Book Preview- Uneasy Fortunes

23 May, 2012 by in mandi ellsworth Leave a comment

Uneasy Fortunes
By Mandi Ellsworth
Paperback, 240 pages
Expected Publication Date: June 12, 2012 
by Cedar Fort 
ISBN: 1599559854
Book Source: Netgalley
3 stars
Summary from Goodreads: Battered by his past, Pete knows he has no business falling for anyone. But when time can’t heal a wound, love steps in to make it right. Based on a true story of the post–Civil War South, this gentle rustic romance will pull you in from the first page and leave you with a renewed hope in the power of real love.
Cathy’s Review: Pete is an honest man looking for honest work. His life hasn’t always been easy for him. His father was a drunk and a mean one at that. After his father dies, Pete ends up working long years to pay off his father’s debts before he’s able to strike out on his own looking for his own life. He has always had a bit of a stutter, but he’s able to hide it in his new life at Ridgemoor, simply by not speaking. The problem is that he falls in love with the daughter of the wealthy owner of Ridgemoor, Rosalynn Richie. He knows that there is no way that he will ever be able to marry this young lady and he begins to make plans to find a different work situation before she gets married. June is a young lady who’s been hurt by men before, she’s not looking for love anywhere, nor does she ever plan to be, but when Pete shows up looking for work at her home, and her father hires him, she begins to see that men can be kind and genuine and that maybe, just maybe there might be one for her sitting right at the dinner table looking back at her.
I had kind of a hard time getting into this story. I’m not sure quite why, but the beginning of the book didn’t hold my interest as much as some of the rest of it did. By the middle of the story I was into it, and the end had a big surprise that I didn’t see coming. I didn’t think that the characters in this book seemed as real as they do in some other books, they seemed a bit 2 dimensional to me. Maybe that’s kind of weird, but I like to get to “know” my characters and feel as though they are real and they could be friends of mine in real life, and I didn’t really get that with these characters.
Content: Rape scene, but not terribly descriptive


About the Author: As the youngest of thirteen children, Mandi Ellsworth grew up secure in the knowledge that she was the “star” of her family and didn’t realize until she left home that not everyone thought the same. Later, after traveling around for two years and going to three different colleges, Mandi met a man whom she would regularly out-eat and he didn’t mind. They’ve been happily married ever since. They have ree children and live wherever the wind takes them. Mandi’s children know public libraries better than grocery stores, and she likes it that way.

Find out more about author Mandi Ellsworth: Goodreads/ Blog


The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty Giveaway

22 May, 2012 by in book giveaway 1 comment

A week ago, Fire and Ice had the pleasure in reviewing and being a part of the blog tour for Laura Moriarty’s soon to be released book, The Chaperone.

The Chaperone will be released on June 5th, 2012. 

Here is what everyone is saying about The Chaperone…

“It’s impossible not to be completely drawn in by The Chaperone. Laura Moriarty has delivered the richest and realest possible heroine in Cora Carlisle, a Wichita housewife who has her mind and heart blown wide open, and steps – with uncommon courage – into the fullness of her life. What a beautiful book. I loved every page.” ~ Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife 

“What a charming, mesmerizing, transporting novel! The characters are so fully realized that I felt I was right there alongside them. A beautiful clarity marks both the style and structure of The Chaperone.” ~ Serena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab’s Wife and Adam & Eve

“The Chaperone is the best kind of historical fiction, transporting you to another time and place, but even more importantly delivering a poignant story about people so real, you’ll miss and remember them long after you close the book.” ~ Jenna Blum, author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers 

“The Chaperone is the enthralling story of two women… in this layered and inventive story, Moriarty raises profound questions about family, sexuality, history, and whether it is luck or will – or a combination of the two – that makes for a wonderful life.“
~ O, the Oprah Magazine

For more up-to-date info, please check out Laura Moriarty’s Facebook Fan Page!

To enter: Please fill out the rafflecopter. This giveaway will be open until Wednesday, May 30th, 12:01am. Winner will be announced and emailed shortly after… giveaway open to U.S. and Canada only, sorry. 

Thank you for entering and good luck! 
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Book Review- The Lure of Shapinsay

22 May, 2012 by in Sweet River Romance, The Lure of Shapinsay Leave a comment

The Lure of Shapinsay
by Krista Holle
Ebook, 260 pages
Publication Date: December 16th 2011
by Sweet River Romance 
ISBN 2940013878815
Book Source: publisher
2 Stars 
Book Summary from Goodreads: Ever since Kait Swanney could remember, the old crones of the village have been warning her to stay away from the selkies. They claim that like sirens of old, the seal men creep from the inky waters, shed their skins, and entice women to their deaths beneath the North Sea. But avoiding an encounter becomes impossible when Kait is spotted at the water’s edge, moments after the murder of a half-selkie infant.

Unexpectedly, Kait is awoken by a beautiful, selkie man seeking revenge. After she declares her innocence, the intruder darts into the night, but not before inadvertently bewitching her with an overpowering lure.

Kait obsesses over a reunion deep beneath the bay and risks her own life to be reunited with her selkie. But when she lands the dangerous lover, the chaos that follows leaves Kait little time to wonder—is it love setting her on fire or has she simply been lured?

Crystal’s Review:  I want to start by saying this book is not a bad book. Actually I think that anyone who enjoys books that include folklore and magical creatures would really enjoy this book. The author does a wonderful job of describing the surroundings and characters. The mystery surrounding the selkie people is enough to keep you wanting to read till the end. I generally do not read this genre of book however this book has left me more open to reading more books of this sort. I ended up rating the book two stars because I just could not connect with the story. When the book first started I was excited by the main character Kait. She came across as a strong minded young lady that could stand up for herself and had no fear of the men in the town. She did not yearn to please a man, nor did she spend her time gossiping like most of the other women. She did her share of the work at home and hassled just as hard as the men in town when selling her eggs.  I love strong females in books so I started the book off liking her very much. However I felt less and less drawn to her as the book continued. After one meeting with a selkie man she turns into the polar opposite of what she once was. From that day on the only thing on her mind is the selkie man and she is willing to throw herself into the ocean to be with him. While I understand that the selkie men have a magic lure that women cannot resist having the main character change so quickly started my disconnect from the book.  After that I just didn’t find myself as caught up in the story as I usually do with books that really catch my interest. I will definitely be on the look out for other books by this author seeing as even though I didn’t love this book the author kept me intrigued enough to read it till the end. 

Content: Numerous mentions of nudity and sexual activity.
Crystal

 About the Author: Krista has been writing since she was nine-years-old when she scribbled out her first adolescent work entitled Merish, the completely illogical but heartfelt story of a girl who was part mermaid, part fish. As a young mother, Krista added to her repertoire some middle grade readers and picture books she’s wary of mentioning.

In 2004, Krista began an intensive four year period working part-time as a critical care nurse while homeschooling her four children. During this hectic time, courses of writing were taught and learned, and rules of syntax were scolded to memory. Ironically this period of study equipped Krista with the tools she needed to enter the next phase of her writing experience.

Now equipped with the mysteries of the comma, Krista was ready to tackle a much bigger project–a full-fledged novel.

After the kids were enrolled in public school in 2009, it occurred to Krista that there is an insatiable audience of women and girls who want to read books filled with stories about true love, not just vampires. Convinced that there was an unfulfilled audience waiting for what she love to write–romance, she sat down in the family’s dungeon, a.k.a. the basement, and began to furiously type. In no time, her first novel was drying on crisp white paper.

Krista currently resides in Midlothian, Virginia with her husband, four daughters, and an eccentric cat with a weird attachment to the family’s socks. She continues to write obsessively every chance she can get.

Suffocate Book Launch

21 May, 2012 by in S.R Johannes, suffocate Leave a comment

It is May 21st and guess what that means?
S.R. Johannes’ Suffocate is out today!
Suffocate is the first novelette in THE BREATHLESS series. It is a 15,000 word young adult thriller that combines the dystopic and science fiction genres.
Here’s a little about the novelette…

“For centuries, the world outside the Biome has been unlivable. Today, marks the first time anyone will attempt to leave the suffocating ecosphere. Eria is not worried because her scientist father has successfully tested the new Bio-Suit many times. It’s a celebratory day until something goes horribly wrong. In the midst of tragedy, Eria uncovers a deep conspiracy that affects the very air she breathes.

If those responsible find out what she knows, they won’t stop hunting her until she takes her last breath.”
The 2nd novella in the series, CHOKE, is scheduled for Fall 2012. The 3rd, EXHALE, is scheduled for Winter 2013.

You can purchase Suffocate for only 99 cents at
Amazon –
Also you can add it on Goodreads! 
Author Bio: S.R. Johannes is the author of Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and On The Bright Side ( a tween paranormal).
She started out writing for her local school paper, winning a state Nutrition essay contest for “Be a Smart Cookie”, and singing in a local Jazz band. Somewhere along the way, she earned an MBA in Marketing and embarked on an 18-year marketing career in Corporate America working as a marketing and communications consultant.
In 2000, S.R. traded in her expensive suits, way-too high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She started her own marketing & communications business, www.bilaninc.com, and continues creating materials for a variety of large profit and nonprofit clients, including Spanx, Goody Hair Products, Chick Filet, Delta, CARE, and the Boys & Girls Club of America.
S.R.’s dream is to publish children’s books and magically imprint the imaginations of kids. In addition to juggling nap schedules while attending client meetings, Shelli focuses on her writing. She is a frequent marketing speaker at SCBWI conferences across the U.S and runs a popular marketing blog, Market My Words (www.faeriality.blogspot.com) where she provides marketing advice for authors in the hopes of helping them better market their words.
In her spare time (yeah right!) and if the kids allow (yeah right!), Shelli obsesses over movies, reads children’s books (over and over), wishes she could squeeze in Bikram Yoga sessions, and dreams of sleeping in on the weekends.
She currently lives in Atlanta with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess that someday will change the world.

Stacking the Shelves #2

18 May, 2012 by in saundra mitchell, simon audio, stacking shelves 1 comment

Stacking The Shelves is a meme started by Tynga’s Reviews “all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks.”
Here’s what’s new on my shelves this week…

A Hero For WondLa (WondLa #2) by

 

Bitterblue(Graceling Realm #3) by

Destined (Wings #4) by

 

Book Review- Where I Belong

16 May, 2012 by in Uncategorized 1 comment

Where I Belong
by Gwendolyn Heasley
Paperback, 289 pages
Published February 8, 2011
by HarperTeen
ISBN: 0061978841
Book Source: bought
3 stars

Summary from Goodreads: A heartwarming and witty debut novel about a spoiled city girl whose life is turned upside down when her father loses his job and she’s shipped to Broken Spoke, Texas. Who knew country-living could melt this snobby ice-queen’s heart?

Cathy’s Review: Corrinne is a big city kind of girl. She lives in New York City. Some of her favorite things to do are shopping in the exclusive Barney’s, going clubbing with her friends, riding her horse Sweetbread and drinking without getting carded. She’s looking forward to going to a fancy boarding school and hopefully rooming with her best friend, Waverly. That’s all about to change, because due to the recession her father has lost his job. He will be moving to Dubai to work at another lower paying job. They will be selling their apartment in the city. And Corrinne and her little brother Tripp will be headed to a very small town in Texas, a town so small that it’s not even on Google Maps to live with the grandparents that they’ve only seen a few times. No malls, no credit cards, no friends and no boarding school. Corrinne is determined to hate Broken Spoke, Texas, kids at school, and her grandparents in no particular order. But she soon learns that the best things in life don’t have to come from an exclusive store and cost exorbitant amounts of money, sometimes the best things in life are free! This book had such a great premise. I loved the idea of a big city girl going really, really small town. I can’t say that I liked Corrinne at the beginning. She was an extremely spoiled brat, who pretty much always got whatever she wanted, no matter the cost and she was really rude to her brother, parents and grandparents. I liked the lessons that Corrinne learned through the natural course of losing everything. And by the end, I did like Corrinne and I thought that she had found that there was a decent person in her body that even she didn’t know existed.

Content: mild swearing, underage drinking, kids sneaking out to go drinking

About the author: Gwendolyn Heasley is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned her master’s degree in journalism. When she was a little girl, she desperately wanted to be the next Ann M. Martin- the author of the beloved The Baby-Sitter’s Club series. She’s incredibly grateful that the recession rendered her unemployed and made her chase her nearly forgotten dream. She lives in New York City, teaches college and eats entirely too much mac and cheese for an adult. She’s also currently at work on her third novel for Harper Collins.
Find out more about author Gwendolyn Heasley Goodreads/ Twitter/ Website

Read it now for 2.99
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Until I Die Swag Winner

15 May, 2012 by in Uncategorized 1 comment

Congratulations to Amy Kwan who won our Until I Die giveaway as part of the Amy Plum/ Mundie Moms blog tour for a set of author signed bookmarks plus an additional Eiffel Tower bookmark. Thanks to all who entered!

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The Chaperone Book Tour

14 May, 2012 by in Uncategorized 2 comments

We are so happy to be today’s stop on The Chaperone’s Blog Tour
hosted by TLC Book Tours.

by Laura Moriarty 

ARC, 367 pages 
Publication Date: June 5th, 2012
Publisher: Riverhead Books 
Book Source: TLC Book Tours
ASIN: 1594487014 
Genre: Historical Fiction
5 Stars
SUMMARY 
(from Goodreads)

“A captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in 1922, and the summer that would change them both. 

Only a few years before becoming a famous actress and an icon for her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita to make it big in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle is a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip. She has no idea what she’s in for: Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous blunt bangs and black bob, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will change their lives forever. 
For Cora, New York holds the promise of discovery that might prove an answer to the question at the center of her being, and even as she does her best to watch over Louise in a strange and bustling city, she embarks on her own mission. And while what she finds isn’t what she anticipated, it liberates her in a way she could not have imagined. Over the course of the summer, Cora’s eyes are opened to the promise of the twentieth century and a new understanding of the possibilities for being fully alive.”
Margie’s Review:
Laura Moriarty’s writing and style is impeccable and leaves nothing out.
When Cora was walking around and taking the subways and experiencing the endless hot days and not so wonderful smells that NYC has to offer and the historical sights – I felt like I was right there walking alongside with her. In my mind, every description and detail was picture perfect.
The Chaperone is about a 30-something housewife, Cora Carlisle, who volunteers to accompany a rebellious 15 year old, Louise Brooks, to New York City in the summer of 1922 – during the time where the 19th Amendment had just passed, the Prohibition was in full force and the Klu Klux Klan were seeking members to expand across the South. 
At first, we think that Cora is leading the perfect life – her husband, a lawyer, who adores her and supports her, twin sons that had just graduated and were off working on a farm before attending college in the fall, the perfect house and clothes – life seems too good to be true for Cora. 
As the story goes on, we find out that Cora has her own reasons for going to New York and her life is far from perfect. 
Moriarty touches upon hard subjects that were not only not talked about, but to most people, weren’t even aware that such evil things were happening around them and the innocence and ignorance in those times. It is amazing to see how times have changed… back then, girls were frowned upon and talked about if their skirts weren’t long enough, if they didn’t wear gloves even on hot days, and if they weren’t chaperoned to any place day or night. 
At times I had to remind myself that this was a book about Mary Louise Brooks, the American Dancer, Model and Actress from the 1920’s who made the “bobbed haircut” popular, but told through the eyes of someone who briefly lived with her and then followed her career, which gives us a better understanding as to how and why Louise the person that she was. 
For all of you that love historical fictions, I highly recommend this book.  

MARGIE 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
(from Goodreads) 
Laura Moriarty earned a degree is social work before returning for her M.A. in Creative Writing at the University of Kansas. She was the recipient of the George Bennett Fellowship for Creative Writing at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. She currenly lives with her daughter in Lawrence, Kansas, and is at work on her next novel.
A Promo/Book Tour for:
http://tlcbooktours.com/
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Epic Deals From Harper Teen

11 May, 2012 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Harper Teen has sent us some awesome news!!! The have once again slashed prices on amazing YA books to offer you EPIC READS, EPIC DEALS: 8 EBOOKS FOR $2.99
YA Gets Real this May with 8 eBooks for $2.99 each! Find all the Epic Deals on Facebook and join the Epic Reads BooksClub on Goodreads below.
Epic Reads Book Club 36 membersEpic Reads Book Club is a discussion of one YA/teen lit title each month, across all genres. Here…

Books we’ve read

Incarnate Incarnate

Start date: April 16, 2012

Read now for 2.99

Book Review- Pack of Lies

10 May, 2012 by in Pack of Lies, Sara Dailey, Staci Weber 1 comment

Pack of Lies
by Staci Weber and Sara Dailey
eBook, 146 pages
Published:  April 8th 2012
by Boroughs Publishing Group
ISBN  9780984898862
Book Source: Publisher
3.5 Stars
Book Summary From Goodreads: The last thing Allison Wright ever expected when she moved to Red Ridge, New Mexico was to come muzzle to muzzle with the wolf of her dreams.

Seventeen-year-old Allison Wright is convinced she’s losing her mind. Uncontrollable mood swings, hot flashes, and the urge to punch anyone who gets in her way are suddenly becoming everyday occurrences. Before her erratic behavior gets out of hand, Allison’s mother finally comes clean about her dark secret. Mom is a werewolf, and soon Allison and her brother Aiden will suffer the same fate. When Allison reaches her breaking point, the family leaves their life in Texas to move to Red Ridge, New Mexico where they rejoin the pack that Allison’s mother left behind almost 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, not everyone in Red Ridge is thrilled about Allison’s arrival, especially when she attracts the attention of the very handsome, very taken, soon-to-be alpha, Cade Walker. Little does Allison know, her mere presence is causing a rift in a once unified pack. Not only has Cade been forbidden from being with Allison by his father, the pack’s alpha, Cade’s girlfriend, Kendall Stuart, will stop at nothing to get Allison out of the picture. Well on her way to becoming the next alpha’s mate, Kendall expects to rule the pack by Cade’s side even if it means teaming up with a rogue werewolf with an agenda of his own. Determined to get rid of Allison permanently, when Kendall and the rogue join forces, all hell breaks loose and no one in the pack is safe, especially not Cade and his true mate.

Review by ephrielle: First and foremost Pack of Lies is a romance with a splash of paranormal. The story isn’t deep or full of flowery description. It is a classic example of a young teenager’s dream of how romance works. You meet a guy, fireworks ensue and you can’t live without the other. On the same track you can’t take the book too seriously. If you try to think too much all the holes will ruin it. Consider this story to be much like Superman keeping his identities separate with a pair of glasses and a curl of hair. This book seems to have two parts. Part one, the first three quarters, is awesome. I didn’t want to put the book down and go to sleep. It is complete and utter fluff but scrumptious all the same. I loved it and had the biggest smile on my face. That first portion really felt like the perfect read to refuel tired batteries. If reading is losing its appeal this book can help get you back on the go. There were a couple of great lines, one of which left me laughing for minutes. I even laughed so hard I woke up my hubby. My favorite part came when Allison turned into a wolf and was ready for some justice. I was so excited I couldn’t read fast enough. Sadly, I didn’t get to read her kicking some were-bum. She is talked up as such a fighter, but not once after her move to the werewolf estate does she live up to expectations. I loved Aiden at the beginning. He is exactly the older brother I always wished I had. I cracked up when the big reveal went down. Okay kids, sit down, I need to tell you something. Wait, I really don’t know how to tell you. Okay here goes nothing, I’m a werewolf and so are you. ( I paraphrased of course.) Hilarious in its bluntness. 
The second part of the book is a whole other story. I would almost say they were written by two different people. The characters start to lose their identities. Dylan is a great example of this. He starts off mysterious and tips the scales into scary land. But once you hit part two he isn’t any of those things and really rather weak. What happened? Some of the characters start to get annoying and weak. Cade is a prime example here. He vacilates between whiny weak waste of space and the stud he was painted as. The pace at the end is very fast and the story gets very thin. Sort of a “don’t ask because we won’t tel”l or maybe “we don’t know.”
Before the second portion I would have given this book a solid four but the ending really pulls it down. I would recommend this as a great light, put a smile on your face, read, just don’t let the ending get in the way.
Favorite Quote – “I’m older. It should have happened to me first. Right? It’s like I’m slow or something. Like I’m a were-tard.”
Content: moderate swearing and violence

About the authors: Both Sara Dailey and Staci Weber are avid readers, English teachers, friends, wives, and soccer moms. They have been teaching together for the past eight years, and writing together for four. Pack of Lies is the second young adult novel for this duo.


Find more about authors Sara Dailey and Staci Weber on twitter/ Twitter – Dailey/ Website/ Blog