One of my favorite movies is The Nightmare Before Christmas and I was excited when I found this video of Panic! at the Disco singing “This is Halloween” from the movie! Hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween. Hubby and I are taking our three little goblins trick-or-treating tonight!
Archive for » October, 2009 «
This weeks Fabulous Friday giveaway is a $20 gift certificate to Amazon! To enter leave a comment on this post. Contest will run through Sunday at 5pm cst!!
And now for the favor. Bitten By Books is running a Paranormal Author of the Year contest and several of my favorite authors are in the final. My favorite author, Candace Havens (you have to read her Carruthers Sister books), in one of the authors in the final. Click here to go and vote for Candace!! (The poll is on the right hand side of the page down towards the bottom.)
(If you vote, come back and post a separate comment and you will get two entries for the gift card)
Category: Contest
22 Comments
This is a book I’ve been looking forward to forever and the trailer makes me that more anxious to read it!! Since it is in hardback I haven’t bought it yet, but probably will soon. Is anyone else looking forward to this book or have already read it?? Is it as good as I think it will be??
Category: Video
One Comment
From the back of the book:
Feisty witch Blair Fitzpatrick has had a crush on hunky carpenter Jake Harrison forever - he’s one hot shape-shifter. Just when Blair thinks the relationship is really starting to sizzle, Jake pulls back - the last thing he wants to do is involve Blair in his dysfunctional family dynamics.
Jake’s nasty mother and brother are after him to return to his pack, and a bunch of unruly elves start causing all kinds of chaos. Blair is trying hard not to unleash the ultimate revenge spell, but when Jake’s enemies try to force him away from her. Blair is pushed over the edge. No one messes with her boyfriend-to-be, even if he does shed on the furniture!
First, I love the covers on the books in this series. They tell so much about the character without being obvious. After I finished the book I looked at the cover and realized there are a lot of details and hints about things that happen during the book. This is the fourth book in this series about a group of 13 witches that were punished when one performed a spell that wasn’t allowed. This book is about Blair, a witch whose speciality is vengeance spells, and her crush Jack, a were boarder collie. I have loved Jake since he was first introduced and was so happy that we were finally getting to his and Blair’s story. With appearances from characters from the other books and the fantastic Fluff and Puff this book is close to perfect. There was only one thing that could have made it better and that was if we were introduced to more of the witches. There are only a very places where they are mentioned and I’m curious about the others.
the book girl gives HEX IN HIGH HEELS a 4/5!
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Category: 4/5, Paranormal Romance
One Comment
From the back of the book:
Only one thing could convince Sir Tobias Aldridge, and incorrigible libertine, to profess undying fidelity to a woman he’s just met. Revenge. What better way to get back at an enemy than by stealing the scoundrel’s sister? Not that Toby finds it a chore, seducing a beguiling, sultry beauty freshly arrived form the West Indies. When the prize is Isabel Grayson, vengeance is double rewarding.
Isabel is determined to marry a wealthy, powerful lord and become a lady of influence, using her rank and fortune to fight social injustice. Sir Toby, with his paltry title and infamous reputation, is unsuitable husband material - but he makes her blood race, her heart pound, and her long-buried passions come to the surface. If she can reform the charming devil, she’ll get exactly what she craves: society’s respect. But it’s a dangerous gamble. For if Toby wins this battle of persuasion, Isabel could lose her heart.
If you have read my reviews for the previous two books in this series, GODDESS OF THE HUNT AND SURRENDER OF A SIREN, then you know how much I love the way Tessa Dare writes. He characters are fun and the conversations between characters are always written so perfectly. A LADY OF PERSUASION is the last book in this trilogy and everything is tied up very neatly in the end. One of my favorite things about this book was the epilogue that takes place 5 years later. We get to see how each couple has adjusted to marital bliss. Toby was one of my favorite characters from the very beginning and I love him even more after reading his story! And - Lucy from Goddess in labor was fantastic. I can’t wait for Tessa Dare’s next series in 2010!!
the book girl gives A LADY OF PERSUASION a 5/5!!
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Category: 5/5, Historical Romance
2 Comments
The winner of the Friday contest is….
Teresa W!!
Please email me at carrie@thebookgirl.net with your address and I’ll get the book out to you this week!!
Category: Contest
One Comment
I’m going to try and update hourly, so here we go:
HOUR 1 - 7:00am
Books read: 0
Pages read: 0
I’m starting out easy this morning with a few of the Blazes that I haven’t caught up on yet. Only one kid is up so far and he is happily watching a movie. I’ll see how much reading I actually get done while hubby is at work and all three kids are home!
Hour 1 MeMe -
Where are you reading from today? My home sweet home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
3 facts about me … I have three children, have a love/hate relationship with scary movies, and love chocolate
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? 9, but some are very short
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? I really want to make it the whole 24 hours this time. This is my third read-a-thon and I haven’t made it the whole 24 yet. I also want to catch up on all of my review books!
If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time? Take cat naps or breaks…and drink lots of coffee!!
Hour 2 - 8:00am
Books Read - 0
Pages Read - 52
Very slow start today. All three kids are awake and I had to stop reading for breakfast time. I will start reading again at 9:00am, once breakfast is finished and cleaned up!
Mini-Challenge - Wordlily’s trending topic on Twitter Challenge!
Here’s my screen shot of #readathon as a trending topic!
Hour 3 - 9:00am
Books read - O
Pages read - still a very small 52 (will be much more by hour 10 - I hope!)
Back to reading….
Also, check out this cool map of where all the readers are for the read-a-thon - map
Hour 4 - 10am
Books read - 1
Pages read - 211
I’m starting a new book this hour!! I’m reading another Blaze - POWER PLAY by Nancy Warren.
Hour 5 & 6 - 11am, 12pm
I won’t be reading for the next two hours. It is lunch time at casa book girl. Kids need to eat and I promised we would make ghost cookies, so gonna take some time off from reading to play with the little ones. At 1pm, I’ll be back and reading children books with my super-reader 6yo. He’ll be blogging about the books we read for that hour!!
Hour 7 - 1pm
This hour (or at least part of it) I’m reading with the book boy, my 6yo. He has picked out two books and so have I. We are going to read them together (with him doing most of the reading) and then I’ll get back to my book!
books read - 1
pages read - 241
Hour 8 - 2pm
books read (including children books) - 5
pages read - 386
Hour 7 was fun. The book boy and baby read several books with me. But now I’m back to grown-up books!! I hope to finish the book I’m reading now this hour, while the kids are taking their rest time. I have about 150 pages left, so I think I can do it! I’m also enjoying the ghost cookies the kids and I made earlier…they are delicious!
Hour 9 - 3pm
books read (including children books) - 5
pages read - 452
Almost finished my second adult book….really hope to start something new this hour! I took a snack break with the kids and played Thomas the Train for a bit last hour. It’s nice that the kids make me take these little breaks so I don’t get sleepy and my eyes aren’t getting tired yet. Now, for more reading…
Hour 9 - 4pm
books read (including children books) - 6!
pages read - 526
loads of laundry - 6 (Including sheets/blankets from everyone’s beds.)
loads of dishes - 1
(I put some of my other accomplishments for the day up there so I can remind myself that I’ve done more than just read - it has really been a pretty productive day!)
Finally finished adult book 2. Now time to finish dinner and feed the family. Then hubby will be home from work and I can read without interruptions for a while. Will be back during hour 10!
Hour 10 - 5pm-ish
Books read - 6
Pages read - 526
I am not really reading this hour. I ate dinner with the family (chicken parm, spaghetti, and garlic bread) and am now waiting on desert to cool (chocolate hot fudge cake), then I will get back to reading. My next book is going to be HEX IN HIGH HEELS by Linda Wisdom. Hubby is now home, so the rest of the night is for reading while he plays with the little ones!!
Hour 12 - 6pm
Books read - 6
Pages read - 526
This is the hour I really start reading. I’m going to read for an hour straight and see how many pages I can finish. I’ll be back to check in at 7:12
Hour 13 - 7pm
Books Read - 6
Pages Read - 626
HALFWAY!! I read 100 pages in the last hour which is about my average, so I feel like I’ll get a lot of reading done in the last half of the read-a-thon.
Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now? HEX IN HIGH HEELS by Linda Wisdom
2. How many books have you read so far? 6 (Including 4 children books)
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? WICKED ALL DAY by Liz Carlyle - it will be my end of the read-a-thon book
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? My whole day wasn’t free. Hubby had to work till 5pm, so I had kid duty. They were pretty cool about letting me read!
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? When you have three kids interruptions happen all the time no matter what I’m doing. I just take care of whatever they need and then get back to reading.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? Nothing, yet!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope! Except maybe starting later, lol.
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I would love for a whole 24 hours to read without having to be Mom too. So next time, I plan on having my hubby make sure he is off of work.
9. Are you getting tired yet? A little.
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? Not really.
Hour 14 - 8pm
Books read - 6
Pages read - 684
My eyes are starting to get tired. I’m starting to set mini-goals for myself. If I make it till 10pm I get popcorn. If I make it till midnight I get some other sort of treat. I really do plan on staying up for the whole 24 hours….but we’ll see!
Hour 15 & 16 - 9pm and 10pm
Books read - almost 7
Pages read - 822
I’m still reading HEX IN HIGH HEELS, but only have about 20 more pages and then I’ll be moving on to MY FAVORITE WITCH by Lisa Pumley! I’m getting very sleepy, but haven’t crashed yet. I made it to 10pm, so it’s time for popcorn!!
Hour 17 - 11pm
Books read - 7!! (3 adult/4 children)
Pages read - 847
I finished another book!! HEX IN HIGH HEELS is a great read. I love this series by Linda Wisdom and had been anxiously awaiting Blair and Jake’s story. Next up is MY FAVORITE WITCH by Lisa Plumley. I am having such a great time reading. I love being able to clean off my shelves a little bit in one weekend!!
Hour 18 - 12am
Books read - 7
Pages read - 867
And I’m done. I really wanted to go longer, but my eyes are starting to have trouble focusing and I read only 20 pages in the last hour. So, I’m going to cuddle up with my hubby and go to bed. Good Luck to all of those readers out there that are pushing through to the end!
Category: read-a-thon
16 Comments
This weeks Fabulous Friday contest is for
CODY by Kimberly Raye
From the back of the book:
Champion bull rider Cody Braddock has always loved the ladies. As a vampire, each time he brings a woman satisfaction, his strength grows!
But right now he’s thinking only about vengeance. His mission: to hunt down and destroy the one who murdered his beloved family.
Revenge, however, takes a detour when he meets sweet, passionate Miranda Rivers. She’s never experienced the big O, and she wants to - badly! How could any man - vamp or not - resist?
Yet the deeper Cody drinks of Miranda’s delicious charms, the more he craves. Only, Miranda wants more than just an eternity of hot sex. She wants Cody’s undead heart to beat again, just for her…
To enter the contest leave a comment on this post. Contest closes at 5pm cst on Sunday. I’ll announce the winner some time Sunday night. (US addresses only, please)
Also, I’m participating in the 24 hour read-a-thon on Saturday and there might be a contest or two during the day. I’ll be live blogging my progress and all of the fun meme’s that are part of the read-a-thon!!
Category: Contest, Paranormal Romance
8 Comments
From the back of the book:
A couple plays an illicit game…
After fifteen years together, Alexander and Olivia Quinn have become strangers, both in and out of the bedroom. When Alex is tempted to stray, Olivia steps in with a bold plan to save their marriage: She’ll allow him seven nights of decadent pleasure with anyone he chooses…if he confesses to each liaison in explicit detail. And if he agrees to accept his wife’s wicked punishments.
…but seven sins may be one too many.
Jason Strickland is the Quinns’ new neighbor - quiet, mysterious, and no stranger to the darker side of sexuality. Though he knows he should resist, he becomes a willing player in Olivia’s provocative game. But before the last confession, this simple, sensual bargain will ensnare them all in a maelstrom of passion and danger. Because there’s something about Jason that no one knows - a secret that will lead to a web of betrayal and a plot for murder.
This books was way out of my comfort zone, I don’t usually go for books where one (or both) of the people in the marriage cheats. I’m trying to read at least a couple things a month that aren’t what I would normally pick. There have been a couple of DNFs, but this definitely wasn’t one of them. I loved this book. There is a perfect combination of emotion, suspense and really hot sex. Alex and Olivia are still in love with each other, their respective careers have just gotten in the way. They weren’t spending enough time with each other and drifted apart. Olivia is willing to do anything to save her marriage, even giving Alex the freedom to be with other women. I don’t think this would be practical in real life, but made for some amazing fiction.
the book girl gives WHEN ALEX WAS BAD a 5/5!
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Category: 2009 New Author Challenge, 5/5, Erotic Romance
2 Comments
From the back of the book:
At sixteen, Dakota Dunn was America’s Pop Princess. Now twenty-five, she’s all grown up and washed up. She decides to head to her parents’ lakefront retreat in Tennessee, fixing to write some new songs and transform her image from squeaky-clean to kickin-country.
Turns out, while she was in L.A., her folks handed over the operations to sexy, cranky cowboy Trace Coleman, a former bull-riding champion benched by injuries. He’s not too happy about Dakota’s arrival and makes no secret of it. Although Trace is rough around the edges, Dakota feels a pull of attraction she can’t quite shake. For all his brooding, Trace has an animal magnetism that may just lead Dakota to dig in her heels and hold on tight.
This book was fun! I loved Trace and his grumpy exterior. Dakota took some getting used to, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like her and Trace together, but it did work for me. I am a sucker for the wounded hero so Trace was my favorite character. There isn’t really much I can say about the book other than it was a fun read, but lacking in emotional depth. I thought that there could have been more diving into the emotional needs of both main characters instead of just their sexual needs.
the book girl gives HE’S NO PRINCE CHARMING a 3/5
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About the author:
