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.
Title: Fatal Affair
Author: Marie Force
eBook
Publisher: Carina Press, 2010
FTC Disclosure: My e-copy of Fatal Affair was provided by the author 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:
Having read and liked Marie's Love at First Flight, I was happy to peruse a copy of her newest offering, Fatal Affair. The story is pretty simple: a Senator is murdered, and his Chief of Staff (Nick) has to work with the detective (Sam) responsible for finding the perpetrator. Never mind that Nick and Sam had a one-night stand six years ago. Never mind that Sam has other things on her mind from her last case. Never mind that the Senator has a secret life that his family would prefer to keep under wraps.
The character interaction is deftly written, and I liked both Nick and Sam. The suspense angle keeps the story moving, and the other stuff that pops in keeps the story believable. Because even though this is a romance novel, doesn't mean everything has to be about the boy and the girl. The only thing I didn't care for is the cover. I'm not sure why exactly, but it didn't scream "pick me up!". It didn't even seem to mutter it under its breath. But don't let that stop you from picking this one up if you're looking for a summer romance/thriller.
I don't believe I've gushed enough about Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series. Nope, not enough. So. Today's spotlight is on book #3 in said series, and should be available in bookstores now, even though the official release date is July 6th.
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.
Oooooh, I so cannot wait to read this and tell you how much I loved it. Because I will, I just know it! *grin* If you haven't checked out Chloe's CV series, start with Some Girls Bite and Friday Night Bites.
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.
Title: Prey (Shifters #4)
Author: Rachel Vincent
ISBN-13: 9780778329138
eBook
Publisher: Mira, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Prey is bought and paid for. 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. Book #4 in Rachel Vincent's Shifters series sure amps things up a couple notches. Maybe a bit more than a couple notches... Anyway. Now the power grabbing is out in the open, and the factions are building forces. Strays are banding together to attack Prides. Marc disappears. What the heck is going on??
Prey is an attention-grabber, and kudos to Ms. Vincent for keeping everything moving so that you never lose interest. Parts of it are emotionally draining, so have a box by you if you're prone to getting teary-eyed. The best part of Prey? Faythe does a lot of growing up. And y'all know how I am about immature heroines, right? Well, Faythe made me proud with how she handled things, and herself. This installment is the best so far, and I can only hope that Shift and Alpha (coming in October) keep the bar up high. Grab this (start with #1) if you're a fan of urban fantasy. I don't think you'll regret it.
Gee, how'd I forget this one?? *rolls eyes at myself*
I'm sure you're waiting to find out who'll be getting a copy of Luis Alberto Urrea's Into the Beautiful North. Well, wait no more. According to Randomizer, the lucky ducks are...
Margie!!
Shelley!!
Congratulations, y'all!! Emails have gone out, please get back to me before the end of day Sunday. And thanks a bunch for stopping by!!
Title: Naked in Death (In Death #1)
Author: J.D. Robb
ISBN-13: 9780425148297
eBook:
Publisher: Penguin, 1995
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Naked in Death joined my nook library after multiple mentions by Chloe Neill. 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 totally blame Chloe Neill for my latest obsession. Yes, I'm talking about that tall gorgeous hunk of a handsome mess, Roarke. Dark hair + blue eyes = YUMMY!
Ok. Enough about the boy. Let's get to the book. Eve Dallas is a cop--and one with an attitude. She's good at what she does, even as she battles nightmares from her murky past. The setting is in the future, where food comes out of a machine, automobiles fly, and people have droids to wait on them. But, the crimes still involve murder and mayhem. When someone starts killing prostitutes (or licensed companions, as they're referred to), Eve becomes embroiled in political wrangling even as she tries to find the serial killer before another victim shows up. And this is the auspicious start to her relationship with Roarke--he shows up on her suspect list.
I really enjoyed the story--it flows smoothly, the characters are nicely developed, and the plot isn't one of those flimsy excuses that are usually wrapped around a romance. I've already started on #2, Glory in Death, and I'll let you know if I am (a) still drooling over Roarke, and (b) going to keep reading this series. What do you want to bet the answers to both is a resounding YES?
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!
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.
Today's TLC Book Tour is for a charming and lyrical book by Heather Barbieri--The Lace Makers of Glenmara.
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.
About 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.
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 Shiftwas 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...
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.
Title: 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 ...
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
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*
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!
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!
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?
About 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.
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:
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.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Airports.
Who is/are your favorite hero/heroine(s) in fiction?
People who are broken but hopeful. Haven Kimmel characters. Frank Turner Hollon characters.
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.
What sound do you love?
Purring.
What sound do you hate?
High pitched rhythmic electronic beepy noises.
The quality you admire most in a man?
Honesty.
The quality you admire most in a woman?
Honesty.
If not a writer, you would be a ...
Useless object. I have no other skills.
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!
When 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.
Rose 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!
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.
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 Alabamawas 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.
It's tour time! TLC Tours is touring Mary Kay Andrews' The Fixer Upper!
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.
About 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.
Title: 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*
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?
, 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 signed copy of 
, and some Chicagoland Vampires swag!!
(Cassandra Palmer #1) by Karen Chance
(Cassandra Palmer #2) by Karen Chance
(Cassandra Palmer #3) by Karen Chance
(Alpha and Omega #1) by Patricia Briggs
(Ephemera #1) by Anne Bishop
by Charlotte Bronte and Sherri Browning Erwi
When 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.
