kal and Samantha for this blog post because they’re busy arranging things in Izaaz, the magical city beneath the desert, for the first ever Magical Thanksgiving.
We can’t really call it a djinn thanksgiving—djinn being the official terminology for what you all call genies—because, well, no spoilers here, but when you read their story, you’ll understand why this is going to be quite the undertaking in bringing all these magical and so-called mythological beings together in one place. The island of Hufaidh will never be the same…
But I digress. There are reasons to celebrate in Izaaz, and with the release of the book this month plus Kal and Samantha having their own happily ever after (and that’s not a spoiler because the story is, after all, a romance), they figured it’d be the perfect time to introduce the citizens of Izaaz to the concept of a celebratory feast.
Oh, trust me, these folks know all about feasting, but usually it’s at each other’s expense (and throats), and then the leprechauns insult the gnomes, and the centaurs show up, and gods-forbid the dragon and wyvern go at it, and, well…
Let’s just say that, this year, we’re looking forward to a happy communal celebration. We’ve covered the fountain that runs down the length of the median on the main drag with a whole bunch of tables so everyone can sit at the table. Well, except for the peris; they have their own table floating above the one on the ground since fairies rarely like to go terrestrial.
And in the spirit of community, no two members of the same species will be sitting next to each other. I’ve suggested to Kal that maybe butter knives would be better than the traditional serrated ones, given that ogres and centaurs aren’t the best of friends, or that the dwarves are known to swipe cutlery and pull them out at inopportune moments, so I’m hopeful that the only skewering will be of the dinner.
As to that dinner, well, it’s a bit of a tricky wiggle when you’ve got fowl sitting down to the table. I mean, Kismet, a Simurgh, is the bearer of all knowledge and it’d be quite insulting to roast one of her cousins. And though the phoenixes burn themselves to a crisp at any given moment, I’m sure none of them expect to be eaten after doing so, so Samantha had to come up with a creative substitute. She swears the tofu in the shape of a turkey will work, but I’m going to hold off judgment until after she serves it to the trolls.
There will be bread stuffing and cranberry sauce and some vegetable casseroles, but the big event will be dessert. I don’t care what species you are, everyone likes sweet things. The peris are already atwitter over the possibility of blueberry pie. The unicorns cannot WAIT for the apple pie. The gnomes are looking for raspberry, the dwarves lemon (sour little folk that they are), the brownies, of course, are looking forward to gingersnaps (you didn’t think I was going to say “brownies,” did you? That would be cannibalism!), and the leprechauns are still arguing over whether trifle is Irish enough or should they just go with whiskey.
I, myself, am pushing for the trifle. Leprechauns and whiskey can ruin any gathering in under ten minutes. Of course, leprechauns without whiskey can ruin it in under twenty.
Well, here. See what I mean. This is what happened when Samantha first met the inhabitants of Izaaz.
Something dropped out of the sky and landed on the road in front of Samantha.
Something that looked a lot like a dragon.
An iridescent, purple-scaled, ridge-backed, frilled-neck dragon.
With lime-green fingernails. Claws. Talons. Whatever.
Samantha shook her head. There was a dragon in front of her.
“What’s your hurry, hon?” The dragon was chewing gum—at least, Samantha was hoping it was gum and not a leprechaun.
She stumbled back to the chair. The event planner couldn’t have had anything to do with this.
The dragon ambled closer, its long, pointed nose inches from Samantha’s face.
Samantha held her breath.
“Kal?” asked the dragon—which was so much more wrong than a talking fox or people congratulating her for throwing a good funeral. “What’d you do to this one? She’s looking a little green.”
The leprechauns chuckled.
“I didn’t do anything to her, Maille. She’s still adjusting to the magic, and now you all come along and upset her. I haven’t even had a chance to explain.”
Upset…  The word didn’t quite convey what she was feeling, but Samantha had a feeling nothing would, so it was as good a word as any.
She licked her lips and then wished she hadn’t when the dragon’s eyes narrowed on her mouth. No need to give the giant lizard any ideas.
“You guys really don’t have anything to do with The Main Event, do you?” Samantha was amazed she had enough air in her body to utter that question.
“The Mane Event?” the mayor asked. “Heinz’s place? Faith, lass. Do ye think Orkney looks as if he’s had a haircut lately?”
Cousin Itt—make that, Orkney—shook his head with a weird snuffling sound that Samantha was going to assume was laughter just for her own peace of mind.
“Oh, I don’t know,” said the centaur—Wayne. “I’ve seen Heinz’s cuts, and I have to say, that’s one of his better ones.”
A garden gnome ran out from between the dragon’s front legs and poked Wayne’s fetlock with a pitchfork. “Watch it, Hoof-and-Mouth. That’s my cousin you’re talking about.”
The centaur pawed the ground. “Who are you calling Hoof-and-Mouth, you worm weasel?”
A colorful bird dove from the crooked spire of the highest building, its long purple-and-gold tail feathers skimming inches above the centaur’s head. “Worm weasel! I love it!”
And then the bird burst into flame.
“Show-off,” the dragon muttered, blasting the same spot with her own fire.
So, you see what I mean? This first Magical Thanksgiving is going to be quite the challenge. I sure hope Kal and Samantha are up for managing the chaos, but they sear this is something they must do because they’re both thankful to everyone in the town who came together to help rescue little baby dragon, Laszlo.
Who, along with his fourteen siblings, just learned how to breath fire.
Which could make this gathering a whole lot more interesting…

*****

Genie Knows Best by Judi Fennell

In Stores November 2011

Be careful what you wish for…
Samantha Blaine is about to make a fateful discovery. A tall, dark, handsome, ohmygosh kind of fateful discovery…
Kal is very pleased to meet his attractive new master—especially since he intends to seduce her into granting him freedom. But when seriously dark magic spells trouble for both of them, Kal can’t help himself from falling for the woman who holds his fate in her hands…
Warmly acclaimed by readers and critics alike, Judi Fennell brings to life a fabulous world of magic and mayhem where wishes come true in the most unexpected ways!

About the Author

Judi Fennell is an award-winning author and writes what she calls “fairy tales with a twist.” Her romance novels have been finalists in Gather.com's First Chapters and First Chapters Romance contests, and have won numerous RWA Chapter Awards, including the FF&P Prism Award, and the New Jersey Golden Leaf Award. Judi lives with her family in suburban Philadelphia, PA, where she is working on the next book in the Genie Trilogy, Magic Gone Wild, set for release in August 2012. For more information, please visit http://www.judifennell.com/.

CONTEST:

Thanks to the publisher, Sourcebooks, I have two copies to offer for a giveaway! That means two winners!

RULES:

1. to enter, please fill out the form below.
2. entrants must be 13 years of age or older.
3. contest deadline is November 24th, 2011.
4. contest open for the USA only!
5. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON!

CLOSED

CONTEST: The Black Sun's Daughter Series by M.L.N. Hanover

Is everyone ready for their Black Friday shopping? Have you got your lists and charge cards ready?

As a special Black Friday surprise from Simon and Schuster,  I have 4 books up for grabs to make that day even more spectacular!  One winner will receive The Black Sun's Daughter Series --consisting of 4 books-- by author M.L.N. Hanover. 

CONTEST:

  

Thanks to the publisher, Acacia Publishing, I have one set of books to send out to one winner! This means one winner will receive the first 4 books of the series!

 RULES:

1. to enter, please fill out the form below.
2. entrants must be 13 years of age or older.
3. contest deadline is November 24th, 2011.
4. contest open for the USA only!
5. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON! 

CLOSED

Random Friday: Trailers, Teacher Bullies and Dancing Vikings!

It is Friday my lovelies!  Today I am snagging the idea from the superior Fiction Vixen and doing a Random Friday Post! So I give the credit to her for the Random Friday post idea!

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This week on My Overstuffed Bookshelf, we reviewed the following books:
SOME LIKE IT HOT by Louisa Edwards
ZACK by Cheyenne McCray
UNLEASHED by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Also on Tuesday I featured Part Two of the Home Library Organization feature.  Now I must say that people have been emailing me asking if I will be posting before and after photos of my library.  Yes I will but not until the end of the feature.

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Now not only did Fiction Vixen inspire me to start a Random Friday post, but she also mentioned Pinterest.  Oh.My.Gawd! Have any of you joined that site yet? Let me warn you that it is very addicting. I can’t stop pinning! They need a support group for sites like that!  Anyway, I was cruising the recipes on the boards – EASY recipes because I am a lazy cook – and I found this recipe.





Well, I actually made that scrumptious treat and it is to die for people!  So easy and now my Mother is begging for me to make it on Thanksgiving. Jeez! As if the turkey, deviled eggs and hosting the dinner isn’t enough! That’s okay. I will suffer through the cooking just to have that delicious treat in my belly.

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Speaking of Pinterest, I found another cool blog to stalk – I mean follow for my daily dose of laughter.  I swear The Bloggess has some funny stuff on her blog.  I might have had to clean my computer screen several times.  Don’t be drinking your early morning coffee when reading her posts! My favorite one so far though is when a man should learn how to pick his battles featuring a giant 5 foot chicken. Yes, you read that right. Go read it and be prepared to laugh for hours. KNOCK-KNOCK!

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How many times have you watched the trailer for The Hunger Games?  Don’t be shy. You know you have watched it every day huh? Well, I have. Don’t judge me.  I am a trailer junkie, so deal. AH-MAZ-ING!  I am so excited for this movie. It even has my husband a tad interested in going to see it.  WOOT!  Now if I can get my butt in gear and go watch Breaking Dawn this weekend!

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My mom called me the other day to inform me that on the Today Show there was a few teachers that are in some hot water for the treatment of a disabled child.  Having a child who is disabled – this made me furious! I urge you to watch the video and make sure your children are safe!http://on.today.com/u2iK8h
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And I am leaving you with this youtube video that I found.  I don’t understand what these people were thinking. It is ADULT THEME!!  Seriously, I have no words for this.  Nada.

HAPPY READING!

Unleashed by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

UNLEASHED
Wolf Spring Chronicles #1
Author(s): Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal
Source: Amazon Vine
*I received this ARC free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (November 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385740980
ISBN-13: 978-0385740982

SUMMARY:

Katelyn McBride’s life changed in an instant when her mother died. Uprooted from her California home, Katelyn was shipped to the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, to her only living relative, her grandfather. And now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains. Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets. But the secrets hidden here are more sinister than Katelyn could ever imagine. It’s a town with a history that reaches back centuries, spans continents, and conceals terrifying truths. And Katelyn McBride is about to change everything.

Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances, and love that blooms in the darkest night—welcome to Wolf Springs.

MY THOUGHTS:

When I first saw this books cover, I thought it was beautiful!  I loved the head tilt on the girl with the guys hand supporting her, the moon in the background and the dark and eerie feeling the rest of the cover gives.  It screams paranormal romance to me.


When Katelyn moves into her Grandfathers home after the death of her mother, she feels out of place and depressed from having to leave her happy life behind.  She doesn't want to live in the woods with a Grandfather she never really knew.  We are introduced to not only her Grandfather but to Trick as well.  Now let me tell you that Trick is a hottie with secrets!  I fell in love with his words and his description.  As if one hottie wasn't enough, we are also introduced to Justin who has secrets of his own. This creates a love triangle for Katelyn but also "unleashes" secrets that she needs to figure out.  


There was plenty of mystery and suspense to keep this book going with two hot guys to keep you interested enough to figure out which guy Katelyn would choose.  I will say for me though, by halfway through the book it seems to slow down in plot progression.  Then when you are nearing the end, it picks back up and throws you for some loops.  This could have been just my experience with it and could be completely different for you though. 


Another great series to add to your wishlist and devour in one sitting, but not one that was constant thrilling. I will continue the series to find out more. Just an okay book for me, but for you it could be magical.

MY RATING:

 
Okay book, but it left me wanting more! 3 STARS

WOW: Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. WOW spotlights forthcoming titles that we absolutely can't wait to read.

THE SAVAGE GRACE

The Dark Divine #3

Expected Release Date: March 13th, 2012

Publisher: EgmontUSA

SUMMARY:

A troubled soul. An impossible choice. A final battle.
Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders.

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.

Organization in Your Home Library: PART TWO

PART TWO: The big sort!

Last week we discussed the bones of the structure that will be your Home Library.  By this part of the process you should have the layout and the building of your shelves completed.  As you sit there staring at your hard work, you realize the shelves seem to be missing something.  The Books!  Yes my dears, we need to add those lovely books to those shelves now!

But first we need to get some basic stuff done first.  We have to decide what books go on those shelves and how we will organize them.  Are you strictly a young adult book reader?  Are you into the romance books? Or are you like me and have an eclectic taste and read from many genre's of books?  Since I read from many different genre's, we are going to use that as our example. Make sure you have an open area of floor space to work in because if you are like me, you have a ton of books to sort through!

When you have all of your books piled high around you we will start the sorting process.  First we are going to sort the books by genre.  Start piles for the different genres that you have.  For example -- romance, young adult, erotica, urban fantasy, non-fiction, etc.  Don't forget to make separate piles for your signed books, review books, and ARC copies if you have kept any! Then lets get up and stretch our legs for a bit. 

Now that you are staring down at your beautiful stacks of books you are probably thinking what the heck have I gotten myself into? Don't worry lovelies!  You are on your way to bliss. Trust me.

Now comes the more difficult decision of the process. No I am not talking about purging and getting rid of any of those beauties -- even though you will have to do that at some point.  I am talking about how you are going to actually arrange them on those shelves now that they are sorted by genre.  I use to arrange mine by author but this was a hard way to keep up with.  I found myself constantly adding new authors, adding more books by the same author and eventually I had to keep moving my books around when a shelf filled up with too many from one author.  However the plus side of doing it by author is the ease in finding a book when you know who the author is.  You just look for the author and then find the book.  You could even take this a step further and copy the libraries and do each author alphabetically. Another way to do it is by series. If you have a lot of books that are series, you can go by the series and then at the end add your single novels.

The way or organization  that has worked for me and is the way that my library is done is like this including a few extra steps:

1. Sorted by books read and not read. ( with the ARCs and signed copies in a different pile)
2. Sorted by genre.
3. Sorted by author.
4. Sorted by series.
5. Single novels sorted alphabetically.

So far this has been a pretty easy system for me.  Let me take you a step further and explain a visual.
I have one bookcase dedicated to just signed books and ARCs that I have kept.  Then I have a few bookshelves dedicated to just books I have read and will reread again and again.  Finally, the rest of the bookshelves are dedicated to books I have not read.  Again, each section of books is sorted by the list above.

Whew! Are you needing a break yet? Go on. Go get your caffeine fix, smoke break or potty break out of the way. I'll wait.

Now that they all are sorted, we need to start putting them on the shelves.  If you have a mix of hardbacks and paperbacks you might run into a problem of height.  Personally, this does not bother me but if it is a bother to you then you will have to adjust your system to adapt to this quirk.  Some people also choose to sort by color -- which I forgot to mention above -- but again you will have to adapt that to your system as well.

Now that they are all up on the shelves, step back and admire your hard days work.  If you are like me, you will probably either need more shelves or have to purge some of your books depending on your obsession with books.  My obsession is pretty bad so I just convince my husband that I need one more bookshelf each month! ;)

Now we need to sit and admire the look of our library.  Don't get to comfortable though! Next week we are going to work on creating a hard copy of your library.  The lists will begin and the monotonous work of creating a list to keep track of what books you own and what books will eventually make it into your home library!

Zack: Armed and Dangerous by Cheyenne McCray

ZACK
Armed and Dangerous
Author: Cheyenne McCray
Source: Personal Purchase

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (November 25, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312386710
ISBN-13: 978-0312386719

SUMMARY:

Ever since bad boy Zack Hunter left her ten years ago, breaking her heart, Sky MacKenna hasn't been able to find a man who sets her on fire the way he did. Then he comes striding back into her life--bigger, badder, and sexier than before.... Zack Hunter never thought his job as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent would lead him back to his small hometown, and he never thought he'd set eyes on Sky again. Leaving her behind had been the stupidest thing he had ever done, but this time he isn't going to let her go. And as soon as Zack lays eyes on Sky, he makes it clear that he intends to make her his all over again. When Sky becomes entangled in the case he's investigating, Zack can't help but take the threat personally. As the danger mounts, their passion burns even hotter.

MY THOUGHTS:

After hearing good things about this series, I admit that my expectations were pretty high.  Unfortunately, after reading this book my expectations were shot down. 


As soon as Zack walks back into Sky's life, I felt like I was reading about a possessive and overbearing man who thinks he can have whatever he wants.  I got tired of his constant "mine" mentality and the caveman-like attitude Zack had towards Sky.  He walked away from Sky long ago, and then he has the nerve to come back for a job and claim her as his.  I wanted Sky to stand up to him and kick him in his man parts to bring him down a notch.  Yes, he was sexy and built like a dream, but his attitude was possessive.  I can see his point of view on leaving Sky those many years ago, but the fallout from it should have been harder.  He should have had to work harder to get Sky in bed and in back into her heart.


If you are already a fan of this author, then you would more than likely like this book.  The sex was steamy and hot, but the story lacked the emotions and heart that would have balanced it out better.  Not a series I will be continuing right now, but I would give it a try later on.

MY RATING:

 
  If the library doesn't have it, don't worry about reading it! 2 STARS

(ARC Review) Some Like It Hot by Louisa Edwards

SOME LIKE IT HOT
Rising Star Chef #2
Author: Louisa Edwards
Source: Donation from another blogger
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; Original edition (November 29, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312534396
ISBN-13: 978-0312534394

SUMMARY:

Sexy, single, and even sweeter than the treats he bakes, New York pastry chef Danny Lunden is trying to stay focused on food—not females. With the Rising Star Chef competition approaching, he doesn’t have time to get all steamed up over the gorgeous woman he encounters on the plane to Chicago. Even if she is Eva Jansen—the billionaire heiress in charge of the contest…

Danny assumes that “Eva the Diva” is a spoiled rich girl who doesn’t share his passion for food. But when the two meet up again in an elevator—alone—they share more than just passion. They share a kiss hot enough to start a kitchen fire—and they’re hungry for more. To indulge their new secret craving, Eva and Danny have to break every rule in the cookbook. But—like chocolate and caramel—some ingredients are are so sinfully good together, one scrumptious bite is never enough...

MY THOUGHTS:

Again, take your eyes off that gorgeous cover and dive into another great installment in the Rising Star Chef series!  With this one, we get to read about Danny - the head pastry chef - and Eva whose is the one putting together the competition.


While I am a huge fan of this series, I can't say that I enjoyed the characters as much in this book.  While Danny is definitely a great catch in more ways than one, I just couldn't figure out why or how he could be attracted to Eva.  She was not the type of character I imagined him to be with.  While there were some hot scenes --including the scene where his hands were bandaged -- the rest was just okay for me.  Eva's character was just a spoiled girl that Danny first thought she was.  I didn't like her work ethics and the extreme she went to when trying to get the Food Channel to pick up the competition for TV.  She was easily persuaded by the camera man -- who had no reason to voice his opinions -- and caved to the pressure of it all.  She was suppose to be strong and independent, but she caved too easily for me to see that spine straighten up near the end. Her character alone made this just an okay book for me.


I will however be reading the next book because I have been desperately wanting to read about Beck's past.  We get to read a little bit about his past with a few surprises entered into the competition to appease our appetite for him now, but I need the full story now! If you are a fan of Louisa Edwards work, then continue the series and stalk the authors web page for more information of Beck!

MY RATING:

 
Okay book, but it left me wanting more! 3 STARS

The Hunger Games Trailer

Yeah, yeah....you are probably already sick of seeing it because you have already watched it over and over again.  BUT....can you really blame me for posting it?  This was my surprise series of the year! I never expected to enjoy this series so much until I caved into reading them.  Now I am a Hunger Games fan. Enjoy the trailer!

IMM: In My Mailbox (58)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren

Here is what showed up in my mailbox this week!

It was a slow week here for In My Mailbox, but it is a blessing this week as well.  It gave me a chance to catch up on some review books and ones I have purchased.  Someday I might get through all of my to read list, but it is highly doubtful! LOL

CLICK ON PHOTO FOR LARGER IMAGE

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 FOR REVIEW

Unclean Spirits by M.L.N. Hanover

Darker Angels by M.L.N. Hanover

Vicious Grace by M.L.N. Hanover

Killing Rites by M.L.N. Hanover

 

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So that is what I got this week.

What did everyone else get?

 

The Fallen by Liz Braswell

THE FALLEN
Book One: The Nine Lives of Chloe King
Author: Liz Braswell
Source: Personal Purchase
Genre: Young Adult/Teen

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse; Mti Rep edition (June 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1442441348
ISBN-13: 978-1442441347

SUMMARY:

Chloe King is a normal girl. She goes to class (most of the time), fights with her mom, and crushes on a boy…or two. But around her sixteenth birthday, Chloe finds that perhaps she isn’t so normal after all. There’s the heightened night vision, the super fast reflexes – oh, and the claws. 

As she discovers who she is – and where she comes from – it is clear she is not alone. And someone is trying to get her. 

Chloe has nine lives. But will nine be enough?

MY THOUGHTS:

I deliberately waited on starting this series because there was so much hype focused around not only this book, but this show on TV as well.  It seemed like everyone was talking about both the book and the TV series, but as always I was late to the party.

When I first started reading this,  I kept trying to imagine it in my head since I haven't watched a single episode.  So I started out slow with just the first book in the series instead of devouring it all at once.  I loved the story structure and the writing the author uses in the book.  The characters were fun to read about and Chloe was definitely one to enjoy.  Unfortunately, this wasn't a great book in my opinion.  Like I said, I was enjoying the story and characters but something just wasn't clicking with me.  I couldn't get my enthusiasm up for reading the rest of the books.

While I tried time and again to really try to like the book, it just didn't happen for me.  Maybe the TV series will be a better suited match for me than the actual book this time around.

MY RATING:

 
  If the library doesn't have it, don't worry about reading it! 2 STARS