Stacking the Shelver - November 7, 2015

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books I added to my shelves this week. They may it be physical or virtual. I include books I buy in a physical store or online, books I borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews.  Follow the link to see what others have on their shelves. 

Purchased:

Inherit the Stars by Tony Peak

Kris Longknife: Unrelenting by Mike Shepherd

Book Beginnings and The Friday 56 - November 5, 2015

I'm linking up with Rose City Reader for Book Beginnings and Freda's Voice for Page 56. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Pick the closest book on your book stack and join the fun.

The Beginning:

"Mom?" Travis Uriah Long called toward the rear of the big, quiet house. "I'm going out now."

There was no answer.

Page 56:

"For the first few week Travis trudged back to the barracks every evening with either a massive headache or a sort of information overload haze. His dreams alternated between nightmares and some of the most bizarre traveling excursions he'd ever experienced."

From A Call To Duty (An Honorverse Novel) Book 1 of Manticore Ascendant by David Weber and Timothy Zahn

This is a new spin-off series based on Weber's very popular Honor Harrington series. I just started and it looks like it will popular with fans of the series.

Blue Yonder by Diane Dooley

Science Fiction Romance

From Goodreads:

Earth is drowning, but Isabel Visconti won’t be going down with the planet. Her earnings as a factory drone and prostitute will soon fund her escape to the stars. All she’ll leave behind is her late husband’s best friend, Daniel Morneau, who has disappeared into the underbelly of the city’s criminal gangs. Until he shows up, pleading for Isabel’s help.

It’s the old Daniel, the kind, gentle one. The man who bought medicine for her dying husband then helped her through the grief. It’s the Daniel she couldn’t possibly refuse to help. But Isabel has already been given a choice by Daniel’s psychopath boss. Betray Daniel—or spend months travelling to a far-off colony, servicing a violent criminal gang along the way.

When Daniel is abducted, Isabel is his only hope. He may die without her, but is there time enough for love on the eve of the end of the world?

At only 45 pages long Blue Yonder is a short story but one well worth reading.  Both Isabel Visconti and Daniel Morneau are great characters who have a past but have been apart for a long time.  Then a baby comes into the picture and they re-connect.  I liked both Isabel and Daniel but the scene-stealer is baby Jack.  There is a lot of action, tension and romance in this very well-written story.  I loved the surprise at the end.  I would love to see a follow up to the surprise set later in the lives of Isabel Daniel and Jack. (Just a hint:  Wanting more is the sign of a very good story.)

Decadent Publishing released Blue Yonder by Diane Dooley in 2015.

I received a copy of Blue Yonder from the author in return for an honest review.

Jeweled Fire by Sharon Shinn

Fantasy

From Goodreads:

The national bestselling author of Troubled Waters and Royal Airs returns to her Elemental Blessings series with the story of a young princess who will need more than blessings to survive in a kingdom where everyone will do whatever it takes to claim the throne…

As one of the four princesses of Welce, Corene always thought she might one day become queen. Only circumstances changed, leaving fiery Corene with nothing to show for a life spent playing the game of court intrigue—until a chance arises to become the ruler of a nearby country.

After stowing away on a ship bound for Malinqua with her loyal bodyguard, Foley, Corene must try to win the throne by making a play to marry one of the empress’s three nephews. But Corene is not the only foreign princess in search of a crown.

Unaccustomed to being anyone’s friend, Corene is surprised to find companionship among her fellow competitors. But behind Malinqua’s beautiful facade lie many secrets.

The visiting princesses are more hostages than guests. And as the deadly nature of the court is revealed, Corene must rely on both her new allies and Foley’s unwavering protection—for the game she has entered is far more perilous than she ever imagined.

Once again Shinn has written a love story that simmers in the backgound.  Corene and Foley are a great pair who have to respond to multiple threats.  Nothing is as it seems.  Does the empress really want to marry off her nephews?  With three old choices and one new choice who will actually be the heir.  Who is pulling strings in the background to see that their candidate wins.  Why is one of the princesses in more danger than the other two.

All of this is happening in a book that is full of tension even as the prose flows in a very smooth way.  Shinn had a way with the gentle romance.  You know that the two are attracted but it is never shoved in your face.  Instead there are hints in the action required by the two main characters.

Jeweled Fire is character driven.  Corene, the main character, starts out not knowing what she wants from her life and ends up realizing that running way leads her to being able to run to a new and interesting life.  Best of all Foley will be sharing that life with her.

Jeweled Fire is book three in the Elemental Blessing series but works well as a stand alone.

Ace published Jeweled Fire by Sharon Shinn in 2015.

I received an ARC of Jeweled Fire from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Teaser Tuesday - November 3, 2015

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Teaser:

"I've exhausted most of the textbooks.  Jim Thompson starts giving me the willies.  So much thud-thud stupidity leading to so many dead-end alleys of despair."

From Killing Titan by Greg Bear.  This is book two in a series.  I finished book one, War Dogs, a few weeks ago and saw that book two was already out and on order at my public library.  It came out of processing last week and I got it on Sunday.

The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod by Tracy Ellen, Virtual Tour and Giveaway

THE ADVENTURES OF ANABEL AXELROD

by Tracy Ellen

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GENRE: Contemporary romantic suspense

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BLURB:

Boxed Set: The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod Series: Special Holiday Collection

Meet Anabel Axelrod, a smart, sassy, and sexy small town bookstore owner. She’s also a control enthusiast with quirky ideas, decided convictions, and firm rules for the men who want to date her. When Anabel meets Luke Drake, she is appallingly fascinated to be attracted to the mysterious alpha male like no man before in her extensive dating career. Anabel is right to be wary because Luke does not play by any rules. What do you get when you mix together a witty, confident woman who is a magnet for trouble, a dangerously seductive man with a secret agenda who is not too tall, not too handsome, and definitely dark, fun loving friends with their own set of problems, and a few crazy relatives? The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod! An ongoing series that is part steamy romance, part suspenseful mystery, and always laugh-out-loud fun!

This eBook boxed set of The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod (Volumes I-V Special Holiday Collection) is available for purchase November/December 2015 only and contains the full-length books: A Date with Fate, Courted by Karma, In Love by Design, Adieu to Destiny, and Family & Fortune.

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Excerpt 

“Look, Luke, if I break my rule about being picked up can you promise not to dismember me on our first date or worse yet, bore me?”

Pushing the door open, Luke casually shrugged a shoulder. “Anabel, I never make promises I can’t keep. You may prove irritating.”

I blinked in disbelief. By the time I recovered to retort, I was talking to the screen door. Stunned, I realized Luke really had left. After a moment of taking this in, I started laughing in rare enjoyment. Our first date could prove very interesting indeed.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Tracy Ellen is happily married and lives with her family in the suburbs of St Paul, Minnesota. She loves writing and living dangerously through the lives of her characters. Tracy’s a firm believer that smart + confident = sexy as hell. But she hopes that’s the only formula you’ll ever find in her unique, steamy, witty, suspenseful, and sometimes incredibly funny romances featuring sassy, independent heroines and their seductively alpha heroes.

Website and Newsletter Sign Up:  www.tracyellenink.com

Twitter Handle: TracyEllen01

Twitter URL:  https://twitter.com/TracyEllen01

Facebook Page URL:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tracy-Ellen/426785400717429

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Tracy-Ellen/e/B009EFU5XY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1444475905&sr=8-1  (the boxed set will go on sale on October 26)

Buy Links:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Box-Set-Adventures-Axelrod-Collection-ebook/dp/B016MSY2R0/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Apple/iTunes   https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/box-set-adventures-anabel/id1049591970?mt=11

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/584919

BNnook:    http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/box-set-tracy-ellen/1122797577;jsessionid=78B879264EB573944C7C712C0C18C0E2.prodny_store03-4?ean=2940152409031

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Tracy will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Musing Mondays - November 2, 2015

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading… Archangel by Sharon Shinn
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

Musing Mondays is sponsored by A Daily Rhythm.

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Have you ever chosen a book, mostly because of its cover art, and then regretted it because the content didn’t live up to your expectations?


More than once.  When that happens I am a unhappy with both the author and the publisher.  Usually when it happens the blurb is also misleading.

Boundary Crossed by Melissa F. Olson

Urban Fantasy

From Goodreads:

After her twin sister’s brutal murder, former US Army Sergeant Allison “Lex” Luther vowed to protect her niece, Charlie. So when two vampires try to kidnap the baby, it quickly turns into a fight to the death—Lex’s death, that is.

She wakes up to two shocking discoveries: she has miraculously survived the fight, and baby Charlie is a “null,” gifted with the ability to weaken supernatural forces...and a target for creatures who want to control that power. Determined to guarantee her niece’s safety, Lex makes a deal with the local vampires. She sets out with the mysterious—and undead—“fixer” Quinn to track down whoever’s responsible for the kidnapping, sharpening her newfound magic skills along the way. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her powers become.

Boundary Crossed is a dark, thrilling journey into a world where the line between living and dead isn’t nearly as solid as it appears.

I read Melisa Olson’s Dead Spots several years ago and really enjoyed it.  47North offered me a free copy of Boundary Crossed at World Con this year and I quickly accepted. 

Boundary Crossed is a spin off from the Scarlett Bernard series but it does stand on its own.  There are a few characters that are in both series but for the most part the are just mentioned as part of the story line.

Allison “Lex” Luther is something of a lost soul.  She is just passing time until her niece is kidnapped.  That event starts the world building in the novel.  As Lex learns about a secret world that is all around her we do too.  The world is revealed through actions and through the introduction of new characters.  Olson does a great job of moving the plot, discovering the back-story and developing the characters while holding the readers attention.

Lex was my favorite character.   She starts out very lost.  As the story progresses she becomes stronger and stronger.  She loves her family and does what is needed to keep them safe.  I am looking forward to seeing what happened to Lex and the other characters in the next book.

47North published Boundary Crossed by Melissa F. Olson in 2015.