IMM #5

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created and hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren  for bloggers to show all of the great books or book related things that you have gotten over the past week!  It can be books bought, gotten from the library, received for review etc.
Go HERE  to read more about IMM.

For review I received:

Run from the Reaper by Cristian YoungMiller

I received this book from the author through Librarything

Playing with Fire by various authors

I received this book from Coral Russel trhough Librarything

 

And I bought this week:

Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis

Crime and paranormal combined fits right up my alley so I'm really looking forward to this one

Shadowflame by Dianne Sylvan

I loved the first book in this series so I really want to read this one

Married with Zombies by Jesse Petersen

Since I received books two and three for reviewand I really wanted to read the whole series

Graceling by Kristine Cashore

I heard a lot of great things about this one and I love this cover

So this is what I got new this week. What did you get?????

Guest post Kari Lee Townsend and giveaway

Today I have Kari Lee Townsend visiting on the blog. Her new book Tempest in the Tea Leaves: a Fortune Teller Mystery came out earlier this month and you can find my review here. I absolutely enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next in the series.
Don’t forget to look for the giveaway at the end of the post.

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Books and Music

Music can be so inspiring to authors. The lyrics of a song are like words in a book…they tell a story. Often times that story feeds our imaginations, creating vivid images and reminding us of an event that’s happened in our lives, or making us dream of things we wish would happen to us. Many authors get their inspiration for ideas for books from the lyrics of songs. That’s sometimes the case for me.

I know several writers who can’t write a word unless they are listening to music. I can’t write unless it’s completely silent. However, I do a lot of prewriting in my head while listening to music. I like to use music to get in the mood for certain scenes I’m about to write. So I’ll listen to upbeat, fast songs that make me want to move before I’m about to write an action adventure scene. Or I’ll listen to sad songs that make me want to cry before I’m about to write a deeply emotional scene. And when I’m about to write a romantic scene, I’ll listen to songs that melt my heart and keep a smile on my face all day.

Some of my favorite artists are Daughtry, Nickelback, John Meyer, Michale Buble, Faith Hill and Taylor Swift. Music and books really are personal choices. There is no right or wrong choice. What you choose is a reflection of who you are as a person, so go forth and choose something that fills a need and feeds your soul. Then tell me all about it. I love to hear from my readers.

You can find out more about me and my books at http://www.karileetownsend.com/ and my group mystery blog at http://www.mysteriesandmargaritasblogspot.com/ Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/karileetownsend Like my Facebook Author Page at www.facebook.com/karileetownsendAUTHOR
 

Kari Lee Townsend lives in Central New York with her very understanding husband, her three busy boys, and her oh-so-dramatic daughter, who keep her grounded and make everything she does worthwhile…not to mention provide her with loads of material for her books. Kari is a longtime lover of reading and writing, with a masters in English education, who spends her days trying to figure out whodunit. Funny how no one at home will confess any more than the characters in her mysteries!
Kari writes fun and exciting stories for any age, set in small towns, with mystical elements and quirky characters. You can find out more about her on her website http://www.karileetownsend.com/ and also on the group mystery blog she cohosts, called Mysteries and Margaritas, at http://www.mysteriesandmargaritasblogspot.com/

Thanks so much Kari for stopping by today.

I mostly listen to music when I'm reading. Most of the time I'm listening to Sarah Brightman while reading but sometimes I will put something else on.  And sometimes I just get that song that just fits perfectly with a scene I'm reading. So everytime I hear that song I think about that book.

What about you guys, do you listen to music while reading or writing? And what music do you listen to?

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Ok it’s time for a giveaway!

The publisher Berkley is offering one book for giveaway US only (publishers request)
But since I enjoyed this book so much I’m going to giveaway a copy of the book International.
So there will be 2 winners.

So for the rules.

• You don't have to be a follower but it's much appreciated and will give you an extra entry.
• Leave a comment. Don't forget to leave an emailadress, if your from the US or somewhere else and if your a follower (either GFC or NetworkedBlogs)
• The US only giveaway will be shipped by the publisher
• The international giveaway will be shipped by me via the Book Depository so make sure the Book Depository ships to your country.
• This giveaway ends september 10th 2011

 Don't forget to check my giveaway policy

The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter

Genre: Crime

Series: Robert Hunter #1

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Find the author: Website | Facebook

Buy the book: The Book Depository

Source: Bought

In a derelict cottage in LA, a young woman is found savagely murdered. Naked, strung from two wooden posts, the skin has been ripped from her face - while she was still alive. On the nape of her neck is carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer.

But that's not possible. Because, two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this be the work of a copycat? Or is homicide detective Robert Hunter forced to face the unthinkable? Is the real Crucifix Killer still out there, taunting Hunter with his inabality to catch him?

Robert Hunter and his rookie partner are about to enter a nightmare beyond imagining....

The Crucifix Killer is Chris Carter's debut novel. And I can honostly say that he wrote a crime novel just the way I like them, dark, gritty and with the emphasis on solving the crime.

This book is about Robert Hunter, a homicide detective for the LAPD, who's assigned a new (rookie) partner, Carlos Garcia, and their first case is the gruesome death of a young woman found in a remote cottage. She is hung from two poles and her skin has been removed from her face while she was still alive. Soon after looking at the body the double-crucifix is found on her neck and Robert knows this is going to be one tough case, cause the killer to which this mark belongs was executed two years earlier. So is this either a copycat or the real killer still out there.

Although I'm not fond of detectives with personal issues (that just makes the story slide away from the crime solving) but Detective Hunter needed it. He received his PhD in the age of 23 and his thesis paper had been made into a book and became a mandatory reading, he has all the luck with the ladies and is always right. Without a little flaw in the guy he would hardly be an interesting character, but thank God he isn't as perfect as he looks. So in this case being a cynic and having a drinking problem can make you human.
The work relationship between Hunter and Garcia is interesting. Hunter is experienced and works from instinct and Garcia is a rookie and is methodical doing things as learned from books. This means they quite disagree on a few occasions.

This book definitely isn't for the squeamish. The crimescenes are quite detailed and the killings are all as gruesome as the first one. The book is told from different perspectives which gives you a more oversee of the events and case that is unfolding in this book.

Chris's writing kept me right on the edge of my seat even after I figured out who done it (don't know how that happened but yeah half way through the book I figured it out) I still was gripped by the events that took place. And there were still enough twists and turns in the story to make it interesting.

I'm looking forward to reading The Executioner.

My rating: 4/5

Tempest in the Tea Leaves by Kari Lee Townsend

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Fortune Teller Mystery #1

Publisher: Berkley

Find the author: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Buy the book: TheBook Depository

Source: I received a review copy from the author

Sunny is a big city psychic who moves to the quaint town of Divinity, NY to open her fortune telling business in an ancient victorian house, inheriting the strange cat residing within. Sunny gives her first reading to the frazzled town librarian and discovers the woman is going to die. When the woman flees in terror, Sunny calls the police, only she's too late. The ruggedly handsome, hard-nosed detective is a "non-believer." He finds the librarian dead, and Sunny becomes his number one suspect, forcing her to prove her innocence before the real killer can put an end to the psychic's future. (backcover)

Tempest in the Tea Leaves is the first book in Kari Lee's new series.

Sunny leaves her parents house to live in an old Victorian home in a small town called Divinity and start her own business in fortune telling. In her first reading for the town librarian she sees the woman getting murdered. She informs the police and just as she predicted the woman is murdered. The detective on the case Mitch Stone is a non-believer and Sunny put herself right on top of the suspect list. Well she is the only suspect to be exact. The major of the of Divinity, who is a believer and wants this murder solved as soon as possible, makes Sunny and detective Stone work together to get to the bottom of this.

Sunny is one quirky but very likeable character. And her name fits her well since she's a funny, positive and upbeat. What I liked most about her that she isn't your typical 'detective' you read in cozy mysteries. No she really has no clue what she's doing. She blurts out every clue and evidence in front of other people and she gets into the much funny situations every time she does her 'detective thing'. You kind of have to feel for detective Stone to have to work with her on this case.
This makes for some fun scenes between Sunny and detective Stone who seemed to be as annoyed with each other at times as they are attracted to each other. I'm looking forward to see how this relationship works out.
And let’s not forget Morty. The mysterious big white cat who kind of came with the house. I am definitely looking forward to learning more about him.

This is a great, light and fun read. Kari had me laughing out loud a few times. It's a whodunit with a hint of paranormal, with Sunny reading someone's future and even seeing it in front of her.
I didn't figure out who it was until somewhere near the end of the book so that makes this a great whoduit for me (I hate figuring out haf way to the book who it is)

I can recommend this book to any lover of cozy mysterie. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in Kari's Fortune Teller Mystery series.

My rating: 4/5

Don't forget to stop by tuesday august 23th for a guestpost by Kari Lee Townsend and a giveaway.

IMM #4

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created and hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren for bloggers to show all of the great books or book related things that you have gotten over the past week!  It can be books bought, gotten from the library, received for review etc.
Go HERE to read more about IMM.

Ok I got quite a few new books this week and I was actually planning on not buying any books well didn't work out.

Taboo by Casey Hill
The Executioner by Chris Carter
The Temple Mount Code by Charles Brokaw

Ghost Country by Patrick Lee

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

And Chuck Palahniuk was in Town yesterday so I got myself an authographed copy of Damned

 

And from Vamps, Weres, and Cassay I got some nice swag. Thanks Cassay!

So this is what I got new this week way to much again.

What did you get???

Die for Me by Karen Rose

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Daniel Vartanian #1 
Publisher: Headline Publishing Group 
Find the author: Website | Twitter 
Buy the book: The Book Depository 
Source: Bought

A secret cellar
A multimedia designer is hard at work. His latest computer game, Inquisitor, heralds a new era in state-of-the-art graphics. But there's only one way to ensure that the death scenes are realistic enough...
An isolated field
Detective Ciccotelli's day begins with one grave, one body and no murder weapon. It ends with sixteen graves, but only nine bodies and the realisation that the killer will strike again...
A living hell
When it's discovered that the murder weapons are similar to those used in medieval torture, Ciccotelli knows that he's up against the most dangerous opponent of his career - let the games begin... (back cover)


I’ve heard a lot of good things about Karen Rose’s books that I had to try them out and since my favorite bookstore had the whole trilogy in store I got them all at once.

This story is about Vito Ciccotelli, a detective who is called in to investigate a body found in a field. He gets help from an archaeologist, Sophie Johannsen, with scanning the field for more bodies. They end up with sixteen graves but there are only nine bodies so they instantly know that the killer isn’t done yet.
There is an instant attraction between the two, but due to the emotional baggage they both carry with them, they have some miscommunications and it really doesn’t start of on the right foot. Normally it would irritate me when both main characters have these issues and/or are damaged, but that didn’t happen this time. Karen Rose did an awesome job of making Vito and Sophie very likeable characters. Yes they have encountered things in life in which they have trouble acting on the attraction they have for each other but it doesn’t inflict everything in there life or investigating these murders.

This book also features scenes through the eyes of the killer, which gives you more of an insight in his sadistic mind. This is one of the most disturbing killers I read in any book. He is heartless, has absolutely no conscious or regard for life and his methods just monstrous. He does what needs to be done for his own agenda and has absolutely no intent on playing games with the police and makes sure there are no traces that lead back to him.  
This does make for some scenes which might be a little hard for some people to read. You get a little bit of torture scenes through the eyes of both the killer and the victims. Also the injuries on the victims are quite graphically described.

Karen Rose did a great job in developing the characters, even the secondary characters too. It’s hard not to like all of them. I know Karen writes books around characters who got introduced in earlier books and I can’t wait to see these characters get their own book.
I loved Karen Rose’s writing. With its 695 pages this is quite a big book, but Karen Rose kept my attention and kept me flipping the pages to see what would happen next. And the romance and suspense worked well together.

I’m really looking forward to reading Scream for me.

My rating: 5/5

IMM #3

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created and hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren  for bloggers to show all of the great books or book related things that you have gotten over the past week!  It can be books bought, gotten from the library, received for review etc.
Go HERE to read more about IMM.

So I haven’t been here a while which had a few reasons I will not bore you with. But I did make a few changes.
As you can see I changed the look of my blog and my review layout.
Also now when you click on the titles of the books posted below you will be redirected to the book on Goodreads.

This week I finally received some books I ordered a while back

 

Numbers 3 Infinity by Rachel Ward
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Random by Craig Robertson
Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters
The Breach by Patrick Lee

And I got a few books for review

Flip this Zombie by Jesse Petersen (Simon & Schuster UK)
Eat Slay Love by Jesse Petersen (Simon & Schuster UK)
Tempest in the Tea Leaves by Kari Lee Townsend (Kari Lee Townsend
Pro Luce Habere by Krisi Keley (Krisi Keley)
The Burning Sky by Joseph Lewis (Joseph Lewis trough LibraryThing)

And I downloaded a free audiobook from audiobook sync

 Immortal by Gillian Shields

 

 

So I got a lot of new books to read this week.

What did you get?