Showcase Sunday #49

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits and Tea. The aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders this week. 

Hello all!  Hope everyone has had a lovely week.  The weather here in Southern California has been beautiful and I visited The Huntington Gardens and Library yesterday! The camillas, wisteria, and roses were absolutely gorgeous and the tea was delicious!  Here are my books for the last couple of weeks:

       

Love Irresistibly by Julie James | It Happened One Wedding by Julie James | Written in Red by Anne Bishop | Deadline by Mira Grant

Thank you to Berkley Penguin Group!

I love Julie James classy, sassy romances so I was thrilled to get a copy of It Happened One Wedding. I just finished Love Irresistibly and loved it. Feed was thrilling! Thanks to our lovely readers for picking it in my poll.  I was riveted by the story, so I bought the audio of Deadline (book #2) and sadly I’m not enjoying it as much.  I’ve seen so much praise for Written in Red and the story sounds amazing so I finally bought a copy. 

Now over to Jasprit and her haul:

 

This is Shyness by Leanne Hall | The Gorgon in the Gully by Melina Marchetta

Half Bad by Sally Green 

I had been meaning to buy some Aussie books in a while, so finally decided to order these two pretties. I have heard the best things about Leanne Hall, so can't wait to get stuck in and Melina Marchetta needs no introduction. A big thank you to Sam from Realm of Fiction for my signed copy of Half Bad! Isn't the cover gorgeous?

We love seeing book hauls, so feel free to leave a link to yours in the comments below and we'll be over to check them shortly.

Sony ReaderStore.

Hey guys so I have a different sort of post to share with you today, but one which I am extremely happy to be sharing. Being the book buyers/book pushers that we are, I love buying all the books, but sometimes due to money constraints or toppling tbr piles, unless I am dying to get my hands on a book, I will pre-order a copy, otherwise sometimes I will wait for it to come down in price. Now my normal to go places are Amazon and The Book Depository, but one day last week I received an email asking me if I knew about the Sony ReaderStore and of course I had no clue, that this site even existed. 

I usually love sneaking in a couple of pages of a book on my phone when I have a few minutes to myself, and so was thrilled to learn that I could buy books and download them to my laptop and or phone from this e-book website. The ReaderStore e-books are in a epub format, but just by downloading the Reader by Sony App on your phone you're able to read on the go! I normally hate having to sit there in front of my laptop, so was pleased that there was a phone option available. 

The Sony ReaderStore has so many e-books to choose from and the website is very quick and easy to use. I hate having to navigate around a cluttered website, so was pleased to see the Sony ReaderStore had a very simple design and interface with the search button right at the top. And you can start buying books in three easy steps!

1. Register and make an account with the Sony ReaderStore website
2. Need an Adobe ID account (If you have Adobe Digital Editions on your laptop etc, you probably already have an ID)
3. Start Buying.

My first two purchases were Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff and Alaska by Sue Saliba, these were two books I had been highly anticipating for sometime. The books did initially download to my laptop, but once I'd downloaded the Reader by Sony App, I was able to download them to my phone too.

Screen Shot of my copy of Alaska.

There's also a cool step by step guide when you first start using the app on your phone, so it doesn't take you ages to get used to the navigation. Also there's options to bookmark your page and when you turn the page on your phone, they have a cool flicking sort of motion, so it feels as if you're turning an actual page. 

Step by Step guide.

The Sony ReaderStore is a e-book website which I'm glad that I was made aware of, its simple and easy to use and also book lovers like us should have as many different options for us to buy books from available! If you get the time, I do hugely recommend giving this site a go!

Review: Spirited (Tidewater #1) by Mary Behre

Spirited (Tidewater #1) by Mary Behre
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Publication date: March 4th 2014
My rating:  3.5 stars
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo


 

She’s running from who she is…...

All Jules Scott wants is to live a normal, quiet life—preferably one that doesn’t include ghosts. Jules’s talent for communicating with the dead has brought her nothing but trouble. Despite her best efforts, needy spirits always find her and draw her into their otherworldly drama. When one implicates her in a series of deadly crimes, she may need to entrust her secrets to the person least likely to believe her.…

He’ll do whatever it takes to catch her.

Detective Seth English can’t get distracted from the big case he’s working on, not even by his alluring new neighbor. He doesn’t believe that Jules had anything to do with the string of robberies-turned-murders that he’s investigating, but when she keeps showing up in all the wrong places, his gut tells him she knows more than she’s letting on. To solve his case, he’ll need to expose what the sexy redhead is hiding—no matter how impossible the truth may be….

 My Thoughts:

Spirited was a fun paranormal mystery with ghosts, hot cops, sizzling attraction, and danger!

Jules Scott is cursed/gifted or as she says “crifted” with the ability to see and talk to ghosts. Because of this she’s had numerous complications and awkward situations in her life. Her current one being that she’s in the middle of a murder investigation.  Jules has seen the murder through the memory of the current ghost haunting her, and it’s chilling. It seems Jules’ is involved at every turn, and this puts her directly in the focus of Seth English the Detective investigating the case and coincidentally, her new hot neighbor.

Seth is trying to graduate from Detective to Sergeant and his one chance at moving up has just presented. Solve the string of jewelry robberies and his Captain will let him sit and take the exam.  The fact that his beautiful, annoying and completely distracting neighbor seems to be smack in the middle of the case doesn’t help things.  He’s attracted to her and feels protective when it’s evident she’s in danger, but he needs to keep things professional to solve the case.  Easier said than done.  

This was a fun read and I was sucked into the story from the first page.  I do love mysteries and so I was constantly trying to piece things together as new facts would be revealed. There was danger and suspicion flying at every turn, but also a romance brewing between Seth and Jules.  These two are very reluctant to get involved but circumstances and their feelings make it so they can’t stay apart. 

I had fun reading this story, but there were times I was a bit confused.  I would read a passage and then would have to go over it again to see if I got it straight.  I think the third person narrative that would shift between Seth and Jules had something to do with that. The facts about Jules past were also a little confusing and I wish things were laid out a little earlier.  I did really like Jules and I could see why she’d hold back from sharing her talents with Seth.  Her fear stemming from past events was well founded.  Seth was a gruff hero with a hidden soft side.  His protective instincts come out for Jules and as a reader you’re hoping he’ll have an open mind when all is revealed about her. There were a lot of things at play here, the murder mystery, Seth’s past, Jules past and their romance, and I think it was a little overwhelming for this story. In spite of all of this, I did enjoy the story and I read it in one day. 

This was an entertaining and action packed story that ends in a thrilling conclusion, and an epilogue that was just like icing on the cake. 

 

Connect with Mary Behre:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Special Guest Post with Sarah Alderson

 

Hi everyone today I have the lovely Sarah Alderson on the blog, as you probably know I am a huge fan of her books, she's the best at creating suspenseful scenes, hot unforgettable characters, and books which you never want to put down! So I'm thrilled to have Sarah on the blog today sharing with you guys what she's been up to! 

Jasprit: Hi Sarah welcome to The Readers Den, being such a huge fan of your work I am thrilled to have you on the blog! 

Sarah: Thanks so much for having me. 

Jasprit: With two successful series out (Lila and Fated) and The Sound set for release in the US this May, you must have a super busy schedule! How do you keep on top of your writing? 

Click on books to get further information.

Sarah: I actually have three books coming out over the next three months. The Sound in the US, Out of Control in the UK and my new adult book Come Back To Me (published by Pan Macmillan) out in June. It's funny you ask how I'm coping because it recently became apparent that I was totally burning out. So I've just stopped. I've wiped everything off my plate and am just taking some time out - doing a few interviews but no writing for a couple of months. I've written 14 books in 5 years plus half a dozen short stories and a screenplay. I feel totally drained. I've forgotten how important it is to replenish the well so now I'm focusing on that.

The UK version of The Sound on the left which was released in the UK last year and the US version on the right, which will be released this May. (Click on books for more info).

Jasprit: Seriously I adore everything that you have written so far, what do we have to look forward from you next?

Sarah: Thank you! I have three more young adult thrillers lined up, starting with Out of Control. The next two are titled: Close Proximity and Proof of Life. I'm also hoping to write another New Adult. I really enjoy writing in different genres. 

Jasprit: Writing an Adult novel can be a huge step (especially as you've written YA books in the past), did you find this cross over to Adult with Come Back to Me difficult compared to your previous books that you had written? 

Sarah: Actually I found it much easier because it's not a thriller. Thrillers are so much more challenging as there are so many plotlines to fit together. Come Back To Me is a romance. It's about falling in love for the first time and what happens when circumstances force you apart. I laughed and cried a lot while writing it but generally found it really easy to write.

Jasprit: To me you are the Queen of creating hot unforgettable characters, so I can't wait to see what you have to offer in Come Back to me. Can you share a little teaser with us? 

Sarah: So to frame this scene a little, Kit is a Marine Embassy Guard. He's home on leave and has started secretly dating his best friend's sister, Jessa. He's just taken her on a first date to the beach where he produced a home-made picnic of yummy things. Turns out he's amazingly talented in the kitchen as well as the bedroom. Jessa's asked him to teach her how to cook... ;) and this scene is written from Kit's POV.

I drive like there’s a demon on our tail but halfway home I glance across at Jessa, sitting with her bare feet propped on the dash, legs coated in sand, and wonder if I’m running ahead of myself. What happened to taking it slow and enjoying the anticipation? By the time we get back to my place I’m back in control and planning on just giving her a baking demonstration, that’s all. Just cooking. No making out.

I open the back door and lead her into the kitchen. Jessa’s been to my house before but not for a while and I feel nervous, self-conscious, as she stands there looking around. And all I can think about is how it looks like I’ve brought her back here so I can sleep with her, which isn’t true, but which automatically makes me think about sleeping with her, which in turn makes me picture her naked, which makes me then picture us making love on the kitchen floor. Fuck. Think about something else instead. I try to banish the thoughts but still they flood in thick and fast, taunting me. Focus on the baking, I tell myself tersely. That’s what you brought her here for. Baking. Not sex.

‘Let me check I have all the ingredients,’ I say, moving quickly to the cabinets and starting to pull down the flour, eggs, sugar and baking powder.

‘Kit?’ Jessa says.

I stop, holding the weighing scales in one hand and a baking tray in the other and look at her. She’s standing in the middle of the kitchen, still barefoot, her hair hanging down her back and her T-shirt sticking to her with sand and salt-water.

‘I don’t want to bake,’ she says.

‘You don’t?’ I ask, trying to stay cool.

She shakes her head, a small and mischievous smile playing on her lips.

Oh fuck it. I toss the things I’m holding onto the side, not even caring when I hear something clatter to the floor. I stride towards Jessa and pull her into my arms. ‘Works for me,’ I say, kissing her.

Jasprit: And what about Out of Control, will I be likely to be adding another fictional crush to my top ten list? 

Click on book for more info

Sarah: I hope so! Jay is the lead character in OOC. He's 19, born in Queens in New York. He's grown up on the streets, he's got plenty of smarts and a ton of chivalry. He's just gorgeous. And funny. 

Jasprit: You recently described Out of Control as a fast paced and sexy thriller which tackles the very real and shocking issue of human trafficking. What inspired you to focus on this issue? 

Sarah: I'm not comfortable using the word sexy and human trafficking in the same sentence. To be clear, while human trafficking is the conspiracy in the book, the story is not about a victim of trafficking. I could never do justice to that story and there are many authors and victims themselves who have written hard-hitting books on the topic and I recommend many of them in the back of my book for a real insight into the issue. Liva the main character in Out of Control is the daughter of a man who is the head of a government task force tackling human trafficking. That's the link. The story is about Liva and Jay going on the run from two people who are hunting them down. I wanted to write a story that had something to say beyond 'hot boy meets cute girl, they kiss, the end'. I wanted it to have some substance. I write thrillers. I'm known for my hot romances and action and Out of Control is no exception, in fact it is probably the most fast-paced, action packed book I've written. I saw this as an opportunity to raise awareness among my audience and readers of a very real topic. 

Jasprit: From your two upcoming books which scene did you have the most fun writing? 

Sarah: There's a scene in Out of Control. It's just before Dawn and Liva and Jay are on the Brooklyn Bridge and they're having a big conversation about life and about what it means to live and confront certain truths. He tells her how living means accepting both the good and the bad, the pain and the hurt as well as the love and the laughter, because you can't have one without the other. And she's struggling to accept that. So he kisses her of course and that helps change her mind!!! But then I also really enjoyed writing about Jessa and Kit in Come Back to Me especially the scenes where they're apart and emailing each other. 

Jasprit: And what does your typical writing day entail? 

Sarah: I start work at 7.30, usually spend an hour answering fan emails and tweets and other work related emails and then I start writing, usually until around 4pm when my daughter's home from school.

Thank you so much Sarah! Who else is excited about Sarah's upcoming releases? I for one will definitely have to pre-order Out of Control (I can't wait to meet Jay!) and Come Back to Me (I need some sexy times!)

Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and princess-obsessed daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. After almost a year spent wandering around India, Singapore, Australia and the US, they settled in Bali where Sarah now spends her days writing and trying to machete open coconuts without severing a limb. 

She finished her first novel Hunting Lila just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel, Losing Lila, on the beach in India, and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they reached Bali. 

Since then she has published a further four novels and several short stories. Her latest novel The Sound, will be published in the US in May 2014. 

As well as Young Adult fiction, Sarah writes New Adult fiction for Pan Macmillan under the pen nameMila Gray. Her first novel Come Back To Me will be out in summer 2014. Sarah has co-written the Hunting Lila screenplay, an adaptation of her upcoming YA novel Out of Control, and is working on several other books and screenplays (multi-tasking is one of her favorite things).

Goodreads | Twitter | Website | Facebook | Amazon

Review & Giveaway: Carolina Man by Virginia Kantra

Carolina Man (Dare Island #3) by Virginia Kantra
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: March 4th 2014
My rating: 4 stars
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

 

Meet the Fletchers of Dare Island
Steady Matt, the son who stayed
Ambitious Meg, the daughter who never looked back
And warrior Luke, the Marine who never expected to return.

A heartwarming new novel in New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra’s beloved series about family ties, second chances, and the power of love…

Marine Luke Fletcher is determined to do his duty—first to his country and now to his ten-year-old daughter, the unexpected legacy of a high school girlfriend. But his homecoming to Dare Island in North Carolina's Outer Banks challenges his plans for the future and forces him to face everything that's missing in his life. He wasn't prepared to lose his heart to this child he never knew. Or to fall hard for coolly reserved small town lawyer Kate Dolan.

Former military brat Kate knows Marines can make lousy fathers...and she's got the scars to prove it. Giving her heart to a man who's bent on leaving seems one sure way to have it broken.

Now, no matter what it takes, Luke must prove to Kate and to his daughter that Semper Fi is more than a motto—and to himself that there’s more than one way to be a hero.

My Thoughts:
Carolina Man was a moving romance full of heart. This is the third story in the Dare Island series, and I loved this one so much I plan on going back and reading the first two.

Luke Fletcher is a Marine on tour in Afghanistan when he receives the news that his high school girl friend, Dawn, has named him as the father and guardian of her ten-year-old daughter, Taylor, in her will. He’s shocked but doesn’t hesitate in stepping up and taking responsibility.  Thankfully he has his family to care for her until his leave comes up, and the Fletchers are all about pulling together, “back to back to back” is their motto.  In the midst of all this is Kate, the reserved and dedicated attorney who’s handled Dawn’s will. She goes above and beyond her duties, and Luke can’t help but be drawn to this beautiful, selfless, and guarded woman.

Kate Dolan is an attorney who has made it her life to fight for the rights of women and children.  Kate didn’t have any advocate or protector when she was growing up, but she’s no longer a victim and is there to step up and fight for others.  At first, Kate is doubtful of Luke.  As the executor of Dawn’s will she’s worried about Luke taking on custody of ten-year-old Taylor when he’s never met her. Add to the concern is the fact that he’s a Marine, like her father. Yet, at every turn Luke surprises her with his care and concern, and his willingness to do whatever he needs to for Taylor.  Slowly her admiration for him as a good man turns into an intense attraction.

With your big muscled arms and your big generous heart and your tightlipped determination to be what Taylor needs. How could I resist you?

Kate and Luke’s romance was mature, thoughtful, and yet full of passion. Every time they were close the sparks would fly!  Still, Kate is very hesitant when it comes to any relationship.  Growing up with an alcoholic and abusive father left her with intimacy and trust issues, but thankfully Luke is very respectful and patient with her. I loved that he didn’t push her, and knew when to give her space. I admired Kate for being aware enough to realize when her past was holding her back, and in spite of her fears having the courage to open up and take a chance.  Kate’s abusive background provides much needed insight when it comes to Taylor and the two shared a bond that warmed my heart. The three of them, Luke, Kate and Taylor, were just perfect together!

The Fletchers were an amazing family.  Big, loud and loving and at first it’s overwhelming to Kate, but it’s also tempting.  Being part of the Fletcher’s means knowing that someone always has your back.  I can’t wait to get back to the two previous stories and get to know the Fletchers better.

I can’t write this review without mentioning the animals.  At the beginning while Luke is stationed in Afghanistan, his team comes across a neglected and abused dog and my emotions were running on high because of the situation.  The little side story was so touching (I’m a huge animal lover), and I’ve found out that it’s based on fact.  Virginia Kantra researched this for the story and you can find out more about Hunky Marines and Cute Puppies in her guest post on HERE on The Jaunty Quills.  Worth the click for the pictures alone!  Sooo cute!

This story captured my heart from the very first page!  It was realistic, heartfelt, and moving.  If you’re looking for a romance to sweep you away Carolina Man fits the bill nicely!  

Connect with Virginia Kantra: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter 

 

The publisher has graciously provided a Paperback copy of Carolina Man to one lucky reader.  Entrants must be 18 years or older.  The giveaway is open to US Residents only.  Just fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win.