Blog Tour ~ Hunter's Fall by Shiloh Walker (Attempt #1)

Title: Hunter's Fall
Author: Shiloh Walker
Release Date: 6/7/2011
Source: ARC received as part of The Book Vixen's tour

Synopsis:

Nessa lost her memory following a near-death experience. Dominic is a Hunter dealing with his own problems with memory and sanity. When the two are put together to battle the forces of darkness-while trying to restore what they've lost-their all-consuming passion becomes an even greater unknown.

Review:

This review is actually pretty difficult for me to write.  So far I'm seeing a fair amount of 3, 4 and 5 star reviews for Hunter's Fall and I wish I felt the same.  I was all excited about being a part of the tour for this book and up until this point I hadn't found a Shiloh Walker book that I couldn't put down.  I'm not sure what happened or didn't happen but I just could NOT get into Hunter's Fall.

I'm hoping that part of the problem is that I hadn't read any of the other books leading up to this one.  I've already decided that I am going to see if the Hunter books are available in my library system.  I don't want to completely give up on Hunter's Fall.  From the other reviews that I've been seeing about this book, it sounds very promising.  Maybe I just had too much paranormal all at once.

So here's the breakdown...I'll start with my list of positives first.

I was really excited about the opportunity to read another one of Shiloh Walker's new books.  She's had me hooked since I read Broken.  I was also very excited about the premise for the book.  I really hadn't ever read a book about witches that also dealt with the "issue" of re-incarnation.  Also, I hope that the cover that is available on Goodreads is the final cover...I REALLY like it a LOT, very much a less is more cover. 

Now for my list of negatives....

I wasn't able to get through the whole book so I don't know at this time if this particular issue cleared itself up or not as the book progressed, but I had a really hard time connecting with the main characters. From the portion of the book that I did get read I felt disconnected from the characters.  I also had moments where the story confused me. There were points where I was confused as to what tense the story was in.

Overall, I really wanted to get into Hunter's Fall but at the time I just was not able to.  I'm also hoping to make a second attempt to read Hunter's Fall cover to cover after it is released.  I do want to thank The Book Vixen for letting me be a part of this tour...I just wish I was able to get into the story.

RATING:

DNF

The Tour Schedule:

Tour Schedule:
5/30 - The Book Vixen
5/31 - Alice White Blogs
6/1 - My Overstuffed Bookshelf
6/3 - Jamie's Bookshelf
6/6 - Lush Book Reviews
6/7 - Seduced by Books
6/9 - Tori @ Smexy Books

Discussion Post ~ Conquering your TBR pile/mountain

This morning I was checking out some of the blogs that I follow and I came across this post posted by the ladies over at Everything To Do With Books.  Which led me to find the inspiration for the post over at Down The Rabbit Hole.  Which led me to think about my TBR mountain and how I'm failing on my fail boat to conquer it.  So now I'm asking you, what steps have you implemented to conquer you TBR pile/mountain?

I will spare you all the "gory" details about my TBR mountain.  Let's just say that it's REALLY scary almost to the point of being beyond scary and I am looking for a way to work towards conquering that particular mountain.

So fellow book bloggers I am asking for your help in conquering my TBR mountain.  An overflowing bookcase and stacks of books all over the place say I NEED to conquer my mountain.  So Thank You in advance for any suggestions, tips, or ideas that might come from this post.  I really appreciate it a lot.

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Title:  Steel
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: YA/Time Travel


Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Jill has fought in dozens of fencing tournaments, but she has never held a sharpened blade. When she finds a corroded sword piece on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued and pockets it as her own personal treasure.

The broken tip holds secrets, though, and it transports Jill through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Stranded in the past and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew. But a pirate's life is bloody and brief, and as Jill learns about the dark magic that brought her there, she forms a desperate scheme to get home—one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainous pirate captain.

Time travel, swordplay, and romance combine in an original high-seas adventure from New York Times bestseller Carrie Vaughn.

Review:

I saw this book one day when I was looking on the Barnes and Noble web page and thought that the premise was good enough to add it to my shopping cart.  After checking out it's page on Goodreads I found that Steel got mixed reviews.  A lot of 3 and 4 star ratings.

I thought that the idea behind the story was right up my alley...mainly because it was a new-to-me idea.  I think reading Steel helped me get into the proper frame of mind for the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie that came out last weekend.

I thought Jill overall was a like able character, though in the beginning she was a little bit to "woe is me" for me personally.  There is being dedicated to your sport then there is addicted.  I think that at the beginning of the book she was leaning closer to addicted....To the point of NOT being able to enjoy a family vacation a MONTH after her last match.  Which leads up to Jill being transported back to the 18th century and becoming a member of the crew on the pirate ship Diana.  The more time that Jill spends on the Diana the more she's able to not only conquer her own issues she's also able to help the crew with some of their own problems.  When Jill is finally transported back to her own time she takes the lessons that she has learned on the Diana with her to use in her life from that point on.  Plus, there is a REALLY COOL "souvenir" too.

The pirate portion of the book was my favorite part of the book, meaning I'm not really a fan of the beginning but it got much better.  There was a TON of action.  The captain of the Diana was a WOMAN and I learned a TON.  Did you know that pirate ships are where the first forms of democracy were formed?  The main positions (captain, quartermaster, first mate, etc.) were all voted on.  Each ship has it's own rules which are known as in Steel the "articles."  Also, I really enjoyed that Carrie Vaughn brought actual pirates out of the history books and put them in her book.

The only part I had a slight misgiving with was the "romance."  There were plenty of hints at it but there was only 1 real kiss in the whole book.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you are looking for a fun, quick read, or a slight departure from what you've been reading recently.

RATING:

4/5

In My Mailbox May 22

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kirsti of The Story Siren.

*Library Books*

"That's when I saw him—the cowboy—across the smoky room."

I'll never forget that night. It was like a romance novel, an old Broadway musical, and a John Wayne western rolled into one. Out for a quick drink with friends, I wasn't looking to meet anyone, let alone a tall, rugged cowboy who lived on a cattle ranch miles away from my cultured, corporate hometown. But before I knew it, I'd been struck with a lightning bolt . . . and I was completely powerless to stop it.
Read along as I recount the rip-roaring details of my unlikely romance with a chaps-wearing cowboy, from the early days of our courtship (complete with cows, horses, prairie fire, and passion) all the way through the first year of our marriage, which would be filled with more challenge and strife—and manure—than I ever could have expected.
This isn't just my love story; it's a universal tale of passion, romance, and all-encompassing love that sweeps us off our feet.
It's the story of a cowboy.
And Wranglers.
And chaps.
And the girl who fell in love with them.

Ruby Prosser dreams of escaping the Congregation and the early-nineteenth century lifestyle that’s been practiced since the community was first enslaved.

She plots to escape the vicious Darwin West, his cruel Overseers, and the daily struggle to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive and gives Darwin his wealth and power. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient that makes the Water special: her blood.

So she stays.

But when Ruby meets Ford, the new Overseer who seems barely older than herself, her desire for freedom is too strong. He’s sympathetic, irresistible, forbidden—and her only access to the modern world. Escape with Ford would be so simple, but can Ruby risk the terrible price, dooming the only world she’s ever known?

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court.  But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection.  Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks.  But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.

Heartthrob bounty hunter Greg King knows how to work it—and he knows that he can have any woman he wants. But there’s more to Greg than meets the eye…and he’s still haunted by the memory of his beautiful, estranged wife. Much as he’s tried to move on, he’s never been able to stopstopped wondering why Haley left him. Or what he could have done to make their marriage better—and make her stay…

After putting a vicious criminal behind bars, Haley King had no choice but to leave her loved ones behind and enter the witness protection program. Turns out that, in her new life, Haley has once again found herself in serious trouble—and needs help from the only person she can trust: her husband. Now, as old secrets threaten to tear them apart and danger closes in from all sides, it’s up to Greg to keep Haley safe…and convince her that this time, he’s playing for keeps.

*For Review*

Conner Creed knows exactly who he is: a hardworking rancher carrying on his uncle's legacy in Lonesome Bend, Colorado. Maybe a small-town cowboy's life isn't his dream, but he owes the man who took him in as a kid. Until the identical twin brother he's been estranged from for years reenters his life.

Conner struggles with identity issues as he gets to know his wilder brother. And then he meets Tricia McCall, a beautiful woman who knows a thing or two about living someone else's dreams. Together, they just might find their own dreams right here in Lonesome Bend….

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #1
Genre: YA Dystopia

Synopsis:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Review:

Alrighty then....I am jumping on the "fan girl" band wagon!  I LOVED this book!  I'm really glad that I paid the extra money to have it arrive at my house on release day.  Best $28 I've spent in a LONG time!  FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!  And just for effect I'll add a SQUEEEEEEEEE in there too!

This book has literally jumped its way to the top of my MUST READ list to all of my friends/family/co-workers.  Divergent has been compared to The Hunger Games trilogy and I can honestly see a lot of similarities between the two series.

Leading up to me purchasing Divergent I hadn't heard much about it.  But when I looked it up on Goodreads close to its release date I saw a plethora of "Awesome," "YOU MUST READ THIS," "It will hook you and not let go" type of reviews.  I was still a little skeptical, because its sort of a natural tendency for me to be a little bit leery about purchasing an item that gets so much positive hype.  Let me tell you this....Divergent DEFINITELY earned all that positive hype.

I mean look at the cover!  The cover is what sold me on buying the book.  I'm a sucker for a great cover!  If you haven't picked up this book yet you should!  What are you waiting for!?

There are so many great things about this book that I really don't even know where to start!  Honestly, there isn't just one or two things that stand out to me that make this book great.  It's the total package.  The characters, the story itself, the world that the author creates...all great things that meshed together in a solid bond to create an UNFORGETTABLE book!

This book REALLY does have the power to suck you in and not let go.  It happend to me and it has happened to others who have read Divergent.  The only drawback is that we have to wait until 2012 for the next installment of the series:(

RATING:

5+/5

New review "Award"

In the past couple of months I have read SEVERAL really AWESOME books.  So many that I have decided to create a new review "Award" for the truly awesome.  I am calling this "Award" the Awesome Sauce award.  If I could bottle all that Awesome I could make one hell of a profit!

The first recipient of the Awesome Sauce award will be posted shortly.  This book truly deserves this award.  I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!

Blog Tour/Giveaway ~ The Shepherd by Ethan Cross

Title: The Shepherd
Author:  Ethan Cross
Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Synopsis:

Marcus Williams and Francis Ackerman Jr. both have a talent for hurting people. Marcus, a former New York City homicide detective, uses his abilities to protect others, while Ackerman uses his gifts to inflict pain and suffering. When both men become unwilling pawns in a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of our government, Marcus finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse trapped between a twisted psychopath and a vigilante with seemingly unlimited resources. Aided by a rogue FBI agent and the vigilante's beautiful daughter--a woman with whom he's quickly falling in love--Marcus must expose the deadly political conspiracy and confront his past while hunting down one of the most cunning and ruthless killers in the world.


Review:

I was approached about joining the blog tour for this book a little while ago and I agreed based on the premise alone.  The Shepherd sounded like a book that would trip my trigger so to speak.  I'm glad that the book lived up to my expectations for it!

Marcus Williams is a former New York City homicide detective, who has just moved to town.  He really didn't think that his first job would come so soon after moving to town.  It seems that a mad man has made his way to the town that Marcus now calls home.  Now Marcus and our mad man are going to face off, unfortunately, there can be only one winner. Will evil prevail? or will good triumph?  In the end, who is going to be The Shepherd?

Francis Ackerman Jr. is our mad man.  He has basically been conditioned from a young age to become the monster that he is today. Ackerman has escaped a mental health facility and is making a terrifying tour across many states.  Only leaving behind a trail of bloody and mangled bodies.

If you are a person who enjoys suspense/thrillers I highly recommend this book.  There has been a fair amount of praise bestowed upon the book and I found that The Shepherd was definitely worthy of the praise.  If you do pick up this book, read it while it's light out (big mistake on my part).  It has THAT much creep factor to it.  The Shepherd, I found to be a very fast read with plenty of twists and turns and creep factor. 

RATING:

4/5

GIVEAWAY:

I am giving away my gently used copy of The Shepherd.

Rules:

1. Open to US/Canada addresses.

2. Please leave your email address in the comments section below.

3. Giveaway will conclude on May 26 @ 11:59 pm.

4. Winner will be announced Friday May 27.