Month: June 2012

GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE “SO FAR AWAY” by Meg Mitchell Moore ENDED

JUNE 2nd to JUNE 16th, 2012

 

SO FAR AWAY
by MEG MITCHELL MOORE

SYNOPSIS:
Thirteen-year-old Natalie Gallagher is trying to escape: from her parents’ ugly divorce, and from the vicious cyber-bullying of her former best friend. Adrift, confused, she is a girl trying to find her way in a world that seems to either neglect or despise her. Her salvation arrives in an unlikely form: Bridget O’Connell, an Irish maid working for a wealthy Boston family. The catch? Bridget lives only in the pages of a dusty old 1920s diary Natalie unearthed in her mother’s basement. But the life she describes is as troubling – and mysterious – as the one Natalie is trying to navigate herself, almost a century later.
I am writing this down because this is my story. There were only ever two people who knew my secret, and both are gone before me.
Who was Bridget, and what became of her?
Natalie escapes into the diary, eager to unlock its secrets, and reluctantly accepts the help of library archivist Kathleen Lynch, a widow with her own painful secret: she’s estranged from her only daughter. Kathleen sees in Natalie traces of the daughter she has lost, and in Bridget, another spirited young woman at risk.
What could an Irish immigrant domestic servant from the 1920s teach them both? As the troubles of a very modern world close in around them, and Natalie’s torments at school escalate, the faded pages of Bridget’s journal unite the lonely girl and the unhappy widow – and might even change their lives forever.
THANKS TO ANNA, AND THE GENEROUS
PEOPLE  AT THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP
I HAVE THREE ( 3 ) COPIES OF THIS
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.
*USE THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW
IN ORDER TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY
*
BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: DO YOU THINK THAT THERE SHOULD
BE CONSEQUENCES FOR CYBER-BULLYING? AND WHAT KIND?
*
*U.S. AND CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY*
*NO P.O. BOXES*

**PER PUBLISHER**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.

*GIVEAWAY ENDS JUNE 16th AT 6PM EST*

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

DISCLAIMER / RULES

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review “So Far Away” by Meg Mitchell Moore

So Far Away by Meg Mitchell Moore
Published by: The Hachette Book Group
Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: May 29, 2012
ISBN-10: 0316097691
ISBN-13: 978-0316097697
Pages: 336
Review Copy from:  The Hachette Book Group
Edition:  ARC TPB
My Rating: 3

Synopsis (from Amazon):
Thirteen-year-old Natalie Gallagher is trying to escape: from her parents’ ugly divorce, and from the vicious cyber-bullying of her former best friend. Adrift, confused, she is a girl trying to find her way in a world that seems to either neglect or despise her. Her salvation arrives in an unlikely form: Bridget O’Connell, an Irish maid working for a wealthy Boston family. The catch? Bridget lives only in the pages of a dusty old 1920s diary Natalie unearthed in her mother’s basement. But the life she describes is as troubling – and mysterious – as the one Natalie is trying to navigate herself, almost a century later.

I am writing this down because this is my story. There were only ever two people who knew my secret, and both are gone before me.

Who was Bridget, and what became of her?

Natalie escapes into the diary, eager to unlock its secrets, and reluctantly accepts the help of library archivist Kathleen Lynch, a widow with her own painful secret: she’s estranged from her only daughter. Kathleen sees in Natalie traces of the daughter she has lost, and in Bridget, another spirited young woman at risk.

What could an Irish immigrant domestic servant from the 1920s teach them both? As the troubles of a very modern world close in around them, and Natalie’s torments at school escalate, the faded pages of Bridget’s journal unite the lonely girl and the unhappy widow – and might even change their lives forever.

My Thoughts and Opinion:
A poignant and tender story ripped from the headlines that we hear, one too many times lately, in the actions and consequences of bullying. Three females, all from different generations, but are united by friendship and the quest for happiness and survival.

The author weaves a heart wrenching prosaic novel that clutches the reader from the start. I was drawn into this story when the author first introduced 13 year old Natalie. As a parent, I wanted to wrap my arms around this character that the author brings to life along with the other characters in the book. The settings realistic as conveyed by the author’s descriptive writing style. The suspense swirls around a diary found that was written many years ago but has an impact on both Natalie and Kathleen, who has her own secrets and pain. A very emotional and compelling read!!!

(2012 Challenges: Off The Shelf, FreeReads, Where Are You, A-z, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)

And the winners are………..

……..of The Volunteer by Barbara Taylor Sissel 

1 Kathy Bose Leave a Blog Post Comment

4 Linda Kish Leave a Blog Post Comment

An email has been sent to the winners and they have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to all that entered.

Guest Author Vincent Zandri

Heeeeee’s back!!   If you follow my blog, then you know how I feel about Vincent Zandri’s books.  I have read every one that he has written to date and is my number 1 author for mystery and suspense novels.  Today he is stopping by to talk about his latest novel.   So please help me give a warm welcome to author and friend, Vincent Zandri !!

Vincent Zandri

Vincent Zandri is the No. 1 International Bestselling Amazon Kindle author of THE INNOCENT, GODCHILD, THE REMAINS, MOONLIGHT FALLS, CONCRETE PEARL, SCREAM CATCHER and the forthcoming MOONLIGHT RISES. He is also the author of the bestselling digital shorts, PATHOLOGICAL and MOONLIGHT MAFIA. Harlan Coben has described his novels as “…gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting,” while the New York Post called THE INNOCENT, “Sensational…Masterful…Brilliant!” In March, April and May of 2011, he sold more than 100,000 Kindle E-Books editions of his novels, and is rapidly closing in on the 200K mark all totaled. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, Zandri’s work is translated into many languages including the Dutch, Russian and Japanese. An adventurer, foreign correspondent, and freelance photo-journalist for RT, Globalspec, IBTimes and more, he divides his time between New York and Florence, Italy.

You can visit Vin at his website, Facebook, Twitter and blog.
Click on above titles to read my reviews.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Based upon Vincent Zandri’s most anthologized Pushcart Prize-nominated short story of the same title, Permanence, is the “Hitchcockian” story of Mary Kismet, a travel agent and grieving mother of a toddler who suffered an apparent accidental drowning. Now, all alone in the world, she attempts to ease the pain of her suffering by immersing herself, body and soul, into a love affair with her psychiatrist, a man haunted by his own demons. A tragic novel of obsession, dark compulsions, and madness, Permanence transports the ill-fated lovers from New York to Venice, Italy, and back again.
Check out the feature at The Big Thrill
Read my review here.

Book details:
Genre:Adult Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Bear Media
Publication Date: May 4 2012
Purchase: Amazon

THANKS TO AUTHOR, VINCENT ZANDRI, I HAVE
TWO (2) OF HIS PREVIOUS NOVELS TO GIVEAWAY.
TWO WINNERS, ONE FOR EACH BOOK.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
 I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com,
Barnes & Noble and/or any other retail/wholesale
outlets either online and/or elsewhere.
I am providing this link solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
I do not receive any monetary compensation from any parties

Review “Permanence” by Vincent Zandri

Permanence by Vincent Zandri
Published by: Bear Media
Publication Date: May 4, 2012
AISN: B0080PZ6XI
Pages: 143
Review Copy from:  Author
Edition:  Digital galley
My Rating: 5

Synopsis (from author):
Based upon Vincent Zandri’s most anthologized Pushcart Prize-nominated short story of the same title, Permanence, is the story of Mary Kismet, a travel agent and former mother to a toddler who suffered an accidental drowning. Now, all alone in the world, she attempts to ease the pain of her suffering by immersing herself, body and soul, into a love affair with her psychiatrist, a man who is being haunted by his own demons. A tragic novella of obsession, dark compulsions, and madness, Permanence transports the ill-fated lovers from New York to Venice, Italy, and back again.

My Thoughts and Opinion:  This talented and gifted author has done it again!!! If you follow my blog, you know that I am a huge fan of Vincent Zandri, having read all of his books. In my opinion, he is a genius at his craft, writing novels that will catch you off guard. His writing is extraordinary, so much so, that with each book read, it seems that you are reading books by different authors. His writing style is unprecedented, whereas each stand alone novel, has a different and unique blueprint and delivery. Permanence was a thunderbolt !! I can’t stress enough how this masterful author, has the ability, creativity and accomplishment with words to bring the reader on a wild ride with each book he writes. Knowing and being familiar with his work, he still has me shaking my head at the end of each book that I read, due to the talent he possesses. Each book unmatched and unparalleled to his other novels. Brilliant!!!

With Permanence, from the first sentence, his words grabbed me like a vise and I knew there was going to be no escape. With this book, unlike his others, was written in a first person narrative of a very troubled female, Mary. Another surprise, just 2 very profound characters. The prose dark and haunting. Eerie! The author, with his ability and extraordinary use of words, allowed me to create the actual speech pattern of Mary. I imagined it to be as if someone was talking in a drug induced psychotic state. Powerful!! I could also vividly envision the characters and settings with his detailed and descriptive writing style. Ingenious!! I actually felt the emotional state of the main character. Terrifying!!!

Without a doubt, and in my opinion, Permanence has proved that Vincent Zandri is now the #1 Best Selling mystery/suspense author with his capacity and command of story telling. And will continue to be with his remarkable execution and diversity of writing. His creativity and originality is penetrating. Permanence, I feel is his best work yet, at least for now, as we wait for this artist to paint his next masterpiece!!!

 

(2012 Challenges: Romantic/Suspense, EBooks, Off The Self, FreeReads, Where Are You, A-Z, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)

GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE “MOONLIGHT FALLS” and “SCREAM CATCHER” by Vincent Zandri ENDED

JUNE 1st to JUNE 15th, 2012

 

MOONLIGHT FALLS and

SCREAM CATCHER
     

by VINCENT ZANDRI

SYNOPSIS (FROM AMAZON):
MOONLIGHT FALLS:
In MOONLIGHT FALLS, novelist and photo journalist Vincent Zandri asks the question “If you knew your life could end at any moment, how far would you go to prove you murdered your lover? ”
Albany, New York, is the setting of Zandri’s paranoid thriller (in the Hitchcock tradition) about Richard “Dick” Moonlight, former APD detective turned private investigator/massage therapist, who believes he killed Scarlet Montana, his illicit lover and wife of his ex-boss Chief of Detectives Jake Montana. The dilemma … Moonlight doesn’t remember what happened!
SCREAM CATCHER:
Jude Parish is a former violent crimes cop turned bestselling true crime author. Now, in the wake of his literary success, Jude is hoping to lead a quiet, peaceful life in the idyllic Adirondack vacation town of Lake George, New York along with his pregnant wife, Rosie, and Jack, his young son from a previous marriage.
But when the ex-cop becomes the accidental witness to a bizarre murder in which the killer, video game designer and master of disguise, Hector “the Black Dragon” Lennox, insists on recording the screams of his victim prior to shooting him dead, the Jude’s life is turned upside down.
When Lennox is arrested by the L.G.P.D. and Jude is asked to act as the state’s “star witness,” he has no choice but to take on the role. But what he doesn’t realize is that the killer’s arrest is actually the first level in what will be a carefully scripted 1st person video kill game that will involve his entire family as “players” and “victims.”
How will the kill game end?
Like all violent video games, it will end in death. But it won’t be “Game Over” until Hector Lennox tries to catch the screams of his tortured victims.
THANKS TO AUTHOR, VINCENT ZANDRI
TWO WINNERS.  I HAVE ONE ( 1 ) COPY
OF EACH BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.
*USE THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW
IN ORDER TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY
*
BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT:  (DOUBLE COMMENT)
1.  HAVE YOU READ, EITHER, BOOK?  IF SO, WHICH ONE,
SO THAT IF YOU WIN, YOU WON’T GET THE SAME BOOK.
2.  HAVE YOU READ ANY OF THE AUTHOR’S
BOOKS?  WHICH ONE(S)?*
*U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY*
*NO P.O. BOXES*
 **HONOR SYSTEM**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.

*GIVEAWAY ENDS JUNE 15th AT 6PM EST*

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

DISCLAIMER / RULES

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Aloha Friday

      

Hosted by An Island Life

From An Island Life:
In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

MY QUESTION:
Do you have a favorite card game that
you enjoy playing with friends?

MY ANSWER:
We like to play HiLoJack with friends,
wives against the husbands.
And, of course, we always win lol.