Blog Tour: Forty-Eight X: the Lemuria Project by Barry Pollack

Title: Forty-Eight X: the Lemuria Project

Author: Barry Pollack

What I Have to Say: I'm beginning to think that Louisiana is some weird black hole in the United States. When I get books shipped there, it always takes them AGES to arrive, if they ever do that is. It's like they're just suctioned out of the world. Anyhow, I was supposed to read this book for the Pump Up Your Books tours, and I was sure it was going to arrive before I left for Japan. It did not. I thought for sure it would at least arrive in time to get forwarded to me. Nope. I then thought that it had to at least arrive before the day I was supposed to review it. It still hasn't arrived.
So I don't know what the deal is.
In any case, I think this book looks absolutely fabulous, and I LOVED reading Barry Pollack's guest post, so you know I'll be looking forward to reading this book when and if it ever does arrive. In the meantime, I hope you'll check out the summary, and, if you haven't done so yet, go back and check out his guest post.

Summary: On the tropical island of Diego Garcia in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the United States has gathered together its most talented geneticists to work on the top-secret Lemuria Project. These secret experiments create a revolutionary new warrior so strong and so valiant that the age of casualties of war would become only a sad and distant memory. Haunted by a dark and dangerous past, Colonel Link McGraw is the officer chosen to train these new soldiers. He understands the rules of engagement and agrees to serve his country, reestablish his professional reputation, and secure his freedom in the process. As a trained and commissioned officer in the United States Armed Forces, McGraw knows what constitutes the perfect soldier: following orders without question. When Egyptian beauty Fala al Shodaha and Israeli Joshua Krantz, scientists in their own right, stumble across the top-secret project, they are determined to uncover its true nature and pursue their quest to Diego Garcia. Tensions mount as Krantz and McGraw clash over the project—and vie for the affection of the lovely Fala. When they discover they aren’t the only ones on the island competing for her attention, shocking truths are revealed that beg the question, Is it too late to save themselves—and the entire human race—from almost certain annihilation?

Blog Tour: Alexandra, Gone by Anna McPartlin

Title: Alexandra, Gone

Author: Anna McPartlin

What I Have to Say: So this is one of those books for the Pocket Books tours that I just did NOT have the time to read. :-( Unfortunately. It got to me so ridiculously late, and it just wasn't possible. I really am super psyched to read it, though!! It looks great, I think. I'm happy to say, though, that I WILL have finished the next Pocket Books tour book in time for the tour. In any case, I've heard great things about this book, and I've read some great reviews of it today, so I hope you'll check it out. And be looking for my review some time in the near future!

Summary: LETTING GO FOR GOOD . . .

Once, Jane Moore and Alexandra Walsh were inseparable, sharing secrets and stolen candy, plotting their futures together. But when Jane became pregnant at seventeen, they drifted slowly apart. Jane has spent the years since raising her son, now seventeen himself, on her own, running a gallery, managing her sister’s art career, and looking after their volatile mother—all the while trying not to resent the limited choices life has given her.

Then a quirk of fate and a faulty elevator bring Jane into contact with Tom, Alexandra’s husband, who has some shocking news. Alexandra disappeared from a south Dublin suburb months ago, and Tom has been searching fruitlessly for her. Jane offers to help, as do the elevator’s other passengers—Jane’s brilliant but self-absorbed sister, Elle, and Leslie Sheehan, a reclusive web designer who’s ready to step back into the world again. And as Jane quickly realizes, Tom isn’t the only one among them who’s looking for something . . . or traveling toward unexpected revelations about love, life, and what it means to let go, in every sense.

In this insightful and irresistible novel, by turns profound, poignant, and laugh- out-loud funny, acclaimed Irish writer Anna McPartlin tells a story of friendship and love, of the families we are born into and the ones we create for ourselves, and of the hope and strength that remain when we fi nd the courage to leave the past behind at last.

Blog Tour: In the Shadow of the Cypress by Thomas Steinbeck

Title: In the Shadow of the Cypress

Author: Thomas Steinbeck

What I Have to Say: So, I've decided, for the time being, to stop participating in the Pocket Books tours. Every single time, I somehow end up getting the books so late that I'm not able to get to them on time. Which means most of the time that they end up getting pushed back to way late. I received this book during all of my packing and the hecticness of moving to a new country, and I just did NOT have the time to get around to it. Which is super sad, because it looks AWESOME! And I am SUPER looking forward to reading it!
Anyhow, I have two other books from this time around, and I am going to TRY MY BEST to get to them on time, but after that, no matter how tempted I feel, no more Pocket Book Tours for me. :-( Especially now that the books would have to be forwarded to Japan, and there is NO WAY I would get them on time.
Anyhow, read the summary and be tempted. This book looks super rad times infinity!

Summary (from Amazon): Thomas Steinbeck has been praised by Publishers Weekly for his stylistic brilliance and “accomplished voice.” Now, his enthralling novel In the Shadow of the Cypress blends history and suspense with literary mastery and brings vivid realism to California’s rich heritage.

In 1906, the Chinese in California lived in the shadows. Their alien customs, traditions, and language hid what they valued from their neighbors . . . and left them open to scorn and prejudice. Their communities were ruled—and divided—by the necessity of survival among the many would-be masters surrounding them, by struggles between powerful tongs, and by duty to their ancestors.

Then, in the wake of natural disaster, fate brought to light artifacts of incredible value along the Monterey coast: an ancient Chinese jade seal and a plaque inscribed in a trio of languages lost to all but scholars of antiquity. At first, chance placed control of those treasures in the hands of outsiders—the wayward Irishman who’d discovered them and a marine scholar who was determined to explore their secrets. The path to the truth, however, would prove to be as tangled as the roots of the ancient cypress that had guarded these treasures for so long, for there are some secrets the Chinese were not ready to share. Whether by fate, by subtle design, or by some intricate combination of the two, the artifacts disappeared again . . . before it could be proved that they must have come there ages before Europeans ever touched the wild and beautiful California coast.

Nearly a century would pass before an unconventional young American scientist unearths evidence of this great discovery and its mysterious disappearance. Taking up the challenge, he begins to assemble a new generation of explorers to resume theperilous search into the ocean’s depth . . . and theshadows of history. Armed with cutting-edge, moderntechnology, and drawing on connections to powerful families at home and abroad, this time Americans and Chinese will follow together the path of secrets that have long proved as elusive as the ancient treasures that held them.

This striking debut novel by a masterful writer weaves together two fascinating eras into one remarkable tale. In the Shadow of the Cypress is an evocative, dramatic story that depicts California in all its multicultural variety, with a suspense that draws the reader inexorably on until the very last page.

Blog Tour: the River King's Road by Liane Merciel

Title: the River King's Road

Author: Liane Merciel

Not a Review: So, as usual with the Pocket Book tours, there's been a problem. I STILL haven't received this book. :-( I don't know what the deal is. Theoretically it was shipped at the same time as Demon Posessed, which I did receive. So I'm guessing it must be lost in the mail somewhere. Which is unfortunate, as I have been really psyched about reading this book. It looks AWESOME!

I also always want to read books that people disagree about, and this one has been getting some great reviews and some not so great reviews.
So, if it is lost in the mail, I hope it makes it's way to me sometime soon and isn't forever lost.

Summary: A thrilling new voice in fantasy makes an unforgettable debut with this "intriguingly twisted tale of treachery and magic" (New York Times bestselling author L. E. Modesitt, Jr.). Liane Merciel’s The River Kings’ Road takes us to a world of bitter enmity between kingdoms, divided loyalties between comrades, and an insidious magic that destroys everything it touches...

The wounded maidservant thrust the knotted blankets at him; instinctively, Brys stepped forward and caught the bundle before it fell. Then he glimpsed what lay inside and nearly dropped it himself.

There was a baby in the blankets. A baby with a tear-swollen face red and round as a midsummer plum. A baby he knew, even without seeing the lacquered medallion tucked into the swaddling—a medallion far too heavy, on a chain far too cold for an infant who had not yet seen a year.

A fragile period of peace between the eternally warring kingdoms of Oakharn and Langmyr is shattered when a surprise massacre fueled by bloodmagic ravages the Langmyrne border village of Willowfield, killing its inhabitants—including a visiting Oakharne lord and his family—and leaving behind a scene so grisly that even the carrion eaters avoid its desecrated earth. But the dead lord’s infant heir has survived the carnage—a discovery that entwines the destinies of Brys Tarnell, a mercenary who rescues the helpless and ailing babe, and who enlists a Langmyr peasant, a young mother herself, to nourish and nurture the child of her enemies as they travel a dark, perilous road . . . Odosse, the peasant woman whose only weapons are wit, courage, and her fierce maternal love—and who risks everything she holds dear to protect her new charge . . . Sir Kelland, a divinely blessed Knight of the Sun, called upon to unmask the architects behind the slaughter and avert war between ancestral enemies . . . Bitharn, Kelland’s companion on his journey, who conceals her lifelong love for the Knight behind her flawless archery skills—and whose feelings may ultimately be Kelland’s undoing . . . and Leferic, an Oakharne Lord’s bitter youngest son, whose dark ambitions fuel the most horrific acts of violence. As one infant’s life hangs in the balance, so too does the fate of thousands, while deep in the forest, a Maimed Witch practices an evil bloodmagic that could doom them all...

In the meantime, since you won't be getting my review today, be sure to check out the author's website. You can actually read the first two chapters there, so if you're interested, it's definitely worth a look-see.

Also, be sure to check out the other reviews on the blog tour, as I'm guessing most of them did receive their book on time.

Pam’s Private Reflections: http://hip2bhomeschooling.blogspot.com/
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
Steph the Bookworm: http://www.stephthebookworm.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
My Book Addiction and More: http://mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com/
Book Gardens and Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com
Taking Time For Mommy: http://takingtimeformommy.blogspot.com/
Thoughts In Progress: http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com/
Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer: http://ramblingsofacoffeeaddictedwrter.blogspot.com/
Books And Things: http://melissawatercolor.blogspot.com/
She Reads: http://mandyfish-reads.blogspot.com/
Blog Business World: http://www.blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com
Carol’s Notebook: http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com/
Crazy Books & Reviews: http://www.lindsayphotobook.blogspot.com/
Books Gardens & Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/
Just One More Paragraph: http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/
Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com/
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
My Life In Not So Many Words: http://www.ziarias.blogspot.com/
Geek Girl Reviews: http://www.geekgirlreviews.com/
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
Poisoned Rationality: http://lastexilewords.blogspot.com
Temple Library Reviews: http://templelibraryreviews.blogspot.com/
The Wayfaring Writer: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/
Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
See Michelle Read: http://seemichelleread.blogspot.com/
Genre Reviews: http://genrereviews.blogspot.com/
My Book Views: http://my-book-views.blogspot.com/
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Book Tumbling: http://booktumbling.com/
Literarily Speaking: http://literarilyspeaking1.blogspot.com/
Books R Us: http://www.booksrusonline.com/
Brenda Loves Books: http://brendalovesbooks.blogspot.com/
Lucky Rosie’s: http://www.luckyrosiescreations.blogspot.com/
You Wanna Know What I Think? : http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com/

Blog Tour (not) Review: Demon Posessed by Stacia Kane

Have you entered my contests yet? I've got 5 going on right now! Just go to Brizmus Blogs Books and right at the top under "My contests."
Also, be sure to check back Monday when I'll be posting an interview with Peter Bognanni, author of the House of Tomorrow. I am SUPER psyched!

Title: Demon Posessed

Author: Stacia Kane

What I Have to Say: I'm not going to review this book, as I didn't finish it, so I don't think that's fair. It is VERY unlike me to start a book and not finish it (I got through the God of Small Things, aka worst book ever - you would think I could get through anything) - I actually think this might be the first time I have ever done so. And the only reason I felt okay with putting it down and saying "I will not finish this now" is because it is the third in a series.

And the fact is - I was confused. Just a little bit, but confused nonetheless. Mostly, though, I just didn't care. This really seemed like one of those books that would just be better if you read the other two books first. Because then you would know and care about the characters as opposed to just thinking "meh, who cares." Which is sort of how I felt.

So, the plan is to acquire the other two books in the series, read them, and then come back to this one. Because I think I could enjoy it. And I can't just NEVER finish it. I started it after all.

It seems like it would be a fun, sometimes funny, sometimes intense, fast-paced read.
So, I am sorry that I can't give you a real review now, and I hope you'll check out the other reviews on this blog tour if you're interested.

Summary (from Amazon): Psychologist and psychic Megan Chase has grown remarkably comfortable hanging out with demons. The demon "family" she leads is happy, her solo practice is stabilizing, and she and her steamy demon lover, Greyson Dante, are closer than ever. But when the couple books a week at a luxury hotel to attend a meeting of demon leaders, some unanticipated problems appear. An FBI agent with an unhealthy interest in less-than-legitimate demon business practices shows up; the demon community is urging Megan to undergo the rite that will make her a real demon; and a slightly shady minister is holding one of his wildly popular "weekend exorcisms" just down the road. And oh, yes, someone with scary magical abilities is attempting to kill her. Then, just when it seems as if things couldn't possibly get any worse, a secret comes to light that could jeopardize Megan and Greyson's future -- if Megan manages to live that long. With things heating up, it's becoming difficult for her to keep a cool head...

Disclosure: This book was provided by Pocket Books for review.

Other Blogs on the Tour:

Book, Books Everywhere: http://bookbookseverywhere.blogspot.com/
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
Steph the Bookworm: http://www.stephthebookworm.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
Patricia’s Vampire Notes: http://patricias-vampire-notes.blogspot.com/
Sexy Women Read: http://sexywomenread.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com/
My Book Addiction and More: http://mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com/
Just Short of Crazy: http://www.justshortofcrazy.blogspot.com/
The Book Lush: http://suchalush.blogspot.com/
Brizmus Blogs Books: http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/
Taking Time For Mommy: http://takingtimeformommy.blogspot.com/
Thoughts In Progress: http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com/
Books And Things: http://melissawatercolor.blogspot.com/
The Wayfaring Writer: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Beguile Thy Sorrow: http://beguilethysorrow.blogspot.com/
You Wanna Know What I Think? : http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com/

Review: Veracity by Laura Bynum

Title: Veracity

Author: Laura Bynum

Rating: 1/2

Who Should Read It? Lovers of dystopian fiction, young and old alike. Anyone looking for an exciting, fast-paced sci-fi read that doesn't mind a little bit of politics added into the mix.

What I Have to Say:
ve-rac-i-ty: habitual observance of truth in speech or statement; truthfulness; conformity to truth or fact

Veracity is one of the most believable dystopian fiction novels I have read, because it is so closely based on what seems to be happening in our world today. Slowly, all of their freedoms are taken away for the sake of "security." Over half of the population is killed from a huge pandemic (in real life, "they" keep announcing that one is going to happen any day now). The government slowly takes more and more liberties with the peoples' lives in the name of making their lives more easily livable. Slowly, their world becomes socialist, which slowly and easily turns into totalitarianism. Hmmmm. . .sounds very familiar to me, and I can easily imagine what is happening in the United States today turning into this book. We'll still be allowed to smoke cigarettes, killing everyone around us, and eat meat, thus torturing the animals of the world, but words will be Red-Listed, and if we say them, the slates implanted in our necks will give off an electric charge, quite possibly killing us.

Laura Bynum's "Veracity" was so spine-chilling and frightening because IT COULD HAPPEN. It makes you grateful for the world you live in while at the same opening your eyes to the fact that the path on which we are presently might lead us to such a devestating freedomless world, in which you can't even say the word "democracy" unless you are willing to risk possible death from slate-shock.

Her descriptions of this future dystopic world were vivid and gruesome, and the characters with which she peopled her world were well thought-out and brutal, from the moniters with their extra-sensory abilities to the Blue Coats who raped and tortured without a second thought to the resistance who stayed strong and believed in truth and freedom through it all.

Harper Adams is a very interesting protagonist, and in a way, she sort of makes the book. She's a complete walking contradiction - strong yet weak, bold yet timid. At times she's a leader, and at other times it seems like circumstances have her following a course that she might not otherwise have followed. If it weren't for her daughter, would she ever have found the courage to do what she did? Would she ever have had the desire? She was an amazing protagonist, and it was an absolute joy reading her story.

There were, of course, a couple problems that I had wwith this book. It jumped time periods with regular consistency, and since the time periods were always so close together, it was sometimes hard to follow. I kept having to look back to see if the previous chapter also took place in 2045, and if so, in what month. Also, I wanted to know SO MUCH MORE! There was so much more background information that I wanted, but it just wasn't there. And it would have been hard to put it there because there was alreay SO MUCH INFORMATION! I think that the book could have been a good 100 pages longer, but at the same time, if it had been this might have been overwhelming for some.

These problems, though, in no way dampen the impact and enjoyability of this book. It will have you turning pages in a frenzy and thinking for days. I highly recommend it to all lovers of dystopian fiction!

Summary: Harper Adams was six years old in 2012 when an act of viral terrorism wiped out one-half of the country's population. Out of the ashes rose a new government, the Confederation of the Willing, dedicated to maintaining order at any cost. The populace is controlled via government-sanctioned sex and drugs, a brutal police force known as the Blue Coats, and a device called the slate, a mandatory implant that monitors every word a person speaks. To utter a Red-Listed, forbidden word is to risk physical punishment or even death.

But there are those who resist. Guided by the fabled "Book of Noah," they are determined to shake the people from their apathy and ignorance, and are prepared to start a war in the name of freedom. The newest member of this resistance is Harper -- a woman driven by memories of a daughter lost, a daughter whose very name was erased by the Red List. And she possesses a power that could make her the underground warriors' ultimate weapon -- or the instrument of their destruction.

In the tradition of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Laura Bynum has written an astonishing debut novel about a chilling, all-too-plausible future in which speech is a weapon and security comes at the highest price of all.

Cover Story: Okay, so I don't like this cover. I like the color, but it doesn't really feel like the book to me at all. It seems to be a complete misrepresentation.

Disclosure: This book was provided by Pocket Books, which in no way reflected my review.

Blog Tour: Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo

So, here's yet another blog tour that I'm going to be late for. :-( Knit, Purl, Die was supposed to be reviewed in Brizmus Blogs Books today, but it is unfortunately sitting at the post office waiting for me to pick it up tomorrow. At least, I hope it is - I supposedit could be a different package.

So, as usual, a brief introduction to the book:

Title: Knit, Purl, Die

Author: Anne Canadeo

Summary (from Simon & Schuster): Counting on each other...

Meet the Black Sheep knitters -- five smart, funny
women who love to knit, gossip, and solve crimes.

Gloria Sterling had it all -- money, looks, and a new sexy young husband. So when she's found floating face down in her own swimming pool, shock waves ripple through tiny Plum Harbor. At the Black Sheep Knitting Shop, Maggie Messina and her circle are devastated to lose their dear friend -- a woman as colorful as her fabulous yarn creations.

The police are quick to call it an accident, but sorting out Gloria's final hours leaves too many loose ends to satisfy her friends. The vivacious, fiftysomething cougar had her French manicured tips in more than a few pots, and the threads of some inside deals stashed in her chic knitting tote.

Who was the last person to see Gloria alive on that quiet summer night? Two empty wine glasses suggest she wasn't home alone knitting the entire evening.... The Black Sheep need to know the truth and set out to unravel -- stitch by stitch -- the weighty secrets that pulled poor Gloria under.

About the Author (also from Simon & Schuster): Anne Canadeo lives and knits in Northport, New York. While My Pretty One Knits is her debut novel, and the first in the Black Sheep Knitting Club series.
You can find out more about her here.

Disclosure: Information was taken without permission from the Simon and Schuster website. This book is being sent to me by Pocket Books to give an honest review.

Blog Tour: Veracity by Laura Bynum

So, I was supposed to review Veracity by Laura Bynum here in Brizmus Blogs Books today, but unfortunately, I still haven't received it. :-( Everyone else on the tour seems to have received their copy, so I'm hoping mine wasn't lost in the mail or something. I'm very excited about it, though, so be expecting my review soon! It's supposed to be like 1984 or Fahrenheit 451, both of which I ADORED! In the meantime, a little bit about the book:

Title: Veracity

Author: Laura Bynum

Summary (direct to you from GoodReads): Harper Adams was six years old in 2012 when an act of viral terrorism wiped out one-half of the country's population. Out of the ashes rose a new government, the Confederation of the Willing, dedicated to maintaining order at any cost. The populace is controlled via government-sanctioned sex and drugs, a brutal police force known as the Blue Coats, and a device called the slate, a mandatory implant that monitors every word a person speaks. To utter a Red-Listed, forbidden word is to risk physical punishment or even death.

But there are those who resist. Guided by the fabled "Book of Noah," they are determined to shake the people from their apathy and ignorance, and are prepared to start a war in the name of freedom. The newest member of this resistance is Harper -- a woman driven by memories of a daughter lost, a daughter whose very name was erased by the Red List. And she possesses a power that could make her the underground warriors' ultimate weapon -- or the instrument of their destruction.

In the tradition of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Laura Bynum has written an astonishing debut novel about a chilling, all-too-plausible future in which speech is a weapon and security comes at the highest price of all.

About the Author (from http://laurabynum.com: Laura Bynum was born in Springfield, Illinois in 1968. Childhood plans to be a writer of novels and screenplays and a director of films are currently underway. Laura completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communications at the University of Illinois at Springfield and Eastern Illinois University respectively. She’s since done some filmmaking (Ugly Girl Productions) and marketing consulting. In 2006, Laura won the Rupert Hughes Literary Writing Award at the Maui Writer’s Conference. As a result, she was signed with the Writer’s House. Her Literary Agent is Dan Conaway and her Books to Film Agent is Sylvie Rabineau of Rabineau, Wachter, Sanford & Harris. Laura’s first novel, Veracity, is due out January of 2010. In the summer of 2008, while moving from Illinois to Virginia, Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer and has since been successfully treated.

Laura’s favorite books are both by Steinbeck- East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath. Her favorite song is Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel. Her favorite movie is The Quiet Man. She lives with her husband and three daughters in a small Virginia town in the Shenandoah foothills and is currently writing her second novel and first full-length screenplay.

Check back soon for a review of this book, which is being sent to me by Sarah of Pocket Books!

Blog Tour: A Blue and Grey Christmas

So A Blue and Gray Christmas is on blog tour today, and I'm sad to say that I didn't get to this book in time for the tour. It's up next on the reading list, so be waiting for a review soon! In the meantime, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about the book!

Summary (from GoodReads):In this stunning holiday story, a cache of Civil War-era letters and diaries sweeps the ladies of Covington up into a dramatic and heartwarming historical saga that inspires them to plan an unforgettable Christmas for two families forever changed by war.

When a rusty old tin box is unearthed at the Covington Homestead, longtime housemates Grace, Amelia, and Hannah discover that it contains letters and diaries written by two Civil War soldiers, one Union and one Confederate.

The friends are captivated by the drama revealed. The soldiers were found dying on a nearby battlefi eld by an old woman. She nursed them back to health, hiding them from bounty hunters seeking deserters. At the end of the war the men chose to stay in Covington, caring for their rescuer as she grew frail. But while their lives were rich, they still felt homesick and guilty for never contacting the families they'd left behind.

Christmas is coming, and the letters inspire Amelia with a generous impulse. What if she and her friends were to fi nd the two soldiers' descendants and invite them to Covington to meet? What better holiday gift could there be than the truth about these two heroic men and their dramatic shared fate? With little time left, the ladies spring into action to track down the men's families in Connecticut and the Carolinas, and to make preparations in Covington for their most memorable, most historic Christmas yet.

I don't know about you, but I think it sounds absolutely adorable, and I'm really looking forward to reading it!

About the Author: Joan Medlicott was born and raised on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She lives with her husband in the mountains of North Carolina. She has written at least 9 books in her Covington Ladies series, along with 4 other novels.
Be sure to check out her website here!

Disclosure: Thanks to Sarah Reidy from Pocket Books for sending me this book to review!

Blog Tour: Flesh and Fire

First of all, a big shout out to all of the Read-A-Thon cheerleaders! You guys definitely kept me going when the going got tough, and I assure you, the going did get tough. So thank you all for all of your wonderful comments.

Secondly, Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman is on a blog tour today, and Brizmus Blogs Books was supposed to be participating in that tour.
Unfortunately, the book didn't arrive in the mail until today. And as much as I love to read and would have liked to be able to post this one on time, I just couldn't finish it in a day. Be expecting a review soon!

Summary (from GoodReads):Fourteen centuries ago, all power was held by the prince-mages, who alone could craft the spell-wines. But the people revolted against harsh rule, and were saved by a demigod called Sin-Washer, who broke the First Vine, shattering the hold of the prince-mages.

In 1378 ASW, princes still rule, but Vinearts now make spellwines, less powerful than in days of old. Jerzy, a young slave, has just begun his studies to become a Vineart when his master uncovers the first stirrings of a plot to finish the work Sin-Washer began, and shatter the remains of the Vine forever. Only his master believes the magnitude and danger of this plot. And only Jerzy has the ability to stop it…before there are no more Vinearts left at all.

Now, while you're still feeling excited about this book from that awesome summary, go check out the other blogs on the tour:

All About {N}
Beth’s Book Review Blog
Drey’s Library
Revenge of the Book Nerds
The Neverending Shelf
Layers of Thought
Fantasy Freak
Undercover Book Lover
Carol’s Notebook
Starting Fresh
Pick of the Literate
My Friend Amy
Cheryl’s Book Nook
Opinionated? Me?
Readaholic
One Person’s Journey Through A World of Books
My Life In Not So Many Words
Geek Girl Reviews
Sci-Fi Guy
Wendy's Minding Spot
Found Not Lost
25 Hour Books
Temple Library Reviews

Blog Tour: Over the Holidays by Sandra Harper

Well, Over the Holidays is on a blog tour today, and it was SUPPOSED to be reviewed by me.
BUT, I still haven't received my copy. ::sob:: I'm so looking forward to reading it. In the meantime, I thought I would give you a little taste by introducing you to the author and showing you what it's all about. And also, giving you links to visit all of the other blogs that have been writing about it (it appears that most of them did receive their copies in time).

Summary(from GoodReads):It's only December 1, and Vanessa Clayton has been dreading Christmas since she spotted tinseled trees at her local mall in September. Thankfully, she and her husband, JT, can't afford to drag their twin boys across the country to New England for the annual celebration at her stuffy sister-in-law Patience's home. Not that Vanessa has prepared a proper Christmas for her family in years, and she has less time than ever since she agreed to consult on the script of a local play. Her older sister, Thea, is no help -- she'd rather make art and flirt with surfers than babysit her nine-year-old nephews. Then Patience drops a holiday stress bomb: Her family will come to California instead.

In between "baking" cinnamon rolls for the school potluck and overbearing Patience testing her patience, Vanessa can't stop thinking about the difficult but charming playwright at work. Meanwhile, Patience's teenage daughter, Libby, obsesses over a college boy she has met by the pool, and Thea searches desperately for the meaning of Christmas -- for her latest installation, of course. As their holiday plans go comically awry, these four women discover the true spirit of the season is hidden in every festive surprise.

Doesn't this book just sound fantastic?

About the Author (biography taken from Simon and Schuster):Sandra Harper is the author of the play, Magpie's Tea Room, which enjoyed a successful run in Los Angeles at The Ventura Court Theatre. She has written a cooking column, "The California Cook" for the newspaper, Skirt. A script reader for Pathe Studios and Springcreek Productions, she also wrote and produced fashion and rock videos for Elvis Costello, Chaka Khan and Vidal Sassoon, amonf others. Ms. Harper recieved her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Southern California and has completed a children's book, The Witches Club.

I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS BOOK!
While you're waiting patiently for my review, go check out everyone else's reviews!

Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com
Frugal Plus: http://frugalplus.com
The Life (And Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
Wendi’s Book Corner: http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com/
Opinionated? Me? : http://readingwatchingliving.blogspot.com/
Me, My Book and the Couch: http://memybookandthecouch.blogspot.com/
Libby’s Library News: http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com/
Bookin’ With Bingo: http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/
Books, Movies, and Chinese Food: http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com/
Psychotic State: http://www.psychoticstate.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
That’s A Novel Idea: http://thatsanovelidea.blogspot.com
All About {N}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
A Sea of Books: http://aseaofbooks.blogspot.com/
Just Another New Blog: http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com/
Blog Business World: http://www.blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com
My Friend Amy: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com
Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
One Person’s Journey Through A World of Books: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/
I Read: http://sumanam.wordpress.com/
So Many Books, So Little Time: http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot.com/
Keep on Booking: http://keeponbooking.blogspot.com
Reading at the Beach: http://ilratb.blogspot.com/
Found Not Lost: http://jmomfinds.amoores.com/
Brizmus Blogs Books: http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/
Book Reviews by Buuklvr81: http://www.buuklvr81.blogspot.com/