Contest Alert! Booklover1335 is having a contest!!

Booklover1335 is having a special guest today. Author Lorelei James is visiting and she offering ebooks for her contest. Check out her newest release.

One year ago Willow Gregory entered the Miss Firecracker contest on a dare—and ended up with the crown. As a working carpenter, she’s not exactly the tears-and-tiara type, and after a year of walking the straight and narrow she’s ready to cut loose.

Waking up in a sexy stranger’s bed with no memory of the havoc she wreaked the night before wasn’t quite what she had in mind. Nor was agreeing to his mandate—work for him at the tavern until she repays the damage. Or go to jail.

Blake West thinks he could possibly be the only man alive who could say no to a drunken, horny, naked beauty queen. There’s something about the former Miss Firecracker that makes him want to blow his Mr. Nice Guy persona all to hell.

It helps that Willow is ready to dive headfirst into a no-heartstrings-attached affair. Which fits in perfectly with Blake’s temporary gig managing his friend’s bar.

Every grinding kiss, every stolen touch leads to another…until a harmless little white lie becomes the detonator that could explode their chances at a happily ever after.

Warning: this light-hearted beach read features a hero hotter than the 4th of July and a feisty heroine who knows exactly how to pop his top.

So, stop by today and check out this great contest! Just click here!

Dawnbreaker, Third Book of the Dark Days Series (ARC) by Jocelynn Drake

Publisher: EOS Books / Harper Collins
Pages: 457 (384 pb)
Release date 9-29-09

(all book images and blurbs from Harper Collins)

From the Cover:
"The dawn brinks new terror for the creatures of the night..."

Those off her race fear Mira for the lethal fire she bends to her will -- a power unique among nightwalkers, both a gift ... and a curse.

The naturi despise Mira for what she is -- as they prepare the final sacrifice that will destroy the barriers between the worlds. And once the naturi are unchained, blood, chaos, and horror will reign supreme on Earth.

Mira can trust only Danaus, the more-than-mortal vampire slayer, though he is sworn to destroy her kind. And now, as the day approaches when titanic forces will duel under cover of darkness, destiny draws them toward an apocalyptic confrontation at Machu Picchu. But all is not lost. for a wild card has been dealt to them: a rogue enemy princess who can change the balance of power and turn the dread tide."

"Instant New York Times bestselling author Jocelynn Drake returns with the third action-packed Dark Days novel, as vampire enforcer Mira must stop an ancient coven."

Background Information:

"NIGHTWALKER is an action-packed, stellar debut. Jocelynn Drake will have you coming back for more." (Jeaniene Frost, New York Times bestselling author of Halfway to the Grave )

"An intoxicating mix of jet-setting action and sparkling turns of phrase that let me taste the Nile and feel the British fog. NIGHTWALKER is a must-read addition to the urban fantasy genre, filled both with action and satisfying characters." (Kim Harrison, New York Times bestselling author of For a Few Demons More )

"An unflinchingly self-assured first novel, chiseled with subtlety and irony into a darkly suspenseful and blessedly surprising story. In exacting detail, and with prose as silky and enticing as her protagonist, Drake has composed a love letter to the vampire genre. I wish I'd written it." (Vicki Pettersson )

Mira has returned to her beloved Savannah, but she is being hunted.....Naturi have followed from Venice. And they are a particularly blood thirsty bunch. The lycans are not safe, they're being summoned as foot soldiers for the Naturi, and at every turn the nightwalkers are fighting, if not the naturi, then the lycans. Both numbers of lycan and nightwalker are dwindling and the lycans are ready to pronounce an all out war on the nightwalkers to cleanse the city of the naturi presence.

Amanda, a nightwalker who wants to become part of Mira's new family, has been captured by the naturi and Mira knows what the naturi do to their captives. Danaus arrives from his home base in London just as Mira is set to reclaim Amanda. The naturi have to be dealt with before they open the door, summoning Aurora into the human realm. Mira needs to learn to use the earth magic that has been thrumming through her body, pushing for a place to belong, and also for a release, a need to be used.

As Mira and Danaus try to rescue Amanda, the naturi also have another captive, a young naturi female bound in iron, Aurora's youngest sister and princess to the naturi queendom, Cynnia. Why would the naturi have one of their own bound in iron? What is Rowe planning now? Will Mira and Danaus survive this next encounter with the naturi or will they perish as others have before them?

Dawnbreaker by Jocelynn Drake was a magical ride through the mysteries yet to come in the Nightwalker world. It was an fantastic addition to the Dark Days Series that will leaving you hoping, begging, screaming for more. We're left wondering what could be in store for the future of this series. I tried to stretch out this book, torn between wanting to speed through the pages, yet hanging on every word. Our heroine, Mira, has been put through Hell, but it's not over yet. The naturi want nothing more than to separate her head from her body, bringing the only true death for our Fire Starter. Rowe has sent his minions into her home to hunt her down, nothing will stand his way for releasing his queen-wife. The Coven and the members of the nightwalker society who were hoping for the unclaimed seat of Tabor are hoping for her death as well, but not before the seal is re-made. Mira finds herself as a protector of mankind as well as the Earth. Our hero, Danaus, is growing closer to Mira. It's almost as if he is being drawn to the one thing that brings the worst part of his soul into the open, the monsters that he has been hunting and killing all of his long life. Now, he begins to see that not all of the monsters come in nightwalker form. He realizes that some nightwalkers seek what he has lost as well, the humanity that has been alluding them all.

Dawnbreaker is such as incredible addition to the series that all I have tried to do is to peak your interest, give a small taste of what is to come in this unfolding world of the Nightwalker. It is truly a masterpiece of writing. Please visit Jocelynn Drake's website, it chock full of extras. Ms. Drakes blog as wonderful insights to her writing process and it updated regularly. Eos Books, which offered this very early ARC is a wonderful site full of great information. Thanks to both Eos Books and Jocelynn Drake for making this review possible.

If you have not read Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake, what are you wanting for?? Here is a peek at the blurb for Nightwalker, First of The Dark Days Series.


For centuries Mira has been a nightwalker—an unstoppable enforcer for a mysterious organization that manipulates earth-shaking events from the darkest shadows. But elemental mastery over fire sets her apart from others of her night-prowling breed . . . and may be all that prevents her doom.

The foe she now faces is human: the vampire hunter called Danaus, who has already destroyed so many undead. For Mira, the time has come to hunt . . . or be hunted.

And Dayhunter, The Second Book in the Dark Days Series.



A new day dawns blood red

A master of fire, Mira is the last hope for the world. For centuries she has secretly enforced the history-altering edicts of the Triad. Now she and her unlikely ally—the human vampire hunter, Danaus—have come to Venice, home of the nightwalker rulers. But there is no safety in the ancient city, for the threat of conflict is in the wind . . . with unholy alliances and earth-shattering betrayals taking hideous form in the shadows.

Banished for eons beyond the world's boundaries, the malevolent naturi prepare to feed once again upon a vulnerable earth—and treachery is opening wide the portal that will enable their dread re-emergence. The great battle that has always been Mira's destiny is looming, and she must remain powerful in the face of a shocking revelation: that Danaus, the only creature she dares to trust, is something more than the man he claims to be . . .



Biographical information about Jocelynn Drake:

(image from SciFiGuy's webiste)

By day, Jocelynn Drake is a clean-cut financial analyst writer, but in her free time she writes about a dark underworld where vampires rule. The author of Nightwalker, she lives in Kentucky.

(from Harper Collins)
• Nightwalker was an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller, spending four weeks on the extended and USA Today lists. This is a fabulous start for a debut author, and gives HarperCollins the perfect platform to build this commercial writer.
• Supernatural fiction is still going strong, as shown by the amazing sales of Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, and HarperCollins’s own wildly successful authors Kim Harrison and Vicki Pettersson.
• With a strong heroine and a sexy vampire hunter, Dawnbreaker is perfect for the many fans of paranormal romance looking for more great reads.
• Jocelynn Drake has a fresh new take on vampires, mixing globetrotting adventure and intrigue with a sexy cat-and-mouse game between the vampire heroine and a hunter—who has his own dark secrets. The heroine is fabulous—Mira is a mix of Jennifer Garner in Alias and Underworld’s Kate Beckinsale—a badass, beautiful, bloodsucking babe with a brain.
• Dawnbreaker will be published in October 2009, just five months after Dayhunter. Given HarperCollins’s great track record with rapid publication, this will continue to build Jocelynn Drake into a bestselling supernatural author.

Daybreakers ~ New Vamp Movie And Wonderful Find ~ Book Trailer for Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost!!

Latest on the new vampire movie to be released January 8, 2010. This isn't Twilight.

(courtesy Doug @ SciFiGuy)

Two-time Academy Award nominee® Ethan Hawke plays Edward Dalton, a researcher in the year 2019, in which an unknown plague has transformed the world's population into vampires. As the human population nears extinction, vampires must capture and farm every remaining human, or find a blood substitute before time runs out. However, a covert group of vampires makes a remarkable discovery, one which has the power to save the human race. For more visit http://www.daybreakersmovie.com/

Plot Synopsis by Jason Buchanan (from Ask.com)

Fresh off the success of their inventive take on the zombie genre, Undead masterminds Michael and Peter Spierig direct Ethan Hawke in an ambitious tale of a futuristic Earth populated entirely by vampires, and the efforts made by the creatures to ensure that their food supply doesn't run out as humankind is faced with extinction. The year is 2017, and a vampire plague has turned most of the planet's human population into bloodsucking ghouls. As the population of mortals fast begins to dwindle, a resourceful team of vampires sets out to capture and farm every remaining human while simultaneously researching a consumable blood substitute. Just when all hope seems lost, a secret is discovered that may provide the key to saving the human race.

(pics from bollyhood)

Okay!! This looks scary as hell, I'm torn, do I go see it and have nightmares or sleep soundly? Nightmares are starting to look pretty good.....

(Courtesy Jeaniene Frost's blog at: http://frost-light.livejournal.com/104800.html)


Cat Crawfield thought no vampire could control her mind. Then Master vampire Gregor reveals a past with him Cat didnt rememberuntil now. Gregor might have first claim on Cat but Bones has no intention of letting her go. To beat the grave this time, Cat may have to join itDestined for an Early Grave Jeaniene Frost Book Trailer Find out more about this author here http://www.jeanienefrost.com Find out more about this book http://tinyurl.com/qgth6u romance, urban fantasy
Paranormal, dark sexy action, vampires, romance, Jeaniene Frost, urban fantasy

Release date: July 28, 2009

From the Cover: Her deadly dreams leave her in grave danger

Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they've fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it's time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She's having visions of a vampire named Gregor who's more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn't know about.

Gregor believes Cat is his and he won't stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor's hold over her. She'll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she's ever faced . . . even if getting that power will result in an early grave.

Okay, I'm seriously loving this book! Look at the amazing cover art and trailer! *clapping* Everyone say "WOW"!!

Dangerously Innocent, When Looks REALLY Deceive by Nesrine Joseph

Publisher: BookPal
Pages: 147

From the Cover: Two detectives, one case and many dead.... Senior Sergeant Detectives, Luther James and Rochelle Trevelyan, are two people out to find a maniac on a killing rampage who has used gruesome force to attack and take the lives of his victims.Played out in the suburbs of Sydney, Luther and Rochelle need to keep their cool and try to capture at least one suspect to fit the profile of what's been dubbed as the 'Slicer Case'.

As their fourth victim becomes the target of the killer, so does their very first witness, Marissa Martin, a beautiful doctor with a common cause of loneliness in her heart who owns more than one secret and a shadowed past that constantly comes back to haunt her.Ready to take action and determined to get their culprit, Luther and Rochelle set out to prove that when it comes to capturing their man, detectives are smarter than they look.

Luther and Rochelle are detectives with a problem. They seem to have a serial killer in their midst and it's proving hard to catch a break. 'The Slicer Case' is murder at it's worst, the killer is cutting out body parts with great precision. As we come into the story there have been four murders, each one more grisly than the one before.

With further investigation, Luther and Rochelle, discover that some of their witnesses and victims may not be as innocent as they seem. Jo-Beth, the latest victim's wife, flees to New Zealand. Marissa, the latest victim's lover, thinks her father and cousin are dead, but her cousin has been seen, at the apartment of Marissa's former convict boyfriend and suddenly her priest turns up dead.

If Luther and Rochelle want to stay on the case, they need a break quick. Someone knows something and it's up to them to put the puzzle pieces together. But can they do it before the killer or killers claim another victim?

Dangerously Innocent by Nesrine Joseph is a book full of local color and vernacular unique to the Australian continent. It's a fast read, again in the area of one hour. Maybe a beach read with a surprise ending. This is an exciting read that leaves the reader wondering what this writer will grow to be. It has tons of action, car crashes and chases, and grisly murders that have the reader cringing. If you enjoy a lively police chases, murderers and conspiracies running wild, then Dangerously Innocent is the book for you. For more information about Nesrine Joseph, please contact BookPal. Be warned, the cover art on this book has nothing to do with the story inside the cover. It just provides the feeling of danger that fills the author's words. I received this book as a review request.

Here's a peek at the book trailer.

The Last Generation To Die by Marc L. Paulsen

Publisher: Stance Media & Publication
Pages: 186

From the Cover: Charlie Carr is a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter deeply devoted to his ten year old daughter who is dying of a fatal disease. During the investigation of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the crash of a luxury private airliner he uncovers a biotechnology company that has discovered the cure for many of the most serious of human diseases through the use of stem cell technology. The deeper he digs the more complex and risky things become. Soon he finds himself the subject of an investigation and then targeted for murder as he methodically uncovers a conspiracy between the super rich and the highest levels of government to keep humanity’s most sought after treasure exclusively for themselves.

Charlie is an award winning journalist down on his luck, that's what happen when one of your sources denies giving information and you lose your credibility. His ex-wife, Maxine, is the state's newest representative. And his daughter, Jennifer, at the sweet age of ten is dying of cystic fibrous.

When Charlie discovers that there's a possibility that local scientist, Dr. Simms, has found a cure through stem cell research, Charlie pounces on the research. He begs Simms for the cure, promising not to publish the story until Simms gives him the okay. Simms provides the serum, but Maxine destroys it, she doesn't believe in stem cell research.

Charlie approaches Simms for more serum, but he's suddenly killed, taking his research with him and the company he works for isn't inclined to share. What will Charlie do? How will he save his daughter? Will he survive long enough to care?

Last Generation to Die by Marc Paulsen is a screenplay adapted to book format. With a little more adaptation, this would easily qualify as an excellent book, I wanted more. It was an interesting read with an unique intensity. Driving and singularly explosive, with science fiction meeting science fact. It was quite enjoyable, but lacks some of the cohesiveness of most novels, though easily provided a great action movie for your brain. I felt like I was part of the book. If you don't mind the lack of cohesion (I had no problem with it or following the story) and would like the feel of being part of the movie, The Last Generation to Die is the book for you. It was an extremely fast read, less than an hour. It's an action packed thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. For more information, check out Stance Media & Publications. This books was received as a review request.

Contest Winner!! Traveling Light by Diana Rubino

There were 52 items in your list. (Wow! That's 52 entries!!)

1. Leontine

Timestamp: 2009-06-25 13:58:46 UTC



Leontine, I will be sending you an email for your snail mail addy!

Broken Wing by Judith James

Publisher: Medallion Press, Incorporated
Pages: 350

From the Cover: Set during the chaotic beginnings of Napoleon's rule, this saga tells the story of Gabriel St. Croix, a street survivor searching for a place to belong. Abandoned as a child and raised in a brothel, he has never known friendship or affection. Hiding physical and emotional scars behind an icy façade, his only relationship is with a young boy he has spent the last five years protecting from the brutal reality of their environment. But all that is about to change. The boy's family has found him, and they are coming to take him home. Sarah Munroe blames herself for her brother's disappearance. When he's located, safe and unharmed despite where he has been living, Sarah vows to help the man who rescued and protected him in any way she can. With loving patience she helps Gabriel face his demons and teaches him to trust in friendship and love. But when the past catches up with him, Gabriel must face it on his own. Becoming a mercenary, pirate, and professional gambler, he travels to London, France, and the Barbary Coast in a desperate attempt to find Sarah again. On the way, however, he will discover the most dangerous journey and the greatest gamble of all is within the darkest reaches of his own heart.

Gabriel can be whatever you want him to be. He can be your lover, your whore, your pouty courtesan, your made-up boy toy. What he feels he can't be is true to himself or have one true love. Since being dropped off at Madame's brothel as a young boy, he's been used and abused. He's never known love or even affection. He hard, cynical, and no one takes advantage of him anymore. Then one day, everything changes.

James is much like Gabriel. He's been sent to the brothel when his parents perished. He doesn't have anywhere else to go and he doesn't know where rest of his family is. He's just a child, innocent and without knowledge of the world and the sickness of some of the people who inhabit it.

Gabriel finds James and discovers something he has never known before. Someone needs him, looks up to him, and someone needs a savior. James needs help if he's going to remain alive and in one piece. It takes five long years of hiding, beatings, and pain to keep James safe, but finally James' family has found him and they're coming to collect him. The only problem is James. He's refusing to leave without Gabriel.

Sarah is James' older half-sister. She and her older brother, Ross, come to collect James. When she sees the made-up Gabriel ready for a night of solicitation, her heart stops. He's so beautiful even with the kohl around his eyes. Her heart breaks for the man that has saved her brother, knowing what he has had to endure to keep him safe. With James and Sarah insistent that Gabriel return to England with them, Ross has little choice. But will Gabriel be able to live outside of the brothel? Is he a danger to their family? Will Sarah loose her heart to a scoundrel?

Broken Wing by Judith James is a historical romance set in France and England during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. It's a moving drama that tells the struggles of a young man, Gabriel St. Croix, who has existed in a brothel for most of his life. Refusing to see another child fated to his existence, he takes young James under his wing, as broken as it is, and protects the young boy with his very life. Gabriel is one of the disposal people of his society. No one really cares about him or cares about what happens to him. He's just another life that has slipped between the cracks. He is extremely tortured, torn between what society expects and what his reality is. Without James, Gabriel is desolate, he's unreachable and untouchable. Sarah Munroe has suffered during her life as well, her dastardly uncle is suspected of killing her parents, dumping young James, making an attempt on Ross' life, and marrying Sarah off to one of his cronies. Fortunately, when Ross is located and recovers, Sarah's uncle meets his end under mysterious circumstances. Sarah is kind hearted almost to a fault. She accepts Gabriel not only for the man she hopes he can be, but for the man that he is, the man that life has made him. She accepts his shortcomings and she's able to look beyond to the future. With her help, Gabriel starts to overcome what has happened to him in his life. But life isn't through with Gabriel yet, and his fate takes many twists and turns on the road that leads with towards his ultimate heart's desire.

Broken Wing is a quick read, holding my attention from page one. I received this book as a review request and I can say that it was excellently done. It captured my attention and refused to let go, demanding to be read. My heart broke for Gabriel and Sarah, for their ill fated love and love found again. It was indeed one of the best historical romances that I've read. If you love romance, then you won't want to miss this one. For more information about Judith James and her other great books, please visit her website. Her next book, Highland Rebel, is due out September 1, 2009.
From the Cover: Amidst the upheaval of Cromwell's Britain, Jamie Sinclair's wit and military prowess have served him well. Leading a troop in Scotland, he impetuously marries a captured maiden, saving her from a grim fate......

Today is SciFi/Fantasy Day!! (Following Bambi Reads - Linda Ellen and Romance Book Ryrm - Amy)

Sci-fi/fantasy author Sharon Lee has declared June 23rd Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers Day. As she puts it:

"So! In my Official Capacity as a writer of science fiction and fantasy, I hereby proclaim June 23 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Day! A day of celebration and wonder! A day for all of us readers of science fiction and fantasy to reach out and say thank you to our favorite writers. A day, perhaps, to blog about our favorite sf/f writers. A day to reflect upon how written science fiction and fantasy has changed your life."

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a bookaholic. I was one of those kids that would wait for the parents to go to bed, haul out the flashlight and read.


When I was a very young girl, I discover to the world of fantasy. It all started when my parents bought their very first set of encyclopedias from a traveling book seller. You know, the guys that knock on your door, lugging around book samples. They used to do that anyway....not so much anymore. As a freebie, if they would buy the encyclopedias, a free set of children's anthology would be added, 10 anthology style books in all. They bought 'em, I read 'em from cover to cover and again and again.



Some of the anthologies were of fables, some classic with Hans Christian Anderson and Charles Dickens. Some were Disney classic - Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White - all told in their original glory.



My mom did the unthinkable, being a young and first time mom - not knowing any better, she started me in Kindergarten at the tender age of four years. I was a year behind everyone, but I loved it. I did have trouble learning to read, so weekly trips to the library ensued. I was allowed to pick five books every Saturday morning. And I taught myself to read. (See, I'm left handed and everything for some reason comes harder for me. I've discovered the same problem with my own children, and I just got in the habit of re-teaching my son's daily lesson to him.) I always carried a book with me, and as my parents family grew, I slowly found myself the oldest child in a family of seven children. I re-told stories to my sisters. We would pile in my bed at night and it would become storytime. After all, I had years of anthologies stored up in my brain.



After a while, I started to make up my own stories, because I got so darn tired of re-telling the old ones! So, using the names of my sisters (my brother soon abstained from story telling time, it was too girly) to keep their interest and sooth them to sleep, the stories began. They were all fantasies full of castles, knights, witches, faeries, and evil personages trying to stop our good heroes and heroines.



My dad introduced me to the world of science fiction. I glommed onto Star Trek, superhero comic books and shows - Batman, The Green Latern, Superman --- all in reruns, but that much better. My dad would fill me in on everything that I missed or didn't understand.



Then, I discover the world of vampires, warlocks, witches, and fae of all sorts. By this time, it was an addiction. One that I gladly fed, one that helped me escape the pressures of school and being the oldest of seven and the responsibilities of taking care of my siblings. There's a lot of work for everyone is a large family, being the oldest is hard. My grandma introduced me to romance when I was 10 years old and by the time I was 12, Barbara Cartland was on my night table, with Dukes, Counts, ripping bodices, and evil ne'er do wells. But, fantasy would be my staple, always there, ready to embrace me and take me away.



As I grew and my tastes changed, paranormal romance and urban fantasy, as well as my old friend, fantasy, have become my reads of choice. I love a good mystery as James Patterson or John Sandford can tell. I love contemporary and historical romance to slip me into another time, another place. Paranormal historicals are fantastic. Vampires are lovely, both scary and playful. Shifters of all sorts are an imagination factory. I love to read and to play with writing. It's fun and tremendously entertaining, and I thank all the writers and authors who have taken me away.

Thanks Amy for sharing this posting.

Fantastic Contest Alert!! Ending Soon!! Have You Been To J. Kaye's Blog Lately?

Offerings for the month of June! Huge Giveaway! Something for everyone: romance, suspense, memoir, paranormal, conservative, magical, funny!!


I don't know if you've ever visited J. Kaye's Book Blog, but if not, it's a stop you really should make. Here are the contests she running so far that are ending 6-27-09. I will update this contest post if needed!

Another I want to read!

Audiobook, hmmm....this one looks 'interesting' to say the least! Enter!

Want to get rich? Go over and enter, maybe find out how!

Audiobook, James Patterson, need I say more?

New England sex scandal, whoa --- enter soon!

Cool YA with a bite! Check this one out, captivating!

Ebook, lively and adventurous (needs some editing, but who doesn't?)

Gods of Midnight Series, I want this one!

Audiobook, memoir

Know a couple trying to connection, find out how here

Love at a Catholic Boarding School

Audiobook, again James Patterson, part of the Women Murder Club Series.

Book 1, paranormal YA, I'd love this one too.

Audiobook, mystery and first family

Mystery, murder, mayhem....

Jason Bourne's been ambushed, almost killed, and fights off bad guys.

Haunting and interesting

Pat Robertson? Hmmmm.....

Mum and Pup ---- love the sound!

Again with the murder!

Ohhhh! I like this one too!


Dork Dairies ends on 7-25-09 .... two to giveaway. Book One and one gift bag Book Two. Hurry over to enter!




So, head over to J. Kaye's Blog ---- one of each to give ---- multiple entries possible!

Chemical Cowboys - The DEA's Mission to Hunt Down a Nortorious Ecstasy Kingpin by Lisa Sweetingham

Publisher: Ballentine Books / Random House
Pages: 442

Release Date: February 24, 2009
(images and blurb from randomhouse.com)
From the Cover: For nearly a decade, Ecstasy kingpin Oded Tuito was the mastermind behind a drug ring that used strippers and Hassidic teenagers to mule millions of pills from Holland to the party triangle—Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.

Chemical Cowboys is a thrilling journey through the groundbreaking undercover investigations that led to the toppling of a billion-dollar Ecstasy trafficking network— starting in 1995 when New York DEA Agent Robert Gagne infiltrated club land to uncover a thriving drug scene supported by two cultures: pill-popping club kids and Israeli dealers.

Gagne’s obsessive mission to take down Tuito’s network met unexpected challenges and personal discoveries that almost crippled his own family.Weaved into the narrative are the stories of Tuito’s underlings who struggled with addiction as they ran from the law, and the compelling experiences of a veteran Israeli police officer who aided Gagne while chasing after his own target—a violent Mob boss who saw the riches to be made in Ecstasy and began to import his own pills and turf warfare to the U.S.

Chemical Cowboys offers a taut, behind-the-scenes glimpse into an international criminal enterprise as daring as it is deadly.

Our story starts out in 1973 with then President Nixon declaring an all out war on drugs, and bring into existence the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), almost a misnomer. As Lisa begins her story, she gives the background information of the DEA agents involved in this sweeping crime drama. Special Agents Robert Gagne (Gags) and Matt Germanowski are long time hard liners. Brought up through the ranks for Special Ops Forces, each as seen their share of death and destruction, each carry the weight of deaths of fellow soldiers, officers, agents and friends. Heroine, Cocaine, Crack -- all the drugs of choice for those looking to make quick money in the States. But now a new drug as arrived, Ecstasy, a tiny little pill sometimes stamped with cute little pictures in a multitude of colors, sometimes deadly enough to take out a whole party of teenagers, Kiddie Dope. Nightclub thorough fare, easily attainable, available for $5, $10, $20 a pop. But now it's not just the South American Drug Cartel involved in importing drugs. It has become a worldwide game, Israelis and other Middle Eastern countries involved, terrorists of another sort have arrived on the shores of America declaring of a different kind of war, leaving a wake of death even of rivals. Mob involvement from around the world, drugs are a big business. One drug kingpin attracts Gagne's attention above the others and it's the Tuito family. A ruthless druglord out to make as much money as possible, creating a powerful base and network, leaving fear in his wake. It's Gagne's wish to see the end of this inhuman being.

Chemical Cowboys by Lisa Sweetingham is crime drama with teeth. She is able to pull the reader, even unwillingly, into the web of crime that is the underworld of the drug culture. The characters in this story are real life cops in life and death situations. This is my first foray into true crime drama, but Chemical Cowboys left me wondering if it will be my last. The mystery and surprises that unfold for the reader are what has really happened. Ms. Sweetingham is able to recreate the underbelly of criminal activity that Drug Enforcement agents have to live with everyday and the criminals that become part of their daily existence. The struggles that they and their families have to endure. How some of the agents limit involvement of family, separate from friends and family, just so they have less to worry about, there's less to lose if you don't have anything to start with. It gives the reader a glimpse into the real world of criminal drug activity in the United States and aboard. Chemical Cowboys was an involved, exciting read pulling at the reader's emotions. The pain, agonizing loss, and the hope of catching and incarceration of criminals is felt throughout the book. If you are a fan of true crime drama, then Chemical Cowboys is the book for you. For more information about Lisa Sweetingham, please visit her website.

Happy Father's Day!! (and Happy Summer Solstice!!)

Why the World Need Dads


Who will kill all the bugs?
Who will give me hugs?


Who will tell me it's alright?
and love with all his might?

Who was my original white night?
Who made everything right?


Who will be there when I'm scared
without a care?


Who will come comfort me,
love me, kiss my skinned knee?


Who will give me away,
on that very special day?


Who will be there when I call,
noon, night, all day?


Who will always be there?
A big lovely ole bear.


My dad, that's who,
and he hasn't a clue.


I love you Dad! Your number one daughter.

Special Guest Interview With Author Diana Rubino and Contest

From the Cover:
"Romance author Mona is human. Ship's doctor Fausto is a vampire. He can never be one of her kind and she's afraid to become one of his. As they sail the Mediterranean on writers' cruise, the couple is stalked by vampire hunters, and by Fausto's notorious ex-wife, Lucrezia Borgia. Events force Mona and Fausto team up with the hunters to capture Lucrezia, but where can they go from here? With Fausto's friend and Mona's editor vamping it up and a hunter on the loose, can this bloody good cruise have a happy ending?"


Hi Everyone! We're having a special post today with author Diana Rubino. I had the opportunity to spend some time with Ms. Rubino recently, and I'd like to share some of her thoughts with you.

How long have you been writing? How did you get started?

I started the first draft of my first novel at the end of 1982, when I was 25. I got started because I’d been writing short stories, hoping for publication in various magazines, when my former journalism prof from college, (we kept in touch after I graduated) urged me to write a novel instead. So I gave it a shot.

Tell us about the day you "Got the Call".

Since it was 18 years (yes, 18!) after writing my first novel, I’d daydreamed about that moment many times. It was an Email from the publisher who bought 4 of my books at once, and as I opened the message, I figured it was just another rejection. I almost fell off the chair, I was so surprised.

What genre(s) do you write in, and do you have pseudonyms?

I write historical and paranormal romances, and use my own name.

What was your first published work? How did you get that work published?

My first published work was my historical Thy Name Is Love, set in Richard IIIs time, and I queried several Epublishers about it, after querying many print publishers. The publisher who bought it, Domhan Books, also did print books, so it came out in print, too.

How many books have you published?

12, after my next one comes out.

What are you working on now?

A biographical novel about Alexander Hamilton. I’m keeping as close to the historical record as it will allow, and it has no fictional characters.

Where do your story ideas come from?

For the historicals, I pick an era I’m interested in and want to research more, and set my characters against the backdrop of whatever is happening during that time, i.e., the Tudors and Henry VIIIs court intrigue, the Civil War, Prohibition, etc.


I’m not a good ‘idea’ person, so I ask my husband and friends for ideas. Inspiration comes from what I’m interested in, mostly history and the paranormal. They provide the seeds for ideas.

When you start a new book, what do you start with? Do you have a character(s) in mind, a scenario, or a single scene?

I’ve only written one book that started with 3 characters, siblings, whom I’d fleshed out, with nothing yet to do. So because of who they were and their personalities, the plot grew around them. That worked out really well.
But I usually start with characters and a plot outline.

Do your characters come to you as fully formed personalities or do they require massaging to gain their personality?

No, it takes a long time to get to know them, just like getting to know people in real life. I make lists of traits, etc. but get to know them as the story progresses.

For you, what is the hardest part of writing a novel? Concept, Characterization, Plotting, Writing the story, Synopsis/Query letter writing, etc.

According to the rejections I always got (and still get), sometimes it’s characters, sometimes it’s the plotting. It’s hard to flesh out characters and make them come to life.

What influences your heroes?

Not any one thing; I just write about men I’d like to be with.

Do you have any amusing or inspiring stories you'd like to share?

I wrote a time travel about Richard III and his 2 brothers coming to modern times, which is a comedy, and I had a good time writing it. The idea for the entire story came when my crit partner and I tried to picture Richard in modern times blow drying his hair.
Also, my friend Joan Szechtman, also a time travel author, wrote a novel in which Richard comes to modern times, and in both our books (which we wrote before we ever knew each other) Richard gets caught in his zipper!


Do you have any advice or tips for new writers?

Believe in yourself, don’t ever give up, don’t take rejections personally, and be patient!
A career as a novelist isn’t something you can plan on, so don’t be shattered if things don’t turn out the way you’d planned. Getting published is a crapshoot, so be thankful for any encouragement you get from agents or editors.

Where can we buy your books?

At Amazon.com, at Barnes & Noble.com, and from my publisher, Eternal Press, www.eternalpress.ca.


Contest:

Ms. Rubino would like to giveaway one copy of her latest release (a tasty little treat), her time travel romance novel, Traveling Light. Leigh, the modern heroine, travels back to 1485 England and meets the love of her life. After several brushes with death, they manage to escape before he’s killed in the battle the history books say he fought in.

Ms. Rubino will be checking in throughout the day, so please leave a question or comment for her!!

For your main entry comment with your name and email and leave a question or comment or tell us why you love books.
For a second entry, blog this contest, tweet, facebook, etc. come back and tell us where.
For a third entry, follow Ms. Rubino's site, come back and comment to let us know.
Followers of my blog get an extra entry, just let me know if you're already following.

For more information about her books, please visit Diana Rubino at WWW.DIANARUBINO.COM, or her blog at www.DianaRubinoAuthor.blogspot.com

Thanks everyone and let the commenting begin!! Contest is open world wide! Contest closes 6-24-09, winner announced 6-25-09.