Happy New Year!

2011 Shifter Challenge!

I just could not pass up this challenge - I am going to have to start passing some up - but I LOVE SHIFTER stories - so here I am committing to read 20 of them for this challenge!

You can go here to sign up to participate too!  The challenge is being hosted by Parajunkee's View!

I can't wait to start putting together my list!
1. Alpha by Rachel Vincent - 1/4/11 - reviewed here
2. Pack Challenge: Magnus Pack Book 1 by Shelly Laurenston - - 1/29/11
3. Blameless by Gail Carriger - 2/2/11 - reviewed here
4. Serengeti Heat by Vivi Andrews - 2/14/11 -
5. Serengeti Storm by Vivi Andrews - 2/15/11
6. Serengeti Lightning by Vivi Andrews - 2/16/11

Follow Friday - 40 and Over

This wonderful meme is hosted at Never Growing Old and this is my first time to get to participate!

The RULES to join in are very simple!
1. Grab the button
2. Add your link to the list
3. Visit as many other blogs as you can
4. Follow the ones you like (and comment on their blog to say that you are following)

2010 is Over - - let's wrap it up!

2010 is almost over and 2011 is about to begin!  Where does the time go?  

I joined a number of challenges in 2010 and completed some of them - I have high hopes for 2011!

So...this post is my wrap-up for 2010 - - you can see how many books I read/reviewed and so on ~ 

Here is a list of the books I actually reviewed and/or mini-reviewed on my blog in 2010:

The Ways of Khrem by D. Nathan Hilliard

From the Dead by John Herrick

Minder and Adversary by Kate Kaynak

The Down & Dirty series by Moira Rogers (Ante Up, Wild Card, Calling the Bluff)

Once In a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber

Honor Bound by Moira Rogers

Dark Deceptions by Dee Davis

Branded: Fall of Angels by Keary Taylor

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Addiction by Sandra Marshall

Touch the Dark by Karen Chance

Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

Tainted, Torn and Turned by Julie Kenner

Heartless (Book 1: Tales of Goldstone Wood) by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Exposure by Brandilyn Collins

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

Crossroads Cafe by Deborah Smith

Here are the Challenges I participated in:

2010 Summer Romance Challenge ~ hosted by Book Chick City   

My goal for this challenge was 8 books ~ I read 12 books:

Once Bitten by Kalayna Price - 6/11/10

Short Stories from Red Rock by Moira Rogers - 6/21/10

Sanctuary Unbound: Red Rock Pass #4 - 6/22/10

Leader of the Pack by Karen MacInerney - 7/1/10

Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione - 7/2/10
Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione - 7/410
Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione - 7/6/10
Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione - 7/7/10

Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts - 7/8/10

Wild Card by Moira Rogers - 8/15/10

Calling the Bluff by Moira Rogers - 8/15/10

Ante Up by Moira Rogers - 8/16/10

My goal for the E-Book challenge was 40 books ~ I read 52!

1. Soulless by Gail Carriger

2. Crux: Southern Arcana Book 1 by Moira Rogers

3. Crossroads Cafe by Deborah Smith

4. Wolf Signs: Granite Lake Wolves Book 1 by Vivian Arend

5. Wolf Flight: Granite Lake Wolves Book 2 by Vivian Arend

6. Wolf Games: Granite Lake Wolves Book 3 by Vivian Arend

7. Into the Mist: Falcon Mercenary Group Book 1 by Maya Banks

8. Into the Lair: Falcon Mercenary Group Book 2 by Maya Banks

9. Skin Deep: Laura Blackstone Book 1 by Mark Del Franco

10. Male Call: Hot Zone Book 1 by Denise A. Agnew

11. Stopping Time, part 1 by Melissa Marr

12. Stopping Time, part 2 by Melissa Marr

13. Must Love Hellhounds by Ilona Andrews

14. Unknown by Rachel Caine

15. Cry Sanctuary: Red Rock Pass Book 1 by Moira Rogers

16. Sanctuary Lost: Red Rock Pass Book 2 by Moira Rogers

17. Sanctuary's Price: Red Rock Pass Book 3 by Moira Rogers

18. Exposure by Brandilyn Collins

19. On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

20. Try Me by Parker Blue

21. Elphame's Choice by P.C. Cast

22. Brighid's Quest by P.C. Cast

23. Run, Wolf by Keith Melton

24. Tainted by Julie Kenner

25. Once Bitten by Kalayna Price

26. Alpha Turned by K.B. Alan

27. Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

28. Addiction by Sandra Marshall

29. Turned by Julie Kenner

30. Torn by Julie Kenner

31. Even Money by Dick Francis

32. Sanctuary Unbound: Red Rock Pass #4 by Moira Rogers

33. Short Stories from Red Rock by Moira Rogers

34. Leader of the Pack: Tales of an Urban Werewolf by Karen MacInerney

35. Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

36. Crossroads: Southern Arcana Book 2 by Moira Rogers

37. Hidden Queen by Alma Alexander

38. Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione

39. Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione

40. Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione

41. The Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston

42. The Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston

43. The Mane Squeeze by Shelly Laurenston

44. The Mane Attraction by Shelly Laurenston

45. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

46. A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers

47. Hunting Season: The Gathering by Shelly Laurenston

48. Beast Behaving Badly by Shelly Laurenston

49. Wild Card by Moira Rogers

50. Calling the Bluff by Moira Rogers

51. Ante Up by Moira Rogers

52. Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

The Read Your Name Challenge was great - I chose to read my blog name:  Bev at the Wormhole for this challenge:

B: Brighid's Quest by P.C. Cast (this is the sequel to Elphame's Choice and absolutely had to be read immediately upon finishing Elphame!  It too was great! finished 4/25/10)

E: Elphame's Choice by P.C. Cast - - finished April 23, 2010

V: Viper's Nest (39 Clues #7) by Peter Lerangis - finished August 11, 2010

A: Alpha Turned by K.B. Alan ----- finished April 16, 2010

T: Tainted by Julie Kenner - - - -finished May 18, 2010

T: Touch the Dark by Karen Chance - - - finished 6/10/2010

H: Hidden Queen by Alma Alexander - - finished 7/12/2010

E: Even Money by Dick Francis - - finished - 6/20/2010

W: Wings by Aprilynne Pike - finished 6/15/2010

O: Once Bitten by Kalayna Price - - - finished 6/11/2010

R: Run, Wolf: Nightfall Wolf Clans #1 by Keith Melton - - - finished 5/15/2010

M: Mind Games by Carolyn Crane - - - finished 6/8/2010

H: Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl - - - finished 5/8/2010

O: On the Edge by Ilona Andrews - - finished April 18, 2010

L: Leader of the Pack - Karen MacInerney - - - finished July 2010

E: Exposure: A Novel by Brandilyn Collins - - - finished 5/4/2010

The read-a-thon went from 8/13/10 to 8/16/10. I was not very successful at this one - - - apparently I need a longer time frame to get books read.

I also participated in the August Ultimate Reviewers Challenge - 8/1/10 - 8/31/10 - - I guess what I needed was a challenge to get myself in gear because I managed to write 8 reviews/mini-reviews during this challenge. The books are listed above in the reviewed in 2010 list.

I was fairly successful at this one - July 12-14, 2010.

I was able to read two books by Larissa Ione as well as listening to a book on CD while in my jeep.

I was a massive failure at this challenge - truly....I didn't get a single book from the five on my list for this challenge read.  They all still remain on my TBR.  September marked the start of my crazy work schedule and my reading suffered along with my housework and my family's home-cooked meals.

Now - a year long challenge - there is something I can get done!  I was successful at this challenge - my goal, obviously, was 100 books in 2010 - as of today I have read 106!

Here are two other challenges that I was a miserable failure at!  I didn't successfully read the first book in the challenge so I was done at the very start.  I should have known better - there is something daunting about a book with over 500 pages.

While I am listing challenges that I was a failure at - I might as well add this one:   Fangtastic Fiction's Vampire Reading Challenge.  I had chosen four books from four areas and only got one of the four read.

This is yet another failure - I have actually moved the books I had chosen for this challenge and moved them to a new challenge being held in 2011. Hopefully I will get them all read this time around.

I did actually read one of the 13 books on the list.

I was almost successful with The Spring Reading Thing 2010.  I had a list of 15 books and I managed to read 10 of them during the challenge. 

This one wasn't so bad - I only planned to read one book and actually got it read!  The Crossroads Cafe by Deborah Smith.

This challenge I thought would be easy, but I was not completely successful.  I managed to read a few of the books, but not all of them.  My goal was to read 22 books and I read 9 of them.  

The last of the challenges that I tried to participate in for 2010 were:

RYOB Challenge - goal 25 books - completed only 8 of them.

2010 YA Challenge - goal 15 books - completed only 6 of them.

2010 Debut Author Challenge - goal 19 books - completed only 10 of them.

100+ Books Challenges

Book Chick City and My Overstuffed Bookshelf are hosting 100 books in 2011 challenges - the books can crossover from over challenges too, so I decided that I would add myself to these challenges!  I have a list of almost 100 books that I am hoping to read in 2011 so I feel pretty confident that I can make this happen! Go check them out and join the fun!

My list will be on my sidebar! It will be updated as I read the books and reviews will be linked from there!
1. Alpha by Rachel Vincent - 1/4/11 - reviewed here
2. Marked by PC Cast & Kristin Cast - 1/15/11 - reviewed here 
3. Dragon Blood: Dragon Cowboy by Michael Dahl - - 1/16/11
4. Dragon Blood: The Girl Who Breathed Fire by Michael Dahl - - 1/16/11
5. The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin - - 1/17/11 - reviewed here
6. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand - - 1/19/11 - reviewed here
7. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa - - 1/25/11 - reviewed here
8. Don't Blink by James Patterson - - 1/27/11
9. Legacy by Kate Kaynak - - 1/28/11 - reviewed here
10. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton - - 1/29/11
11. Pack Challenge: Magnus Pack Book 1 by Shelly Laurenston - -1/29/11
12. Eternity Embraced by Larissa Ione - - 1/29/11
13. Blameless by Gail Carriger - - 2/2/11 - reviewed here
14. Danann Frost Falls from Grace by Joanne Valiukas - 2/7/11
15. American Vampire by Jennifer Armintrout - 2/3/11
16. Lace and Leather by Leanore  Elliott - 2/5/11 - reviewed here
17. The Beholder by Leanore Elliott - 2/5/11 - reviewed here
18. Scourge by David H. Burton - 2/5/11
19. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - 2/13/11
20. Serengeti Heat by Vivi Andrews - 2/14/11
21. Serengeti Storm by Vivi Andrews - 2/15/11
22. Serengeti Lightning by Vivi Andrews - 2/16/11
23. Foresight: The Gods of Fate Book 1 by Sherry D. Ficklin - 2/22/11 - reviewed here
24. The Arrival by Nicole MacDonald - 2/25/11 - reviewed here
25. The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason - 3/5/11 - reviewed here
26. Gunnar: Hurricane Horse by Judy Andrekson - 3/6/11 - reviewed here
27. The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter - 3/5/11 - reviewed here
28. Adventures of Sir Gawain the True by Gerald Morris - 3/11/11 - reviewed here
29. The Trouble with Spells (Of Witches and Warlocks #1) by Lacey Weatherford - 3/17/11 - reviewed here
30. Demon Kiss (Of Witches and Warlocks #2) by Lacey Weatherford - 3/19/11 - reviewed here
31. Blood of the White Witch (Of Witches and Warlocks #3) by Lacey Weatherford - 3/20/11 - reviewed here
32. Phantom Evil by Heather Graham - 3/24/11 - reviewed here
33. Wilder's Mate: Bloodhounds #1 by Moira Rogers - 3/26/11 - reviewed here
34. The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton - 3/27/11 - reviewed here
35. Hunting Human by Amanda E. Alvarez - 4/1/11 - reviewed here
36. Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler - 4/2/11 - reviewed here
37. Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer by Maureen McGowen - 4/6/11
38. Bound by Blood by Cynthia Eden - 4/9/11
39. Vampire Relationship Guide by Evelyn LaFont - 4/10/11
40. To Kill a Warlock by HP Mallory - 4/11/11
41. Guardians of the Hidden Scepter by Frank L. Cole - 4/16/11
42. A Tale of Two Goblins by HP Mallory - 4/18/11
43. In the Arms of Stone Angels by Jordan Dane - 4/20/11
44. Forever Vampire by Michele Hauf - 4/22/11
45. Invisible Inkling by Emily Jenkins - 4/24/11
46. Second Sight by Sherry D. Ficklin - 4/25/11
47. Vampire Dimitri by Colleen Gleason - 4/25/11
48. Vampire's Warden by SJ Wright - 4/28/11
49. Dead is Not an Option by Marlene Perez - 4/29/11
50.

2011 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

I am excited to say that I have decided to join the 2011 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge being hosted by Reading With Tequila.

I am trying to limit the number of challenges that I join this year - hoping to do more reading and just enough blogging to record that reading.  So I thought this challenge fit into my plan well.  There are a lot of books on the list that I have been hoping to read and some that are included in other challenges as well.

I am going for Level V - 20+ books

So...I have compiled a list of 40 books from the given recommended books and plan to read and review those here on my blog.  The list is on  my sidebar and I will edit that sidebar post as I read to include book read dates and review links!  Hope you are all planning to check this one out!

1. Alpha by Rachel Vincent - 1/4/11 - reviewed here
2. Marked by PC Cast - 1/15/11 - reviewed here
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - 2/13/11 - reviewed here

Out With A Bang Read-A-Thon!

This is a new challenge being hosted by The Bookish Type and Book Savvy - there are a bunch of prizes and a linky so it's easy to join - - be sure to check it out!

I can't help it - I am gonna join this challenge - it seems like such a great way to jump start me to finish some of my reading!  So..... here's my list

1. World's End by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski (finish this one)

2. Enchanted No More by Robin D. Owens

3. Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

4. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Wish me luck!

Graham Parke - - Holiday Thanks Giveaway!

I am excited to have the opportunity to share with my amazing followers - thanks for sticking with me even though I have many times been a slacker!!! We all fall short sometimes right!

I got this email from Graham Parke:

Hi!  As a token of my appreciation for letting me guest-post on your blog, I'd like to give you the rights to distribute my new eBook,"Random Acts of Senseless Kindness" to your followers.

Clinical studies have recently shown that reading this eBook is not only likely to make you more attractive to the opposite sex, it will also elevate your random luck by about 9.5%**

So, that's a nice bonus right there.

(**These statements have not been evaluated by any person of consequence!)

For legal reasons I have to state that I am hereby granting you digital distribution rights to this eBook from the 26th of December 2010 until the 16th of January 2011.
At the end of the period the page above will go offline, so if you link directly to it, that part is taken care of automatically.

Happy holidays,

Graham

You can find the eBook and some text and graphics here:

http://www.grahamparke.com/gomezbday/gomeznewyear/gny476.html

 So please go to the site listed above and grab a free ebook!  Happy Holidays!

My Soul to Steal Trailer

Rachel Vincent New Release Contest!

Rachel Vincent - aside from being an amazing author and apparently an Xbox Kinect giant - is hosting the most incredible contest in celebration of the release date of her newest book - My Soul to Steal from the Soul Screamers series!  Click the contest link above to go to the contest page - be sure to enter! You won't believe the prizes being offered.
Release announcement!   You can buy a copy of the book here (Barnes and Noble - listed as available now) or here (Amazon - the date listed as Dec. 21, 2010).

You can get to the trailer from YouTube by clicking here.  Be sure to check it out - it's a good one!

Here is the official blurb:

YOU WANT MY SOUL AND MY BOYFRIEND?

Trying to work things out with
Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can’t just
pretend nothing happened. But “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe their
relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to
take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn’t just an ordinary girl. She’s a mara,
the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people’s fears—and craft
them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she
survives.

And Sabine isn’t above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to
death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

I DON'T THINK SO.

Review: From the Dead by John Herrick

Review: From the Dead: a novel by John Herrick

Book jacket:

     A preacher’s son. A father in hiding. A guilty heart filled with secrets.

When Jesse Barlow escaped to Hollywood at age eighteen, he hungered for freedom, fame and fortune. Eleven years later, his track record of failure results in a drug-induced suicide attempt. Revived at death’s doorstep, Jesse returns to his Ohio hometown to make amends with his preacher father, a former love, and Jesse’s own secret son. But Jesse’s renewed commitment becomes a  baptism by fire when his son’s advanced illness calls for a sacrifice – one that could cost Jesse the very life he regained.

     A story of mercy, hope, and second chances.  From the Dead captures the human spirit with tragedy and joy.

My thoughts:

     I enjoyed the book, it was well-written and keep me turning the pages.  The story is one that most people can relate to on some level, either from their own personal experience or from an “I know someone who…” experience.  On the whole I would recommend the book, but I would be careful to whom I suggested it to.  It is a fantastic story of hope, overcoming internal struggles, and finding yourself.  It is a wonderful story of faith and acceptance, and a look at the kind of church and spirituality so many people look for.  The idea of God and religion in the story are wonderful.  The content and concepts are for a more mature audience. 

     The author builds a nice character. Jada is everything that you have come to expect from a “Hollywood” minded woman.  She is shallow, self-serving, selfish, cold, and brutally honest.  Her and Jesse’s relationship is empty and unfulfilling for both of them, but neither is ready to walk away until the suicide attempt when it all hits home.  My favorite part of Jada is that she is so honest; she doesn’t pull any punches, she doesn’t claim to be anything other than what she is, and she doesn’t make any excuses for being the way she is.  Few people are that comfortable with themselves.  She plays a rather small role in the book as a whole. 

     Although I like all of the characters, Eden is probably my favorite.  Eden is Jesse’s sister and is a wonderfully insightful and compassionate person.  I love that she is places babies with families – such an interesting twist when considering she and Jesse lost their mother so long ago.  Jesse’s father, Chuck, is my second favorite character.  I  love that he came from a regular life and became a preacher.  He personifies the kind of unconditional acceptance that I believe everyone is looking for in a church and a preacher.  You can’t help but admire Caitlyn, making such hard choices and then working so hard to make herself a life. 

    The storyline is one that most people can connect with, perhaps not in setting but in the idea as a whole.  Teen leaves home searching for himself only to realize many years later that he can’t do that until he goes back home again.  I love that idea. 

     The only part of the story that I don’t like is the illness aspect.  Not the fact that anyone has an illness, just the fact that Jesse doesn’t do anything positive about his own illness.  We start hearing about his symptoms at the beginning of the book and they continue throughout the story.  He has plenty of opportunities to check out what is wrong with him.  I understand the whole no insurance thing, but at some point you do something even if it costs you a bunch of money.  The illness part is further complicated by the boy’s symptoms, which aren’t checked out either – but this I understand more, tiredness as the only symptom wouldn’t send me to the doctor with a child either.  The frustrating thing is that Jesse appears to recognize the symptoms in his son and continues to say nothing.  I find this hard to believe, I would think that he would want the doctors to have all the information they could get about him and his own blood issues considering he is the father.  The author continues with the “keep the doctors and the others in the dark” aspect of Jesse’s problem until the end of the book. 

     I loved the title, thought it was great that he was getting a second chance after the suicide attempt, but the second near death experience was a waste in my opinion.  Jesse should have figured out, like every reader I am sure did, that his son’s blood disorder wasn’t too different from his own and that not only could he NOT help the boy, but that his marrow would be useless and that the risk was for nothing.  I was sad to see that Drew would be spending forever with the memory of his father almost dying in front of him and the guilt that will go along with knowing that it was all a wasted attempt to save him.  I am not trying to discount the amount of love that is required to make such a selfless sacrifice – just saying that the child could have benefited from honesty more directly in this situation.

  Even though I disagree with Jesse’s decision – I truly enjoyed the book.

It's Monday - - - What's In My Mailbox - What Am I Reading?

hosted here weekly!

What have I been reading?
From the Dead by John Herrick - - review to be posted this week - check back for it by Wednesday!
World's End by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski - - from Net Galley - - review to be posted this week - check back for it on Thursday.

What will I be reading?  These books that came in my mailbox:

Don't Blink audio book by James Patterson & Howard Roughan - - - won from Martha's Bookshelf - Thanks so much!

An ARC of Delirious by Daniel Palmer - - sent to me from Daniel Palmer for review!

And much to my surprise - an ARC of Legacy by Kate Kaynak!  I am so excited to have received this book as a gift from the author herself!!!  Love this series so I can't wait to read this one!!!

Kate Kaynak Giveaway Winner!

This post comes terribly late - but the winner has already been notified and Kate Kaynak has already sent out the prize - signed copy of Minder - and who is getting this amazing treat?

Sophia L.

Congrats - I hope this post finds the book already at your house!

Thanks to all who entered!

Review: The Ways of Khrem by D. Nathan Hilliard

The Ways of Khrem by D. Nathan Hilliard

Amazon Product Description:
The Ways of Khrem, D. Nathan Hilliard's debut single-author collection, features three interconnected novellas: The Reach of Talanturos, The Cistern, & The Ghost of Candlewalk Lane. Cargill the Bookseller lives a quiet life, in a modest house, overlooking the vast city of Khrem...a magical metropolis of cavernous streets, lofty spires, and dark secrets. His life is turned upside down when Captain Wilhelm Drayton of the City Watch arrives at Cargill's doorstep and confronts him with his criminal past. Now Cargill must assist the Captain in solving mysteries in a city where the villain may not even be human, bringing all of his skills to bear as he finds himself at odds with gods, monsters, and psychopaths alike.






My thoughts: Overall - the whole book was amazing! I truly fell in love with Cargill!  He is the most interesting character!  Of course I love the fact that he has gone from a man with an unsavory profession to being a book seller is so very fun!  The growth of Cargill throughout the three parts is fantastic - I enjoyed every page of this book.  I would recommend this book to both teens and adults.  The book is well written, the characters are wonderful, the language and vocabulary can be tricky at times, but truly makes the story.


The author creates wonderful multifaceted characters.  Each of the main people in the book is so much more than they appear to be at the first meeting.  I was thrilled by the friendships that were created as a result of the first initial meeting in part one.  


The Reach of Talanturos - Part One
In this first part we are introduced to many of the characters that we continue to see throughout the book.  The story is about the captain of the guard of Khrem trying to find a killer - he goes to Cargill for help and so the story begins....I don't want to give away the story so I won't say more about the plot.  As I have already said, the characters and the character development is fantastic.  You can't help but keep turning the pages because of the interactions of the people, even the butler is great.  I would have a hard time picking my favorite in this part of the story because I enjoyed them all for different reasons.  


The Cistern - Part Two
The story continues in part two with many of the same characters while we meet a number of new people, the new people are only in this one part of the book.  This part gives the reader more  of the personalty behind both Cargill and his butler - Grabel.   In this part Cargill and Grabel go to a neighbor's house for an event and a boy falls into a Cistern.  Cargill has to choose to somewhat expose himself and help the family or allow the boy to die to keep his past hidden and his current status intact.  


The Ghost of Candlewalk Lane - Part Three
In part three we are still working with the same main characters, but are allowed to know a bit more about them than before.  The ghost of Candlewalk Lane is the ghost of someone that Cargill used to know and was a good friend of a girl who he loved.  We are introduced to the Cordwood Killer and find out about the victims and their circumstances.  We find ourselves watching Captain Drayton and Cargill working together to find a killer again.  This story shows us a darker side of Cargill, the side he has worked so hard to get away from.  We have the opportunity to learn a bit more about Heinryk and Poole in this last part too - which I enjoyed. 

Thanks followers!

I just wanted to send out a really fast thanks to all my followers - I have been slacking lately and haven't been posting much, so thanks for not giving up on me!

I have been both busy and stressed - I am sure we all are - but over Thanksgiving break my daughter announced that she would be moving out - she is 21, but has been living at home still - so the announcement would have been less shocking if she wasn't moving to Kentucky!!!  Louisville, Kentucky - where she knows NO ONE and plans to find a job (hopefully) working with horses.  So if anyone knows of someone looking for a barn/stable hand or anything of the kind, I would love some feedback.  She dreams of working with horses and has one year of Equine Business Management classes behind her and is working through an Equine Massage program.  Here in southeastern Minnesota there isn't a lot of call for that kind of work - but apparently you need to know someone in the business and so far she doesn't, but she is now in the right place!  I would love any advice available- Thanks.

Anyway - thanks again for hanging in there - I have been working hard to finish up reading all the books I have taken on for review and to get those reviews written.  Stay tuned for them in the next few days!

Review: Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber

Amazon Product Description:

Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon.

Publisher Release Date:  December 28, 2010

My thoughts:

Fantastic story!  I got this story from Net Galley as an ARC.  The story is a fast read, the characters are great!  This was my first Ellen Schreiber read even though I have a number of her books and the students at my school LOVE her stuff.  I am so pleased to have finally read her because now I plan to read more!!!

The author creates characters you can connect with and puts them in situations that you find believable.  I was immediately invested in the story and couldn't put it down.  

I love the relationships between all the characters, especially the growing/changing relationship between Celeste and Brandon.  The author does a nice job of creating an authentic feel to them.  Celeste's relationship with Mr. Worthington is wonderful.  I like how he seems to know her so well.

The author does a great job of portraying typical high school relationships - between both the girls and the boys.  She also is right on with her descriptions of high school life.  

The psychic is a twisting part of the story - didn't expect the way that whole piece turned out.  

The werewolf legend in the story is different from the typical, which is refreshing.  I enjoyed the historical background on the legend.

My favorite characters: 

Celeste -- because she is such a high school girl, but still manages to try to do the right things.  I love that she is open to being a part of Brandon's life even if it's scary - so not the typical high school girl thing to do!

Mr. Worthington - - I picture this little man as similar to the actor telling the story in The Green Mile, if you have seen it.  I love that he becomes a bigger piece of the story as we read.  I won't say more for fear of spoilers.

Brandon - - - who doesn't immediately fall for this one?  As early as his introduction I knew he would be one of my favorites.  He is the hero at the start and remains as such in ways throughout the story.  The scene where the wolves show up at the school is a great one!

My non-favorite characters: 

Nash- because he is such a typical high school jerk boy!  Likes himself entirely too much and thinks of others last, and seems to think of Celeste only in reference to himself.  Of course this is the way he is supposed to be - the way the author built him and she did a fantastic job!!! As a reader, I disliked him from the start!

Dr. Meadows - I thought at the beginning of the story that she would be someone I would love - but no...reasons would be spoilers - but I wanted her to be a friend to Celeste, someone who would help her and be her confidant.  I loved her predictions, but wanted more from her.

What I didn't like:  

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the way that the chapter dividers loaded onto my kindle.  I am guessing that each chapter is divided by a full page picture that just didn't transfer well onto the kindle because it wasn't a finished book.  

My most unfavorite thing: that I read this book as an ARC and now I have to wait even longer for the next book, wishing it were published already!