Choose an Award, any Award!

I've been very remiss in reporting awards and reciprocating on them, since I'm on vacation this week, I'm going to fix that right now!



Way back in December of last year Ruthie at Books, Books and More Books gave me the Lemonade Award. Once you receive this award you are to pass it on to at least ten other blogs who show great attitude and/ or gratitude. I was lucky enough to receive this one again from Yankee Romance Reviewers July 1 this year.



Ruthie also awarded me the Heartfelt Award in July this year, as did Jezebelsk at Walking on Sunshine:



Here are the rules:

1) Put the logo on your blog/post
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.



Back in April Cherie at CheriePie's Book Reviews passed on to me the Zombie Chicken Award! Has there ever been a more spectacular award? I mean come on, Zombie Chickens!



The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all...



I'm not so well connected as some of these people (being introverted apparently carries over to my online presence some), and I think most of them already have these awards from others however, if for some reason one of you wonderful people does not have any of the above awards, I hearby award it to you! (Especially Zombie Chickens, I know you're going to jump on that one, I'm not kidding! It's also not sarcasm, I really do think it's awesome!)

So here are my nominations, first of all my awarders shall now become by awardees:

1. Books Books and More Books
2. Yankee Romance Reviewers
3. Walking on Sunshine
4. CheriePie's Book Reviews

And here are six more Nominees who may also choose an award, or all of them if you like:

5. Amberkatze's Book Blog
6. The Movieholic & Bibliophile's Blog
7. West of Mars - the Meet and Greet and Win A Book
8. Breeni Books
9. In Bed With Books
10. Reading with Monie

Please check these folks out, they are great bloggers!

Giveaway: Robber Bride by Deborah Simmons

Simon de Burgh is a knight, confident, powerful, sometimes arrogant, but honorable, always keeping his word. On his way to check on Baddersly, a holding of one of his brothers, he is waylaid by a band of outlaws. These are no ordinary outlaws however, their leader is a woman, and she proceeds to turn his life upside down!

Bethia has taken to the forest after escaping from the despicable Brice Scirvayne, who has taken over her father's hold, Ansquith. Never a typical girl, she demands the freedom to be herself, dressing as a man and fighting as one. She's assembled a band of fighters from the local population, people also rebelling against Brice's unlawful stranglehold on the manor and it's people. They take Simon's band fighters on their way to Baddersly, believing them to be the mercenaries that Brice has threatened to bring to stamp them out.

Simon escapes from the band, taking Bethia with him, though not for long. Even after she returns all of his men and horses to him, he can't clear his mind of her, and continues to visit the forest chase like a moth drawn to the flame, determined to find out about her, who is she and why is she living that way? And what is this pain in his chest that he can't seem to be rid of?

This Harlequin Historical was a fun flipped Robinhood-esque story, one of several about the de Burgh brothers. The newest de Burgh book is actually due in August this year, according to Fantastic Fiction, about Simon's brother Reynold. For more information on the author and her work visit Deborah Simmons' Website.

I'm ready to pass Simon and Bethia on to one of you! As always, this is a gently used, Bookcrossing labeled copy. While I would love a journal entry from you about the book, it is yours to do with as you please, and the entry can be made anonymously if you decide that joining Bookcrossing is not for you. To enter, just comment on this post, remember to give me a way to reach you! I will choose a winner on August 8th.

Book: Dying in Style by Elaine Viets

Josie Marcus is a mystery shopper, it doesn't pay well, but it makes her feel like she's doing good. She gets to reward good sales people, and help weed out the bad ones, all the while helping to make the shopping experience of the normal person better.

She's wary when she is asked to do mystery shopping for the chain of Danessa stores as they move into a merger with another corporation. This is a much bigger mystery shop than Josie has done before, and could have dire consequences, but her boss, meat-munching Harry (he's on the Atkins diet) tells her to be truthful no matter what.

When Josie checks out the stores, she finds them a mess, and worries about turning in a less than glowing report, but feels she must tell the truth. Danessa herself storms to the office, confronting Josie (who's report was supposed to be anonymous) and threatening her, insisting that she lied and demanding that she retract her report. Josie refuses, and events are set into motion, resulting in a string of deaths.

Josie must try to clear herself of suspicion, circumstances keep putting her in the limelight, and also try to keep things at home from falling apart, no easy task when you're a single mom, and your own mother lives with you!

This was a fun series, I enjoyed Josie's different shopping costumes, and look forward to reading the next one, High Heels are Murder, and also her other series, the Dead End Job Mysteries.

For more information on Elaine Viets, check out her website.

Giveaway Winner: Dark Lover by J. R. Ward

In case you hadn't figured it out, I was looking for another great series to start after I get through The Black Dagger Brotherhood (though my Insider's Guide just came today, and I'm still working on Lover Enshrined so I'm set for a little while), because when you're that into a story, what else can you read that isn't a let down? So I thought I would use you all to give me ideas, and you came up with some great ones, some I've already found and loved, and some I haven't gotten to yet, so my evil plan worked! :D

But I know what you really want to know is who won Dark Lover, right? And so...

elaing8

Get ready, because Wrath is coming to visit you! I'll e-mail you to get your snail mail addy so I can send him on his way!

Here were the suggestions that you all made, because I'm sure I'm not the only one who is interested:

The Hollows by Kim Harrison - have some of these, haven't read yet
The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice - oh yes, I was a huge Rice fan for quite awhile ;)
The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine - have some, haven't read yet
Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs - have some, haven't read yet
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - oh my yes! Jamie... *swoon*
Harry Potter by J K Rowling - of course!
His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman - have read #1 and seen the movie
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz - the husband likes these, I need to read them too
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - have listened to #1 and want to see the movie
Kitty Norville by Carrie Vaughan - have read #1 and liked it, will read the rest sometime
In Death by J. D. Robb - hmmm I have yet to read any Nora Roberts under any of her names, though I know she's very popular and I do have a few of hers
Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich - oh yes, Stephanie rocks!
Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris - have some of these, and my friend at work has recently gotten addicted, so I will definitely be reading these
House of Night by P.C. and Kristin Cast - have these too, but haven't read yet (story of my life, it needs it's own abbrev. - hbhry = have but haven't read yet)

Definitely some great ideas for me, thanks everyone!

My next giveaway will be a cute Harlequin Historical, sort of a female Robinhood type of thing. I'll try to get it posted this next week because I'm on vacation WAHOO!! I'm just going to read my little heart out, because that's what relaxes me!

Giveaway: Dark Lover by J. R. Ward

Can you believe it's July already? I can't! I had a very busy reading month in June, managing an average for the month of 102 pages per day! My typical is probably 50-60, so that means I kept up a good pace for the month. The reason for this extra reading on my part? I must give credit to J. R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood Series.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood are elite warriors of the vampire race, doing their best to protect their people against the Lessening Society. I'll just say right now that no matter what I write, it's not able to do this series justice, I've enjoyed it that much! I've made it through 4 books so far, all in the last month, and I just do not read books in the same series one right after each other, so that's saying something!

The first book of the series, Dark Lover tells the story of Wrath, the last in the line of Vampire royalty, but who refuses to step up and take the throne, feeling unworthy of the privilege and reluctant to lead, haunted by failings in his past. As we are introduced to the brotherhood, they are a group of warriors that fight on their own individual terms, with not much in the way of organization. One of their number, Darius, has a half-breed daughter who is unaware of her heritage, and is about to go through the transition to be come a vampire. He asks Wrath to see her through the dangerous and intense change, but Wrath refuses, wanting nothing to do with the responsibility. When Darius is murdered, Wrath feels obligated to his warrior brother to carry out his last wish and usher Beth into their world.

I have turned total fangirl over these books. I love all the brothers, and the relationships/interactions between them. It is rare that a story captures me so completely, and it's a thing I both crave and dread! It's so hard to get back to reality from that place! And what happens when you run out of books and the next one isn't published yet? And what do you read next that won't be a let down? I have laughed and cried at these books, been completely keyed up and unable to sleep, and read 150 pages or more in a day. Remember 102 was my average for the whole month, there were a few days that I'm embarassed to say were where real life was kind of an annoyance I had to take care of so I could get back to the brothers!

Book 5 is about my boy Vishous, and I'm almost a little afraid to start it, because I know once I do, nothing else will get done until I've finished it! And now I'd like to infect, I mean convert... uh... okay, share, let's try share, yeah... I'd like to share this story with you guys! As always, this is a gently used, Bookcrossing labeled copy of Dark Lover, the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I would dearly love an entry from you to know what you thought of the book, and you can do this completely anonymously if you decide that you'd rather not become a member. The book is still yours to do with as you like, whether that's keep it forever, or share it with another friend. To enter, please comment on this post and tell me what your favorite book or series is, one that grabs you and won't let you go, one that creates a world you just can't shake for awhile after you read it. I will choose a winner on July 18th (yay the first day of my vacation!) and then Wrath will be taking a little visit to your home... he's kind of big, and scary, but really very nice once you get to know him... and you'll definitely want him on your side! Good Luck!

Check out J. R. Ward's Website for more information and where she has some other slices from the Brotherhood's life.