Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter to you and your family!!  I am guessing that most everyone will be visiting with family and friends today, I know those are our plans. so Sunday's Shining Star is taking a little break.

Due to holidays, this weekly event will return on May 15th with getting to know another one of our blogging peers.  And since we will have missed 3 weeks of our "coffee and gab session", make sure you put plenty of time aside because I am sure we will have a lot of catching up to do!!!  Plus, Jeff, Lori's (Dollycas's Thoughts) hubby asked for some time off.....Men!!!  lol.

Hope you have a wonderful day!!!!!

And the winners are........

.......for ETERNAL RIDER by Larissa Ione

Random Integer Generator


Here are your random numbers:

4    10    7

Timestamp: 2011-04-23 22:12:34 UTC



Tore said... 4 I do believe in fate. I think everyone has a destiny. I think everything that happens to people is met to happen. People they meet and places they go. I definitely believe in fate. Please enter me in contest. 

 donnas said... 10 GFC follower

Pamk said... 7 I retweeted

An email has been sent to the winners and they have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Review "Guilt by Association" by Marcia Clark

GUILT BY ASSOCIATION by Marcia Clark

Published by Little Brown

ISBN: 9780316186353
I received an ARC-EBook Bound galley Edition from NetGalley, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (from NetGalley): Los Angeles D.A. Rachel Knight is a tenacious, wise-cracking, and fiercely intelligent prosecutor in the city's most elite division. When her colleague, Jake, is found dead at a grisly crime scene, Rachel is shaken to the core. She must take over his toughest case: the assault of a young woman from a prominent family.
  But she can't stop herself from digging deeper into Jake's death, a decision that exposes a world of power and violence and will have her risking her reputation--and her life--to find the truth.
  With her tremendous expertise in the nuances of L.A. courts and crime, and with a vibrant ensemble cast of characters, Marcia Clark combines intimate detail, riotous humor, and visceral action in a debut thriller that marks the launch of a major new figure on the crime-writing scene.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: After reading the synopsis, the vast reviews and yes, being one of the millions, glued to the infamous TV trial of the century, my curiosity was piqued as to Ms. Clark's debut novel. I was a bit leery, however, that it would be filled with a lot of legal jargon but after reading a few chapters I knew that wouldn't be the case (no pun intended). The suspense pulled me in within the first few pages. I immediately liked the strong willed main character Rachel Knight. The writing style flowed and it kept my interest for the entire read. The author created a story line that wove a cast of characters and 2 separate crimes together to the end, keeping the reader guessing to the last page. However, I felt that there was more "detective" work by the main character than her role as a D.A., not much in the way of a "legal" storyline. As I said, the book held my interest, but I wouldn't say it was a page turner, can't put down read. I also thought, and this is my opinion only, that there was too much "filler" of where and what the characters ate and drank. I expected, and again this is only my opinion, more substance.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,

in exchange for my honest review.

No items that I receive

are ever sold...they are kept by me,

or given to family and/or friends.

Saturday Memes

Hosted by Danielle at There's A Book

From Danielle's blog:
We all leave our “footprint” on the world, in one way or another. We each, individually, do something or are someone that makes the world a little better just by being here. I created this weekly meme to get to know the blogging community I love just a bit better. To know what makes them tick, outside of books, that is. Each week I will post a question to be answered in the following week’s “A Bit of Me(Me)”. Check back each Saturday to get the info for next week’s post and link up with your current post right here.
This week's question:  Do you believe in ghosts, the paranormal, extraterrestrials and/or life on other planets?
Read more: http://www.theresabook.com/2011/04/a-bit-of-meme-paint-me-a-picture/#ixzz1JgdWFulW

My thoughts on life on other planets are that it is possible but I don't give it much thought.  And as far as "ghosts" in the true sense of the word and what I think most people think of when they hear that word, is no. 

But I do believe in spiritual beings that have passed on to eternal life that become our guardian angels.  My religious belief is that there is an after life.  I have had too many incidents not to believe.  I lost my Dad when I was 16 years old and feel that he has helped me through some difficult times that I have faced in my life, giving me little signs.  If I shared all the signs, this meme would turn into a novel, so I will just end this by saying, Yes, I do believe in spiritual beings.

Friday Memes

Hosted by An Island Life

From An Island Life:
In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

MY QUESTION:

Are you afraid of flying?

MY ANSWER:

YES!!!

Hosted by Jennifer from CRAZY FOR BOOKS

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new book-related blogs that we may be missing out on! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!
Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

This Week's Question:This week's question comes from Christina who blogs at The Paperback Princesses. She asks:

"If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"
My Answer:Yes, I have done that many times.  A few authors come to mind.  I picked up books by authors that I had never read, Emilie Richards and Christianne Heggan and was hooked.  If the library didn't carry past books, I called every used book story within driving distance (this was before internet) trying to track down and buy all works by them.  The internet has solved problems such as these.

You're Invited

From Sarah at The Book Trib....
     I am SO excited about our upcoming book party on BookTrib on 4/26 with Deanna Fei, author of the critically-acclaimed novel A THREAD OF SKY. If you liked Song of the Silk Road, you’ll love A THREAD OF SKY. It truly is an amazing book and Deanna is incredibly talented. I’d love for you and your readers to be a part of it! The details are below.


 

A THREAD OF SKY By Deanna Fei

A New York Times Editors’ Choice
An Indie Next Notable Book
Now in Paperback

“Irene scurried into the cave. A thread of sky—she mouthed it to herself. Light radiating through a pinhole in the cave ceiling. She pictured an undulating line, alive and fine against the dark. The kind of thing you couldn’t help but reach for, knowing there was nothing to grasp.”

As Irene Shen’s husband of thirty years was leaving her, she shut the door behind him and half-jokingly said, “Good riddance,” to the collective eye-rolling of her three daughters. But when he dies suddenly in an accident shortly thereafter, Irene’s family falls apart. Her oldest daughter Nora withdraws to her high-powered Wall Street job and troubled relationship; her strong-willed middle child Kay heads to China to discover her family’s heritage and learn the language; and the youngest, Sophie, a sensitive art student, is miserably trapped at home until college starts. Thus begins Deanna Fei’s stunning debut novel A THREAD OF SKY (Penguin Books; Paperback March 29, 2011; $15.00).

With her family in pieces, Irene formulates a plan to bring them back together: she starts organizing a whirlwind tour of mainland China for her three daughters, her distant poet sister, and her formidable eighty-year-old mother whom she hasn’t seen in years. As the three generations of women tour China, from beautiful temples and remote sections of the Great Wall to the glitzy bars and shops in downtown Shanghai, each woman begins to uncover secrets great and small. And as they continue on their travels across the country, they slowly find their way toward a new understanding of themselves and each other.

Partly inspired by Deanna Fei’s own travels through China with her grandmother, mother, and sisters, A THREAD OF SKY is a beautifully written and deeply haunting story about love and sacrifice, history and memory, sisterhood and motherhood, and the connections that endure.

About the Author:

Deanna Fei was born in Flushing, New York, and has lived in Beijing and Shanghai, China. A graduate of Amherst College and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she has received a Fulbright grant and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. She currently lives in Brooklyn.

And the winner is............

.........for BULLET WORK by Steve O'Brien


Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2011-04-21 22:05:00 UTC
 



Gigi Ann said... 1 When I was younger I attended a horserace or two. One time I won $56. I was thrilled, being I didn't know what I was doing and everyone said, "Why are you betting on that horse?" and I said, and spoken like a lady..."Because I like it's name." It came in 1st. ; )

An email has been sent to the winner and she has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE "THE REVENGE OF THE RADIOACTIVE LADY" ENDED

APRIL 21st to MAY 7th, 2011

THE REVENGE OF THE

RADIOACTIVE LADY

by ELIZABETH STUCKEY-FRENCH

SYNOPSIS (borrowed from B&N):

  This lively, intricately plotted, laugh-out-loud funny, and surprisingly touching family drama combines the wit of Carl Hiaasen with the southern charm of Jill McCorkle.

  Seventy-seven-year-old Marylou Ahearn is going to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs come hell or high water. In 1953, he gave her a radioactive cocktail without her consent as part of a secret government study that had horrible consequences.
  Marylou has been plotting her revenge for fifty years. When she accidentally discovers his whereabouts in Florida, her plans finally snap into action. She high tails it to hot and humid Tallahassee, moves in down the block from where a now senile Spriggs lives with his daughter’s family, and begins the tricky work of insinuating herself into their lives. But she has no idea what a nest of yellow jackets she is stum­bling into.
  Before the novel is through, someone will be kidnapped, an unlikely couple will get engaged, someone will nearly die from eating a pineapple upside-down cake laced with anti-freeze, and that’s not all . . .
  Told from the varied perspectives of an incredible cast of endearing oddball characters and written with the flair of a native Floridian, this dark comedy does not disappoint.

THANKS TO LIZ AND THE TERRIFIC

PEOPLE FROM DOUBLEDAY

I HAVE TWO (2) COPIES OF THIS

GREAT BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.

*ALL COMMENTS TO BE SEPARATE*

AND INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN

*LEAVE COMMENT: HAVE YOU EVER WISHED

YOU COULD GET REVENGE ON SOMEONE?*

*EXTRA ENTRIES*

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU PUBLICLY FOLLOW THIS
  BLOG (IF NOT, GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT ON RIGHT SIDE).

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT TO LET ME KNOW THAT YOU THAT

  YOU RETWEETED THIS GIVEAWAY  (LEAVE LINK).

*REMEMBER TO INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ALL ENTRIES.

*U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY*

*NO P.O. BOXES*

**HONOR SYSTEM**

ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD

PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE

WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER

SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY

HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN

AND READ THIS BOOK.

THANK YOU.

*GIVEAWAY ENDS MAY 7th AT 6PM EST*

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RANDOM.ORG

AND NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL AND WILL

AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND

OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

DISCLAIMER / RULES

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
agent and/or author. This blog hosts the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold...they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

Thursday Memes

http://btt2.wordpress.com/

This week's question:

CAN you judge a book by its cover?

My answer:

In some cases, Yes.  I am not interested in reading books in the categories of Historicals, PNR and/or the Vampire books that are very popular right now and those genres are quite evident by their covers so I just pass those books by.  I can usually tell if it is a Cozy Mystery by it's cover but all others, I usually have to read the synopsis to see if it is something that will interest me.  What about you?  Can you judge a book by it's cover?

Hosted by Lori from Dollycas's Thoughts

From Lori's site:
It struck me recently how much time I spend on this computer every day, blogging, chatting or playing games on Facebook, emailing friends and relatives, making cards and calendars, etc. etc. etc.
We depend on each other for book reviews, giveaways, encouragement, friendship, but how well do we really know each other?
So that is what this meme is all about, getting to know each other.

WEEK 34 QUESTIONS

1. What is your favorite Easter candy?

Anything chocolate

2. Do you recycle, reuse, and reduce?

We recycle paper and can/bottles

3. Do you have any special traditions to celebrate Easter or Earth Day?

Easter is spent with family and, of course, eating too much!!

And the winners are.......

.........for THE SWEETEST THING by Jill Shalvis

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

29    2    5

Timestamp: 2011-04-20 22:11:48 UTC

Anita Yancey said... 29 Follow publicly on GFC as Anita Yancey.

Hott Books - Gina said... 2 I'm a Facebook Follower!!

 Gigi Ann said... 5 OH DEAR!! This answer takes me back to many years to remember. But, when I was young, I had a boyfriend off and on for 3 years, when I met my husband-to-be, I had to choose between the two. And you know the rest of the story, I'll be married to my husband for 53 years on July 3rd, 2011.

An email has been sent to the winners and they have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen



Guest Author Dr. Brian O'Grady

Today, I am honored, to introduce you to, not only to a noted neurosurgeon but also an author.  He is taking time out of his busy schedule to visit with us and talk about his debut novel.  "I look forward to introducing you to the next top doctor of medical suspense."  Please help me welcome, Dr. Brian O'Grady !!

 

ABOUT DR. BRIAN O'GRADY

     Brian O’Grady follows in the tradition of Michael Crichton as a physician who brings his in-depth medical knowledge to his craft. A practicing neurosurgeon from Richland, WA, O’Grady is a graduate of the University of New Mexico who completed his residency in neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic. His deep insight into the mysterious workings of the human brain brings HYBRID realistically to life.
     Brian O’Grady follows in the tradition of Michael Crichton as a physician who brings his in-depth medical knowledge to his craft. A practicing neurosurgeon from Richland, WA, O’Grady is a graduate of the University of New Mexico who completed his residency in neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic. His deep insight into the mysterious workings of the human brain brings HYBRID realistically to life.
Visit Dr. O'Grady at: http://www.brianjogrady.com/

ABOUT HYBRID

IS THE ULTIMATE POWER WORTH HAVING
IF IT COMES FROM THE ULTIMATE EVIL?
     What sort of untapped abilities lie within the human brain? Could we summon the powers of telepathy, telekinesis or mind control if we only knew how? Dr. Brian O’Grady, a Washington neurosurgeon, explores these intriguing questions in his pulse-pounding medical thriller HYBRID (The Fiction Studio; April 2011). “We have limitless connections between the nerve cells in our brains, yet we only use about 10 percent. Imagine if we could unlock our vast potential?” he asks. The key in Dr. O’Grady’s debut novel is a virus, which unleashes a chain of events in same spine-tingling spirit of suspense as The Andromeda Strain and the X-Files.
     Seven years ago, everyone died in the Honduran camp from the EDH1 virus, but Red Cross worker Amanda Flynn. Airlifted home to America, medical professionals tried to identify why Amanda survived when others died gruesome, agonizing deaths or became violent savages. Little did they know that anyone who survived…changed.
     Since her escape from quarantine, Amanda has been in hiding slowly realizing the powers that could have only come from her infection. She can sense things, do things using her mind, things that are incredible and sometimes incredibly dark. But as she resists the pull toward violence, a new survivor has entered her consciousness – one without her will to block evil impulses. One who revels in bloodlust and seeks to expand his mastery by forcing the end of human society. And he’s coming for Amanda.
     A sharply written and engaging cast of characters adds to the fever excitement and suspense – Dr. Phil Rucker, the coroner whose Asperger’s syndrome comes complete with its own demons; Father John Oliver, the kindly priest whose faith is brutally tested; Rodney Patton, the homicide chief who sees what others miss; and Greg Flynn, Amanda’s father-in-law and the man whose moral center guides others in the storm.

THANKS TO TRACY AND THE WONDERFUL
PEOPLE AT MERYL L. MOSS MEDIA I HAVE TWO (2)
 COPIES OF THIS SUSPENSEFUL BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO

THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE

DISCLAIMER

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners

via publisher, agent and/or author. This blog hosts

the giveaway on behalf of the above.

No items that I receive

are ever sold...they are kept by me,

or given to family and/or friends.

GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE "HYBRID"

APRIL 20th to  MAY 11th, 2011

HYBRID

by DR. BRIAN O'GRADY

SYNOPSIS:

IS THE ULTIMATE POWER WORTH HAVING

IF IT COMES FROM THE ULTIMATE EVIL?
  What sort of untapped abilities lie within the human brain? Could we summon the powers of telepathy, telekinesis or mind control if we only knew how? Dr. Brian O’Grady, a Washington neurosurgeon, explores these intriguing questions in his pulse-pounding medical thriller HYBRID (The Fiction Studio; April 2011). “We have limitless connections between the nerve cells in our brains, yet we only use about 10 percent. Imagine if we could unlock our vast potential?” he asks. The key in Dr. O’Grady’s debut novel is a virus, which unleashes a chain of events in same spine-tingling spirit of suspense as The Andromeda Strain and the X-Files.
  Seven years ago, everyone died in the Honduran camp from the EDH1 virus, but Red Cross worker Amanda Flynn. Airlifted home to America, medical professionals tried to identify why Amanda survived when others died gruesome, agonizing deaths or became violent savages. Little did they know that anyone who survived…changed.
  Since her escape from quarantine, Amanda has been in hiding slowly realizing the powers that could have only come from her infection. She can sense things, do things using her mind, things that are incredible and sometimes incredibly dark. But as she resists the pull toward violence, a new survivor has entered her consciousness – one without her will to block evil impulses. One who revels in bloodlust and seeks to expand his mastery by forcing the end of human society. And he’s coming for Amanda.
  A sharply written and engaging cast of characters adds to the fever excitement and suspense – Dr. Phil Rucker, the coroner whose Asperger’s syndrome comes complete with its own demons; Father John Oliver, the kindly priest whose faith is brutally tested; Rodney Patton, the homicide chief who sees what others miss; and Greg Flynn, Amanda’s father-in-law and the man whose moral center guides others in the storm.

THANKS TO TRACY AND THE WONDERFUL

PEOPLE FROM MERYL L. MOSS MEDIA

I HAVE TWO (2) COPIES OF THIS

MEDICAL SUSPENSE TO GIVE AWAY.

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.

*ALL COMMENTS TO BE SEPARATE*

AND INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN

*LEAVE COMMENT: WHAT ARE YOUR

THOUGHTS ON BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS?*

*EXTRA ENTRIES*

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU PUBLICLY FOLLOW THIS
  BLOG (IF NOT, GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT ON RIGHT SIDE).

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT TO LET ME KNOW THAT YOU THAT
  YOU RETWEETED THIS GIVEAWAY @ WHAT NAME.

*REMEMBER TO INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ALL ENTRIES.

*U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY*

*NO P.O. BOXES*

**HONOR SYSTEM**

ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD

PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE

WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER

SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY

HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN

AND READ THIS BOOK.

THANK YOU.

*GIVEAWAY ENDS MAY 11th AT 6PM EST*

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RANDOM.ORG

AND NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL AND WILL

AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND

OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

DISCLAIMER / RULES

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
agent and/or author. This blog hosts the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold...they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

W.W.W. Wednesdays

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading 

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

 

What do you think you’ll read next?