First Reads

[close] A Charming Morsel of 1930s Entertainment History--One man’s real life Vaudeville journey. Read about a young man who teaches himself to tap dance while waiting to deliver telegrams. He dreams of being on stage. Later he meets a beautiful blond. They fall in love, put an act together and travel the Vaudeville circuit. Step back in time to enjoy this story complemented by more than a hundred never-before-seen vintage photographs.

Story suitable for all ages but may have special interest to seniors and history buffs!
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[close] ARC/Galley. NO PO Boxes please.

Printz Honor-winning author Adam Rapp spins a raw, gripping, and ultimately redemptive story about three disaffected teens and a kidnapped child.

Three teenagers - a sharp, well-to-do girl named Bounce and two struggling boys named Wiggins and Orange - are holding a four-yearold girl hostage in Orange's basement. The little girl answers to "the Frog" and seems content to play a video game about wolves all day long, a game that parallels the reality around her. As the stakes grow higher and the guilt and tension mount, Wiggins cracks and finally brings Frog to a trusted adult. Not for the faint of heart, Adam Rapp's powerful, mesmerizing narrative ventures deep into psychological territory that few dare to visit. [close]

[close] -------SIGNED COPY-------
Stretched across a backdrop of bustling New York, romantic Paris, and rural Russia in the early twentieth century, The Spirit of Nora vividly portrays the emergence of a young Minnesota woman into a fiercely independent spirit. Leaving her home on the farm with her childhood friend Ella for nursing training in New York, Nora enters a changing world. After befriending two doctors on the train east, Nora and Ella spend many evenings with Tristan and Soren. But a terrible tragedy pulls Ella from Nora, who eventually travels farther east, searching for redemption for failing her friend.

Nora becomes wrapped up in the permissive lifestyle of French artists, embracing relationships with the lively Cassandra and talented Auguste. While in France, she is confronted with physical temptations and spiritual uncertainty until she learns of the communal setting established on the estate of the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy. The Spirit of Nora needs further nourishment for her wavering faith, and she continues yet farther east to Yasnaya Polyana to work with Tolstoy's translator. Through the following years Nora learns of hardship, love, war, and the difficulties in finding balance between right and wrong. Ultimately, she must come face to face with the legacy of her lost friend.
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[close] From the New York Times bestselling author of Sarah’s Key and A Secret Kept comes an absorbing new novel about one woman’s resistance during an époque that shook Paris to its very core. Paris, France: 1860’s. Hundreds of houses are being razed, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussman has set into motion a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, moulding it into a “modern city.” The reforms will erase generations of history—but in the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand.
Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her family home until the very end; as others flee, she stakes her claim in the basement of the old house on rue Childebert, ignoring the sounds of change that come closer and closer each day. Attempting to overcome the loneliness of her daily life, she begins to write letters to Armand, her beloved late husband. And as she delves into the ritual of remembering, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for thirty years. The House I Loved is both a poignant story of one woman’s indelible strength, and an ode to Paris, where houses harbor the joys and sorrows of their inhabitants, and secrets endure in the very walls... [close]

[close] **Assassins in Love GALLEYS**

Two brilliant assassins in a fascinating futuristic world need each other to finish one more job before calling it quits in the highly respected killing business. But it’s more of a challenge than either expected. A series of mishaps plagues their every move, and if it’s not Misha helping Rikki with a bungled getaway, then it’s Rikki helping Misha to hide some damning evidence. They can’t seem to get anything right… except for the way they feel about each other.

KRIS DELAKE is a pseudonym of HUGO award-winning author Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Under three pseudonyms, she has sold 10 million copies of her books. Fans of her award-winning paranormal romances know her as Kristine Grayson. She lives with writer Dean Wesley Smith in Oregon.

“Makes for a compelling, hot, and believable tale.”
- Publishers Weekly
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[close] Released: August of 2011: Bartender Claire Nichols has always kept her customers at a friendly distance. But one serious lapse in judgment causes her life to take a drastic and brutal turn. She finds herself thrust into a life she never knew or wanted. She must depend on her intuition and adaptability. Yet she has difficulty trusting her own instincts. Now, every aspect of her livelihood depends on a tall wealthy dark-haired, dark-eyed businessman. Did fate bring Anthony Rawlings into her life? Or was it something more calculated? More sinister?

With very limited options, Claire attempts to endure a hellish existence that has changed her beliefs, her personality, her looks, and even her name. Actions have consequences. Will Claire be able to control the actions to accomplish her new goal—survival? Follow her tumultuous journey as she struggles to fight back and regain her freedom no matter what the Consequences… [close]

[close] This stunning, break-out achievement has already been hailed by Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room, for presenting “passion and addiction, guilt and damage, all the beautiful mess of family life. Carry the One will lift readers off their feet and bear them along on its eloquent tide.”

Carry the One begins in the hours following Carmen’s wedding reception, when a car filled with stoned, drunk, and sleepy guests accidently hits and kills a girl on a dark, country road. For the next twenty-five years, those involved, including Carmen and her brother and sister, connect and disconnect and reconnect with each other and their victim. As one character says, “When you add us up, you always have to carry the one.”

Through friendships and love affairs; marriage and divorce; parenthood, holidays, and the modest tragedies and joys of ordinary days, Carry the One shows how one life affects another and how those who thrive and those who self-destruct are closer to each other than we’d expect. Deceptively short and simple in its premise, this novel derives its power and appeal from the author’s beautifully precise use of language; her sympathy for her very recognizable, flawed characters; and her persuasive belief in the transforming forces of time and love. [close]

[close] SIGNED ARC GIVEAWAY. Is Jack dead? No, he has secrets... cryptic clues for Jocelyn to find... if he's alive.
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Jocelyn's twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster homes-and now he's dead, and she has nothing. Then she gets a cryptic letter from "Jason December"-the code name her brother used to use when they were children at Seale House, a terrifying foster home that they believed had dark powers. Only one other person knows about Jason December: Noah, Jocelyn's childhood crush and their only real friend among the troubled children at Seale House.

But when Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for. Turns out the house's powers weren't just a figment of a childish imagination. And someone is following Jocelyn. Is Jack still alive? And if he is, what kind of trouble is he in? The answer is revealed in a shocking twist that turns this story on its head and will send readers straight back to page 1 to read the book in a whole new light. [close]

[close] 5 signed copies!
John Grisham calls it “a novel that is beautiful in its story and also important in its message.”

Trailer: www.corbanaddison.com/book-trailer

When a tsunami rages through their coastal town, sisters Ahalya and Sita are left orphaned and homeless. Searching for protection in a devastated landscape, they are abducted by human traffickers and thrust into a hidden world of sexual violence and illicit commerce.
Halfway across the world, Washington, D.C., attorney Thomas Clarke makes the fateful decision to pursue a pro bono sabbatical in India. Learning of the plight of Ahalya and Sita, Clarke makes it his personal mission to rescue them. Spanning three continents, A Walk Across the Sun is an unforgettable tale of love’s transformative power, even in the face of unimaginable obstacles. [close]

[close] Now that Abby's boyfriend Tom has learned that he is actually a Faerie prince and not the mortal as they thought and realized that he can stay in the Other World with Abby, she has never been happier. That is until she finds out that Elysia, the evil Faerie Queen out to kill her has escaped from the makeshift prison Abby trapped her in and is assembling an army against her. Now Abby must take a journey to try and find out Elysia's secrets if she has any chance of winning this war. [close]

[close] Willow Thomas has a bad habit of running away from things that scare her. And most recently, she quit her high school cheerleading squad after a terrifying fall.

With time on her hands, she auditions for a musical production directed by a Broadway choreographer. Just as things are looking up, Willow discovers she will be performing opposite Eli McAvoy, the best friend she abandoned three years before. To make matters worse, the kids in the musical hate her, her singing sucks, and her dog is sick.

Eli has grown up during their years apart and now possesses confidence and good looks, as well as a giant chip on his shoulder. He is in no hurry to play nice with Willow, but their entwined roles in the musical lead to entwined bodies in the backseat of his car.

Just when Willow finally has her life under control, another surprise is delivered in the form of her greatest challenge yet. Will she run or finally stand and face her fears? And will Eli be there to help or turn his back on her for good? [close]

[close] *****IMPORTANT INTRODUCTORY NOTE*****

I am offering another giveaway of my short story “Say Not What If.” I was absolutely floored that hundreds of people entered the previous giveaways.

The book can be purchased from many booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It can also be purchased as an ebook for Kindle. I do ultimately hope to make some $$$ from its sale. But my primary desire right now is to simply disseminate it as widely as possible. Books are one of the greatest joys of life, and I am thrilled that so many reviewers and others have enjoyed my book or want to read it.

Best wishes and happy holidays!

*****STRUCTURE AND SUMMARY OF BOOK*****

"Say Not What If" is a nearly 10,000 word story written as a long rhyming poem. I have never seen a story written in this format. It has characters and dialogue just like a regular story, and is extremely easy to read and understand, regardless of whether you have a GED or a PHD. You can read it in about an hour, so it doesn't require a lot of time.

“Say Not What If” is about a man on death row, and has as its theme the concept that time is our most valuable commodity. As someone once said, “waste anything but time, because we really are promised no tomorrows.” This theme is explored through the life of a man who sacrifices his marriage and everything else for his career. He realizes much too late the terrible consequences of this decision, and then desperately tries to regain those lost years by making a much worse choice. The resolution of this latter choice involves an additional examination of the concepts of accountability and responsibility, redemption, and the morality of the death penalty.

The first few pages are available on my website, www.ascensionenterprise.com.

*****ESSAY ON THE DEATH PENALTY*****

In conjunction with and in order to compliment the story, I have posted an essay summarizing some information on the death penalty on my Goodreads blog. I am an attorney, and although I have no professional experience with the death penalty, I have at least to some extent followed its history and imposition in the United States. You are encouraged to comment. [close]

[close] Take two amateur ghost-hunters. Put them in the arid New Mexican desert. Add Navajo legends, terrifying monsters and a dash of saucy sexual tension and you've got Red Fox, book #2 in the beloved Experiment in Terror Series.

In the for­got­ten town of Red Fox, a Navajo cou­ple is tor­tured by things unseen and by motives unknown. Wild ani­mals slink through their house in the dark, a bar­rage of stones pound their roof nightly, and muti­lated sheep car­casses are turn­ing up on their prop­erty. Armed with a cam­era and just enough to go on, Perry and Dex travel to the des­o­late locale, hop­ing to film the super­nat­ural occur­rences and add cred­i­bil­ity to their flail­ing web­cast. Only their show has a lot more work­ing against them than just grow­ing pains. Tested by dubi­ous ranch hands, a ghost from Dex’s past, and shapeshift­ing decep­tion, the ama­teur ghost hunters must learn to trust each other in order to fight the most ancient of myths…or die trying

Praise for Red Fox:

"As suspenseful as the paranormal activity they are dealing with is, that has nothing on the sexual suspense between Dex and Perry. The magnetism between them is bananas." - Bookish Babes

"I have never read a book like this and I would definitely read it again!" - Beckoned by Books

"This new adventure that Karina Halle wrote for Perry and Dex was packed full of suspense and action. It was completely unexpected." - Pawing Through Books

"I couldn't read it at night. Karina has a way of writing that just makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. " - Awesome Sauce Book Club

"I highly recommend this to fans of horror and paranormal enthusiasts." - Seeing Night Reviews [close]

[close] FINISHED BOOK GIVEAWAY!


This Is Just to Say

If you’re looking for a nice happy book

put this one down and run away quickly

Forgive me sweetness and good cheer are boring

Inspired by William Carlos Williams’s famous poem ”This Is Just to Say,” Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine delivers a wickedly funny collection of her own false apology poems, imagining how tricksters really feel about the mischief they make. Matthew Cordell’s clever and playful line art lightheartedly captures the spirit of the poetry. This is the perfect book for anyone who’s ever apologized . . . and not really meant it.

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[close] RT Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee - Best First Historical 2011

One Good Lady is About to Go Bad...

The only thing Miss Melissa Goodly has ever wanted out of a marriage is love. But any hope of that dissolves one wild night, when she loses herself in the arms of the most irresistible-and unobtainable-man in all of England. For when they are discovered in a position as compromising as it is pleasurable, she has no choice but to accept his proposal.

Avowed bachelor Anthony Craven, Earl of Wickham, never meant to seduce an innocent like Melissa. Yet now that the damage is done, it does seem like she'd make a very convenient wife. After all, she is so naive he won't have to worry about ever being tempted. Or so he thinks, until the vows are spoken and they are left alone-and his new bride reveals a streak just as brazen and unrestrained as his own...

RT Rating 4.5 Stars
Here’s a fast-paced story filled with snappy dialogue, action and a tortured hero that will delight the reader as much as he delights the heroine. A strong heroine, some wonderful secondary characters and a villain who is truly evil help move the story forward. Readers will laugh and cry as they and the protagonists learn that your past does not necessarily dictate your future and that love heals all wounds. [close]

[close] Enter to win a copy of SMASH CUT from bestselling author, Sandra Brown.

[close] Ladies, what you really want in a man starts with you!!! After reading all of those other books, watching reality TV, listening to talk shows, and dating MR. Wrong, are you still asking yourself "Why do I keep settling?", Are my standards too high?", "Will I ever find love?", "Where's My Mr. Right?" A MUST READ then!!!

There is no other book on the market like it. 
REAL RELATIONSHIP RESULTS, SOLUTIONS YOU CAN TRUST and you can...

TAKE THAT TO THE BANK

The F. W. Wright Foundation is comprised of two new indie authors who reside in the state of Georgia. As writers we look to challenge the status quo putting our new book Take That to the Bank against any relationship book out. Ultimately our goal is to change the landscape of relationships across the world. [close]

[close] ***Signed Author Copy***
Sam & Elaina find themselves drawn together in a deadly government conspiracy. Can they end this devastation, or will our mighy Nation fall?.

Elaina Williams works hard as a mid-level reporter for Channel Seven news, from finding and writing the stories, to a part-time anchor fill-in for the stories nobody else wants. All this for her dream that one day she will find herself sitting behind the anchor desk, viewed as a respectable newscaster. Luck seems to turn her way when her ex-girlfriend Kim, a conspiracy-seeking journalist, requests a private meeting in which she tells Elaina "the story of a lifetime." It is this story that forces Elaina into a dangerous world of solitude and peril. Samantha Kelly has worked her entire adult life at trying to forget the horrors of her past. After graduating from high school, she enlisted into the Army where she served eight years attached to a Military Police unit. She went on three different deployments into combat zones, and struggled through the bloody chaos of battle. The sudden death of her parents sends Sam back home to care for her younger sister Rachel who is still in high school. To accommodate her new responsibilities, Sam joins the Police Force and settles into a normal everyday life. Unfortunately, normal life in the United States does not last long when unforeseen events rock the foundation of the country, and the American people are sent into a downward spiral full of pain and turmoil. Could this be the end of America as we know it? Is there enough patriotism left in the country to make a stand for what is right? Will there be enough of America left to stand and fight? For Sam and Elaina nothing is certain, except that they both find themselves in way over their heads. This is the first book in this series.

Throughout the time of man, history offers evidence that following the rise of Great Empires, comes their swift and total destruction. [close]

[close] With her critically acclaimed debut novel, Still Life with Husband, Lauren Fox established herself as a wise and achingly funny chronicler of domestic life and was hailed as “a delightful new voice in American fiction, a voice that instantly recalls the wry, knowing prose of Lorrie Moore” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times). Fox’s new novel glitters with these pleasures—fearless wordplay, humor, and nuance—and asks us the question at the heart of every friendship: What would you give up for a friend’s happiness?

For Willa Jacobs, seeing her best friend, Jane Weston, is like looking in a mirror on a really good day. Strangers assume they are sisters, a comparison Willa secretly enjoys. They share an apartment, clothing, and groceries, eking out rent with part-time jobs. Willa writes advertising copy, dreaming up inspirational messages for tea bags (“The path to enlightenment is steep” and “Oolong! Farewell!”), while Jane cleans houses and writes poetry about it, rhyming “dust” with “lust,” and “clog of hair” with “fog of despair.” Together Willa and Jane are a fortress of private jokes and shared opinions, with a friendship so close there’s hardly room for anyone else. But when Ben, Willa’s oldest friend, reappears and falls in love with Jane, Willa wonders: Can she let her two best friends find happiness with each other if it means leaving her behind? [close]

[close] Admissions rates of 6%? Kids applying to 32 colleges? Sixteen year-olds with more impressive resumes than Fortune 500
CEOs? Has the nation lost its mind?

Why yes, it has! The college admissions process now takes
approximately 1250% more time, money and psychic energy than
it did when today’s parents were going through the same process.
Thank God author J.D. Rothman is here to shine a light on the
insanity with laugh-out-loud wit and incisive anthropological
observations.

Woven in between these and many more hilarious bits of advice and cultural insights are the best of the Neurotic Parent’s blog posts, which detail the anxiety-ridden quest for college homes for his/her children. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll pack up and move your family to Australia, where getting into college is reputedly just like it was in the United States in 1972 [close]

[close] Due to overwhelming demand, we're giving away another copy of the novel! Be sure to add the novel to your "to read" shelf and become a fan of the author to receive updates and future discounts: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/492...

Experience what advanced reviews are proclaiming, "An absolute must read...this is a novel you will want to keep with you for the rest of your life" and "A poignant and moving story...a true work of art."

Letters In Cardboard Boxes tells the story of an eccentric grandmother and her granddaughter alongside a series of fantastical letters they once exchanged. Letters carries us through the experience of loss and the process of coping with life’s unexpected twists and turns. Through unusual and bold characters, the story moves through some of its heavier themes with honesty and humor.

Each paperback copy from this giveaway:
--Comes from the first round of publication and has its own unique number;
--Is signed by the author,
--And includes a Letters In Cardboard Boxes vintage library card bookmark.

See what all the buzz is about! Reserve your very own copy today. [close]

[close] Coming soon from Rhonda Byrne, THE MAGIC, in stores March 6th. Embrace The Magic and find out how the power of gratitude can transform your life! For more info visit http://books.simonandschuster.ca/Magic/R...

Once known only by an elite who were unwilling to share their knowledge of the power, 'the secret' of obtaining anything you desire is now revealed by prominent physicists, authors and philosophers as being based in the universal Law of Attraction. And the good news is that anyone can access its power to bring themselves health, wealth and happiness.

Fragments of The Secret have been found in oral traditions, literature, religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. A number of the exceptional people who discovered its power went on to become regarded as the greatest human beings who ever lived. Among them: Plato, Leonardo, Galileo and Einstein. Now 'the secret' is being shared with the world. Beautiful in its simplicity, and mind-dazzling in its ability to really work, The Secret reveals the mystery of the hidden potential within us all. By unifying leading-edge scientific thought with ancient wisdom and spirituality, the riveting, practical knowledge will lead readers to a greater understanding of how they can be the masters of their own lives.
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[close] Through this beginners' guide to the exciting world of Moshi Monsters, new players can learn how to adopt and care for a monster, including where to buy the most disgusting (enjoyable ) foods and how to increase monster happiness and health. Learn how to progress through the levels and how to earn rox, and discover 48 moshling combinations to help you build your special collection Discover missions and how to become a Super Moshi, and explore Monstro City, making new friends along the way. [close]

[close] ARC GIVEAWAY! Things couldn't be better for 15-year-old Willa Fox: Her mom has just moved them to beautiful Paradise Valley, playground for the rich and powerful. Already Willa's been welcomed into the inner circle of her school's most exclusive clique and she's attracted the attentions of the superfine Aidan Murphy. But when Willa finds out that her new best friends are actually bullies, she decides she has to take a stand—even if it means taking the law into her own hands [close]

[close] "Like the best of the pulps, the narratives are creepy, darkly comical and elegantly composed, with lovingly detailed descriptions of place and an ample whiff of lurid decay." - Fangoria

BOROUGHS OF THE DEAD is a collection of ten short horror stories set in and around New York City. Beneath its modern facade, New York City teems with dark secrets, faded spirits, and unnameable horrors. BOROUGHS OF THE DEAD weaves fact and myth, fiction and legend to tell ten of the most terrifying tales of the haunted metropolis. A medical doctor abandons all rationality when he falls in love with the spirit of a murdered woman. The nightmares of an adolescent boy come to life and stalk him to the deadly, polluted waters of Newtown Creek. A cholera demon wipes out the thieves and murderers of the Five Points. From ghost stories to zombie narratives to weird tales, BOROUGHS OF THE DEAD contains evils as diverse as Gotham itself. [close]

[close] Someone has opened the Slipstream, causing time to repeat a single day over and over again. As the mysterious events of the day begin to unfold, PARRY PRETTY discovers the heart-stopping reason why only she can close the Slipstream. The only problem is the stubborn girl refuses to believe that the Slipstream even exists. Her logical brain ignores the fact that she continues to relive the same day over and over again, even though she has experienced déjà vu several times. Her scientific mind can’t be convinced that she continues to wake up in different realms, and her practical nature certainly won’t accept the fact that there is more than one realm in the world (eight to be exact). But all that is about to change when Parry finds herself chasing after a mysterious stranger through windows that lead to new and wondrous lands, where she discovers a greater and darker secret that could alter her destiny, and the fate of all the realms, forever. [close]

[close] ENTER TO WIN A SIGNED COPY

A gripping young adult debut novel of paranormal, mystery and a touch of romance in a major way.

All eighteen-year-old Jenna wants to do is have a slow paced and predictable summer in the small town of New Roads with her grandfather. But on Friday the thirteenth, the unpredictable occurs when she mysteriously hears a voice leading her to a buried book. Jenna is unaware that a secret curse lies within and she's just unleashed its hold.

As writings appear in the book strangely matching her vivid dreams, Jenna's curious nature takes over pulling her deeper into the mystery and the connection to her family. What she didn't expect to find was a forbidden love and a choice to save a life.

Will Jenna's choice remain a secret? Or did the secret choose her?


Review:

Beyond 5 Star rating!
"Altered is everything I could have asked for and more! Laura Burks delivers paranormal, suspense, and a touch of romance in a major way. It is by far one of the best written, most creative novels I have read. Altered is beyond 5 stars!"

Favorite Character: Jenna Larson is my favorite character. She is curious by nature and doesn't mind following her curiosity and exploring her surroundings. That is partly what gets her in trouble, but unlike other leading ladies in books and movies take on their problems by themselves, Jenna doesn't keep what she finds to herself. She shares her experiences with her lovable grandfather, John Larson. Jenna is independent, but also knows when she is over her head, when she needs to accept help.

Although young, Jenna is a very mature teenager. She is kind, honest and considerate to her grandpa. She is a good friend to her friends, Shelly and Danny. And most importantly, she is honest and respectful of herself. Regardless of the other worldly mess she gets into, Jenna is a friend I would like to have!

Altered is an amazing story, one which kept me guessing all the way through. I loved that this was not your typical paranormal title. The paranormal aspect of this novel was more subtle, more disturbing. Let's talk about Louisiana and a curse from a deal gone wrong. This title makes you think twice before shortchanging someone you have made a deal with. Altered makes you think again before deciding to have your cake and eat it too.

I enjoyed reading about the budding romance between Jenna and Jess. It was slow, sensual, and deliberate. Jenna and Jess would let each other know where their heart was. There were no games. No drama. It was honesty in it's purest form. To just be with each other was enough. Every hand held, every gaze in each other's eyes, every secret shared was monumental. They lived in the moment with each other. I was often taken back to the days when my young heart was filled with that much innocence, when I experienced my first throws of love. The romance in Altered will make your heart leap more than once in fond remembrance.

Burks kept surprising me at every turn of the page. I would have it in my head where I thought the story would go next, and it never did. I was glued to this book. Quite literally. Every second I had, I whipped out one of my devices - HTC smartphone, iPod Touch, Kindle, HP Touchpad - to finish a chapter or read one more sentence. Altered is just that good of a novel! Laura Burks writing style is flawless. I don't remember seeing a typo nor did I have to reread a paragraph to understand what was going on. She kept her plot tucked away nicely, waiting on the right moment to reveal information to the reader, and as a result, everything fell smoothly into place.

Laura Burks is a seriously talented author and very creative to boot. Altered, her debut novel, is a hit and a personal favorite. I can't wait to read more novels from Laura! :)

~~Zee at firepages.blogspot.com - book reviewer and blogger


Read more reviews here on goodreads at:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12504...



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[close] Each winner will receive a signed copy of Rise of the Shadowsalve, plus a signed copy of the first book, Beneath the Shadows.

Five years after the secrets Beneath the Shadows were revealed… Leena wants to feel like a ninja. Looking for honor, she finds herself in the middle of a war between the Gods and the Ninja. A Bond of eternal love, to the son of a God, may be the only way to save her life… and doom everyone else. Leena and Darwin team up with the world’s most dishonorable clan, to find the secrets that could change the ninja. With the greatest army in the world ready to march against them, The Order must turn to the deadliest clan that exists; but can the Gaiden truly be trusted to protect the secrets that they seek for themselves? To have a future, one must confront the darkest shadows of the past... [close]

[close] Experience the novel Wife 101 firsthand with The Wife 101 Workbook. This study guide by Author and Marriage & Family Educator, Dr. A’ndrea J. Wilson, takes readers beyond the novel and into the actual Wife 101 course. Take a deeper look inside the 31 lessons of the book, the 31 verses of Proverbs 31, and the 13 classes that make Wife 101 an unforgettable novel. Follow along as Amber and her classmates are challenged to become better women, wives, and mothers. Get a richer understanding of your role as a woman and how the Word of God directs women to think and behave. Use The Wife 101 Workbook as a part of your women’s group, book club, or in your personal quiet time. [close]

[close] Roderick Gideon Tremayne, the recently appointed Duke of Wentworth, never expected to find himself in New York City, tracking down a mysterious map important to his late mother. And he certainly never expected to be injured, only to wake up with no memory of who he is. But when he sees the fiery-haired beauty who's taken it upon herself to rescue him, suddenly his memory is the last thing on his mind.

Georgia Milton, the young head of New York's notorious Forty Thieves, feels responsible for the man who was trying to save her bag from a thief. But she's not prepared for the fierce passion he ignites within her. When his memory begins to return, her whole world is threatened, and Roderick must choose between the life he forgot and the life he never knew existed. [close]

[close] Advanced Reader Copy of A WANT SO WICKED (A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL #2)

Summary:
Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park, with no idea who she is.

After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose affect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.

Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really? [close]

[close] Five Autographed Copies of The Blue Blueprint.

The Blue Blueprint is the first book of Dodds poetry to hit the literary world since The Last Man on the Moon. Its uniqueness, wordplay, wit and ebullience shine through in poems about the struggle to love, the September attacks, the shape of the world and of ourselves, as well as a handful of songs and the introduction of Spill-O, a character who is sure to linger in the memory and the dreams of readers and poets for years to come. Moving through the sub-basements of Brooklyn, the glistening spires of midtown Manhattan, the woods and beaches of the Northeast, The Blue Blueprint is as complete a picture of the world as has been attempted in poetry in the last fifty years. [close]

[close] Entrepreneur Arthur Wylie, who made his first million by 26, has conquered the worlds of finance, real estate, and entertainment with more than $50 million in deals brokered and almost half a billion in assets and transactions under management. In Only the Crazy and Fearless Win BIG!, he shares a little secret that few books discuss—to win big you have to be fearless and, sometimes, even a little crazy.

Wylie outlines real-world examples from some of history and present-day’s most well-known names and everyday entrepreneurs in every industry, profession, and segment of the economy. Only the Crazy and Fearless Win BIG! shows how their decisions raised eyebrows, dropped jaws, and met resistance—yet proved to be right.
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[close] In this groundbreaking book, transformation leaders Christy Whitman and Rebecca Grado reveal how when women try to claim power through a forceful “take no prisoners” approach it ultimately works against us and undermines our best efforts to create the life of our dreams. In fact, wielding Alpha Bitch force is ironically disempowering, because it introduces conflict, struggle, and competition into our personal and professional relationships, blocking women from creating the life we desire.

Taming the Alpha Bitch will show you how to use the Laws of the Universe to create freedom, joy, and abundance in your life. By using this knowledge, you put yourself in the ideal position for attracting those things you want with ease and effortlessness, not struggle and pain. [close]

[close] In Prague, Laura feels that she has met her soulmate. Yet how can her soul merge with the son of a Nazi? After being passed over for a promotion at a Chicago advertising agency, Laura cashes in her stock options, quits her job, and moves to Prague. There, she begins an erotic romance with Byron, only to discover that he is German and his father was in the Hitler Youth. As a Jew, Laura has a viscerally negative reaction. Despite ongoing guilt, she explores her new relationship with Byron, traveling with him to Bratislava and Berlin, where they delve into edgy art worlds. When the darkly exotic Zsa Zsa comes between them, can the true love of Laura and Byron survive? Geliebte, (German for “Lover”), is a sexy romp through the reinvented cities of Eastern Europe. [close]

[close] In thirty days Clementine Pritchard will be finished with her last painting and her life.

World-renowned artist and sharp-tongued wit Clementine Pritchard has decided that she's done. After flushing away a medicine cabinet full of prescriptions, she gives herself thirty days to tie up loose ends—finish one last painting, make nice with her ex-husband, and find a home for her cat. Clementine plans to spend the month she has left in a swirl of art-world parties, manic work sessions, and outrageous acts—but what she doesn't expect is to uncover secrets surrounding the tragedy that befell her mother and sister. In an ending no one sees coming, will we lose Clementine or will we find her?

A bold debut from an exciting new voice, Losing Clementine is a wonderfully entertaining and poignant novel about unanticipated self-discovery that features one of the most irresistible, if deeply flawed, characters to grace contemporary fiction in years.
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[close] In "Everything I Know: Lessons for Life, Love, and Laughter," author Megan O'Neill shares stories about one of the most influential people in her life: her grandfather, Elmer Marocco. From lessons in what good music is, to how to make the perfect roasted red peppers, to what it means to love and be loved, this is a collection of stories that spans twenty-two years' worth of companionship, adventures, and the occasional bout of mischief. [close]

[close] My Own Worst Frenemy is the first book in the Langdon Prep series. Chanti Evans is an undercover cop's daughter and an exclusive private school's newest student. But Chanti is learning fast that when it comes to con games, the streets have nothing on Langdon Prep. [close]

[close] Raised by her grandparents in 19th-century New Orleans, Charlotte knows little about her long-lost parents. Now facing an arranged marriage to a suitor she dreads, she finds herself attracted to somebody else: a young Creole man named Gabriel Girod. Meanwhile, her grandparents harbor a family secret. Will the truth set everybody free---especially Charlotte? [close]

[close] **ENTER TO WIN A SIGNED COPY**

By the time Timber Marlow is fifteen years old, she has already killed three men. Despite the bloody and violent nature of their deaths, Timber is hardly a murderer, at least not in the traditional sense. She has lived her entire life as a cannibal within a cult tucked away in the San Bernardino Mountains called the Divinity of Feminine Reproach. When the opportunity presents itself, Timber escapes into the Outside, bearing witness to some dark and unsettling truths about the world around her and the integral role she plays in it.

In this debut novel, laced with scenes of horrific violence and uplifting humanity, Martin Lastrapes has written a one-of-a-kind story about love, friendship, sacrifice and cannibalism. [close]