Best of 2012 Roundup

Welcome!! What better way to end the year than to present my picks for 

Best I read in 2012 

[Click the images to see my review for each listed book] 

YA/New Adult:

Every Day by David Levithan 

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Easy by Tammara Webber

YA Supernatural: 

Angelfall by Susan Ee

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Wraith by Angel Lawson

Contemporary Romance:

Naturally, Charlie by S.L. Scott

Lessons Learned by Sydney Logan

Bared To You by Sylvia Day

PNR:

Lothaire (IAD12) by Kresley Cole

The Darkest Day by Britt Bury

Adam (Nightwalkers 6) by Jacquelyn Frank

Supernatural/Paranormal:

The Mine by John A. Heldt

Immortal by Gene Doucette

Vlad the Paler by Malthea

I wish all of you a happy, healthy and book-filled New Year. See you in 2013!!

Until then,

ARC Review: The Prophet by Ethan Cross

From the blurb:

OLD ENEMIES... Francis Ackerman Jr. is one of America's most prolific serial killers. Having kept a low profile for the past year, he is ready to return to work and he's more brutal, cunning, and dangerous than ever.

NEW THREATS... Scarred from their past battles, Special Agent Marcus Williams cannot shake Ackerman from his mind. But now Marcus must focus on catching the Anarchist, a new killer who drugs and kidnaps women before burning them alive. 

HIDDEN TERRORS... Marcus knows the Anarchist will strike again soon. And Ackerman is still free. But worse than this is a mysterious figure, unknown to the authorities, who controls the actions of the Anarchist and many like him. He is the Prophet and his plans are more terrible than even his own disciples can imagine. With attacks coming from every side, Marcus faces a race against time to save the lives of a group of innocent people chosen as sacrifices in the Prophet's final dark ritual.

My rating:




The fast pace of this story will have you hanging on to your seats as Ethan Cross takes you on a wild ride.

Marcus Williams is a member of the Shepherd organization, a secret government agency designed to hunt and take down the most vicious of criminals by any means necessary. His nemesis is Francis Ackerman Jr., who stays in touch with an unwilling Marcus via phone calls, and is seemingly always one step ahead of him.

Blogtour Stop/Giveaway - Into the Dark by Stacy Green

Today, we welcome Stacy Green who recently published her debut novel, Into The Dark, and has brought with her an excerpt and a digital copy for one lucky winner.  

Stacy Green previously wrote a fanfiction called The Hostage under the penname EBAlways. This fanfic was never completed, and eventually taken down from Fanfiction.net. Stacy then took the general plot idea/premise of that fanfic and says she wrote a wholly new story with a wholly new set of characters (who had very different back stories and thus behaved very differently than the original fanfiction cast which led the plot into a wholly new direction) which, after many revisions, became Into The Dark. Please read Jami Gold's blogpost for more information about this particular case. Since that blog post, Stacy has reposted the unfinished fanfic, see link above.


From the blurb:

IT’S THE MOMENTS FROM OUR PAST THAT BIND US. 

Branch Manager Emilie Davis is having a day like any other–until two masked men storm into WestOne Bank demanding cash. Her hopes of a quick end to her terror are dashed when she realizes one of the men has no interest in the bank’s money. Emilie is his prize, and he’s come to claim her. When hostage negotiator Nathan Madigan and Las Vegas SWAT enter the bank on a rescue mission, Emilie’s captor makes a shocking escape into the abyss that lies beneath the city: the Las Vegas storm drains, a refuge for the downtrodden and the desperate. 

HOW WILL IT END? 

Who is the man the media has dubbed the “Taker?” Why is he after Emilie, and what is the connection he’s convinced they share? Emilie can’t run from the Taker, and she can’t escape her own past. As her life closes in on her, she has nowhere to turn but to Nathan. The lines of professionalism blur as Nathan becomes determined to save Emilie. Together they venture into the depths beneath Las Vegas and discover a shocking piece of the puzzle. But the Taker remains one step ahead. Desperate for the threat to emerge from the shadows, Emilie makes a bold move to reclaim her life, and it may cost her everything.

An excerpt:

Emilie’s resolve faltered as they reached the tunnel entrance. She peered over Nathan’s shoulder at the triad of pipes branching off in different directions. Big enough for a tall man to walk through easily, their murky blackness was as foreboding as anything Emilie had ever experienced.

Holiday Book Roundup

Welcome to the Holiday Book roundup! 

Mistletoe Magic by Sydney Logan

Read my review



From the blurb:

It’s Christmas Eve, and Melanie Taylor is on a mission to find the perfect gift for her husband. Something special. Something expensive. Something that will save her marriage. Can a chance encounter on an elevator make her Christmas wish come true? 

The Twelve Days to Christmas by Michele Gorman

 

From the blurb:

Hannah’s in a bit of a pickle. In twelve days she flies from Hong Kong to the US with Sam, where he’s finally going to meet her parents… and ask to marry her.
Since overcoming a rather rocky patch in their relationship (which was totally his fault), he really is a new man, and they’re completely in love. The problem is, she feels panicky every time she contemplates matrimony. Which is perfectly normal, isn’t it? Isn’t it?! 
As time ticks down to their flight, Hannah realizes that her own secrets are threatening their future. Before she can be happy with Sam, she’s got a lot to learn about herself in the twelve days to Christmas.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

"The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!  Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason." Dr. Seuss's small-hearted Grinch ranks right up there with Scrooge when it comes to the crankiest, scowling holiday grumps of all time.

There are bargains to be had:

Visit Harlequin.com every day for special holiday deals.

All Romance Ebooks offers free downloads each day leading up to Christmas. 

The Writers Coffee Shop has two books on sale for 4.99 each day leading up to Christmas. 

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a very happy and healthy New Year! 

Purchasing links are provided as a courtesy only and do not constitute an endorsement by this blogger. No monetary gain is made by this blogger. 

A Song For Julia - Blogtour/giveaway

Today, we welcome Charles Sheehan-Miles and this latest book, A Song for Julia, with an excerpt from the book. 

From the blurb:

Everyone should have something to rebel against. Crank Wilson left his South Boston home at sixteen to start a punk band and burn out his rage at the world. Six years later, he’s still at odds with his father, a Boston cop, and doesn’t ever speak to his mother. The only relationship that really matters is with his younger brother, but watching out for Sean can be a full-time job. The one thing Crank wants in life is to be left the hell alone to write his music and drive his band to success. Julia Thompson left a secret behind in Beijing that exploded into scandal in Washington, DC, threatening her father's career and dominating her family's life. Now, in her senior year at Harvard, she's haunted by a voice from her past and refuses to ever lose control of her emotions again, especially when it comes to a guy. When Julia and Crank meet at an anti-war protest in Washington in the fall of 2002, the connection between them is so powerful it threatens to tear everything apart. 

Excerpt:

Not what I expected (Julia) 

It was funny, I thought, as we paid the bill and left the restaurant. Crank was … different. Easy to be around, and he made me laugh. But I was never going to see him after tonight, and that made me kind of sad. For a brief second, I thought of seeing him when we got back to Boston, but seriously? Bad idea. My life didn’t have room for someone like Crank. And from what he’d said, his didn’t have room either. This was all a little off-key, out of place, almost as if it was someone else out to dinner with him, and I was playing a role. I almost never go out with guys. And I never let my emotions get ahead of my brain. 

But tonight, as we tried to wave down a cab to head toward Georgetown, I was feeling a little out of control. The way his shirt gathered around his arms, the easy strength in them, the easy grin … I was attracted to him in a way I hadn’t been with anyone in a long time. I’ve never liked feeling out of control. Not like that. I’d gone there once, head over heels in love, and it did so much damage to my life I didn’t think I’d ever recover. No way I’d ever go there again. Whatever else happened, I was in control of my life. No one else. Certainly not some formless emotion and lust that can take away who you even are. I was fourteen when it happened, almost eight years ago, and the consequences and damage were beyond anything I could have conceived. What I learned was this: letting myself be at the mercy of hormones and brain chemicals and emotions can be deadly. 

A cab pulled up, and we got in. I thought of tossing away caution and telling him I wanted to go home with him. One night wouldn’t be so dangerous. One night could be okay. One night could be free and fun and not go anywhere. The cab driver took a hard right turn, accelerating to get through the light before it changed, and in the process I was pushed across the back seat toward Crank. He put his arm around me, an automatic reaction I’m sure, but I stayed there.

“You all right?” he asked.

“Fine!” I said. “Where are we going, anyway?”

“No idea. Aren’t there a bunch of clubs in Georgetown?” 

“I think so. I didn’t get out much when I lived in the area.” 

He raised his eyebrows. “Why not? Don’t take offense, but you seem like you were probably one of the popular girls.” 

“You couldn’t be more wrong. What makes you think that?” I asked, giving him a challenging stare. 

“First impressions, I guess. You still look very professional in that outfit, kind of preppy. Sexy as hell.” 

I’m not a blushy sort of girl, but that made me blush. “It’s not exactly club attire, is it? But I don’t want to take the time to go back and change.”

“No worries, Julia. It’s just us, anyway.” 

I swallowed and then leaned against him. What had gotten into me? Lust. That was the only explanation. I could feel the hard muscle of his shoulders and thighs pressing against me, and my body was responding to that—no matter what my mind said. The cab came to a halt, and the driver muttered something. I leaned forward. Nothing but red taillights ahead of us for blocks. 

“What’s going on?” Crank asked. 

“Construction,” the driver said. “Bad. You want me to let you out here?” 

He looked anxious to dump us out of the cab as soon as possible, to avoid being stuck in the westbound traffic. I took a breath. My chest was tight, my whole body tense. I rubbed my hands on my skirt, closed my eyes and thought, Screw it. I can do this. It’s just one night, anyway. 

“Do you want to…” he asked, just as I started to say, “Let’s …” We both stopped, and he laughed. 

“You go first,” he said. I bit my lip, and I could feel my cheeks heating up again. 

“I was going to say …” and my voice trailed off.