giveaways!

Ashes of a Black Frost (11/1) | The Shattered Vine (11/3)
Coming soon:

drey's Giveaway Policy

FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on covers or links here may result in monetary compensation.

June's FEATURED AUTHOR: Chloe's Lucky WINNER!

June 30, 2010
June's Featured Author is none other than the very lovely Chloe Neill... I am in the middle of Twice Bitten, and wouldn't be on the computer at all, except that I remembered about picking a winner (which I'm sure you're happy about, right??)...

One lucky duck is going to get one signed copy of Some Girls Bite, one signed copy of Firespell, and some Chicagoland Vampires swag!!

According to Randomizer, that lucky duck is...

marian!! marian said her favorite book-to-movie adaptation is The Lord of the Rings series. I happen to like that one quite a lot! Congratulations, marian!!

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

Thank you, Chloe, for stopping by this month! I've really enjoyed having you over, and I hope you'll come back for another visit soon!

drey's birthday giveaway week 4 winner!

June 29, 2010
Thank you, everybody, for hanging with me this month! I have one more winner to announce, and ...

Congratulations to etirv, who covers all the books she reads, including library books! *grin*

The books are:
Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer #1) by Karen Chance
Claimed by Shadow (Cassandra Palmer #2) by Karen Chance
Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer #3) by Karen Chance

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

TLC Book Tours: 69. The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri...

Today's TLC Book Tour is for a charming and lyrical book by Heather Barbieri--The Lace Makers of Glenmara.

tlc tour

FTC Disclosure: My copy of The Lace Makers of Glenmara was provided by TLC Tours for this blog tour. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

heather barbieriAbout the Author:
Heather Barbieri is half-Irish. Her paternal ancestors left counties Donegal and Tipperary after The Great Famine and worked in the coal mines of Eastern Pennsylvania before settling in Butte, Montana. Her impeccably dressed maternal grandmother was a descendant of a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria and instilled an avid interest in fashion in her granddaughters. Barbieri’s first novel, SNOW IN JULY (Soho Press), was selected as a Book Sense Pick, a Glamour magazine “Riveting Read,” and a Library Journal Notable First Novel. Before turning to writing fiction full-time, she was a magazine editor, journalist, and film critic. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and three children, and is currently working on her third novel. Find her online at http://www.heatherbarbieri.com/.

Title: The Lace Makers of Glenmara
Author: Heather Barbieri
ISBN-13: 9780061721557
Paperback: 268 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

drey's thoughts:
Kate Robinson has lost her mother, her boyfriend, and her fashion show was a flop. So she takes time off to clear her head--and heart--and decides to visit Ireland. Ending up in the seaside village of Glenmara, Kate finds herself bonding with the local women--and learning the art of lace-making. Before long, Kate has the group combining talents to explore ways of keeping a centuries-old craft alive.

But not everybody in Glenmara loves Kate. The local parish priest is up in arms over the lace-makers' new projects. And one of the women is leery of Kate's charms and ideas. 

The Lace Makers of Glenmara weaves a compelling tale of women and friendship, loss and love, and how sometimes things do work out, even if not quite how you'd expect it to. Pick this one up for an enjoyable and leisurely read.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent


Challenges: 100+

68. Night Shift by Lilith Saintcrow...

June 28, 2010
night shift
Title: Night Shift (Jill Kismet #1)
Author: Lilith Saintcrow
ISBN-13: 9780316001786
eBook:
Publisher: Orbit, 2008
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: My e-copy of Night Shift was bought on sale (because there are so many books to read, and only so much moola in my pocketbook!). I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
I've heard quite a few good things about Lilith Saintcrow's Jill Kismet series, so I thought I'd pick it up since it was on sale... And it definitely kept my interest. Jill is a character with a past that reflects in the decisions she makes. Which is just another way of saying she's strong and independent, yet vulnerable, and doesn't brook anything from anyone. AND she comes with a mouthful (and more!) of sass. Just the way I like 'em. *grin*

The action here moves along crisply, and some of the scenes are really well-described. I could see the happenings in my head as I inhale the words on the page. Lilith is a new-to-me author, so I don't know how this compares to her other works, but I really enjoyed Night Shift, and have Hunter's Prayer on my nook...

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+

Saturday Spotlight: Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn...

June 26, 2010
I guess I skipped a week... Sorry!! But this week's spotlight is on a book I can't wait to get my hands on. I love, love, love Kitty. This one comes out June 29.


Kitty Norville, Alpha werewolf and host of The Midnight Hour, a radio call-in show, is contacted by a friend at the NIH's Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology. Three Army soldiers recently returned from the war in Afghanistan are being held at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs. They're killer werewolves—and post traumatic stress has left them unable to control their shape-shifting and unable to interact with people. Kitty agrees to see them, hoping to help by bringing them into her pack.

Meanwhile, Kitty gets sued for libel by CEO Harold Franklin after featuring Speedy Mart--his nationwide chain of 24-hour convenience stores with a reputation for attracting supernatural unpleasantness--on her show.

Very bad weather is on the horizon.
I heart Kitty, Ben, and Cormac. I cannot wait to read more of 'em, and I'm itching to click "buy now" as soon as this is available for my nook.

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

67. Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani...

June 25, 2010
very valentineTitle: Very Valentine
Author: Adriana Trigiani
ISBN-13: 9780061257063
Hardcover: 367 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Very Valentine visited from my local library. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Y'know how people always wanted to be Irish (even if it's only on St. Patrick's Day)? Well, I always wanted to be Italian. Why? Well, good food, good dessert (yum!), and boisterous conversations. Just like Chinese families, except I think the Italians are more comfortable with displays of affection. *grin*

Adriana Trigiani's Very Valentine captures what I imagine would be a typical Italian family, family drama notwithstanding. It is also a very lyrical story of a woman--the Valentine of the title--who is trying to hang on to her grandmother's business while her brother is trying to sell it, and whose romance with a chef comes into question when she meets someone while traveling in Italy with her grandmother.

I liked Valentine's character. She is strong, passionate, and does her best to stay true to herself, even in the face of debt and doubt. I also liked her grandmother, who has a long-buried secret that bubbles up and knocks everyone in the family for a loop. Very Valentine is long on romance and great storytelling, and would go great with a cuppa, or a margarita. Brava, Valentine is on my bookshelves, waiting for a play-hooky-from-work day. Or a rainy day. Or ...

drey's rating: Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Support Your Local Library

Joshilyn Jackson in WI today!!!

June 24, 2010
Ahem. Attention, everyone!

Joshilyn Jackson is in the wonderful state of Wisconsin today. Hopefully the weather is wonderful, and not scary as all get-out (as it was on Monday night!).

Deets:
Thursday, June 24
7:00 pm
Next Chapter Bookshop
An independent bookshop serving Ozaukee County and Milwaukee's North Shore
(262) 241-6220
10976 N. Port Washington Road
Mequon, Wisconsin • 53092

June's FEATURED AUTHOR: What's on TV?

June 23, 2010
Today, June's Featured Author Chloe Neill stops over with a fun post on what she watches... A nice comparison to bounce off last week's post on what she reads. *grin* Here we go!

What's On My Television??
Hello, readers. This is the HD version of "What's in my Bag." Today, I'll give you some insight into what's on my DVR--and what's distracting me when I should be writing about Merit's adventures.
(I know, I know. But sometimes I need a break!)

I don't watch a lot of dramas. In fact, I'd say everything I watch falls into one of three categories: (1) smarty-pants comedy; (2) capers; and (3) food/culture travel shows.

Smarty-Pants Comedy
I spend at least an hour of every day watching animated television--mostly Family Guy, or whatever happens to be on Adult Swim on Comedy Central. That's my evening ritual, a little bit of time to laugh and unwind. (And I maintain that the Adult Swim line-up is some of the smartest comedy on television!) :-)

I'm also a huge fan of the NBC Thursday night line-up: Community (LOVE Joel McHale); Parks and Recreation; The Office; and 30Rock (Liz Lemon is my hero!). I love smart, quirky comedies, and can't get enough of those four.

Capers
I'm not a huge action buff, but I love capers that can teach me something. I think Burn Notice and Leverage are among the best of the lot. Burn Notice teaches me all about strategy and spy lingo. Leverage teaches me a variety of ways to scheme my way into any situation. And they're both well acted--can you say Bruce Campbell? New episodes are auto-records for me.

Food/Culture/Travel
Most of these pop up on the Travel Channel--No Reservations, Bizarre Foods, Man v. Food. I love the way the hosts wrap culture and food together. I always learn something! I also love Diners, Drive-In's and Dives on the Food Channel. I'm forever making lists of fun places to visit the next time I'm traveling.

Well, hopefully this gives you a little insight into my "background music." Now, go away. I have TV to watch!

Gee Chloe... You've already got me hooked on BDB, and I'm loving Roarke in Naked in Death. I think you're dangerous for my reading habits. *grin* Soooo... I am not going to pay attention to what you watch on TV. Nuh uh, no way. Hmm. But, you do have a point about Family Guy. Not that I watch it religiously, but I do appreciate the giggles. And capers, yes!! Ok, ok, I said I wasn't paying attention. Bah!! 

My DVR records NCIS (because I still think Mark Harmon is yummy, and I have for most of my life), Private Practice (because Kate Walsh is sexy and so is Taye Diggs) and The Closer (because she is just so bloody snarky!). Yes, I am shallow enough to watch for yumminess instead of content, and I'm not afraid to admit it! I do prefer movies, and will watch (and re-watch) those I love--even if it's just for the (shallow) yumminess. *grin*

drey's birthday giveaway: week 4...

June 22, 2010
Another week over, another week older! Last week's winner is...

Comment #8, Colleen Turner!! Congratulations!!!

Thanks for letting me know what other genres you'd like to see here... I'll have to mix it up with the next giveaway--especially if you don't mind "old" ARCs, I have boxes of those laying around! *grin*

Ok, here's the list of books still up for grabs (I'll cross off Colleen's picks when I get them):
Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer #1) by Karen Chance
Claimed by Shadow (Cassandra Palmer #2) by Karen Chance
Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer #3) by Karen Chance
Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega #1) by Patricia Briggs
Sebastian (Ephemera #1) by Anne Bishop
Jane Slayre by Charlotte Bronte and Sherri Browning Erwin

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.  

Rules:
Giveaway is open to US residents only. To enter, comment and tell me something silly about yourself. I'll start. I'm kinda klutzy. When I was growing up, I would walk into things. Of course, it didn't help that I usually had my nose stuck in a book, and if it was a good part, I didn't want to take my eyes off the page to check on my path and direction. Hence, walking into things. *sigh* Do it before 6:00pm CST June 28th!

Winners!

June 21, 2010
OK. I need to pick winners. First up: 3 people are receiving a copy of Victor McGlothin's The Secrets of Newberry. And they are...

Sandee61!!
skkorman!!
rubynreba!!

Next up: 3 people are receiving a copy of Teri Woods' Alibi. The lucky ducks are...

bermudaonion!!
trishalynn0708!!
Cheryl!!

Congratulations, y'all! Emails have been sent, please reply with your mailing information before the end of day Thursday! And thank you so very much for stopping by!

What does Joshilyn Jackson and Wisconsin have in common? Come & find out!

Ok, so that might have been a trick question... BUT when you're an author, and there's a location involved, then the obvious connection would be a visit, wouldn't it?

joshilyn jacksonAbout the author:
New York Times Bestselling novelist Joshilyn Jackson lives in Georgia with her husband, their two children, and way too many feckless animals. Her debut, gods in Alabama, won SIBA's 2005 Novel of the year Award and was a #1 BookSense pick. Jackson won Georgia Author of the Year for her second novel, Between, Georgia, which also a #1 BookSense pick, making Jackson the first author in BookSense history to receive #1 status in back to back years. Her third novel, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, was a Break Out book at Target and has been shortlisted for the Townsend Prize for Fiction. All three books were chosen for the Books-A-Million Book Club.

Find Joshilyn online at her website, http://www.joshilynjackson.com/.

Joshilyn answers some questions...
drey: When did you know you wanted to be an author? What were you doing? Was it a gradual realization, or a "big bang" event?

Joshilyn: I don't remember not wanting to be a writer. I don't remember not writing. I won the Cordova Park Elementary School Creative Writing Contest in third grade for a poem about my cat. I wrote and illustrated picture books and published them myself using the Crayola/Stapler method, then graduated to filling up reams of blank books and journals with perfectly dreadful horror novels.

I had other loves. Sometimes I wanted to be a writer and a marine biologist, a writer and an actor, a writer and a vet...but the writing was a constant.

drey: Can you share your first sale experience with us?

Joshilyn: Sure. People say it's about networking and who you know, but I do not believe that. I live in quasi-rural Georgia, and I knew no one and nothing. I bought Writer's Market books and read them, and  then I started querying agents just as they told me to, sending writing samples and letters to over 160 agents before Jacques de Spoelberch picked me up. He shopped a series of children's books, two nonfiction  proposals, and two complete novels for me before I wrote Gods in Alabama. He stuck with me, Jacques, and acted as an editor, a mentor, and a cheerleader by turns.

So Gods was my third novel and the fifth book project I had shopped. I had a lot of hope for it, because I felt it was the best thing I had written so far, but I knew by then firsthand how fickle the industry was and how tough the market was, so after I sent it to Jaques, I did what I always do: I put my heart in the next book. I started writing Between, Georgia.

DIGRESSION: I know some people think of their books as their kids, but I think that's insane. After all, you do not SELL your children. I think of my books as boyfriends, and I love the one I am with, the one I am
writing. The others are like my exes, and I will always care deeply for them and I sincerely wish them well and want them to go on and have glorious other love affairs with readers and The New York Times bestseller
list. But I keep my heart in the work in progress, and that makes me write the best book I can, every time. That policy has kept me writing books I am proud of and as a bonus has kept me from getting irretrievably
broken.

Anyway, Gods went to auction. Jacques sent it out to eight of the biggest publishing houses in NYC, and within days we had a pre-empt offer. We turned it down (which KILLED ME, but Jacques said I had to trust him, and after all the years he had worked with me, I did.) On auction deadline day, four houses showed up to bid. That was a good day.

That's why I don't think it's about who you know. It's about:
1) Taking the time to read up and learn the industry, so you approach agents and editors like a professional.
2) Being able to hear the word “no” and respond by writing a better book and trying again.
3) Read everything you can get your hands on, good books, bad books, books in your genre and near your genre and outside your genre.
4) Write the best book you can, and don't worry about trends or the market---write the book only you can write, and write it well. Write the living hell out of it. This is the most important one.

drey: Where did you get the idea for Gods in Alabama and Backseat Saints? I am almost in awe of Arlene's character. She is so messed up, and yet I can't help but root for her...

Joshilyn: Saints came from Gods, and Gods came from a short story called “Little Dead Uglies.” It's up on my website. Arlene is a minor character who stuck with me from that story and demanded her own book. In the same way, Rose Mae sort of burst out of Gods. She stayed with me long after Gods was published---I never stopped thinking about her and building her history in my head. I think she is my favorite character I have ever written about, although yes, like Arlene, she is pretty broken.

The story and the two books aren't sequential. You can read them in any order...but they are certainly thematically linked. I am interested, always, in redemption and the consequences of our choices---how choices shape the identity our genes and our histories have dealt us.

drey: What do you indulge in when not writing?

Joshilyn: My secret vice is World of Warcraft. My husband and I both play and now my son is starting to play with us. I have an internal twelve-year-old boy, and he is a level 80 undead holy/disc priest. Apparently. Go, Horde.

drey: What is your favorite Southern dish?

Joshilyn: Shrimp and grits.

drey: What are you looking forward to next?

Joshilyn: After The Girl Who Stopped Swimming and Backseat Saints--both pretty dark books--I wanted to write a comedy. Right now I am calling it In Season and I am about two-thirds of the way through. Of course, it is MY kind of comedy, which means it starts when the Slocumb family goes to put in a pool and unearths a human skeleton...

And, the Proust-lite:
  1. What is your idea of earthly happiness?
    Me, Scott, the kids, the cats, and the dog all in a pile watching bad 50's
    Sci-fi movies.
  2. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
    Airports.
  3. Who is/are your favorite hero/heroine(s) in fiction?
    People who are broken but hopeful. Haven Kimmel characters. Frank Turner Hollon characters.
  4. Who is/are your favorite hero/heroine(s) in real life?
    People who try to be kind and responsible--people who own up to their mistakes, no excuses, and try to fix their messes. I'm trying to become like them before I die.
  5. What sound do you love?
    Purring.
  6. What sound do you hate?
    High pitched rhythmic electronic beepy noises.
  7. The quality you admire most in a man?
    Honesty.
  8. The quality you admire most in a woman?
    Honesty.
  9. If not a writer, you would be a ...
    Useless object. I have no other skills.
  10. What is your favorite swear word?
    Just basic old regular “shit.” But I have an eight-year-old. So I say, "Shhhhh---ugar" a lot.

Joshilyn's WI visit:
7:00 pm on Thursday, June 24
Mequon, WI – Next Chapter Bookshop




Giveaway!!
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have TWO sets of Joshilyn's Gods in Alabama and Backseat Saints for you!

Gods in AlabamaWhen Arlene Fleet headed off to college in Chicago, she made three promises to God: She would never again lie, never fornicate outside of marriage, and never, ever go back to her tiny hometown of Possett, Alabama (the "fourth rack of Hell"). All God had to do in exchange was to make sure the body of high school quarterback Jim Beverly was never found. Ten years later, Arlene has kept her promises, but an old schoolmate has recently turned up asking questions. And now Arlene’s African American beau has given her a tough ultimatum: introduce him to her family, or he’s gone. As she prepares to confront guilt, discrimination, and a decade of deception, Arlene is about to discover just how far she will go to find redemption--and love.Backseat SaintsRose Mae Lolley is a fierce and dirty girl, long-suppressed under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee" she's trapped in a marriage that's thick with love and sick with abuse. Her true self has been bound in the chains of marital bliss in rural Texas, letting "Ro" make eggs, iron shirts, and take her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered outside by her husband and inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy---one who shares her past and knows her future. The tarot cards foretell that Rose's beautiful, abusive husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first.

Hot-blooded Rose Mae escapes from under Ro's perky compliance and emerges with a gun and a plan to beat the hand she's been dealt. Following messages that her long-missing mother has left hidden for her in graffiti and behind paintings, Rose and her dog Gretel set out from Amarillo, TX back to her hometown of Fruiton, AL, and then on to California, unearthing a host of family secrets as she goes. Running for her life, she realizes that she must face her past in order to overcome her fate---death by marriage---and become a girl who is strong enough to save herself from the one who loves her best.  

Rules:
This one's open to US and Canada residents only (no PO Boxes, please!). To enter, comment and tell me if you're a Southern girl, and why. My friend Ronnie swears I eat like a Southern girl--fried chicken, okra, cornbread... But (alas?), I was born & bred halfway 'round the world. *grin* Do it before 6:00pm CST July 5th!

66. Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson...

June 20, 2010
backseat saints
Title: Backseat Saints
Author: Joshilyn Jackson
ISBN-13: 9780446582346
ARC: 324 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: My ARC of Backseat Saints was provided by Hachette Book Group for this review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Well. I simply cannot believe why I've never read Joshilyn Jackson's books before Gods in Alabama, and now Backseat Saints. She creates characters that just pull you in and stay with you. Rose Mae Lolley was a minor character in Jackson's Gods in Alabama, but here, it's all about Rose. Rose, and her past; Rose and the marriage she'd chosen. The same marriage that she is trying to run from. Because if she doesn't, she might end up dead.

There are only a few references here to Gods in Alabama. Mostly, it is a story of Rose's journey from abused child to abused woman to abused wife. And, more importantly, her journey to redefine her self, from abused to not, from Rose Mae Lolley to Ro Grandee to, well, not them. The search for her long-lost boyfriend and long-lost mother, are almost speedbumps on the way to her final destination.


Joshilyn Jackson is an author I'm glad I "found" this year. The Southern in Jackson comes out in the books I've read so far--in the characters' points of view, their way of thinking, and their speech. Now, I'll have to make room in my reading schedule for The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, which has been on my TBR pile for way too long.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub

65. Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson...

June 18, 2010
gods in alabama
Title: Gods in Alabama
Author: Joshilyn Jackson
ISBN-13: 9780446524193
Paperback: 275 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2005
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Gods in Alabama was provided by Hachette Book Group for this review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Well. I just finished reading Gods in Alabama. And. Well. The ending sure sucker-punched my assumptions. Joshilyn Jackson has crafted a story that lassos you in and hog-ties you until you are done reading.

Arlene Fleet makes a deal with God. He won't tell on her, and she will be a good Southern Baptist. And she keeps to her side of the bargain, pushing off her family for a decade. Well, ok, that's probably not a good Southern Baptist. But she did promise to never return to Alabama. Then someone from her past shows up, dredging up old nightmares, and Arlene doesn't know what to do. What do you do when God doesn't hold up his end? It's not like she wants to revert ot the teenager she was, after all... She worked hard enough to bury that Arlene, as deeply as she can.

So. Since God broke the bargain first, she ends up making the trek back to Alabama, and she brings her boyfriend with her. Her African-American boyfriend. Because he insists on meeting her family, even when she tries to convince him that they're probably going to be the craziest people he's ever met in his life.

The cast of characters in Gods in Alabama make you laugh out loud, shake your head, and want to do a lil' straightening-them-up. But you want them to come out A-OK in the end, so you end up cheering the good decisions, too. Put aside some time for this one--you won't want to put it down once you've started reading.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+

TLC Book Tours: 64. The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews...

June 17, 2010
It's tour time! TLC Tours is touring Mary Kay Andrews' The Fixer Upper!

tlc tour

FTC Disclosure: My copy of The Fixer Upper was provided by TLC Tours for this blog tour. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

mary kay andrewsAbout the Author:
New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews is a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, and a diplomate of the Maas Brothers Department Store Charm School. She also has a journalism degree from The University of Georgia. (Go Dogs.) After a 14-year career as a reporter, mainly at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she quit newspapers to make a living telling lies. She wrote 10 critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series, under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. Her new alias is a combination of her children’s names. Married to her high school sweetheart, she mostly lives in Atlanta, although sometimes also on Tybee Island, Georgia. Find her online at marykayandrews.com.

the fixer upperTitle: The Fixer Upper
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
ISBN-13: 9780060837389
Paperback: 419 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

drey's thoughts:
I practically inhaled The Fixer Upper. I was looking for something a little light, a little sassy, and a lot interesting, and I dare say I found it with this one. The story starts with the heroine, Dempsey (which reminded me of McDreamy, and that's never a bad thing to be reminded of!), drowning her sorrows on the worst day of her life. Her girlfriends are unfortunately relatively quick extras, but you don't even notice.

Dempsey has a quirky family, and a horrible (ex-)boss. She heads south to fix up an inheritance of her father's, and finds herself surprisingly comfortable in a small Southern town of 2200, especially considering she used to live in Washington, D.C. While there, she is hounded by her past, intrigued by a very nice possibility, and while butting heads with a distant relative, immerses herself in a Dempsey that she never knew existed.

I was so engrossed in Dempsey's life that I didn't even notice the time flying by. Next thing I knew, it was the last page. Like, what??? Anyway. If you're looking for a summer read, pick this up. Pair with a frou-frou drink, a little bit of shade, and sunscreen for the parts that would get sunburned while you're forgetting about time. *grin*

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+

June's FEATURED AUTHOR: Chloe's accompaniments to coffee...

June 16, 2010
Chloe Neill, June's Featured Author, stops over today to share some of her favorite books... Let's see what they are!

Hi, everyone!

Unfortunately, I don't have a ton of time to read right now due to my hairy writing and editing schedule, but there are definitely books I keep coming back to.

First, I love reading books in series. I love the character development and inside jokes (and that's what I try to write, as well). At the top of my list is the IN DEATH series by J.D. Robb (actually Nora Roberts). If you're a fan of crime, mystery, romance or slightly-futuristic science fiction, you'll adore these books. And Roarke may be one of the best heroes in romantic fiction. :) I've read the entire series at least a couple of times, and I'm now starting at the beginning with the audiobooks. Two thumbs up!

Second on the list is Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. They're historic fiction with a keen attention to detail and two fabulous leading characters--Jamie and Claire. They're long and can be challenging in terms of the detail, but they're definitely worth it for me.

Although I don't read much paranormal now, the Weather Warden series by Rachel Caine, the Hollows series by Kim Harrison, and the BDB series by JR Ward top the list. They're all auto-buys. I even introduced drey to JR Ward. drey--how are you liking her?? :)

Other auto-buys include anything by Neil Gaiman and Carl Hiassen, as well as Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. They're so funny!

I also try to balance out the fiction with some non-fiction. I love travelogues and books about food and culture, so Paul Theroux and Ruth Reichl are favorites. I also enjoy Nathaniel Philbrick, and nonfiction treatments of Chicago (like Devil in the White City). I also love reference books, and scan through the shelves at used bookstores and antique stores for neat reference sources. One of my favorites is a 5-pound volume of the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, which I found, ironically enough, in Nebraska.

Well, that's about all for me. I hope these give you some new ideas for authors! Happy reading!

Hmm. I've got some new authors to check out. And I love JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series... You got me hooked, Chloe! What about y'all? Have you read any of Chloe's favorites? What did you think?

drey's birthday giveaway: week 3...

June 15, 2010
Another week over, another week older! Last week's winner is...

Comment #10, holdenj!! Congratulations!!!

Thanks to everyone who shared who they'd like to spend their birthday with... I can't believe I left MacGuyver off my list--I used to have the hugest (and I mean HUGEST) crush on Richard Dean Anderson! And, um, Johnny Depp's mine, Stephmartin71. Seriously. *grin* It also looks like I have some new books to check out...

Ok, here's the list of books up for grabs (I'll cross off holdenj's picks when I get them):
The Better Part of Darkness (Charlie Madigan #1) by Kelly Gay
Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass
Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin #1) by Jennifer Estep
Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer #1) by Karen Chance
Claimed by Shadow (Cassandra Palmer #2) by Karen Chance
Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer #3) by Karen Chance
Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega #1) by Patricia Briggs
Sebastian (Ephemera #1) by Anne Bishop
Jane Slayre by Charlotte Bronte and Sherri Browning Erwin

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.  

Rules:
Giveaway is open to US residents only. To enter, comment and tell me if you'd want other-than-fantasy-books for the next giveaway, and if so, which genre? Do it before 6:00pm CST June 21st!

63. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs...

June 14, 2010
silver borne
Title: Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson #5)
Author: Patricia Briggs
ISBN-13: 9780441018192
Hardcover: 342 pages
Publisher: Penguin, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Silver Borne came by for a visit from my local library. And I looked at it for a while, wishing I could pick it up, while I was reading other books. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Oh Mercy. You sure know how to attract trouble, don't you? I mean, yeah, things are working out (slowly, sure, but it's all good...) with yummy Alpha Adam. And you're in one piece (mostly). But things have a way of smacking you upside the head while you're trying to have some fun with said yumminess...

In Silver Borne, the fae pick a fight with Mercy. Well, just a fae. But still. She turns things upside down for Mercy, and for Gabriel's family. If that wasn't enough, Adam's pack still has elements who aren't too thrilled about a mere coyote being second-in-command--and are letting it show. And Samuel's wolf is asserting itself because Samuel isn't looking out for their best interests. Whew.

I really think Mercy is my favorite urban fantasy heroine. And in this installment, she relies on her wits because she wasn't going to win by duking it out with the big bad fae, or even the pack. I heart me a girl who can think on her feet. *grin*

Waiting impatiently for the next book in this series...

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library

62. Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep...

June 13, 2010
web of lies
Title: Web of Lies (Elemental Assassins #2)
Author: Jennifer Estep
ISBN-13: 9781439147993
eBook
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: I bought my copy of Web of Lies because I couldn't wait to see what happens with Gin and the Detective. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Well. Guess retirement's a little too quiet for Gin. And she somehow finds herself adding to her body count totals, and not even remotely reluctantly. Because someone has to take out the trash. Right? Unfortunately, there may be more trash in Ashland than she wants to pick a fight with at the same time. Not that they ever give her a choice.

If you're wondering what's up with Detective Donovan Caine, read this. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, read  Spider's Bite. Then, read this. Gin does a little rescuing, a little cleaning-up, a little threatening, a bit more rescuing, confronts her retirement and then discards it (just this once), gets beaten up, beats up the bad guys, and gets her heart broken. But wait. Is that a light at the end of that tunnel? Engrossing and entertaining, Web of Lies is also gritty and snarky. Can't wait for the next one!

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Saturday Spotlight: Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris...

June 12, 2010
It's Saturday already?? Wow, where did my week go? Today's spotlight is on book #10 in Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series. I've inhaled this series, and cannot wait to read #10. I haven't, just because, well, there are so many books in my TBR pile already... But it's on my wishlist! *wink*

dead in the family

After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she's angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he's under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry...

Hmm Sookie... What did you get into this time? I've read mixed reviews about this one, but will give it a whirl anyway. If only because I think there's more Eric here... *grin*

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Giveaway: Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea...

June 11, 2010
I'm excited about today's giveaway! Luis Alberto Urrea's Into the Beautiful North was one of my favorite books in 2009, and thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have 1-3 copies for you!

Check out the Reading Group Guide!

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

About the book:
Nineteen-year-old Nayeli works at a taco shop in her Mexican village and dreams about her father, who journeyed to the US when she was young. Recently, it has dawned on her that he isn't the only man who has left town. In fact, there are almost no men in the village--they've all gone north. While watching The Magnificent Seven, Nayeli decides to go north herself and recruit seven men--her own "Siete Magníficos"--to repopulate her hometown and protect it from the bandidos who plan on taking it over.

Filled with unforgettable characters and prose as radiant as the Sinaloan sun, Into the Beautiful North is the story of an irresistible young woman's quest to find herself on both sides of the fence.


Read an excerpt:

The deets:
There is one copy up for grabs. Every 10 people entered adds another copy to the hat, with up to three winners. This one's open to US and Canada residents only, no PO Boxes please. To enter, comment and tell me you want it, and leave me an email address to contact you if you win. Do it before 6:00pm CST June 24th!

Can't wait? Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

61. Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran...

June 10, 2010
wicked becomes you
Title: Wicked Becomes You
Author: Meredith Duran
ISBN-13: 9781416593126
Paperback: 402 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Wicked Becomes You was provided by Pocket Books for a blog tour that I missed because I was out of town when the book arrived. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Gwen Maudsley is blessed with looks and money, and has spent her life learning to be a proper lady so that she can marry a proper gentleman. Why? Well, because that's what her parents wanted for her. But when she's left at the altar yet again, she decides that she's no longer going to be the nice, proper lady.

Wicked Becomes You is a fun romp through the mindset of a girl who grows up to be everything a proper gentleman should want... And when that doesn't happen the way she imagined, she discovers that maybe, just maybe, her late brother's best friend will show her how to be naughty. Throw this on your to-read pile. The dialog is fun, and you just can't help but feel for Gwen. Even if you are wondering where she finds these men...

drey's rating: 3/5 Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

June's FEATURED AUTHOR: Chloe's books!!

June 9, 2010
Chloe Neill is one of my favoritest! authors... Yeah yeah, I know that's not a real word, but it's how I feel... *grin* Anyway. Have I mentioned how happy I am that she's June's Featured Author?

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

Chloe writes the Chicagoland Vampires series, which are pretty fun to read. I can't wait to get my hands on Twice Bitten... I'm wishing for a mind-meld kinda thing so I could just "get" it right off of Chloe's head. Heh.

some girls bite

First in a brand new series about a Chicago graduate student's introduction into a society of vampires.

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was Merit's. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she's traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan "Lord o' the Manor" Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries' worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude— and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan's attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone's still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago's nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood.

friday night bites

Ten months after vampires revealed their existence to the mortals of Chicago, they're enjoying a celebrity status usually reserved for the Hollywood elite. But should people learn about the Raves-mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle-the citizens will start sharpening their stakes.

So now it's up to the new vampire Merit to reconnect with her upper class family and act as liaison between humans and bloodsuckers, and keep the more unsavory aspects of the vampire lifestyle out of the media. But someone doesn't want peace between them-someone with an ancient grudge...

twice bitten

Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit, Chicago's newest vampire. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene-and to spy for the vamps while she's at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan's offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission.

Unfortunately, someone is gunning for Gabriel, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She'll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals-not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries-old master vampire.

And if those don't perk your interest (and I wouldn't understand why they wouldn't, unless you're not a fan of the genre at all...), Chloe also writes a YA series--the Dark Elite.


New Girl.
New School.
Old Evil.

From the author of the Chicagoland Vampires novels.

A new series about a boarding school filled with something worse than homework.

Lily's parents have sent her to a fancy boarding school in Chicago filled with the ultra-rich. If that wasn't bad enough, she's hearing and seeing bizarre things on St. Sophie's creepy campus. Her roommate, Scout, keeps her sane, but keeps disappearing at night. When one day Lily finds Scout running from real-life monsters, she learns the hard way that Scout is involved in a splinter group of rebel teens.

They protect Chicago from demons, vamps, and dark magic users. It's too bad Lily doesn't have powers of her own to help. At least, none that she's discovered yet...
Check out Chloe's website, www.chloeneill.com for excerpts and more!

drey's birthday giveaway: week 2...

June 8, 2010
Ok y'all... Are you ready for the next 3 books added to the list for my birthday giveaway? Oh wait. I have to announce last week's winner first.

Randomizer picked comment #12, Icedream!! Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone who entered, and Happy Birthday to Icedream, Carol M, ksunshine77, Nancye, and ossmcalc, who are all celebrating this month with me! =) I am looking forward to my Simma's cheesecake tonight!

Ok, here's the list of books up for grabs (original 6 listed first, and I'll cross of Icedream's picks when I get them):
Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori #1) by Liam Hearn
Grass for His Pillow (Tales of the Otori #2) by Liam Hearn
Brilliance of the Moon (Tales of the Otori #3) by Liam Hearn
The Better Part of Darkness (Charlie Madigan #1) by Kelly Gay
Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass
Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin #1) by Jennifer Estep
Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer #1) by Karen Chance
Claimed by Shadow (Cassandra Palmer #2) by Karen Chance
Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer #3) by Karen Chance

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.  

Rules:
Giveaway is open to US residents only. To enter, comment and tell me which character you'd like to spend your birthday with, if you could! I'm kinda torn between Ranger (can't let Stephanie Plum have all the fun now, can I? *grin*), Ethan (from Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires) and James Bond (I heart Bond!!)... Do it before 6:00pm CST June 14th!
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