BookHounds Review CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS by MIRIAM FORSTER @HarperTeen

Book Description

Release date: February 5, 2013

The girl with no past, and no future, may be the only one who can save their lives.

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a little girl. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. She makes her way as Matron's errand girl, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city's handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls' deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but also her life.


About the Author
Miriam Forster wrote her first story at seven and has been playing with words ever since. She is obsessed with anthropology, British television, and stories of all kinds. Miriam lives in Idaho with her husband.

SOURCE: AMAZON VINE

MY THOUGHTS
REALLY LIKED IT

After the Empire has been devastated by a magical war that has killed those with magical powers and left their world in tatters, the Empire has institute a two child policy much like modern day China.  Nisha is left at the gate of a city that takes in unwanted daughters and she remembers her father leaving her there.  We follow Nisha through her daily life in the city and the intrigue that awaits her daily.  That intrigue is suddenly increased when the day of Redeeming approaches and two girls are murdered.  The day of Redeeming is the one day that the girls can free themselves from the school and essentially be purchased as wives or apprentices.

The story is told in painstaking detail, as we learn about the girls and the different houses or departments of the school.  The girls don't cross over into the different schools except for those that have special permission like Nisha.  As Nisha wonders about her family, she begins to get clues into her background as she tries to unravel the murder mystery.  The story really takes off the last third of the book when it became really exciting as Nisha did start to put the clues together to solve the crime.

I did enjoy this story but it was slow going for me.  I wish that the pace has been a bit quicker since the plot had a lot going for it.  Nisha was a great character and now that all of the world building is complete, I think there is room for another installment which could lead to a bit more excitement.  Parents:  There are a few kisses, some alluded to violence but nothing those over 13 wouldn't know about.

Giveaway~! Leap into Books Win MIND GAMES by KIERSTEN WHITE

Welcome to the LEAP INTO BOOKS Giveaway Hop! 

This hop is hosted by: 

I Am a Reader, Not a Writer (HERE) 
Jinky is Reading (HERE)

There are over 100 blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts February 28th  and and ends on March 7th,  midnight. 

HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER:

Want to win this ARC book?

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address within the free shipping areas of The Book Depository.

Contest ends on 3.7.13 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE COMMENTS OF THIS POST

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Void where prohibited.

This giveaway is sponsored by me and ONE book is available.

Complete the below form 
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BookHounds WOW DOGS WHO SMILE by VIRGINIA WOOF @MacKidsBooks

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at  Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Book Description

Release date: July 2, 2013

Can dogs really smile? It's a bone of contention, but yes, they can!

Dogs Who Smile is jam-packed with ludicrously funny photos of the happiest hounds around. From beaming Border Collies and delighted Daschunds, to laughing Labradors and cheerful Chihuahuas, some pooches love their dog's life so much they've got to smile about it. Filled with uproarious captions like:

• "Quick! Dude! YouTube this!"
• My bite is vorse than my bark. Mwah-ha-ha!
• Well somebody's gotta use mum's fitness DVD...
• Just smile and it'll soon be over...
• I call this my 'pug shot'
• Who. Are. You. Calling. A. Sausage?!

Guaranteed to make you howl with laughter, this is a must for any dog lover.

A laugh-out-loud funny collection of photographs of dogs that have the ability to smile

OMGOSH!  A book with a smiling dachshund on the cover - MUST HAVE NOW!  

Thanks to one of my Goodreads friends and fellow blogger who sent me this as a book recommendation!  Heather at Book Stacks on Deck gets a big WOOF this week! 

Book Trailer Tuesday LET'S EXPLORE DIABETES WITH OWLS by DAVID SEDARIS @HachetteBooks

Review ALSO KNOWN AS by ROBIN BENWAY @robinbenway @BWKids

Book Description

Release date: February 26, 2013 | Series: AKA

Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad. Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time. Having parents with super cool jobs. Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend. But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations. Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes. She'll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school's security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover.


About the Author
ROBIN BENWAY is the acclaimed author of Audrey, Wait! and The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June, both ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Benway's books have been published in 16 languages, won awards abroad, and been bestsellers in several countries. Formerly a bookseller and book publicist, she lives in Los Angeles

.www.robinbenway.com

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Maggie carries twelve passports all under assumed names but still some form of Margaret, her real first name, which she HATES.  Moving to a different assignment with her parents rapidly, she has never stayed long enough anywhere to make real friends her own age.  Her best friend is a master forger named Angelo who taught her to break into Gramercy Park when she could barely reach the lock.  Her mother is a hacker while her father is an expert at languages.  While her parents are proud that Maggie is now on her first solo assignment at age sixteen, but they are also a bit stressed since the job requires her to become "friendly" with a boy her age.

A publisher is rumored to be doing a story about the Collective where Maggie and her family work and expose them all to the world, Maggie is sent in to befriend his son, Jesse and try to block the story.  Maggie never expects to be anything but professional but then she actually makes a friend her own age, something that has never happened in her whole entire life when she signs up to attend a private prep school to get closer to Jesse.  Roux, is a firecracker, who is the school social outcast after a scandal, meets her the first day on campus.  The two conspire to get her closer to Jesse but Maggie discovers that the subterfuge isn't all that necessary since Jesse is attracted to her.

Maggie soon realizes that she is in a bit over her head and confesses to her new bestie and almost BF about the family business.  Well, I guess Jesse is on the short list for boyfriend since they do actually kiss and share ice cream and deep secrets.  Enlisting their help, they soon put the clues together and....sorry, you have to read the story to find out all the details.  This is such a cute and sweet little thriller that should appeal to most young teens.  It is filled with excitement and is really clean, all except one bad word that I can remember.  I read this one very quickly which is always a good sign and can't wait for another one in this series.  I hope that Maggie further develops her "friendship" with Jesse.  With Roux as her sidekick, there should be no dull moments.

BookHounds Review OF TRITON by ANNA BANKS

Book Description

Release date: May 28, 2013

Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm. Syrena law states all Half-Breeds should be put to death.


As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance in the Syrena world turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?


Once again, Anna Banks infuses Emma and Galen’s points of view with humor, intrigue, and waves of romance.



About the Author

Anna Banks’s first novel, Of Poseidon, was a Macmillan Fierce Reads title. She lives in Crestview, on the Florida Panhandle, with her husband and their daughter.

SOURCE:  AROUND THE WORLD ARC TOURS

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

****spoilers if you haven't read the Of Poseidon****

Emma has learned that her mother is actually Nalia, the long lost Poseidon Princess that Galen's brother, Grom, was slated to mate with when there was an explosion and both thought the other was dead.  After some maneuvering on both Galen and Emma's part, the pair are brought together, but not after a harrowing chase and Rebecca's ability to track anything and everyone pinpoints the pair as they try to escape.  Galen has lied to Emma, although not intentionally, and she doesn't trust him, but doesn't know what else to do, so she accepts what has happened and still is in love with him.  Rayna, is there just to drive you batty and I think I would miss her if she weren't present.

Of course, there is the required lovers' spat and as the pair fight, they can't seem to keep their hands off each other.  It is nice to finally get some insight into how Emma came to be and we get to learn more about the history of Nalia/Natalie.  The romance between her and Grom is really wonderful.  As Emma suspects and Rayna noisily points out, Paca, doesn't have the gift of Poseidon but is an impostor and this all comes to a head in a climatic scene that is truly delicious.

I really enjoyed this one as much as the first, but again, I was left wondering what would happen to the all of the couples again.  Will Grom and Nalia be truly reunited?  Will Galen and Emma finally get together and mate?  Will Rayna ever stop picking on Toraf and admit she is madly in love with him?  You do find out bits and pieces, but there isn't a happily ever after yet.  Parents:  there is a LOT of kissing, not much more than that and overall this is a pretty clean romance geared towards teens.  Now, I need the next installment to clear up all these hanging threads.

Giveaway~! BAKED ALASKA by JOSI KILPACK win $50 @josiskilpack

Baked Alaska by Josi S. Kilpack

An Alaskan cruise is the setting for amateur detective Sadie Hoffmillers latest adventure. Sadie plans to spend time relaxing with her two grown children, Breanna and Shawn, and her boyfriend, Pete, while enjoying the luxury and cuisine of an elegant cruise ship and helping to plan her daughters upcoming wedding. But even as the crew prepares to leave port, Sadie has suspicions about the voyage ahead and the relationship between her normally easygoing son and a mysterious female passenger he obviously knows but refuses to discuss. When the woman is discovered unconscious during the second night at sea, Sadies apprehension escalates. Over the last few years, Sadie has developed an extreme dislike for secrets and it would seem her son is keeping one from her. *Includes eight new mouthwatering recipes, tested and approved by the official bakers of Sadies Virtual Test Kitchen.




Praise for Baked Alaska
Josi Kilpack has done it again. You would think that all these events that occur in Sadie's life wouldn't be natural, but Josi Kilpack has a way of making you believe that it just "happens" and it is normal. I have grown to love Sadie's character, even if she is a busybody, you can't help but cheer for her as she attempts to solve a mystery or crime. One of my favorite series. :)
~Goodreads Reviewer Lacey McNeill

Purchase
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book

Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series

Author Josi S. Kilpack

Josi S. Kilpack grew up hating to read until she was thirteen and her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and credits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began her first novel in 1998 and hasn’t stopped since. Her seventh novel, Sheep’s Clothing, won the 2007 Whitney Award for Mystery/Suspense, and Lemon Tart, her ninth novel, was a 2009 Whitney Award Finalist. Josi was the Best in State winner in literature for 2012 and currently has two books (Banana Split and Tres Leches Cupcakes) as finalists in the 2012 Whitney awards.

Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her family.

Website * Twitter

Tour Schedule

Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/17/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



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YA Paranormal Giveaway~! WIN Personal Demons *signed* by Lisa Desrochers

Welcome to the RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS Giveaway Hop! 

This hop is hosted by: 

I Am a Reader, Not a Writer (HERE) 
YA Between the Lines (HERE)

There are over 100 blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts February 21st  and and ends on February 27th,  midnight. 

HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER:

Want to win this NEW book?

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address within the free shipping areas of The Book Depository.

Contest ends on 2.27.13 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE COMMENTS OF THIS POST

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Void where prohibited.

This giveaway is sponsored by me and ONE book is available.

Complete the below form 
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BookHounds WOW Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead @DuttonBooks @RichelleMead

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at  Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Book Description

Release date: June 4, 2013 | Series: Age of X

Richelle Mead, the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines YA series—whose books have sold more than one million copies in hardcover—debuts on the Dutton list with Gameboard of the Gods, the first novel in her Age of X series.

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

Giveaway~! & Review EASTER BUNNY MURDER by LESLIE MEIER

Book Description

Release date: January 29, 2013 | Series: Lucy Stone

Spring has sprung in Tinker's Cove, and Lucy Stone has a mile-long to-do list. From painting eggs with her grandson, to preparing the perfect Easter feast, to reviving her garden after a long, cold winter, she hardly has time to hunt for a killer with a deadly case of spring fever... Lucy has always loved covering the annual Easter egg hunt for the Pennysaver. Hosted by elderly socialite Vivian Van Vorst at Pine Point, her luxurious oceanfront estate, it's a swanky event where the grown-ups sip cocktails while their children search for eggs that are as likely to contain savings bonds as they are jelly beans. But when Lucy arrives with her three-year-old grandson, VV's normally welcoming gates are locked, and a man dressed as the Easter Bunny emerges only to drop dead moments later… Lucy discovers that the victim is Van Vorst Duff, VV's grandson, and soon learns that not all is as it seems at idyllic Pine Point, where the champagne and caviar seem to be running dry. Always a social butterfly, VV has been skipping lunch dates with friends, and her much-needed donations to local charities have stopped with no explanation. Maybe she's going senile, or maybe her heirs are getting a little too anxious to take over her estate… As Lucy gathers a basketful of suspects, she's convinced someone's been hunting for a lot more than eggs, and she'll have to chase the truth down a rabbit hole before the killer claims another victim…

   

About the author
Leslie Meier lives in Harwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She is the creator of 'Lucy Stone', a reporter and amateur sleuth in New England.

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS

LOVED IT

Lucy Stone, reporter for the Pennysaver in Tinker's Cove, is set to take her grandson to the annual Easter Egg hunt at Vivian Van Vorst's palatial estate, Pine Point.  Something strange is up at the site when they arrive with the rest of the town to find the gates locked and no hospitality when her son, Van Vorst Duff (Van), comes out dressed as the Easter Bunny and drops dead on the porch. Even more strange is that VV has withdrawn from her social engagements and the charity checks she is so fond of writing suddenly stops.  The town begins to talk about her lawyer and daughter who are now taking care of her and explain that she has been ill the last year.  When Sue, Lucy's friend, comments that her daughter is now their cook and she can't cook, things really get suspicious.  

With the somewhat dubious help of Van's common law wife and mother of his daughter, Lucy tries to get to the bottom of the mystery of whether Van was murdered or just dropped dead of natural causes.  Lucy's boss doesn't think the story warrants much coverage and she is met with dead ends each time she tries to solve the mystery surrounding his death but seems to ignore some facts given to her by a private investigator.  I loved that the characters all seemed to be real and easy to imagine living in a small town.  

This is my first cozy by Leslie Meier, but I am definitely going to go back and read more.  The fact that this is the nineteenth in the series was not a problem since it easily stands alone.  I found that this is an easy story to get into and really enjoyed everything.  I adored Lucy's daughter, Molly and hope to read more about her.  The inhabitants in Tinker's Cove seem like and interesting bunch and I can't wait to get to know them better.





Want to win this book?

Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old with a US mailing address

Contest ends on 3.1.13 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE COMMENTS OF THIS POST

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Void where prohibited.

This giveaway is sponsored by me and ONE book is available.

Complete the below form 
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Excerpt & Giveaway~! WITCHES NOCTURNE by EJ WESLEY

Tour Schedule 

Witch’s Nocturne Excerpt :

My fingers tapped out an excited, tuneless rhythm on the steering wheel as I drove Beauty, my licorice black 4x4 truck, across town. Maybe the sudden change in the weather and the influx of warm, November sunshine brightened the gorgeous day and my spirits in equal measure. Or maybe, God help me, I was happy to be on my way to see Marshal again. Regardless, I couldn’t recall the last time a day held so much hope, like I’d been given a cheat code for infinite possibilities.

“How’s life?” Marshal asked, foisting himself into the cab of the truck.

He placed a brown, leather satchel between his feet on the floorboard. Marshal stared at me over the top of a pair of oversized, mirrored sunglasses. Combined with the plaid shorts, flip-flops and pink polo shirt with a crocodile on it, he appeared to be beach ready. Or headed to a photo shoot for a store I wouldn’t be caught dead in.

“Fast.” I grinned and revved the engine.

He gave me a worried look, rushing to buckle his seatbelt. “You can’t afford another ticket.”

“Relax, Mr. Public Safety. I was kidding. Mostly. Where we headed?”

He patted the saddlebag between his legs. “I’ve gone through everything in here fifty times and have more questions than when I started. I wanted to go to the college library, try to learn more about your grandfather’s tribe. Find some language books.”

“So, we go to the library and learn about the tribe and the journal. Shouldn’t be too hard. Texas is chock full of Native American history. I imagine there’ll be lots of stuff on the Apache at a big university.”

Marshal shook his head, his spiky blond hair staying perfectly still.

“It won’t be that easy. Apache was a catchall term given to several tribes. They were nomads. Historians had a devil of a time trying to keep track of any one group—not to mention they weren’t exactly friendly to outsiders. The name Apache was given to most of the warring, wandering tribes in the area.”

“Knew my cuddly personality couldn’t be all my own doing. How’ll we know which specific tribe Gramps belonged to?”

I turned onto the state highway that would lead us to Lubbock. It’d take us about an hour to get there, assuming there was no traffic. By traffic I meant some old farmer taking up both lanes of the highway with his tractor.

Marshal pulled the journal from the bag and flipped open the front cover. He held the book up, pointing to the inside corner.

“I think it’s this.”

The word Navezgane had been branded into the leather.

“Cool. Wonder what it means?”

I started to make a joke about the word hopefully not translating to Squats-in-Woods or something. One glance at Marshal’s troubled face told me I was going to like the real name a lot less.

“I looked it up online. The word means killer of monsters.”

About Blood Fugue:

“Some folks treated the past like an old friend. The memories warmed them with fondness for what was, and hope for what was to come. Not me. When I thought of long ago, my insides curdled, and I was left feeling sour and wasted.”


Jenny Schmidt is a young woman with old heartaches. A small town Texas girl with big city attitude, she just doesn’t fit in. Not that she has ever tried.

Life has pummeled her heart into one big, lonely callus. She has no siblings, both parents were dead by sixteen, and her last grandparent—and caretaker—was in the ground before she turned twenty-one. She’s the last living member of her immediate family. Or so she thinks…

“We found my ‘grandfather’ sitting at his dining room table. An entire scorched pot of coffee dangled from his shaky hand. His skin was the ashen gray shade of thunderclouds, not the rich mocha from the photo I’d seen. There were dark blue circles under each swollen red eye. A halo of white hair skirted his bald head, a crown of tangles and mats. Corpses had more life in them.”

Suddenly, instead of burying it with the dead, Jenny is forced to confront the past. Armed only with an ancient family journal, her rifle, and an Apache tomahawk, she must save her grandfather’s life and embrace her dangerous heritage. Or be devoured by it.

Blood Fugue can be found at:

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Fugue-Moonsongs-Book-ebook/dp/B009ED5M0C/ref=la_B009GI10B0_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355846648&sr=1-1

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15865066-blood-fugue

About Witch's Nocturne:
After receiving an ancient tribal journal from her grandfather, Jenny is sent on a mission of discovery in an attempt to unravel clues to her family's monster hunting past. The journey becomes more than academic when she is asked to confront a coven of dangerous witches who plan to cast an insidious spell on the plains of West Texas.


Witch's Nocturne is the second of the Moonsongs Books, a series of paranormal-horror-action novelettes by author E.J. Wesley. These stories contain language and content better suited for mature readers.



Witch’s Nocturne can be found at:

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Witchs-Nocturne-Moonsongs-Book-ebook/dp/B00APKRTOK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355801247&sr=1-1

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/265285

Barnes & Noble -http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witchs-nocturne-moonsongs-book-2-ej-wesley/1113991380?ean=2940016083438

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16589826-witch-s-nocturne








About the author:
Born and raised in Oklahoma, E.J. grew up in a land of good earth and better people. He holds degrees in psychology and counseling, but prefers to spend his time in the heads of imaginary people to real ones. He writes and lives in South Texas, and loves to chat about movies, books, music, food, and family.


Find the Author: GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Blog

WANT TO WIN COPIES OF THESE eBOOKs?  

Just leave a comment and you can win one of two sets!

And also enter to win:

The tour wide giveaway is:

• 1  Prize Package #1: Signed copy of Soul Screamers Vol. 1 by Rachel Vincent, Signed copy of Capital Hell by Alicia M. Long, signed copy of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and Texas (Little Known Facts about Well Known Places (Package open to US addresses only) by Victor Dorff
  
  
• 2 winners of a $15 GC to amazon or B&N
  
  
• 1 winner of $20 towards The Book Depository (INT ONLY!)

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BookHounds Review TOTLANDIA 3: SPRING by JOSIE BROWN @JosieBrownCA @coliloquy

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2013

Spring comes in like a lamb as the exclusive Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club welcomes its newest members. But that tranquility belies a storm brewing, as new tensions and old rivalries come to a head.

The surviving moms are ready to reap the rewards of membership, but none of them counted on club founder, Bettina Connaught Cross, needing a pick-me-up from a bitter betrayal. While lesser women might cry into their pillows, Bettina finds comfort in exerting control over her domain.

With Bettina on a rampage, the new Onesies are trying to stay out of sight long enough to deal with their own issues: Lorna wants to tell her family about Dante’s autism, but keeping it on her own terms could be difficult when her hippie mom and socialite mother-in-law meet for the first time. Jillian fights to regain her financial footing and confront her own insecurities, finding comfort in an unexpected place. And Ally can’t bear the thought of hurting Jade, so she continues to bury her feelings for Brady. But when another desperate housewife stirs the mix, Jade could become a pawn in an even more devious game.

It’s no ordinary spring in Totlandia, as emotions build to a fury and end with a roar.

www.totlandiatheseries.com

About the Author

Josie Brown's novels are:

SECRET LIVES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES (Simon &; Schuster), which will be made into a dramatic television series for ABC by producer Jerry Bruckheimer. 

THE BABY PLANNER (Simon & Schuster)

THE HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN'S HANDBOOK (Signal Press)

Her other novels are TRUE HOLLYWOOD LIES (Diversion Press) and IMPOSSIBLY TONGUE-TIED (HarperCollins). 

Non-Fiction Books by Josie Brown:

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Finding Mr. Right
• Marriage Confidential: 102 Honest Answers to the Questions Every Husband Wants to Ask, and Every Wife Needs to Know
• Last Night I Dreamt of Cosmopolitans: A Modern Girl's Dream Dictionary

As a journalist, Josie's celebrity interviews and relationships trends articles have been featured in Los Angeles Times Syndicate International, Redbook and Complete Woman magazines, as well as AOL, Yahoo, AskMen.com, Divorce360.com, and SingleMindedWomen.com.

For more on Josie, visit her website: josiebrown.com  and her blog: authorprovocateur.com

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

***spoilers if you haven't read the first two***

Bettina comes face to face with Kelly and although it has taken her awhile to catch on to her deviousness, she slowly comes to terms with her philandering husband, Art.  I think I have met this character in real life.  Art gives new dimension to the word slimy.  As a financial planner, he relies on Bettina's club to get him new clients and they never say anything  their losses since his momzilla wife can ruin a reputation faster than you can count on one hand.  Matt and Lorna face the music with their son and his autism after an accident rips open the secret.  Eleanor, Matt and Bettina's mother has an inkling about the issue and supports Lorna.  She also shocks Bettina by telling her off.  YAY Eleanor! I really want to see more of her.  

Jade, the stripper with a heart of gold, is pretty clueless for how worldly she is and Brady manages to save her reputation even though everyone except Bettina knows what she used to do, including Art.  Jillian, is still struggling with her loser of an ex, is stuck with an even worse divorce lawyer, doesn't really deserve the hand she is dealt.  Ally's secret still hasn't come to light even though people are catching on to the fact that she really isn't married.  She does come to Jillian's aid and even though it will pay off monetarily for her, she does really just want to help her out.  

Just when I think a series can't get any better, it does!  I planned on just starting the first chapter and then finishing it up in the morning, but I just couldn't put it down.  Even though, these are quick, serialized reads, Brown has more character development in one sentence that most authors take chapters to fulfill. I adore this style of writing.  It is funny, to the point and brilliant.  These books are just made to read on your smart phone.  So, now, the wait until we get the next one.  I can see these going on and on as more mommies are added into the mix and it will never get old.                                       

Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway~! Win Two Cowboy Romances

Welcome to the RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS Giveaway Hop! 

This hop is hosted by: 

I Am a Reader, Not a Writer (HERE) 
Read For Your Future (HERE)

There are over 100 blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts February 17th  and and ends on February 21st,  midnight. 

HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER:

Want to win these ARC  books?

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address within the free shipping areas of The Book Depository.

Contest ends on 2.21.13 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE COMMENTS OF THIS POST

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Void where prohibited.

This giveaway is sponsored by me and ONE book is available.

Complete the below form 
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