Teaser Tuesday - The Mirror and the Mask

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's mine:
"Backing away, Jane slid down the rise and sprinted across the road, back to the safety of the woods.  She took out her cell and tapped in 911, swearing under her breath when she saw that it wasn't connecting.  No bars appeared in the corner of the screen." 
--The Mirror and the Mask: A Jane Lawless Mystery, by Ellen Hart.

Janet Evanovich Contest

Oh my god, you guys!!  Janet Evanovich is right now having a contest to determine the name of the 17th Stephanie Plum novel!  Guys - this is seriously awesome!  I found out about it while I was reading the epic rat book blog, so a HUGE thank you to the epic rat!!

The contest information, rules, and other fun stuff is located at http://www.evanovich.com/funstuff/contest.  If you want to enter you'd better hurry, because the contest ends on August 31.

And don't be stealing my name ideas, either!!

Update:  OH. MY. GAH!!!  You can TOTALLY buy Rangeman T-shirts and hats!!!  This may possibly be the Koolest thing EVER!!!

Sweet Poison: A Jane Lawless Mystery, by Ellen Hart

The Jane Lawless Mystery Series, by Ellen Hart
1. Hallowed Murder 02.13.06
2. Vital Lies (TBR)
3. Stage Fright 02.17.06
4. A Killing Cure 02.28.06
5. A Small Sacrifice 02.28.06
6. Faint Praise 08.19.10 * * * *
7. Robber’s Wine 03.02.06
8. Wicked Games (TBR)
9. Hunting the Witch 03.03.06
10. The Merchant of Venus 03.06.06
11. Immaculate Midnight 03.07.06
12. An Intimate Ghost 03.08.06
13. The Iron Girl 03.17.06
14. Night Vision 02.13.07
15. The Mortal Groove 05.20.08
16. Sweet Poison 08.25.10 * * * *
17. The Mirror and the Mask (TBR)
18. The Cruel Ever After (TBR - Release Date 12.07.10)
(TBR = To Be Read)
When I first started working my way through this series, my local library didn't have several of the books, so I just skipped them and kept going.  Now, the library is adding some of their missing books, and I'm able to go back and pick up the ones I missed the first time around!  Thank you, library!

Once again, Jane is up to her eyebrows in complications.  Kenzie, her current girlfriend, breaks up with her because she thinks Jane doesn't have enough time for the relationship.  Her father is running for Governor and seems to be having some mysterious health problems which no one will talk about, as well as a multitude of problems at the campaign headquarters.  Her Ex-girlfriend, Julia, is back in town and sneaking around trying to get Jane back. And a rape that happened nearly a decade ago seems to be tied to several crimes in the present - a minister is badly beaten outside his church after coming out to his congregation, and a young woman is murdered outside her apartment in what seems to be a rape attempt similar to the one that happened nine years ago.  Somehow the crimes are connected, but with multiple suspects, Jane can't seem to find the common thread, until she stumbles across one tiny piece of information that the cops have held back.

This novel has lots going on in it, as you can tell, yet somehow it didn't seem as fast-paced as others in the series.  The ending was excellent, and I hadn't yet figured out "who-dun-it" (which is a good - I hate figuring it out before the character does!), although it all made sense once explained.  Next I'll be reading The Mirror and the Mask, which is #17 in the series.

When you are reading a mystery, do you prefer to figure it out before the characters do, or do you like to be surprised?  Leave your answers in the comments!!

Teaser Tuesday - Sweet Poison

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's mine:
"Corey was seated at a table in the same sort of utilitarian, bland meeting room he'd been in so many times before, where the smell of desperation hung in the air like the smell of dirty laundry.  He hated the impersonality, as if he was just one more in a long line of nobodies, people who didn't even rate a decent color scheme." --A Jane Lawless Mystery: Sweet Poison, by Ellen Hart.

What I've Been Reading: The Pink Carnation Series

The Pink Carnation Series, by Lauren Willig
1. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, 07.30.08
2. The Masque of the Black Tulip, 07.09.08
3. The Deception of the Emerald Ring, 08.01.08
4. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, 08.04.08
5. The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, 07.19.09
6. The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, (To Be Read)
7. The Mischief of the Mistletoe, Pub. Date 10.28.2010

Eloise Kelly, a young American graduate student, is in London working on her history dissertation.  She is desperate to prove the identity of that most elusive of the "flower" spies of the Napoleonic wars, The Pink Carnation.  The Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian were unmasked by the French, but no one has ever proven who the Pink Carnation was, or if he even actually existed at all.

After having searched through all the old museums and libraries with no results, Eloise hits the jackpot when she stumbles onto a treasure trove of old papers, journals, diaries, and letters owned by the Selwick family. Diving headlong into the story of the Pink Carnation, Eloise discovers how this enigmatic and obscure character foiled the Emperor's plan to invade England, avenged a father's wrongful death, and saved the Purple Gentian from discovery by the French police.

As the series continues, Eloise continues to search the family's old papers for more clues and stories regarding the rather active spy business between France and England, and a romance slowly blossoms between Eloise and the handsome Colin Selwick.  These "stories within a story" are fun and light-hearted, and give a fascinating glimpse into English high society during the Napoleonic wars, and while the author takes some historical liberties, at the end of each novel she includes a short afterword that lists what she tinkered with.  If you are a fan of historical romance thrillers, then you should definitely check out this series!

Do you have a good recommendation of a great historical romance/thriller?  Leave a comment and tell me about it!

Faint Praise: A Jane Lawless Mystery, by Ellen Hart

 The Jane Lawless Mystery Series, by Ellen Hart
1. Hallowed Murder 02.13.06
2. Vital Lies (TBR)
3. Stage Fright 02.17.06
4. A Killing Cure 02.28.06
5. A Small Sacrifice 02.28.06
6. Faint Praise 08.19.10 * * * *
7. Robber’s Wine 03.02.06
8. Wicked Games (TBR)
9. Hunting the Witch 03.03.06
10. The Merchant of Venus 03.06.06
11. Immaculate Midnight 03.07.06
12. An Intimate Ghost 03.08.06
13. The Iron Girl 03.17.06
14. Night Vision 02.13.07
15. The Mortal Groove 05.20.08
16. Sweet Poison (TBR)
17. The Mirror and the Mask (TBR)
18. The Cruel Ever After (TBR - Release Date 12.07.10)
(TBR = To Be Read)
When I first started working my way through this series, my local library didn't have several of the books, so I just skipped them and kept going.  Now, the library is adding some of their missing books, and I'm able to go back and pick up the ones I missed the first time around!  Thank you, library!
So I just finished Faint Praise (in bold above), which is book 6 of the series.  Jane Lawless is a restaurant owner, and amateur sleuth. She has recently lost her partner Christine to cancer and tends to hide behind her career to avoid dating.  Oh, and she somehow manages to stumble across dead bodies - often!
Jane and her best friend, Cordelia Thorn (a theater diva of epic proportions!) discover that all is not right in loft building owned by a recently deceased television personality.  Someone is searching the apartments for something, and the police have ruled the owners death a suicide, even though his daughter insists it was murder.  Everyone has secrets, but someone is willing to kill to protect theirs, and if Jane doesn't figure out who, one of her friends could be next!
If you like long series, yet quick witted & fun reads, then this series may be for you, as the author has been writing for awhile and book 18 will be released later this year, so there's plenty of stories and characters to sink you teeth into.  Some are better than others, of course, but in general I give the series 4 stars.
Do you like long series with lots of novels?  Who are your favorite female sleuths/detectives?

Teaser Tuesday - Faint Praise

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's mine:"For what seemed like an eternity she stood staring at the destruction, unable to exorcise an almost palpable feeling of death floating through the room. The thought finally penetrated that Peg was nowhere in sight." - Faint Praise: A Jane Lawless Mystery, by Ellen Hart. 

The Russell Quant Mysteries: Aloha, Candy Hearts

The Russell Quant Mysteries, by Anthony Bidulka
1. Amuse Bouche, 03.09.06 * * * *
2. Flight of Aquavit, 03.11.06 * * * *
3. Tapas on the Ramblas, 03.13.06 * * * *
4. Stain of the Berry, 06.28.07 * * * *
5. Sundowner Ubuntu, 06.23.08 * * * *
6. Aloha, Candy Hearts, 08.12.10 * * * *

Russell Quant is gay, an ex-cop turned private detective living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, young, cute, and surrounded by an outrageous cast of best friends & family members who sometimes help (or hinder) his career of solving mysteries.  

In this sixth installment in the series, Russell returns from visiting his current boyfriend in Hawaii, and as he leaves the airport discovers that his seat-mate from the plane has died in the parking lot.  Russell quickly decides that foul play was involved when a treasure map with nearly indecipherable historical clues shows up in his own carry-on, and the race is on to solve the crime before the maniac in the white pickup truck finishes Russell off for good!  

But Russell can't spend all his time solving the crime - oh no!  There's a wedding in a few days - his two best friends are finally tying the knot - and wedding preparations wait for no one, not even a killer!  He needs to help scatter the ashes of a close friend who has passed, and there's family in town, bringing disturbing revelations from his own childhood for him to deal with. Not to mention his own growing sense that his boyfriend may not be the person that he is meant to be with.  Russell must do some quick growing up and face some feelings that he'd rather ignore, support his friends in their times of need, and solve an ugly crime of murder and blackmail before everything spins totally out of control.

This was another completely satisfying read from Anthony Bidulka, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series, " Date with a Sheesha," which was released earlier this year.

Have you read (or are currently reading) this series?  What are your thoughts?  Leave a comment and let me know!

What I've Been Reading: The Claire Montrose Mysteries

The Claire Montrose Mysteries, by April Henry

1. Circles of Confusion, 07.18.08 * * *

2. Square in the Face, 08.14.08 * * *

3. Heart Shaped Box, 08.17.08 * * *

4. Buried Diamonds, 02.05.08 * * *

This is a cute little series about a young woman named Claire Montrose and takes place right here in Portland Oregon!  That's actually what made me pick up the series to begin with (even though I read the last book first). Fairly short, quick reads.  Not my favorite mystery series ever, but maybe that's just me.  I did enjoy the fact that the author was familiar with Portland and the surrounding areas, as well as the history and flavor of the city and state.

Do you know of any books or series that take place in your hometown?  (No fair if you live in New York or Los Angeles - Just kidding!)  Leave a comment and tell me what they are and why you liked them (or didn't, whichever!)

What I've Been Reading: The Nessantico Cycle

"So," you ask, "What have you been reading?"

One of my favorite questions!  I'm so glad you asked.  Needless to say, I didn't stop reading just because life took me away from this blog.  I read plenty, probably too much - if such a thing exists.  This recurring segment will help to highlight some of the books and series that I discovered during the last several years.

The Nessantico Cycle, by S.L.Farrell.
A Magic of Twilight, 06.18.08 * * * * *
A Magic of Nightfall, 04.10.09 * * * *
A Magic of Dawn, 05.06.10 * * * *


This is an amazing fantasy series about the rise and fall of a glorious city in a glorious nation, the capital of a vast empire, and the inhabitants and their varying viewpoints and perceptions of a collection of events occurring over more than 50 years.  It's a saga about political intrigue, racism, royal assassinations, civil war and international conflict, religious tolerance & diversity vs. religious suppression, and most of all, it shows how viewpoints and perceptions regarding specific events can change from person to person, group to group, and country to country. 
The author has created a fully realized world, complete with histories, mythologies, religions & geography.  The characters are, for the most part, amazingly human, each with their own flaws and baggage, nobility, bravery and hate, love and cowardice.
The first book, A Magic of Twilight, was my favorite, thus earning it 5 stars while the second and third each get 4 stars.  A thoroughly enjoyable series overall.

Tell me what you think - Have you read the series or any part of it?  If not, does it sounds interesting?  Leave a comment and let me know!!

Teaser Tuesday - Aloha, Candy Hearts

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's mine:
"Along with the claim tag came a second piece of paper. I unfolded it and frowned.  Suddenly I knew exactly what it was the maniac in the white truck had been after."
 - Aloha, Candy Hearts: A Russel Quant Mystery, by Anthony Bidulka

Salt

SALT, (2010),* * * *
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber
Directed by Phillip Noyce, Written by Kurt Wimmer

I LOVED this movie!

We've all seen the previews, possibly dozens of times - FBI agent interviewing a walk-in, Russian defector, who pronounces that a Russian spy named Evelyn Salt is going to kill the president.  The agent, on her way out the door, stops and remarks that her name is indeed Evelyn Salt, at which point the Russian man announces that she, in fact, is going to kill the president.

The great thing about this movie is that it is EXACTLY what it promises to be, and does exactly what the previews have said it will, with all the high intensity car chases, foot chases, crashes & jumps and crazy stunts, and is perfectly and exactly what it said it would be.  Until, suddenly, it isn't.


That's when it gets REALLY good.


I won't go into detail or give out any spoilers - I don't want to ruin the experience for any of you who might not have seen it yet.  But trust me, this movie rocks.  HARD!  It makes you think, trying to guess where the characters are headed, what they're thinking.  Are they good?  Is she bad?  Who is the bad guy?  What are they planning?  It'll keep you guessing, right up until the final moments of the film, at which point you may beg for the movie to keep going!


If any of you have seen Salt, and loved it (or hated it - what's up with that?!?) leave a comment and let me know what YOU thought.

Hello again...

Wow!  Things have gotten really dusty around here...I'll have to see what I can do about cleaning things up a little bit!

I've been wanting to start this up again for some time now, but have been having a difficult time forcing myself to make the time for it.  I'll have to try a little harder.

So I will soon update with some of the many, many books that I've been reading since I've last posted.  Please feel free to respond with your comments, questions, opinions, and feelings in the space provided below!

Let's read, shall we?