2012 Women's Murder Club Reading Challenge

2012 Women's Murder Club Reading Challenge

  Darlene'sBook Nook am hosting another reading challenge!

Welcome to the Women's Murder Club Reading Challenge hosted by Darlene's Book Nook!

I read the first two books in the series this year, and I want to continue on in the series. Since I could not find anyone else hosting this challenge, I thought I would give it a whirl!

The books in the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson are:

1. 1st to Die (Women's Murder Club, Book #1)
2. 2nd Chance (Women's Murder Club, Book #2)
3. 3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club, Book #3)
4. 4th of July (Women's Murder Club, Book #4)
5. The 5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club, Book #5)
6. The 6th Target (Women's Murder Club, Book #6)
7. 7th Heaven (Women's Murder Club, Book #7)
8. The 8th Confession (Women's Murder Club, Book #8)
9. The 9th Judgment (Women's Murder Club, Book #9)
10. 10th Anniversary (Women's Murder Club, Book #10)
11. 11th Hour (Women's Murder Club, Book #11) - expected publication March 1, 2012

Please read below for the challenge guidelines.

2012 Women's Murder Club Reading Challenge

Here are the challenge details:

1. This challenge will run from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012.

2. You can join the challenge at any time, whether you haven't yet started the series or are already halfway through. All books read in 2012 count for the challenge, regardless of when you sign up.

3. This challenge can cross-over to your other reading challenges.

4. You do not need a blog to participate! If you are not a blogger, you can post your reviews at Goodreads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing and link them up here.

5. All formats of books are acceptable: Bound copies, e-books, and audiobooks (as long as they are unabridged).

6. There are four levels for the challenge:

a. Level 1: Read 1-3 books in the series.
b. Level 2: Read 4-6 books in the series.
c. Level 3: Read 7-9 books in the series.
d. Level 4: Read 10-11 books in the series.

7. When you write your sign-up post, you must choose your level. You can go up, but you cannot go down!

8. There will be link-ups for your reviews on a quarterly basis, which will be posted on THIS page.

9. There will be a link for your wrap-up post at the end of the year.

10. Create a sign-up post and link back to this post. Sign up with Mister Linky below! Be sure to use the direct url to your sign-up post and not the url to your blog.

http://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.com/2011/12/2012-womens-murder-club-reading.html

Blood: The New Red Review

Blood: The new Red begins at an after party where Mickey, and ex-adult movie star turned supermodel, is aligning himself with one of top Designers of Seventh Avenue. While trying to land a job on the runway Mickey is thrown into the center of a scene where sex is often the motivation, the wine is served by year, and cocaine is back in full force. Juanita, Mickey’s girlfriend is having difficulties staying sober, fully clothed, and off of her famous boyfriend.

Mickey goes to work for Fashion icon Paul Johnson, one of the two top Designers in NYC. The other is Sandy Johnson, another Designer who will stop at nothing including murder to guarantee victory. A runway exhibition has been scheduled for the two to compete in and find out who truly is the best Johnson. Mickey will be Paul’s top model, and Sandy has found a homeless person nicknamed Kung Fu Master to show his line.

In addition to getting his new line in place, Paul Johnson is also buying chain saws, the louder the better, to put the special in this special event.

Did you know that you can’t be sentenced to prison if actively seeking help at a mental facility? Paul Johnson knows this.

Somewhere between the girls, counting Vicodin pills, and show preparation Mickey has grown a conscience and no longer likes what he sees. He believes (and his psychiatrist agrees) that he has the power to change what’s happening around him.

Days before the show Kung Fu Master turns up dead and there is an attempt on Mickey’s life. After a brief period of unconsciousness Mickey is back, is told that Juanita and brother Cheeks are now also dead and that he must continue with the show. After all, what would Steven Tyler do?

The night of the show is laced with celebrities and models on the runway as well as one particular popular day-time talk show host that may or may not be murdered on the runway.

In the end only one Johnson will walk away, although this is temporary as Mickey has the last word.

Right before he pops his last Vicodin.

Genre - Literary Fiction, Humor, Dark Comedy, Transgressive
Format - Ebook & Print
Publisher - Offense Mechanisms - An Imprint of Silverthought Press
Released - December 1, 2011

Review

When I originally agreed to review this book I thought it might be a dark comedy along the lines of the movies like War of the Roses or Sue Grafton novels.  However, this turned out to be more of a farce, tongue in cheek story with humor reminiscent of comic books turned movies like Dick Tracey.  The story is a sarcastic, campy tale of the fashion world at it's more absurd, with rampant drug use, ridiculous fashion designers and designs, and over the top characters in unbelievable situations.  It was a fast, funny read if taken as the farce it is.  If you are looking for a story with depth of character, believable story line, and real life situations, skip this book.  If you want a light, fantastical read where belief is suspended, then this is the story for you.

I received both an e-copy and a paperback copy of this book.  I have received an updated e-copy and the spelling and grammatical errors were corrected.  The rest of the review remains the same.

Furthermore, I found the writing to be banal and replete with cliched situations, such as characters sniffing crack off the hookers bare breast.  When I first read the blurb on this book I thought it would be a somewhat serious mystery, but this book was cliched and cartoonish.  This is not a book I would choose in a book store where I would have perused the pages.  It is possible that I did not enjoy it due to the misconception of the type of book it would be and the fact that this is not my typical choice of fare.  For fans of cartoonish, dark humor this would probably be a good read, but it is not my cup of tea.  I give it 2 of 5 clouds.

guest blog post for the Tundra 37 Book tour

Matchmaker, Matchmaker Make Me A Match…

Anyone familiar with Fiddler on the Roof knows what I’m talking about…couples being matched up. This is exactly what they do on the colony ships in my New Dawn series, and for good reason. Generations must live on the ship, and with such a closed environment and harsh deep space conditions, the survival of humanity lies on producing the strongest, hardiest future generation. Desperate times calls for desperate measures.

In Tundra 37, the main character, Gemme Reiner, is the matchmaker. She loves her cushy job with a nice view of deep space and a comfy chair to swivel around in. Yes, she has thousands of matches to supervise, but the computer does most of the work, and all she has to do is hit the approve or disapprove buttons. It’s very simple up until the day her match flashes on the screen. He’s the gorgeous lieutenant that everyone wants for themselves. Not only will she look like she’d contrived the pairing, she just might lose her job. And she can’t even think about his hands touching hers, or how he’d make her feel. Out of the question.

After Gemme presses the delete button on her match, a comet shower pummels the ship, destroying the pairing system forever. Her job as the matchmaker is over, and she must join an exploratory team, led by the handsome lieutenant, to find minerals able to power what’s left of the ship. Only, she finds much more than minerals in the vast tundra. The truth to why the computer has entwined their destinies unfolds in an ancient alien device buried deep in the snow.

What would you do if you were matched to the hottest man on the ship? Would it be a blessing or a curse? Would you press accept or delete?

~Shawn Kirsten Maravel~: Make Kony Famous

~Shawn Kirsten Maravel~: Make Kony Famous: I have been seeing this "Make Kony famous" stuff around for the past few days and had ignored it until now. Do yourself a favor...don't igno...

Review for “Fezariu’s Epiphany”

 Book Cover and Synopsis

Title: Fezariu’s Epiphany
Author: David M. Brown
Genre: Epic Fantasy

12-year-old Fezariu thought his mother died when he was little, but when his beloved stepfather dies the boy discovers she is alive and well - and working at the most famous brothel in all of Elenchera. When she cruelly rejects him it's more than he can bear, and he runs away to join a band of ruthless soldiers for hire. The Merelax Mercenaries will fight for anyone who can pay them, no matter the justice of the cause.

Fezariu grows up among the soldiers and becomes one of them. He thinks his time with the mercenaries has hardened him. But a campaign in his old home town pushes him too far, and he discovers what really happened to his mother. Maybe there are some things money shouldn't buy... and maybe it's time Fezariu took his revenge.

Review

Fezariu’s Epiphany was an excellent read.  The world created by David Brown is rich with details and poignant emotion.  The story is mainly is third person, but mainly focuses on Fezariu.  All the other people whose eyes you see through have a direct or indirect impact on the fate of Fezariu.  I enjoyed getting to know this world, which while futuristic was still fairly primitive.  It was very enjoyable.

All that said there were several things in the book that were difficult for me to follow or that were harder to believe that others.  I was also confused by the title, Fezariu’s Epiphany.  He never has an Epiphany.  He is told what should have been obvious to anyone by someone that loves him but he doesn’t love back.

Book Excerpt

“…Fezariu thought about his life:  his birth in Larchfield, his later childhood on the sleazy streets of Clarendon and finally his blossoming career in the Merelax Mercenaries.

Fezariu’s memories, so vivid in their poignancy and regret, played out smoothly in his mind and helped him to forget the frostbite that was now beginning to cripple is body.

Fezariu remembered his reason for becoming a mercenary in the first place, the same reason that had led him to this lonely place in the forest.  It had all started in the White Oak, a squalid brothel in Clarendon, and Fezariu’s sad fate had been down to one woman – a prostitute named Wild Jessamine.”

Author Bio

David Brown could be considered a fantasy fanatic, especially since he has spent the last 10 years developing a 47,000-year history for his fictional world of Elenchera. When converting his obsession into literary form, David commits himself to a rigorous writing and editing process before his work can meet his approval. Combined with the critical eye of his wife and a BA Honors in History and English, David's dedication leads him to his goal of inspiring readers through heartfelt stories and characters.

Although David is inspired primarily by fantasy fiction, he also finds his muse in the form of anime, world cinema, history, and biographies. His own books, Fezariu's Epiphany and the in-progress A World Apart, combine aspects from worlds both old and new into compelling tales of a world not soon forgotten., David himself certainly does not lack a spirit of adventure; in fact, he left his job in 2007 in order to spend a month traveling. Second only to meeting and marrying his wife, David counts this as one of the most amazing experiences of his life.

Important Links

The Elencheran Chronicles    http://elenchera.com

The World According to Dave            http://blog.elenchera.com

Twitter            http://twitter.com/elenchera

Facebook:        http://www.facebook.com/fezariu

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11451305-fezariu-s-epiphany (book page)

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fezarius-Epiphany-Elencheran-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00515BM9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327742120&sr=8-1

B&N:   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fezarius-epiphany-david-brown/1102095604?ean=9781456500597&itm=1&usri=fezarius+epiphany

Book Depository:  http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Fezarius-Epiphany-David-Brown/9781447718772

IndieBound:  http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781456500597?aff=elenchera

Free FREE reads

Free Reads Week

This week, from March 12^th to March 16^th, InkSpell Publishing is organizing a free reads week. That means that you can read free short stories by some of the InkSpell Publishing authors.

On March 12^th,  you can read Forever Yours by Shilpa Mudiganti, the author of contemporary romance novella Always You. In Forever Yours, main character Amelia loves Aaron, her fiancé. But she also loves Damon. Can one be in love with two men at the same time? How do you define infidelity? Or fidelity?

On March 13^th, InkSpell releases Love, Lies and other Disasters, a contemporary romance short story by Cecilia Robert, the author of Truly, Madly, Deeply You. In Love, Lies and other Disasters, the one person Celina fought so hard to get over five years ago is back, and has kidnapped her. He says he wants a second chance to prove his love. Will she allow him to glide back into her life and heart?

On March 14^th, you can read Beyond The Hidden Gate by Debbie Peterson, the author of paranormal romance novel Shadow of the Witte Wieven. In Beyond The Gate, Aynia doesn’t remember anything, save her name. Can Aeden help her remember who she is, the love they shared and the importance of the quest for which she risked her life? Or will the power of an evil warlock shatter all they hold dear?

On March 15^th, InkSpell releases yet another contemporary romance short story, this time Coming Together by Naya Nikki, author of Familiar Ties. Life is complicated when you are pregnant at 17. But when the father doesn’t know and he’s marrying another right in front of you, it is bound to break your heart. What does Ellie do? Cry on her daughter’s shoulders?

Last but not least, on March 16^th, author Stephanie Lawton’s short story After Taste will be released. In After Taste, nothing can shield him from the horrible dream. Nothing can protect her from a danger she can’t see.

If you want to read these mix of romantic, tense and suspenseful stories, then head over to the InkSpell Publishing website. And there’s more. Not only is InkSpell Publishing handing out free short stories to their readers, they’re also organizing a contest at the end of the week. Participants in the contest need to answer one question from each story correctly, and in return they can win a $10 Amazon Gift Card and an InkSpell novel of their choosing! What are you waiting for?

Fun Giveaway at http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2012/02/thank-you-giveaway-50-in-books.html


I'm always a bit awed and humbled by the number of people who regularly visit this blog. 

A huge thank you to those who find a reason to regularly visit.  I seriously believe I've got the best of the best when it comes to blog followers and readers!

I just hit a blogging milestone - 1,000,000 page views.

I was watching but missed the actual 1,000,000 page view.

But I did catch a snapshot of the 999,999th page view.















Seems like a reason to celebrate and what better way to so than by hosting a giveaway.

First I must give a shout out to those who have purchased through my amazon associate links, bought advertising or clicked through to advertisers. I couldn't do a giveaway like this without your support!

Now for the GIVEAWAY!

1 Lucky Follower will receive $50 in books.

 The winner may choose an amazon.com gift card or to choose up to $50 in books from the book depository.

Entering is simple. Just fill out the form below.

To Enter please follow this blog however you want (GFC, LinkyFollowers, RSS, Twitter or Facebook) links are in my right sidebar.

Extra Entries:
+1 for having a confirmed email subscription: CLICK HERE to subscribe via email.

+1 for leaving me a comment on this post telling me your favorite thing about this blog.

+1 for sharing this giveaway on facebook or twitter @toobusyreading  - there are icons at the bottom of this post that make it easy to do.
Or post your own message, here is an example:

Enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card or $50 in Books from the Book Depository @toobusyreading
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2012/02/thank-you-giveaway-50-in-books.html

That's up to 4 entries per person.