Shelf Cravings {44}

Welcome to Shelf Cravings, a weekly dish on all things book! New releases, coming soon, just discovered and the lastest Indie. This week Im excited for.....

Coming Soon

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

June 5, 2012 by Henry and Holt

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near-impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one unlikely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life– a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha… and the secrets of her heart.

The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood

March 20, 2012 by Random House

The Bellwether Revivals opens and closes with bodies. The story of whose bodies and how they come to be spread about an elegant house on the river near Cambridge is told by Oscar, a young, bright working class man who has fallen in love with an upper-class Cambridge student, Iris, and thereby become entangled with a group of close friends, led by Iris's charismatic, brilliant, possibly dangerous brother. For Eden Bellwether believes he can heal -- and perhaps more -- through the power of music.

In this masterful debut, we too are seduced by this gilded group of young people, entranced by Eden's powerful personality and his obvious talent as a musician, and caught off guard by the strangeness of Iris and Eden's parents. And we find ourselves utterly unsure as to whether Eden Bellweather is a saviour or a villain, and whether Oscar will be able to solve this mystery in time to save himself, if not everyone else. 

Crimson Sunrise by J.A Saare

June 18, 2012 by Wildrose Press

After eradicating the obstacles between them, Emma Johnson and Caleb Blackney are ready to embrace their future together. They have a lot of decisions to make. There is the issue of Emma's fae heritage, her choice to become a werewolf or remain human, and Caleb's refusal to partake in anything that could cause harm to his mate. 

When Caleb's sister goes missing, personal issues are forced aside, and he and Emma are faced with a past threat that has come knocking at their door. As the search for Sammie reveals plans far more sinister than they ever could have imagined, Emma and Caleb will face their fears, confront their enemies, and unite their families to stand against an evil that won't stop until vengeance is served.

Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

July 10, 2012 by MTV Books

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever. But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business--until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers--and the consequences could be deadly. 

Just Discovered/New Releases

The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice

Feb 14, 2012 by Knopf Publishing

A young reporter on assignment from the San Francisco Observer. . . an older woman, welcoming him into her magnificent, historic family home that he has been sent to write about and that she must sell with some urgency . . . A chance encounter between two unlikely people . . . an idyllic night—shattered by horrific unimaginable violence. . .The young man inexplicably attacked—bitten—by a beast he cannot see in the rural darkness . . . A violent episode that sets in motion a terrifying yet seductive transformation as the young man, caught between ecstasy and horror, between embracing who he is evolving into and fearing who—what—he will become, soon experiences the thrill of the wolf gift.

The Lost Daughter by Lucy FerrissFeb 7, 2012 by Berkley 

Brooke O’Connor — elegant, self-possessed, and kind — has a happy marriage and a deeply loved young daughter. So her adamant refusal to have a second child confounds her husband, Sean. When Brooke’s high school boyfriend Alex — now divorced and mourning the death of his young son — unexpectedly resurfaces, Sean begins to suspect an affair.

For fifteen years Brooke has kept a shameful secret from everyone she loves. Only Alex knows the truth that drove them apart. His reappearance now threatens the life she has so carefully constructed and fortified by denial. With her marriage — and her emotional equilibrium — at stake, Brooke must confront what she has been unwilling to face for so long. But the truth is not what Brooke believes it to be.

So Im chewing my fingers off in nerve worthy wait for Shadow and Bone....and I cant wait to read J.A Saare's book - I know its out of my genre, but I read Crimson Moon (first book) and adored it, so I will be finishing this series and breaking my no PNR rule for you Ms. J.A!! All of these look so delish....and the covers scream read me....which one are you excited for?

Have you read Crimson Moon- it was fabulous....

Guest Post w/RaeAnne Thayne & Win Woodrose Mountain

Today on Chatting with Authors, Im thrilled to welcome RaeAnne Thayne to the blog! She will be discussing her writing inspirations and giving away one of her books!

What inspires me?

by RaeAnne Thayne

I just finished my 40th book last month. That number still astonishes me! Regardless of the varied conflicts, characters and plots, I have discovered a common theme that runs through each book. My core story is that we’re all here on earth to learn how to take care of each other.

Caretakers come in so many different forms. Grandparents raising their grandchildren, wives helping husbands through chemotherapy, mothers racing from soccer games to gymnastics class to the piano lessons.

In WOODROSE MOUNTAIN (April 2012, HQN), that lesson in caring comes to my heroine, Evie Blanchard. Still grieving after the death of her adopted special needs child, Evie has created a new life for herself in Hope’s Crossing, Colorado, the fictional town I first introduced in BLACKBERRY SUMMER (June 2011, HQN).

Evie has walked away from her life as a pediatric rehab therapist and is perfectly happy working in a bead store and selling her jewelry creations at summer bead fairs. But when business mogul Brodie Thorne pleads for her help in the recovery of his brain-injured daughter Taryn (injured in a car accident in BLACKBERRY SUMMER) Evie feels obligated by her friendship to Taryn’s grandmother to overcome her own reluctance and offer what assistance she can. She doesn’t want to allow herself to care for Taryn – or Brodie! – but in the process of helping this courageous girl recover from her severe injuries, Evie is astonished to discover healing and hope within herself.

I loved writing WOODROSE MOUNTAIN. Probably more than in any of my other forty books, I relied very heavily on my own experience while writing about Taryn, Evie and Brodie. You see, I’m a caretaker as well, to my 14-year-old son who has severe disabilities. He was born the very week I sold my fifth book and I’ve walked two sometimes disparate journeys in that time – parenting a child with special needs and writing happily-ever-after romance novels.

I leaned heavily on my own world view while writing WOODROSE MOUNTAIN. Wheelchair vans, lift systems, even seizure protocol are all things I’m knowledgeable about. I also know very well how vital good therapists can be in the rehab process – and also how important a strong, supportive community can be for those who struggle with challenges.

As the parent of a child with special needs, the key lesson I’ve learned is the inherent goodness of most people. We have been embraced and supported by our community from the day he was born. Even strangers often reach out to us. I’m always having people stop me in the grocery store when I’m juggling both a cart and a wheelchair to ask if they can help me (I always appreciate the offer but I’m an old pro at pushing a wheelchair with one hand and pulling a cart with the other! The trick is not to try this at a crowded Walmart on a Saturday afternoon LOL!).

The overriding message I hope readers take from WOODROSE MOUNTAIN is that even when life seems difficult and entirely too hard, moments of grace and beauty can be found in abundance!

Thank you Rae for stopping by today! I have a profound respect for parents who care for special needs children. Ive seen first hand the dedication, hard work and heartbreak that go's with it. Congrats on your new book and wishing you the best!!

Giveaway

Today I have one brand new copy of Woodrose Mountain to giveaway to a reader at TBR's. To enter please just leave a comment and a way to get in touch (email, link to profile) Winner will drawn March 14, 2012.

Evie Blanchard was at the top of her field in the city of angels. But when an emotional year forces her to walk away from her job as a physical therapist, she moves from Los Angeles to Hope’s Crossing seeking a quieter life. So the last thing she needs is to get involved with the handsome, arrogant Brodie Thorne and his injured daughter, Taryn.

A self-made man and single dad, Brodie will do anything to get Taryn the rehabilitation she needs…even if it means convincing Evie to move in with them. And despite her vow to keep an emotional distance, Evie can’t help but be moved by Taryn’s spirit, or Brodie’s determination to win her help—and her heart. With laughter, courage and more than a little help from the kindhearted people of Hope’s Crossing, Taryn may get the healing she deserves—and Evie and Brodie might just find a love they never knew could exist.

The Saturday Spotlight with Youseph Tanha & Giveaway

Welcome to the Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature devoted to Indie and Debut authors. This week I have the pleasure of introducing readers to:


YOUSEPH TANHA
~Author of All that Matters~

The Trouble with Writing

Youseph Tanha- 2011

Hello book reading people of the Internet! My name is Youseph Tanha, (pronounced U-sef Tan-Ha) and I live in the capital city of Juneau, Alaska. I am very grateful to Tina for giving me this opportunity to address all of her readers. This is a big deal for someone like me who has just published his first book.

Writing does not come easily to me. I am a child of the eighties who was diagnosed with Dyslexia at the age of nine. It was a time when Dyslexia meant to people of authority that you were mentally slower than everyone else and that you would be lucky if you could read by the time you finished with grade school. “The world needs janitors.” my third grade teacher would say to me. 

School was crummy for me in that respect. My science and math skills scored at or above my peers. My only problem was that the letters and numbers on a piece of paper always looked like they were jumping and twisting around. This made reading next to impossible. I used to come home from school, pull out my homework and work on it until bed time and I still would not be done with it!

When I was diagnosed with Dyslexia, I went through a process of finding corrective eye lenses that would keep everything on the page steady for me, but by the age of 9 I had already picked up several bad habits that make writing very difficult for me even today. For example, I always get my “There”s and “Their”s mixed up, along with my “to”s, “two”s, and “too”s. “Where”s, “were”s, “we’re”s, and “your”s and “you’re”s. I know these differences come easily to most people, but I always have to check on them to make sure I am using the right ones.

Reading is still difficult for me, but over the years I have gotten better at it. I still can’t read a book as fast as the people around me, but that does not stop me. The only way I can improve is to keep reading and writing. It’s not only something I enjoy but I also look at it as practice to improve my skills.

There is a story about Oscar Wilde that I have seen floating around the Internets for a while. The story goes that he once included with a manuscript he was delivering to his publishers a compliment slip in which he had scribbled the injunction: “I’ll leave you to tidy up the woulds, wills and shalls, thats and whiches.” It is encouraging to me that such a master of language as Oscar Wilde, also needed some help form time to time. The thought of that leaves me feeling hopeful for the future.

Thanks for stopping by today Youseph and sharing that personal yet heartfelt bit about yourself. Your third grade teacher sounds like a lovely woman.....(not).....Thanks goodness that comment didn't prevent you from becoming a writer. Best of luck to you and your future writing career.

GIVEAWAY

Today thanks to Youseph, I have three Ebooks (version of your choice) to giveaway. To enter please just leave a comment. Winner will be drawn March 3, 2011

All that Matters by Youseph Tanha

Ethan Wright is just like any other high school kid that is one day lucky enough to meet the girl of his dreams. Throughout the course of high school the young couple learn to cope with incredibly difficult odds to discover all that matters.’All That Matters’ is a novella about love and life and all that the heart can endure. With memorable characters and a deep story you will find it difficult to put this book down.

Find out more about the author on the WEB

Oppression for 99 Cents on Kindle and Nook!

Oppression by Jessica Therrien

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

Grab your copy of Oppression today for 99 Cents!! On Kindle and Nook, this is only for a limited time!

Barnes & Noble Nook .99 Cents: 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oppressi...

Mini's- Featuring Real Marriage by Mark&Grace Driscoll

~In where I get out a few thoughts on a bundle of books I have read~

Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll

February 3, 2012 by Thomas Nelson

Hardcover, 249 Pages

Review Copy

Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife, Grace, talk about sex and marriage in down-to-earth terms, hitting issues other Christian books won't. They share practical help and hope with people just like them--who entered marriage a complete mess, or who are planning to be married someday and want to avoid some sticky pitfalls.

Warning: This review contains topics of a sexual nature! Rated- PG-13.

Review

I think what I appreciated the most from this book was the introduction and the Driscoll's honesty. A majority of couples, including Christian couples, do have sex before marriage and this is the first book I've seen speak openly about the baggage associated with bringing past sexual encounters before being Christians into a new relationship as Christian people. It was refreshing to see a pastor, a very well known and popular pastor at that, and his wife Grace talk about the ups and downs and really messed up phases of their marriage and the things they did with God's help to fix it. I loved too that they didn't sugar-coat the problems into something that others couldn't relate to, these were real, hard and difficult things to move past, yet they both gave encouragement and guidelines while admitting the sin troubling them both, without resorting to infidelity or sexual addiction problems that would have destroyed the marriage.

Most of the marriage books and sermons Ive read/listened too, skirt around sexual issues Christians struggle with or say ludicrous things that make sexuality awkward. The worst sermon I heard at a mega church in my area, stated that (the pastor said this) in Christian marriage the only acceptable sex act was missionary style sex without foreplay, otherwise we were running the risk of desecrating our bodies and knocking on Hells gates.......WHAT!? This guy needed a fish thrown at him, missionary style sex only......pffftttt....I left the church looked at my husband and told him we were headed straight for Hell.......

Thank goodness Mark and Grace took a chance and said it was ok to do all the stuff we (married-couples) are already doing, because guess what?? Sex is awesome and in a committed marriage you should have as much great sex as possible with lots and lots of play time. And this book doesn't shy away from the graphic stuff...Oral sex its in there, Anal sex, yup they went there.....Role playing, sex toys, masturbation...by golly its alllllllll in there!!!

Of course that's not what the entire book is about, they use Biblical guidelines on all the sex stuff and they also share opinions on what their against like pornography and birth control options and they focus on building a close friendship with your spouse addressing issues that may be hindering your marriage.

While I don't think this book will whip your marriage into the BEST MARRIAGE EVER.....it can serve as a great tool to help anyone out there struggling in a marriage or someone who is thinking about getting married. Real Marriage is a refreshing read about couples in an imperfect world, opening the eyes to what the Bible actually says about sex.

Rating

Recommended to adult readers. Real Marriage explains itself in the title. Contains topics on sexuality (graphic sexuality) and married life with a Christian world aspect.

4/5- Nonfiction

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for Review Copy

**That clip was from a snippet of questions asked during the sermons which inspired the Driscoll's book**

Life, In Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson

May 10, 2010 by Multnomath Books

Paperback, 240 Pages

Borrowed/Library

Kristen Anderson, a seventeen year old who's life up to that point had been riddled with death and sexual assault, felt hopeless. In despair, grounded and in trouble at home and mostly just confused by life, Kristen decides one night to end her life. 

Choice of death: By Train.

As Kristen lays down in front of those tracks, faces away from an on-coming freight train, she describes in detail the moments before she thought her life would end, of the train hitting her, chopping her legs off and left to die bleeding.

But Kristen did not die that night, she lived to share her story and as we walk through the pain of her loss, the emotional trauma she endures after and the physical pain of her recovery, as a reader you cant help but feel the sorrow, yet the hope Kristen's story signifies. Kristen has gone on to counsel other teens who are suicidal, patients who are in mental hospitals and has the desire to reach out to those in need. I was truly moved by her story, courage and her new found faith in God to overcome. 

4/5- Inspy-Memoir

Night of the Living Dead Christian by Matt Mikalatos

September 16, 2011 by Saltwater

Paperback, 288 Pages

Review Copy

Out of control desires and beastly behavior combine in this story of a quirky yet hungry Werewolf who wants nothing more than to control the monster within him.

This was odd to say the least. At times funny and certainly outside of the box when comparing Christian faith analogies, I thought NOTLDC offered a fun and entertaining look at the daily struggles we face in faith and walking the Christian walk. I know a lot of Inspy readers will cringe at this novel, due to its werewolf, zombie and monster characters, but seriously its all just in fun. Because Im a big vampire and fantasy genre reader I understood the points Mikalatos was trying to make using each monster to pinpoint specific sin.

I think this would be a great novel for people looking for something non-preachy and fun.

3/5- Inspy-Nonfiction-Humor
Thanks to Saltwater for Review Copy