Deja Demon: The Days and Nights of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner

Deja Demon: The Days And Nights Of A Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner

My Rating: 10*'s

Description: Between attending gala fundraisers for her husband’s political campaign, training her teenage daughter to wield a crossbow and a stiletto, pottytraining a toddler, and her increasingly complicated personal life, Kate Connor hardly has time to prepare for the impending chaos of a neighborhood Easter party that has her enslaved to dying hundreds of hard-boiled eggs.

Keeping the local kiddos in line will take all of Kate’s skills as a mother and demon hunter, just when she’ll need them the most. The High Demon Goramesh has returned to San Diablo—this time with a full-blown army of the undead and a powerful demonic ally. Once again, it’s up to Kate to save the world. Good thing she can multi-task...

My Thoughts: Another fantastic installment of the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom! I am loving this series. Kate Connor is the type of character that amazes me on all levels. Managing home, hearth and family is a tough job on its own for some people, but throw in some serious demon ass kicking and you would need a miracle.

Julie Kenner's imagination to bring this story to life is proof of her immense talent. Each story in this series is better than the last and makes me want more. I'm on the edge of my seat with wondering what will happen next? How will Kate's husband react when he finds out the truth? Is Kate's daughter destined to be a demon hunter? Will Eddie get a date? Will the demon hiding in Kate's pantry cause her to burn dinner?

This is a series not to miss. Lots of humor and action keep the stories moving at a rapid pace with characters that you can care about and root for.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In January

Lots of new additions to make room for last month. ... The good news is there are a few I either am reading now or did manage to read right away. The bad news is I will have to take up residence in my car soon as there will be no room in my flat for me.

You've Been Warned by James Patterson

Description:
YOU'VE BEEN NICE. VERY NICE.

Kristin Burns has lived her life by the philosophy "Don't think, just shoot" – pictures, that is. Struggling to make ends meet, she works full-time as the nanny for the fabulously wealthy Turnbull family, looking after their two wonderful children and waiting for her glamorous life as a New York photographer to begin. When her photographs are considered by an elite Manhattan art gallery, it seems she might finally get the chance that will start her career.

YOU'VE BEEN NAUGHTY. VERY NAUGHTY.

But Kristin has a major distraction: forbidden love. The man of her dreams is almost hers for keeps. Breathless with an inexhaustible passion and the excitement of being within reach of her goals, Kristen ignores all signs of catastrophe brewing.

NOW YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

Fear exists for a reason. And Kristin can only dismiss the warnings for so long. Searching desperately for the truth through the lens of her camera, she can only hope that it's not too late.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Description: ONLY A TRUE BEST FRIEND CAN PROTECT YOU FROM YOUR IMMORTAL ENEMIES...

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires --- the ones who never die.

The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.

After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking Academy hearts.

Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir's --- inside the Academy's iron gates, their world is even more fraught with danger. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals, and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through this dangerous world, confront the tempation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever...


Undead And Unworthy by MaryJanice Davidson

Description: Betsy Taylor thought entering the world of the undead was a big adjustment. Being a new bride isn't much easier. The blush has only been on for two months, and Betsy has a lot to do: set up the new house, finish writing thank-you notes, and raise BabyJon, her half brother and legal ward. Just another happy American family adjusting to marital bliss.

Betsy's husband, Sinclair, has been perusing the Book of the Dead, and Betsy's visited by a ghost who's even more insufferable, stubborn and annoying in death than she was in life. She not only blames Betsy for her condition but insists she fix it. It's all just a prelude to the fun and games awaiting Betsy and Sinclair when a pack of formerly feral vampires, hungry for blood and power, pays a visit to the happy couple.

WELCOME TO MARRIED LIFE, BETSY!


The Last Of The Honky-Tonk Angels by Marsha Moyer

Description: From Marsha Moyer, the critically acclaimed author of The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch, comes a second novel as rich in atmosphere and heart, as brimming full of colorful, unforgettable small-town characters and incidents as her notable debut.

On a lazy June morning in Mooney -- a wooded patch of sparsely populated northeast Texas -- a shiny red Chrysler sedan pulls up to the home of Lucy Hatch and her live-in beau Ash Farrell, depositing a teenage girl on their doorstep before speeding away. For Ash, town carpenter and musician, the unheralded arrival of his daughter, Denise -- whom he hasn't seen in nearly eight years -- is a major life-altering shock. It's a surprise for Lucy as well, since she's had little reason till now to recall the fourteen-year-old's existence. And the unanticipated intrusion is certain to further complicate Lucy's increasingly complex relationship with Ash, now that she has discovered she is pregnant with his child.

Angry, rebellious, and uncertain -- having been unceremoniously dumped by her mother on the father she barely knows and the stranger who now shares his life -- Denny must somehow find a place where she belongs in a town far tinier than any that hasimprisoned her before. But it's not until she picks up Ash's guitar -- and hears the songs that were born in her father's heart -- that Denny and Ash are drawn closer together by the common bond of music. In its haunting strains and true emotions lies hope -- that Denny can finally settle down, that she and Lucy can build a real friendship, that all of them can become, at last, that most rare and precious thing: a family.

But anything that happens ina place as small as Mooney has repercussions for every one of its residents. And when an ugly incident divides the community -- raising specters of suspicion, hatred, and intolerance -- the members of the growing Farrell-Hatch household will be deeply affected as well.

From its rollicking dance halls to its tree-shaded front porches, the world Marsha Moyer creates in The Last of the Honky-tonk Angels draws us inexorably in and makes us feel right at home. A glorious novel of love, family, and forgiveness, it is at once funny and poignant, startling and uplifting, richly imbued with the author's luminous prose and a vitality that reminds us all of how good it is to be alive.


Suite 606 by J.D. Robb, et al

Description: J.D. ROBB plunges Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the violent aftermath of a ritualistic murder --- and into the mind of an alleged witness who can't remember a thing to save his life

Love endures for MARY BLAYNEY, who investigates the connection between a ghost, a magic coin, and a deception that has kept two lovers apart for years.

RUTH RYAN LANGAN brings a lost man out of a pounding storm and into the arms of a welcoming woman for a breathtaking twist of fate.

And MARY KAY MCCOMAS follows a mother and son lost in the threads of history an an impaired wizard who must return them to their own world to fulfill his own destiny --- in time.


Persuading Annie by Melissa Nathan

Description: After years as a sweet, good-natured pushover, Annie Markham has had to face up to three hard truths:

You've got to be tough to succeed in business and romance.
Sometimes your meddling loved ones are right about your worthless, no-good boyfriend being worthless and no good.
The only reliable thing about men is that they're totally unreliable.

Okay, she's been persuaded. So now, seven years after wisely and abruptly dumping the "love of her life," Jake Mead, things should be going better for Annie Markham, right?

Unfortunately, her life's going nowhere, her family's going mental, and the family business is heading straight down the tubes. Could it get worse? Of course! Jake's back, Annie's getting ready for bankruptcy, and no one's ready for Christmas ... let alone a happy New Year.

And no amount of persuasion will ever convince Annie that magic does happen and dreams do come true, not even at the stroke of midnight on December 31 at New York's Plaza Hotel ... will it?


Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin

Description: I'm Jaz Parks. My boss in Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there, too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that's ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the CIA doing what he does best --- assassinating people. And I help. You could say I'm an assistant assassin. But then I'd have to kick your ass.

Vayl and I have to take out a Miami plastic surgeon with ties to terrorism. But the assignment gets complicated when it turns out he's in cahoots with a supernatural nasty powerful enough to bring America to her knees.


No Rest For The Wiccan by Madelyn Alt

Description: Maggie O'Neill loves her job at Enchantments as much as she loves being Indiana's newest witch. But when her family needs her, she's still willing to lend a hand --- even if she has to reach beyond the grave.

It's a long, hot summer in Stony Mill, and Maggie is busy watching TV reruns, minding the store, and figuring out her love life. Then, she reluctantly volunteers to care for her bedridden, oh-so-perfect sister, Mel. But Mel isn't the only focus of Maggie's attention. There are some strange spirits hanging about the area --- and it looks like a job for Maggie and the N.I.G.H.T.S. ghost-hunting team.

Even as she tries to deal with the long dead, Maggie must also cope with the recently deceased. When a friend of Mel's loses her husband to a dreadful fall, the police call it an accidental death. Maggie's not so sure, and sets her second sights on finding a first-degree murderer...


Murder With All The Trimmings (Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper) by Elaine Viets

Description: For Josie, the appeal of the year-round Christmas shop is an enigma wrapped in tinsel. But when three such holiday houses pop up within two blocks of one another, she's assigned to rate them. Things start turning sour when Josie puts a store owned owned by her boyfriend's ex on her naughty list. And worse yet, shoppers are finding a strange --- perhaps deadly --- secret ingredient in a rival store's holiday cake. Now, desite the dire problems at her own hearth, Josie must get to the bottom of it all --- before someone else becomes a Christmas spirit.


Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter

Description: WHERE'S A FAIRY GODMOTHER WHEN YOU NEED ONE?

For Taylor Young, life is very good. She has a handsome husband who loves her, three gorgeous children, a personally designed and decorated dream house. Suburbanite trendsetter and super mom, she reigns supreme over her perfect world. And as long as no one notices the fragile woman beneath her coiffed and polished image, things will stay that way.

Then a devastating secret bursts Taylor's fairy-tale bubble, suddenly making her a cul-de-sac pariah and stripping her of the role that defined her. Struggling to maintain her alpha image, Taylor finds help from the unlikeliest of people, her nonconformist nemesis, Marta Zinsser. But to become the woman her family truly needs, Taylor must first believe in the person she is hardest on --- herself.


Little Pink Slips by Sally Koslow

Description: Maggie Goldfarb, born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota, was born to be a magazine editor. In pursuit of her dream, she moved to Manhattan and, with luck, persistence, and hard work, morphed into Magnolia Gold, the highly paid editor in chief of Lady. With a corner office, a designer wardrobe, and dozens of loyal employees, Magnolia has been hired to update the stately dowager of women’s magazines. She’s on her way to giving Lady a facelift when she is ignominiously replaced by Bebe Blake, a brash television personality who remakes Lady in her own, hilariously inappropriate image. With her ketchup-red hair, skintight clothes, and penchant for “boy toys,” Bebe is more out of control than a speeding limo. Maddeningly unpredictable, she confounds everyone at the newly christened Bebe with her personal vision of what a women’s magazine should be.

Shunted off to the darkest corners of executive purgatory – an overlooked back office that she shares with a cockroach or two – Magnolia seethes from the sidelines as Bebe turns her beloved, once profitable Lady into a sideshow. Then things go from bad to worse: Magnolia receives a pink slip. Brooding about her fall from grace, she fears that her career will never recover, but even she can’t predict how deeply satisfying her eventual triumph will be. And not just at work: amid the frenzy of backstabbing at the office, Magnolia finds Mr. Right in a city of Mr. Not Quites.


How To Be Cool by Johanna Edwards

Description: Kylie Chase always thought once she lost weight, life would be perfect. And for the past couple of years, that’s proven to be true. After shedding seventy-five pounds and reinventing herself as a savvy trendsetter, Kylie’s enjoyed amazing success. She’s even found a new career, working as a “cool instructor,” transforming the socially inept from geek to chic. Her classes on How to Be Cool are Chicago’s hottest ticket.

But despite her outward image, Kylie’s still uncomfortable in her skin --- and she’s still a dork at heart who knows more about board games than Balenciaga (she thought the latter was a tropical disease). Kylie would sooner die than let her clients know about her overweight, nerdy past.

But things start to unravel when Kylie’s apartment burns down and she’s forced to shack up with her parents. (No matter how you slice it, a twenty-nine-year-old living with Mom and Dad is definitely not cool.) Now her father’s enforcing house rules and her mom’s proving she’s way cooler than Kylie’s ever been. Making matters worse, there’s a journalist shadowing her every move. The last thing Kylie needs is someone snooping around and uncovering her dirty little secret … no matter how sexy he may be.

The stress is driving Kylie nuts --- and the weight she fought so hard to lose is starting to creep back on. But with the help of her best friend, Ruby, a confident plus-size model, Kylie’s starting to learn that appearances aren’t everything. And that morphing from an ugly duckling into the queen of cool isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…


Deja Demon: The Days And Nights Of A Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner

Description: Between attending gala fundraisers for her husband’s political campaign, training her teenage daughter to wield a crossbow and a stiletto, pottytraining a toddler, and her increasingly complicated personal life, Kate Connor hardly has time to prepare for the impending chaos of a neighborhood Easter party that has her enslaved to dying hundreds of hard-boiled eggs.

Keeping the local kiddos in line will take all of Kate’s skills as a mother and demon hunter, just when she’ll need them the most. The High Demon Goramesh has returned to San Diablo—this time with a full-blown army of the undead and a powerful demonic ally. Once again, it’s up to Kate to save the world. Good thing she can multi-task...


Blood Is The New Black by Valerie Stivers

Description: Fashion is a bloodsucking business. Literally.

When nice-girl Kate McGraw finds herself working at Tasty, a magazine with its finger on the pulse of modern style, she's finally able to put her flair for fashion to good use. But can she keep up with Tasty staffers? Ethereally beautiful and extremely emaciated, they stay out all night, never look the worse for wear, and are always dressed to kill.

Like everyone else around the office, Kate finds herself begrudgingly reading dispatches from a snarky industry blog that dubs her colleagues "bllodthirsty vamps." She knows they don't mean it literally, but ... she's heard whispers of "fashion murders" and she has noticed strange things around the office. Like, why doesn't her boss get laminates to fix her sharp teeth? Why are the blinds always drawn, and why is there a no-garlic policy in the cafeteria?

As well-dressed bodies begin to pile up near all the hot places, Kate has to wonder if there's a serial killer loose with a grudge against the stylish. Or if the truth is even more sinister: Are Kate's coworkers actually undead? And, if so, can she design an exit strategy before she finds herself at Tasty forever?


A Compromising Position by Carole Matthews

Description: A brilliant blend of bad boys, betrayal and bare-faced cheek...

Emily Miller has been betrayed. When her boyfriend posts compromising photos of her on the Internet, her life goes into sharp decline. Emily is about to lose everything --- including the man she thought she loved.

Her best friend, Cara, is determined to mend Emily's broken heart and she believes that a little magic is all that's required. But will Cara cast the right spell to get Emily out of her current position? Or will it go horribly wrong when they both fall in love with the same man?

My Lady In Time by Angie Ray

My Lady In Time by Angie Ray

My Rating: 8*'s

Description: CALIFORNIA, 1998.

Handsome playboy Derek Sinclair didn't have time to go looking for love. Then one night, the ghost of Lady Allison Pelsworth appears, asking him to travel back in time and prevent her marriage to the wretched Wilfred. Now, love seems to be looking for him -- and Derek is not one to refuse a beautiful woman....

ENGLAND, 1498.

Derek thought it was just a dream, but when he finds himself -- stark naked -- in Medieval England, he knows he's in real trouble. To keep his promise to Lady Allison -- and find his way back to the 20th century -- he must prove himself a worthy knight and Lady Allison's True Love. Now for the first time in his life, Derek is willing to fight for honor... and for a passion that transcends time....

My Thoughts: Initially, I thought both Derek and Allison were too stubborn and obstinate and it made the story drag a bit but it began to get interesting when Derek began his knight training. The more I read, the more amused I was at Derek's antics, especially in teaching everyone to play poker. The author does an excellent job of making 1498 come to life, which makes me appreciate 2009 all the more. I also enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the festival, tournament and overall daily life inside the castle and the extremely hard work it takes to run it, inside and out. I wish there had been more explanation about Anne and Rafael and how they were involved, though at the end of the book, it's easy to figure out most of it. I would have liked to have learned more. Overall, a good time travel that will delight fans of the Middle Age.

You've Been Warned by James Patterson

You've Been Warned by James Patterson

My Rating: 5 *'s

Description:

YOU'VE BEEN NICE. VERY NICE.

Kristin Burns has lived her life by the philosophy "Don't think, just shoot" – pictures, that is. Struggling to make ends meet, she works full-time as the nanny for the fabulously wealthy Turnbull family, looking after their two wonderful children and waiting for her glamorous life as a New York photographer to begin. When her photographs are considered by an elite Manhattan art gallery, it seems she might finally get the chance that will start her career.

YOU'VE BEEN NAUGHTY. VERY NAUGHTY.

But Kristin has a major distraction: forbidden love. The man of her dreams is almost hers for keeps. Breathless with an inexhaustible passion and the excitement of being within reach of her goals, Kristen ignores all signs of catastrophe brewing.

NOW YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

Fear exists for a reason. And Kristin can only dismiss the warnings for so long. Searching desperately for the truth through the lens of her camera, she can only hope that it's not too late.

My Thoughts: I didn't enjoy this one as much as his other books, probably because this book centers around adultery, a plot device I cannot stand. If this book had been a romance genre, I would have given up on it. I thought Kristin was a weak character who uses poor judgment and makes bad choices and decisions throughout the book. I thought Michael and Penley were selfish, manipulative, snobs and I found myself wondering throughout the book why Kristin stayed in their employ. The only characters I did like were Michael's children, Dakota and Sean. These kids brought a sweet innocence to an otherwise twisted and dark story of seduction, betrayal and murder.

Though this story twists and turns into chaos and confusion, I was compelled to finish the story just to see what happens and hopefully bring closure to a very complicated story.

When Darkness Falls by Shannon Drake

When Darkness Falls by Shannon Drake

My Rating: 9 *'s

Description: WHEN DARKNESS FALLS...

In a windswept Scottish cemetery, Jade MacGregor's carefree vacation abroad is marred by a seemingly random tragedy. A year later, back home on a shadowy French Quarter street she glimpses an oddly familiar face. Coincidence -- or something more disturbing?

AND TERROR TAKES HOLD...

Surrounded by her friends and engrossed in her work, Jade should feel secure. But somebody is dogging her every move. Somebody who knows what she saw on that long ago afternoon. Somebody who will try to rescue her from the evil that is waiting to destroy her.

INNOCENCE DIES....


My Thoughts: I've had this book in my TBR pile for the better part of 8 years now and was never compelled to read it. Last year, I decided I needed to be proactive in culling down my TBR pile, I found this book in one of the many nooks and crannies I have books stashed in and pulled it out deciding this is one I would read, though the desire that grips most readers to read a particular book wasn't present for me with this book. I don't know why since paranormals top the list of my favorites in genre.

WHEN DARKNESS FALLS is the second story in Shannon Drake's vampire series. Characters from the first book make an appearance in this book, but this story does stand alone. The story begins in my favorite place in the world, Scotland, where the heroine, Jade MacGregor, is on a tour of a cemetary. The tour goes horribly wrong when the group is attacked by vampires. Jade is saved by a mysterious stranger and the police have a hard time believing Jade's tale. Fast forward one year later to New Orleans and Jade finds herself being hunted by the evil that she escaped from and the mysterious stranger again makes an appearance.

I honestly could not put this book down and found myself grabbing every spare moment I had to read, even if it was only a paragraph. Drake does an excellent job of weaving the past and present together to explain the history of the evil and the role the hero, Lucian DeVeau, plays in it. I liked Jade, though there are a few of those "too stupid to live" moments where she finds herself in mortal danger as a result of poor judgment. The supporting cast of characters were fantastic as well and I hope Rick Beaudreaux gets his own story. Sophia and Darian were great villains that you will despise but will enjoy finding out what they do next.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series with high hopes that it will deliver as this one did. Scottish Vampires....what else can I ask except for more please?

REVIEW: O Is For Outlaw by Sue Grafton

O Is For Outlaw by Sue Grafton

My Rating: 9*'s

Description: The call comes on a Monday morning from a guy who scavenges defaulted storage units at auction. The weekend before, he'd bought a stack of cardboard boxes. In one, there was a collection of childhood memorabilia with Kinsey's name all over it. For thirty bucks, he was offering Kinsey the lot.

Though she's never been one for personal possessions, curiosity is a powerful force. She agrees to meet the guy, then hands over a twenty (she may be curious, but she's also cheap and she loves a bargain).

What she finds among the items is an old undelivered letter to her that will force her to reexamine her beliefs about the breakup of her first marriage . . . about the honor of her first husband . . . and about an old unsolved murder.

It will put her life in the gravest peril.

My Thoughts: Just when I start to wonder if this series has anything to offer in the way of surprises, along comes this installment of Kinsey's next assignment and I'm hooked all over again. I love Kinsey and her smart mouth attitude. This story shows another side of Kinsey when she is told her first ex-husband has been shot and may not survive. When she discovers some very hard truths about the past, Kinsey has to take the painful journey to forgive her ex for his alleged misdeeds. Kinsey also has to look at her own shortcomings as well and reevaluate her beliefs.

From Santa Theresa to Louisville and back, Kinsey's dig into the past attracts the attention of some unsavory people who would rather the past and the crimes committed there remain dead and buried. Kinsey is her usual feisty self but we get to see more of the compassionate side of her, especially with the ending. Kudos to Sue Grafton for creating a fantastic multi-dimensional character that comes to life and draws the reader into her world so deeply that it's easy to forget that Kinsey and her world is fiction.

The Truth

For every woman who has had her share of relationship issues:

If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away. If he doesn’t want you, nothing can make him stay. Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior. Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache. Stop trying to change yourselves for a relationship that’s not meant to be. Slower is better. Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy. If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then heck no, you can’t "be friends." A friend wouldn’t mistreat a friend. Don’t settle. If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is. Don’t stay because you think "it will get better." You’ll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better. The only person you can control in a relationship is you. Avoid men who’ve got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women. He didn’t marry them when he got them pregnant, Why would he treat you any differently? Always have your own set of friends separate from his. Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you. If something bothers you, speak up. Never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later. You cannot change a man’s behavior. Change comes from within. Don’t EVER make him feel he is more important than you are...even if he has more education or in a better job. Do not make him into a quasi-god. He is a man, nothing more nothing less. Never let a man define who you are. Never borrow someone else’s man. Oh Lord! If he cheated with you, he’ll cheat on you. A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you. All men are NOT dogs. You should not be the one doing all the bending. ..compromise is a two-way street. You need time to heal between relationships...there is nothing cute about baggage... deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you...a relationship consists of two WHOLE individuals...look for someone complimentary...not supplementary. Dating is fun...even if he doesn’t turn out to be Mr.. Right. Make him miss you sometimes...when a man always know where you are, and your always readily available to him- he takes it for granted. Don’t fully commit to a man who doesn’t give you everything that you need. Keep him in your radar but get to know others. Share this..... You’ll make some women SMILE, another RETHINK her choices, and another woman PREPARE. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them and an entire lifetime to forget them.

- Author Unknown

REVIEW: Don't Talk Back To Your Vampire by Michele Bardsley

Don't Talk Back To Your Vampire by Michele Bardsley

My Rating: 9*'s

Description:

SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO TAKE YOUR OWN ADVICE --- OR PULSE.

Ever since a master vampire became possessed and bit a bunch of parents, the town of Broken Heart, Oklahoma has catered to those of us who don't rise until sunset --- even if that means PTA meetings at midnight.

As for me, Eva LeRoy, town librarian and single mother to a teenage daughter, I'm pretty much used to being "vampified." You can't beat the great side effects: no crow's-feet or cellulite! But books still make my undead heart beat --- and, strangely enough, so does Lorcan the Loner. My mama always told me everyone deserves a second chance. Still, it's one thing to deal with the usual undead hassles: rival vamps, rambunctious kids adjusting to night school, and my daughter's new boyfriend, who's a vampire hunter, for heaven's sake. It's quite another to fall for the vampire who killed you....

My Thoughts: I have to say that when I read the first one (I'M THE VAMPIRE, THAT'S WHY), my socks stayed firmly in place on my feet. Though I liked Jessica and Patrick and thought there were some funny moments, I was able to put the book down quite a lot and let my attention be drawn to other things.

I wasn't in a big hurry to read this book. I picked this book up and right away I was drawn into Eva's life and getting to know Lorcan was great. I especially LOVE how all of the animals are drawn to her, which is a little surprising considering she's a vampire, but hey, it works. I enjoyed Eva and Tamara's word of the day contest too.

It's a little difficult to put my finger on why this book was so much better for me than the first, but it has revitalized this series for me. Most likely, it has to do with the animals, even the lycans. I'm a sucker for the animals. I will be definitely getting the rest of the series as I am especially looking forward to Ralph's story.

Joining The Undead

You would think that after nearly 13 years working in public safety and being subjected to various shifts, that working what I call the Vampire shift would be nothing new. You would be right. You would. Additionally, with all of the vampire themed books I surround myself with and read, I would be further prepared for the lifestyle the ranks of the undead live. I should.

It's been a year since I walked the undead road. And it wasn't easy. My doctor had to prescribe Provigil for me to help me stay focused and alert on the nights I am working. I guess it's true that as we get older, we don't bounce back from stuff as quickly or are less able to adjust to changes.

When the sun goes down and I arise from my coffin tonight, I begin my first night back with my fellow undead armed with Provigil and caffeinated beverages. Garlic cloves and wooden stakes are not necessary at this time, though we can always revisit it should my Transylvanian accent gets too thick.

Honorable Mentions Of 2008

For many books that don't make the top reads for the year, I want to give an honorable mention to those books I read in 2008 that didn't make the cut for the best but were still very good books and recommended:

32AA by Michelle Cunnah
L Is For Lawless by Sue Grafton
M Is For Malice by Sue Grafton
The Pregnancy Test by Erin McCarthy
Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Interlude In Death by J.D. Robb
Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
Sit, Stay, Slay by Linda O. Johnston
The Pact by Jennifer Sturman
Don’t Tell by Karen Rose
Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich

2008 In Review

2008 has come and gone and with it another year's worth of reading. Some awesome reads and some real stinkers. In total I read 49 books which doesn't count the 16 that I gave up on. I'm in a state of shock at the number I gave up on. Amazes me that my reading taste has become, to some, quite picky. Sad that my reading totals would have been much higher had it not been for those lost causes.

Overall, my selections this year ranged across the spectrum of genres and are as follows:

Mystery / Suspense / Thriller: 17
Cozy Mystery: 6
Anthologies: 3
Paranormal Romance: 5
Chick-Lit: 14
Other Fiction / Literature: 3
Biography / Memoir: 1

Definitely went for more of the mystery genre last year instead of romance which I attribute to trying to catch up on the In Death series by J.D. Robb.

My picks for the best books for the year in the order they were read are:

Witness In Death by J.D. Robb
Bitter Is The New Black by Jen Lancaster
Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag
Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore
Judgment In Death by J.D. Robb
Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon
A Total Waste Of Makeup by Kim Gruenenfelder
The Ghost And Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly
Betrayal In Death by J.D. Robb
The Prada Paradox by Julie Kenner
Seduction In Death by J.D. Robb
Judge & Jury by James Patterson
Reunion In Death by J.D. Robb
Welcome To The Real World by Carole Matthews
Sex, Murder & A Double Latte by Kyra Davis
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Purity In Death by J.D. Robb
Better Read Than Dead by Victoria Laurie
N Is For Noose by Sue Grafton
Demons Are Forever: Confessions Of A Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner
Cheating At Solitaire by Ally Carter
Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
Portrait In Death by J.D. Robb
7th Heaven by James Patterson
Jack With A Twist by Brenda Janowitz
The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen

Here's hoping 2009 brings even more excellent books!

December's Reading Review

I closed out the year with a decent month reading. Hopefully 2009 will bring more books read and that they be excellent reads.


The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen

My Rating: 9 *'s

My Thoughts: This isn't the usual storyline I have come to expect from this author. Still, the story was quite good and kept me guessing until the end. I enjoyed the switch between time periods to bring the past and the present together. Though the outcome of the story turned out well, there were a few events that I wasn't pleased about. I still prefer the Jane Rizzoli series but this was a decent story.


Stroke Of Midnight by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Amanda Ashley, L.A. Banks & Lori Handeland

My Thoughts: 7 *'s

My Rating: The only story I enjoyed was Sherrilyn Kenyon's. Couldn't get into the others which seems to be the case with anthologies, unfortunately.



Soul Survivor by Susan Plunkett

My Rating: 8 *'s

My Thoughts: A little slow starting off but got better. Very heartwarming story of love, regret and forgiveness




Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich

My Rating: 8 *'s

My Thoughts: Lots of wacky new characters and chaos crossing Stephanie's path when she, Lula, Connie and Diesel have to go after Grandma Mazur who has made off to Atlantic City in an RV bought with stolen money. Throw in a little man who believes he's a leprechaun and his horse, a mobster who looks more like a toad and a few brief appearances of Ranger and Joe and you have another madcap adventure starring Stephanie and her world. And don't get me started on Lula's aspirations to be a lingerie model.



Jack With A Twist by Brenda Janowitz

My Rating: 10 *'s

My Thoughts: I adored Ms. Janowitz's first book, SCOT ON THE ROCKS, but I have to say that JACK WITH A TWIST was much better! I couldn't put the book down. Even through Brooke's self-obsessed personality, which she doesn't make excuses for, by the way, you cannot help but like her and root for her and Jack to make it down the aisle. I loved all the characters, well, most of them anyway. I didn't take to Jack's family very well, but his sister's did surprise me at the bridal shower and by the end even Jack's parents came across more humane. I loved the side stories involving Vanessa and Marcus and Monique and Jean Luc and laughed myself silly at Brooke's wild imagination involving her wedding videographer and The Soprano references. I recommend this book to every woman who has been a bride or bride to be as I'm sure they can relate to the complete and utter chaos and craziness that planning a wedding brings out in everyone. Hopefully this book brings some relief from the stress.

Brenda Janowitz is definitely an author to keep an eye out for in the bookstores. She already won me over with the Perth, Scotland references in SCOT ON THE ROCKS but JACK WITH A TWIST has placed her in favorite status.



7th Heaven by James Patterson

My Rating: 9 *'s

My Thoughts: Very interesting story with some intense moments and great sub-plots. I found Yuki's side story very riveting. I was on the edge of my seat. Not sure if I'm liking where the author is going with Lindsay and Rich, though. I would love to see Cindy get more page time. I'm looking forward to the next one.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In December

Ending the year with some good acquisitions...


The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen

Present day: Julia Hamill has made a horrifying discovery on the grounds of her new home in rural Massachusetts: a skull buried in the rocky soil–human, female, and, according to the trained eye of Boston medical examiner Maura Isles, scarred with the unmistakable marks of murder. But whoever this nameless woman was, and whatever befell her, is knowledge lost to another time. . . .

Boston, 1830: In order to pay for his education, Norris Marshall, a talented but penniless student at Boston Medical College, has joined the ranks of local “resurrectionists”–those who plunder graveyards and harvest the dead for sale on the black market. Yet even this ghoulish commerce pales beside the shocking murder of a nurse found mutilated on the university hospital grounds. And when a distinguished doctor meets the same grisly fate, Norris finds that trafficking in the illicit cadaver trade has made him a prime suspect.

To prove his innocence, Norris must track down the only witness to have glimpsed the killer: Rose Connolly, a beautiful seamstress from the Boston slums who fears she may be the next victim. Joined by a sardonic, keenly intelligent young man named Oliver Wendell Holmes, Norris and Rose comb the city–from its grim cemeteries and autopsy suites to its glittering mansions and centers of Brahmin power–on the trail of a maniacal fiend who lurks where least expected . . . and who waits for his next lethal opportunity.




Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum has a way of attracting danger, lunatics, oddballs, bad luck... and mystery men. And no one is more mysterious than the unmentionable Diesel. He's back and hot on the trail of a little man in green pants who's lost a giant bag of money. Problem is the money isn't exactly lost. Stephanie's Grandma Mazur has found it, and like any good Jersey senior citizen she's high-tailed it in a Winnebago to Atlantic City and hit the slots. With Lula and Connie in tow, Stephanie attempts to bring Grandma home. But the luck of the Irish is rubbing off on everyone. Lula's found a job modeling plus size lingerie. Connie's found a guy. Diesel's found Stephanie. And Stephanie has found herself in over her head with a caper involving thrice stolen money, a racehorse, a car chase and a bad case of hives.


One Silent Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

In the world of the Dark-Hunters, all hell's breaking loose...

Stryker has sent word and is gathering his forces.

While the world carries on unawares, Stryker, who leads an army of demons and vampires, is plotting an all out onslaught against his enemies-which, unfortunately for us, includes the entire human race.

To avenge his sister, Stryker prepares to annihilate the Dark-Hunters. But things go awry when his oldest enemy returns. Enter his ex-wife. Zephyra. Just when he thought nothing could stop him, he's now embroiled in a centuries old war with a shrew who gives new meaning to pain.



O Is For Outlaw by Sue Grafton

The call comes on a Monday morning from a guy who scavenges defaulted storage units at auction. The weekend before, he'd bought a stack of cardboard boxes. In one, there was a collection of childhood memorabilia with Kinsey's name all over it. For thirty bucks, he was offering Kinsey the lot.

Though she's never been one for personal possessions, curiosity is a powerful force. She agrees to meet the guy, then hands over a twenty (she may be curious, but she's also cheap and she loves a bargain).

What she finds among the items is an old undelivered letter to her that will force her to reexamine her beliefs about the breakup of her first marriage . . . about the honor of her first husband . . . and about an old unsolved murder.

It will put her life in the gravest peril.




Murder With Reservations by Elaine Viets

Living life on the lam and working wherever she can find a paycheck, Helen Hawthorne has a knack for keeping a low profile. But when her coworker dies, and her two-timing ex-husband tracks her down in South Florida, it's going to get a lot harder to fly under the radar...

Working at Sybil's Full Moon Hotel in Fort Lauderdale keeps Helen both financially and physically fit. But cleaning up after hotel guests is not like cleaning a house --- it's like cleaning fifteen houses in a single day. Not to mention dreaded room 323, the hotel's most notorious. The guests in 323 are always drunk, loud, and rude --- and worst of all, they never tip. When a maid goes missing the day after a disastrous mess in 323, the rest of the cleaning staff chalk it up to job burnout and imagine that Rhonda has finally ditched the housekeeping gig to run off with the dreamy rich boyfriend she's always talking about.

But then Rhonda turns up dead in a Dumpster, and no one feels safe and snug in South Florida, especially not Helen. Another dead body means another chance for the cops to find her. And to make matters worse, her ex-husband is hot on her trail, checking in to the very hotel where she works. Sadly, the cops don't seem to care much about a murdered maid, but they have noticed there's something shady about the victim's coworker and her not quite truthful story. If Helen doesn't manage to dodge their questions and shake off her ex, it could be checkout time for her.




Lip Lock by Susanna Carr

Come closer...

MISTRESS OF THE MOVES

Molly Connors can talk her way out of almost every situation. That is, unless she's around her boss, Kyle Ashton, a gorgeous computer tycoon with smoldering eyes and a long, lean body that doesn't quit. Every move he makes promises sophisticated sex. What woman wouldn't get tongue-tied?

But she can't risk getting too close to Kyle. No one can know that her fabulous clothes aren't hers, or that she's holding on by her manicured fingertips. But once she gets that big promotion, she'll make good on every one of her white lies. Uh-oh. Did Kyle really just say those three little words? You are ...fired? He did. If she doesn't have a job any more --- or an apartment --- she'll do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means camping out in one of Kyle's rarely used homes. He'll never know. Right?

MASTER OF THE GAME

Now that the sexy con artist has been pink-slipped out of his company and his life, Kyle can relax. Not. Molly doesn't play by the rules. And the very important clients he just brought to his weekend house think that she's his fiancee! If that's her game, he fully intends to win. Even if he has to kiss her senseless ... and love her all night long.



Flirting In Cars by Alisa Kwitney

An accomplished journalist, Zoe Goren can't drive and she doesn't cook. But that's never been a problem in Manhattan, where the streets are filled with taxis and takeout restaurants, and a busy single mother can find everything she needs right at her fingertips. In fact, Zoe can't imagine living or working anyplace else. But when Zoe's daughter is diagnosed with dyslexia, she decides to make the ultimate sacrifice, moving two hours from Manhattan in order to enroll Maya in an excellent school for children with learning differences. Stranded in a rural paradise, Zoe must grapple with isolation, coyote howls, and the lack of good delivery services. But when she decides to overcome her fear of driving and take lessons, she meets Mack, an unnervingly attractive townie, back from the war in Iraq and trying to adjust to civilian life. With a budding new romance and a reporting gig for the local paper, Zoe just might survive in the wilderness of small-town America after all.



Accidental It Girl by Libby Street

What comes around...

Photographer Sadie Price is known for her thick skin and infallible instincts. A lofty education has made her skilled in her craft, and a fear of poverty -- and love for Jimmy Choo -- has made her one of the East Coast's most savvy paparazzi. She keeps her exhilarating but sometimes hectic life manageable by staying on the right side of the razor-thin line between celebrity photographers and the stalkerazzi. But all that changes when Sadie locks horns with one of Hollywood's hottest bachelors.

...goes around.

Something about Ethan Wyatt's charisma and startling good looks throws Sadie off her game. Something about Sadie's dogged determination -- and a very compromising picture she snaps -- throws Ethan off his. Hatching a scheme befitting the silver screen that made him famous, Ethan sets out to give Sadie a taste of her own medicine. And when her life almost instantly becomes as frenzied as those of the "It Girls" she follows, Sadie starts to see her career, her love life, and Ethan Wyatt in ways she never had before....

Merry Hack Hack Hack

So, there it was a week before Christmas and all through the Pit of Hell, not a sound could be heard. Bliss.... Silence... Not even that annoying Hippopatamus song that sets my teeth on edge like nails to a chalkboard.

Throat begins to feel a little scratchy. I'm at the Mall, so a stop to Hot Dog On A Stick for a cherry lemonade is in order. Get home and spray the throat with the Chloraseptic spray for immediate negative results. Sore Throat: 1 Sherri: 0

Next morning, throat is feeling much worse. Hurts like hell to swallow and I have my office Christmas party tonight. I'm cooking for God's sake! What if I'm contagious? I can't go to the party and get anyone sick. Sore Throat: 2 Sherri: 0

Friday morning, Christmas is less than a week away. Husband is inviting his workmates over for a pizza and XBox party tonight. Several times throughout the night last night, my throat felt like it was closing up. Ice cream doesn't help. Hot beverages help slightly. Could it be strep? I go to urgent care. Nay, says the knows nothing, sees nothing medical professional. "People with strep look much more toxic than you." I guess I didn't try hard enough to look like shit. Here's an inhaler (huh? for a sore throat?) and some antibiotics. Sore Throat: 2 Sherri: 1

Saturday, I can barely get out of bed and am running a fever. Confined myself to my bedroom so as not to scare hubby's guests last night. Supposed to work half a day today. That's not gonna happen. Have to eat something to take these pills that are the size of a small Chevy. Hurts so bad to swallow any food, I'm in tears. Sore Throat: 3 Sherri: 1

Sunday I go to work for half a day, mostly out of guilt but lack the energy to do much. Hurts like a mother when I sneeze. Employees are holding up crucifixes and making the signs of the cross in my presence. Smell of garlic in the air. Guess this is how Dracula felt upon arriving in town. Have forgotten what solid food tastes like. Sore Throat: 4 Sherri: 1

Monday back to work. No voice. Using a whiteboard to communicate with my coworkers. Whoever said verbal communication is overrated has their head up their ass. Why aren't these friggin antibiotics working???? Sore Throat: 5 Sherri: 1

Tuesday, some voice. Razor blades in my throat. Ready to take hostages and Christmas can take a flying leap as far as I'm concerned. Sore Throat: 6 Sherri: 1

Wednesday, I go to the Ear Nose Throat specialist. Antiobiotics are supposed to be some of the strongest out there and should have had an improvement within 72 hours of taking them. Yeah, right. Now taking a steroid for the diagnosed condition of "acute tonsilitis." Could be worse. It could be "anugly tonsilitis." Sore Throat: 7 Sherri: 1

Thursday, Merry Christmas. Throat is no longer sore though still feels strange. Can swallow without pain! Yes! Sore Throat: 7 Sherri: 2

Now if the cough would go away, I'm ready for the New Year!

November Reading Review

Some decent reads this month


The Pact by Jennifer Sturman

My Rating: 8 *'s

My Thoughts: Not a riveting start to the series but I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more. I enjoyed that the reader is left with hope of a future for Rachel and Peter. I'm curious to see how it will play out.




Portrait In Death by J.D. Robb

My Rating: 10 *'s

My Thoughts: I feel like I'm beginning to sound like a broken record with this series, but I can't help it. Another great installment of Eve and Roark. I loved the side story of Roark meeting his mother's family and Somerset's injury and vacation plans. As with the other stories, I was again way off base with the identity of the killer...


Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

My Rating: 10 *'s

My Thoughts: The story was complete fluff but had a lot more Ranger in it this time around and that's just fine with me. Got to see more of Dickie and Joyce too, which wasn't so great but more a necessity to the storyline so I can overlook it (hahaha). A surprise revelation about Tank and Grandma Mazur was entertaining as usual. This series is a lot of fun and I am looking forward to #14!



Don't Tell by Karen Rose

My Rating: 8 *'s

My Thoughts: First time reading this author and this story did a great job of keeping me on the edge of my seat between anxiety and hope that Caroline outwits the villain. Really liked the characters and the inner tormoil both Max and Caroline have to overcome. I enjoyed the ending and the closure it brought.





Cheating At Solitaire by Ally Carter

My Rating: 9 *'s

My Thoughts: Very cute story and a fast read. Enjoyed all of the characters except for Lance's agent. Thought he was a slimeball. Looking forward to the sequel.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In November

Quite a variety of genres made their way into the TBR pile last month...

Vamps And The City by Kerrelyn Sparks

Can the Undead find real love on reality TV?

Who says a vamp can't have it all?

Darcy Newhart thought it was a stroke of genius --- the first-ever reality TV show where mortals vie with vampires for the title of The Sexiest Man on Earth. As the show's director, Darcy's career would be on track again. And she can finally have a life apart from the vampire harem. Okay, so she's still technically dead, but two out of three's not bad. Now she just has to make sure that a mortal doesn't win. If only she wasn't so distracted by a super–sexy and live contestant named Austin...

But Darcy doesn't know the worst of it. Austin Erickson is actually a vampire slayer! And he's got his eye on the show's leggy blond director. Only problem is, he's never wanted any woman – living or dead – as badly. But if he wins her heart, will he lose his soul? And if it means an eternity of hot, passionate loving with Darcy, does that really matter anyway?

Un-Veiled by Eileen Rendahl

Welcome to the Do It Up salon, where secrets are always in style...

Rumor has it. . .

. . . that the Zimmerman twins, Ginger and Cinnamon, are the hot hair-stylists in Santa Bonita. Their Do It Up salon has been swamped ever since hometown-Hollywood-star Courtney Day had her wedding hair done there. Now the sisters know every secret of every bride-to-be that crosses their threshold: does she or doesn't she, will she or won't she, how often, and with whom?

What happens at Do It Up stays at Do It Up --- until Craig Esposito strolls into the salon with the latest wedding party. Cinnamon's dazed reaction suggests there's something only she knows about this handsome cousin to the groom --- making Ginger wonder if he's the mystery father of Cinnamon's young daughter (which should kill her attraction to him, but doesn't). Now the sisters' own secrets are the subject of small-town gossip ... and Ginger is about to tease out some surprising truths about her family, her town --- and herself.

The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer

At thirty-six, Genie Michaels feels like she has hit the snooze button on her life one too many times. When her “commitment-phobic” boyfriend Hugh proposes on national television—not to Genie, but to an unknown mystery woman—Genie’s wisecracking friend Patty doesn’t hesitate to give her some tough love: “You remind me of that idiot Sleeping Beauty, lying around waiting for your prince. Well, guess what, he rode right past your castle and now you have a choice—you can either go back to bed or you can wake up!”

Genie chooses to wake up. After some questionable advice, her first step is to allow every to believe she’s Hugh’s real fiancée. (She’ll let him to be the one to explain the mistake.) Naturally the good news travels fast and, in a heartbeat, Genie’s parents are booking a reception hall while friends are showering her with gifts, Genie feels bad about the deception, but at least everyone is dancing to her tune, and she can’t help but enjoy it. Particularly when a too-handsome-for-his-own-good Greek carpenter shows up on the scene thinking he’s hotter than Tabasco.

Genie realizes that she never needed a man to start her life—to buy a home, to get a better job, or even to wear a diamond ring. And if Prince Charming wants to show up while she’s at it, she just might teach him a thing or two.

The Ghost And The Femme Fatale by Alice Kimberly

Haunted by her past…

The Movie Town Theater is holding its first ever Film Noir Festival, with Penelope Thornton-McClure handling book sales for the guest speakers, including screen actress Hedda Geist. The legendary femme fatale has been out of the spotlight for decades. Unfortunately, the moment she steps back into it, she’s nearly killed. Then other guests start to die, and Penelope wants to know why her little town’s film noir weekend has taken a truly dark turn.

With local police on the wrong track, Penelope enlists the help of Jack Shepard, PI. Okay, so Jack hasn’t had a heartbeat since 1949, when he was gunned down in what is now Pen’s store. But the hard-boiled ghost actually remembers Hedda’s dark past and Penelope is sure he can help solve this case --- even if he and his license did expire more than fifty years ago…

The Best Day Of Someone Else's Life by Kerry Reichs

The story of a serial bridesmaid who discovers everything she never wanted to know about weddings --- and more than she ever imagined about love.

Thirteen Very Humiliating Moments…

Eleven trips down the aisle…

Nine one-wear-only dresses…

Seven insincere congratulations…

Six seriously regretted hook-ups…

Four allergic reactions…

Too many hangovers…

And

One reality check about the meaning of it all ... all setting her back a mere Fifty Grand!

Despite being cursed with a boy's name, Kevin "Vi" Connelly is seriously female and a committed romantic. The affliction hit at the tender age of six when she was handed a basket of flower petals and ensnared by the "marry-tale." The thrill, the attention, the big white dress - it's the Best Day of Your Life, and it's seriously addictive. But at twenty-seven, with a closetful of pricey bridesmaid dresses she'll never wear again, a trunkful of embarrassing memories, and an empty bank account from paying for it all, the illusion of matrimony as the Answer to Everything begins to fray. As her friends' choices don't provide answers, and her family confuses her more, Vi faces off against her eminently untrustworthy boyfriend and the veracity of the BDOYL.

Eleven weddings in eighteen months would send any sane woman either over the edge or scurrying for the altar. But as reality separates from illusion, Vi learns that letting go of someone else's story to write your own may be harder than buying the myth, but just might help her make the right choices for herself.

Murder Is Binding by Lorna Barrett

Stoneham, New Hampshire, was a dying town until community leaders invited booksellers to open up shop. Now, its streets are lined with bookstores---and paved with murder...

When she moved to Stoneham, city slicker Tricia Miles was met with friendly faces. And when she opened her mystery bookstore, she was met with friendly competition. But when she finds Doris Gleason dead in her own cookbook store, killed with a kitchen knife, the atmosphere seems more cutthroat than cordial. Someone wanted to get their hands on the rare cookbook that Doris had recently purchased---and the locals think that someone is Tricia. To clear her name, Tricia will have to take a page out of one oh her own mysteries---and hunt down someone who isn't killing by the book...

Exes And Ohs by Beth Kendrick

Mr. Perfect's just about to ruin her future.

EXIT THE GROOM...

Child psychologist Gwen Traynor has learned the hard way that "perfect" men aren't always what they seem. After being dumped the night before her wedding, she's understandably wary of diving back into the dating pool. But when she meets Alex Coughlin, she's convinced her luck is changing. He's smart, handsome, funny -- an ideal rebound guy. She doesn't intend to fall in love with him, but scintillating dates and mind-blowing physical chemistry have a way of winning a girl over.

ENTER THE EX...

Just as things are heating up with Alex, Gwen meets her newest patient -- a precocious preschooler whose chaotic soap opera-actress of a mother, Harmony, sounds an awful lot like one of Alex's crazy ex-girlfriends. Mostly because she is one of Alex's crazy ex-girlfriends. Unfortunately for Gwen, Harmony has a secret that plunges them all into a real-life daytime drama, complete with sex, lies, and Vegas elopements. With Harmony determined to reunite with Alex and Gwen's ex-fiancé begging for a second chance, only one thing is certain:

New loves and old flames are an explosive combination.

Charmed & Deadly by Candace Havens

Payback is a witch.

Saturday, 3 A.M.

Paris … for the moment

Spells: 15

Dead guys: too many to count

Pissed-off, stressed-out witch: 1

Look: The last five years of my life have been dedicated to ridding the world of evil magic dudes and dudettes --- with a little time off with my sweetie for good behavior. Sure, I’ve made a few enemies along the way, who wouldn’t? So when I realized that an attempted hit on the prime minister was really meant for me, I was like, “same spell, different day.”

But then I realized that something about this hex reminded me a lot of my ex. Jason Gladstone was my college sweetheart --- until he tied me up and tried to drain me of my powers. I knew I should have killed that jerk when I had the chance…

It figures that this would happen just when things between me and Dr. Sam are finally back on track --- lately, we’ve even come up with a new dessert: Bronwyn a la mode. But I’ve got to put the whipped cream on ice for now, because it turns out that Jason’s no one-hit wonder. Having bad guys trying to kill me is nothing new. But now Jason’s messing with my nearest and dearest … so this time, it’s personal.

7th Heaven by James Patterson

A VERY PUBLIC DISAPPEARANCE

California's "Boy With A Broken Heart," the teenage son of a recent governor, has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Michael Campion, born with an incurable heart defect, has grown up under the watchful eye of an adoring public. The pressure on detective Lindsay Boxer to learn what happened to Michael is overwhelming. When she finally does get a lead, it's devastating --- and for Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano it leads to the biggest trial of her life.

A DEADLY RASH OF ARSONS

While working on the Campion case, Lindsay and her partner, Rich Conklin, also try to catch whoever is setting fire to some of the most beautiful homes in San Francisco, leaving their owners to perish in the flames. Lindsay enlists her friends in the Women's Murder Club to help her find the arsonist --- and suddenly the fires start raging much too close to home.

A CHANCE AT 7TH HEAVEN

These two intense cases bring Lindsay and Rich closer together than ever --- and put Lindsay on the brink. Torn between two men and close to an emotional meltdown, she has to draw on every resource to keep from being pulled under.


Love The One You're With by Emily Giffin

Ellen and Andy's marriage doesn't just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she’s living is the one she's meant to live. LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH is a powerful story about one woman at the crossroads of true love and real life.