Self Published Books We Love ~ As Chosen by Readers
by Beth on January 24th, 2012
filed under Fun Stuff
Over on Twitter yesterday there was a discussion about self publishing between myself and a few friends. We decided to start a list, completely unscientific of course, of self published books we loved. These are original works, not re-releases of previously published books. I’ll list them alphabetically by title to make it fair. I’ll also list the author with a link to their website and the genre of the book.
Please give me your suggestions in the comments section and I’ll add them to the list as they come in. They can be books of any genre or length. The only thing I ask is for authors to not recommend their own work. These books are strictly reader recommended.
Oh, this should be fun!
A Tea Party by Janet Quinn -Middle Grade Fiction
Angelfall by Susan Ee -Young Adult Paranormal
Captain Andrew’s Flying Christmas by Heather Hiestand -Steampunk Romance novella
Captain Fenna’s Dirigible Valentine by Heather Hiestand -Steampunk Romance novella
Changed by Rebecca York -Romantic Suspense
Dangerous Affairs by Gardner Brooks -Historical Romance
Dark Moon by Rebecca York -Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Demon Possession by Kierstan Fay -Fantasy Romance
Destiny United by Leia Shaw -Paranormal Romance
Emperor’s Edge by Lindsey Buroker -Steampunk Fantasy
Enchantment by Charlotte Abel -Young Adult Fantasy
Fall into Winter by Eden Baylee -Literary Erotica
Forged in Fire by Trish McCallan -Romantic Suspense with Paranormal Elements
Heat by R. Lee Smith -Erotic SciFi Romance
It’s in His Kiss by Catie Quinn -Contemporary Romance novella
Not Nice and Other Understatements by Annetta Ribken -Flash Fiction
Sower of Dreams by Debra Holland -Fantasy Romance
Starry Montana Sky by Debra Holland -Sweet Historical Romance
Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley -Contemporary Romance
The Brenda Diaries by Margo Candela -Women’s Fiction
The Bro-Magnet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted -Contemporary Romance
The Collective by Maxwell Cynn -Mystery novella
The Devil Made Me Do It by Amelia James -Erotica
The Genesis Project by Gardner Brooks -Science Fiction
The Prodigal’s Foole by R.B. Wood -Paranormal Fantasy
The Rake and the Recluse by Jenn LeBlanc -Time Travel Romance
The Source of Magic by Cate Rowan -Fantasy Romance
Timepiece by Heather Albano -Steampunk/Time Travel with Romantic Elements
Unlocked by Courtney Milan -Historical Romance novella (2 recommendations for this one!)
Wild Montana Sky by Debra Holland -Sweet Historical Romance
.45 Caliber Jitterbug by Maxwell Cynn -Cozy Romantic Mystery
Okay your turn… what books would you add to the list?
ButtonMan Candy Monday ~ Sexy Captains
by Beth on January 23rd, 2012
filed under Man Candy Monday
Oh captain, my captain…
This week’s Man Candy Monday theme is sexy captains. Whether they’re commanding a team, an army, an industry, a country or a vessel these men lead by sexample. (Oh that was a bad pun)
Tom Brady-New England Patriot’s captain
Captain Harry Wales aka Prince Harry
Roman Abramovich- Russian billionaire
Captain America-Chris Evans
Captain James T. Kirk-William Shatner
Be sure to check out the Man Candy Blog for more authoritative candy.
Please join the ladies of Man Candy Monday every Monday night on Twitter 6PM PDT/9PM EDT.
Look for the hashtag #ManCandyMonday
And be sure to bring enough candy to share!
Man Candy Monday ~ Conveniently Placed Items
by Beth on January 16th, 2012
filed under Man Candy Monday
This post is titled Conveniently Placed Items, but I find them very inconvenient!
Be sure to check out the Man Candy Blog for more inconveniently placed items. Please join the ladies of Man Candy Monday every Monday night on Twitter 6PM PDT/9PM EDT. Look for the hashtag #ManCandyMonday
And be sure to bring enough candy to share!
Let’s Review~ Down the Darkest Road ~Guest Review
by Beth on January 4th, 2012
filed under Book Review
This month I asked my friend Riccarla Roman to review Tami Hoag’s newest release Down the Darkest Road. I hope you enjoy her review.
Once upon a time I had the perfect family. I had the perfect husband. I had the perfect children. I had the perfect life in the perfect home. And then, as in all fairy tales, evil came into our lives and destroyed us.
Four years after the unsolved disappearance of her sixteen-year-old daughter, Lauren Lawton is the only one still chasing the ghosts of her perfect Santa Barbara life. The world has given her daughter up for dead. Her husband ended his own life in the aftermath. Even Lauren’s younger daughter is desperate to find what’s left of the childhood she hasn’t been allowed to have.
Lauren knows exactly who took her oldest child, but there is not a shred of evidence against the man. Even as he stalks her family, Lauren is powerless to stop him. The Santa Barbara police are handcuffed by the very laws they are sworn to uphold. Looking for a fresh start in a town with no memories, Lauren and her younger daughter Leah move to idyllic Oak Knoll. But when Lauren’s suspect turns up in the same city, it feels to all the world that history is about to repeat itself. Leah Lawton will soon turn sixteen, and Oak Knoll has a cunning predator on the hunt.
Sheriff’s detective Tony Mendez and his team begin to close in on the suspected killer, desperate to keep the young women of their picturesque town safe. But as the investigators sift through the murky circumstances of an increasingly disturbing case, a stunning question changes everything they thought they knew.
Riccarla’s review:
This is the kind of book I like to read. Tami Hoag is a very popular, prolific author. That being said, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.
At the beginning, we are introduced to Lauren Lawton and her teenage daughter, Leah, as they move to Oak Knoll, California. It has been four years since her oldest daughter, Leslie, went missing. She had sneaked out of the house after being grounded so she could go to a softball game. She never returned. The crime was never solved. The only suspect, Roland Ballencoa, was never charged due to lack of evidence. There was a spot of blood in his van but since it’s the 90’s, forensics couldn’t test for DNA without destroying the sample. The solution has to wait for more advanced technology.
Lauren devotes herself to keeping the case open. The local police in Santa Barbara are sick of her insinuations that they were lax in their investigation. Two years after Leslie’s disappearance, Lauren’s husband Lance drives off a bridge on a dark night. It’s declared an accident but the specter of suicide hangs over the case. Moving to Oak Knoll should be a fresh start.
However, in Oak Knoll, Lauren keeps a tight grip on Leah, panicking whenever she wants to go to a friend’s house. During the day, she writes about the tragedy and drinks a lot. She ventures out to get food for dinner and runs into Roland Ballencoa at the store. She tried to follow his van but is so erratic that a police detective stops her. Before long, Detective Tony Mendez is trying to solve the case.
It’s fascinating to realize how far crime investigation techniques have come since the 90’s. When Tony tries to get information from the DMV or another jurisdiction, he has to wait for them to look it up and fax it. If they had had the equipment and personnel they have now, the crime would have been solved four years ago. Ms. Hoag does a good a job of letting the reader solve the crime right along with the detectives. The reader can also be as frustrated as they are when Lauren keeps interfering and hindering the case.
My problem with the book was Lauren herself. She did not grab my sympathy as a heroine. She annoyed me. Her life, besides writing, crying, and drinking, was the fixation on Leslie’s disappearance. She completely ignored her younger daughter. She was overprotective about where Leah went and who she was with, but when they were together in the house, they didn’t talk or relate at all. She had no idea what was going on with Leah. I know – she lost her oldest child in a horrible way – but she needed some perspective. As the mother of two children , the oldest being a special needs child, I know that the younger one feels all the attention is always on the older child. Leslie got all the attention when she was alive and she’s still getting all of it.
This is the third book of a trilogy. Two of the other female characters, Anne and Sara, had prominent roles in the previous two books. Maybe if I had read those books, I would have had a better feel for Oak Knoll and a sense of recognition when certain characters appeared. I was almost halfway through the book before I got really interested. The police investigation was well-done and the action really picked up as evidence was revealed, forcing the culprit to act. I would like to see more stories about Detectives Mendez and Tanner – they were intriguing. I think Tami Hoag/Oak Knoll fans will enjoy this book. It might be the end of the trilogy but Oak Knoll is a good place to visit again.
Thank you Riccarla!!!
Pop on over to my friend Barrie Summy’s blog to read more awesome reviews.
Disclaimer: (man I hate these) Ms. Hoag’s publisher sent me Down the Darkest Road and Riccarla volunteered to review it for me. We didn’t receive any compensation, chocolate or promises of riches for this review.
All Is Quiet, On New Years Day
by Beth on January 1st, 2012
filed under About Life
Happy New Year everyone. Let’s make it a good one.
What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
by Beth on December 30th, 2011
filed under Nothing Really, Undecided
I’ve learned to embed video and now I’m crazy with it. Here’s a cute video of the song What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve by Zoey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. What are you doing for New Year’s eve?
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
by Beth on December 24th, 2011
filed under Fun Stuff
Loveswept Holiday Blog Hop
by Beth on December 19th, 2011
filed under Fun Stuff
My blog is one of the stops on the Romance At Random Blog Hop!Good Luck & Happy Holidays to all!
Holiday Cartoons for the Twisted Sort (like me!)
by Beth on December 19th, 2011
filed under To make you laugh... I hope
And for my Jewish friends…
Happy holidays everyone!!!
Do They Know It’s Christmas ~ Live Aid London 1985
by Beth on December 16th, 2011
filed under Fun Stuff, Undecided
I remember waking up early and watching this live concert from Philadelphia & London all day long. It was a concert of a lifetime. All of my favorites performed and then at the end this song…
Happy holidays everyone!
