Teaser Tuesday: Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

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 TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week comes from Grave Witch by Kalayna Price. I recently got the audiobook version of this story from Tantor Media and began listening to it when I had an eight hour road trip home for Thanksgiving. I got to chapter 22 and then switched to the Kindle version of the story because I couldn't keep listening during my three-minute commute. It was way too hard to keep track of the story that way!

Here is the description:

Not even death can save her now. 

As a grave witch, Alex Craft can speak to the dead-she's even on good terms with Death himself. As a consultant for the police, she's seen a lot of dark magic, but nothing has prepared her for her latest case. When she's raising a "shade" involved in a high profile murder, it attacks her, and then someone makes an attempt on her life. Someone really doesn't want her to know what the dead have to say, and she'll have to work with mysterious homicide detective Falin Andrews to figure out why...

Teaser:

John shook his head. "I'm parked out front. You remember the magic words?"

"Yeah. 'No comment.'" And since the press got wind of my part in Amanda Holiday's trial, I'd had a lot of practice saying them. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec. 16, 2013)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

This was a quiet week for me. Things were normal at work. The pre-vacation frenzy hasn't hit yet since we are in school all this coming week. The weather has been cold but we have gotten very little snow. My Christmas shopping is done except for wrapping. I am starting to plan for my upcoming trip to Duluth. I'll be leaving on Saturday and staying about a week with my brother. I have a bag of books ready to go but nothing else ready yet.

Last Week:

I finished Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder. This was an enjoyable conclusion to this epic fantasy series. My review will be posted on Dec. 28.

I pulled Treecat Wars by David Weber and Jane Lindskold off my YA TBR stack. I enjoyed this latest episode in Weber's YA science fiction series. My review will be posted on Dec. 26

I finished Defy by Sara B. Larson. This was a YA high fantasy novel that I got from NetGalley for review. I enjoyed the story. My review will be posted on Dec. 28.

I got River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz from LibraryThing Early Reviewers this week and read it right away. I love that Krentz has returned to her romantic suspense roots and loved this story. I like that her main characters are both adults and strong people. It makes the romance better for me. My review will be posted on January 2.

Currently:

Nothing. I just finished Defy.

Next Week:

Adult Books

Alone by Kenra Elliot is from my review stack. I have enjoyed the other books in the Bone Secrets series and am eager to read this Jan. 7 release.

I also hope to read Death at Bishop's Keep by Robin Paige. This one is from my TBR mountain and is historical romantic suspense.

YA Books

Being Sloane Jacobs is from my review stack. This contemporary sounds like a fun read as two Sloane Jacobs change identities to try to improve their lives. The book will be released on Jan. 7.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is from my TBR mountain. I have heard such good things about this contemporary that I had to choose it when I had a break between review books. 

I picked Grave Dance (print | audio) by Kalayna Price to be the audiobook I listen to on my way to and from Duluth for Christmas Break.

Reviews Last Week:

• Fireblood by Trisha Wolfe
• The Great Trouble by Deborah Hopkinson
• Mind Trace by Holly McCaghren
• Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

I hope everyone has a great week in this run-up to Christmas - lots of joy and laughter, family and friends - and lots of good reading too.

Stacking the Shelves (Dec. 15, 2013)

Tynga of Team Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow.

I added eight books to my stack this week. First, the new review books:

I won River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz from LibraryThing. She is an auto-buy author for me. I am very glad to get a chance to read and review her latest romantic suspense title before I could buy the book. It will be released on Jan. 7.

I was also glad to get Carousel Sun by Sharon Lee as my first Edelweiss book. I have read both her standalone titles and the many books in the Liaden Universe that she has written with her husband Steve Miller. I enjoyed Carousel Tides and can't wait to see what happens next. This book will be released on Feb. 4.

I must have been hungry when shopping this week because two cookbooks were added to my stack too.

Put an Egg On It by Lara Ferroni has all sorts of recipes featuring eggs. I was a little disappointed once I looked at the book in detail. Most of the recipes are ones I would never want to try because they use rather odd ingredients or they just randomly add an egg to a dish that doesn't really need one but a few look interesting. 

The Big Book of Breakfast by Maryana Vollstedt was a Kindle deal that I haven't had a chance to look at yet. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, though.

Keeping to my food theme, I had to get Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain when I saw it was a Kindle Daily Deal. I really enjoy all of his television shows and am eager to read his "no holds barred" writing about food and chefs.

Love, Lies and Murder by Catherine Winchester was another Kindle Daily Deal. The combination of mystery, romance, and a historical setting made this one book I needed to have.

Finally, I got a couple of books for my Kindle that are duplicate titles of books I have or have read.

I read the ARC of A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway and enjoyed this steampunk mystery. I wanted a finished copy. It was $.99 for my Kindle.

Dragonwriter: A Tribute to Anne McCaffrey and Pern edited by Todd McCaffrey is a physical book on my shelf but I wanted an ebook version. It was available for a low price this week. 

What did you add to your stacks?

Book Review: Mind Trace by Holly McCaghren

Mind Trace
Author: Holly McCaghren
Publication: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 16, 2012)

Description: What would you do to possess unlimited knowledge and power?

Nineteen year-old Alice McArthur never had a choice. A shy girl from a small town, Alice has gained a reputation for her near-genius programming abilities, even getting the attention of EngineerCorp, a rising electronics empire. With her unique skill-set, she is hand-picked to test their network security by hacking into their global mainframe.

But something goes terribly wrong.

The next thing Alice knows, she wakes up on the floor with a migraine, unnatural powers, a server's worth of data in her head and the realization that this job was not what it seemed.

Now a fugitive from justice and on the run from the evil leader of a corporate empire, Alice doesn't know who to trust or where to turn. She must find a way to secure her freedom and stop those who would keep her prisoner for life -- or worse.

My Thoughts: Alice McArthur is a computer genius. She graduated from high school at age fourteen and by nineteen had her Bachelor's and Master's in Computer Science. She is working for a small computer tech company in Asheville when she gets in intriguing email. The email is calling for hackers to try to get into a specific server. Alice can't resist a puzzle but has no idea what her hacking will lead to.

While trying to break into the server she has an accident - nearly electrocuting herself on a computer cable. When she wakes up, she finds she is different. She seems to have all sorts of knowledge from the server she was trying to hack into. Determined to find out what happened to her, she traces the person who sent the email and finds Garrett Wiggins who is the CEO of Cyberconn - a corporation whose reputation was ruined by EngineerCorp.

She finds that she has accidentally hacked into EngineerCorp's servers and now the CEO Eric Martin wants her. He has immense power because his company is so woven into business and government and the power has caused him to become something of a megalomaniac. He is definitely an "end justifies the means" sort of villain who is more than willing to imprison Alice for life to study her and to use her in his plans to dominate the world.

This was an engaging science fiction thriller that has Alice playing mind games with Eric and trying to get her life back. I recommend it to fans of science fiction. 

Favorite Quote:

So I got electrocuted, and now my brain is a supercomputer? How is that possible? And somewhere in there is all of the information from EngineerCorp's servers?

I was pitched this book by the author and decided to buy myself a Kindle copy. You can buy your copy here. 

Friday Memes: Mind Trace by Holly McCaghren

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

This week I am spotlighting Mind Trace by Holly McCaghren. I am trying to finish up the review copies that have been sitting on my Kindle for a while so that I can start 2014 fresh. The author pitched this one to me and it sounded interesting. Here is the description of this Nov. 16, 2012 release (I have only had it since Nov. 14, 2013 though.):

What would you do to possess unlimited knowledge and power?

Nineteen year-old Alice McArthur never had a choice. A shy girl from a small town, Alice has gained a reputation for her near-genius programming abilities, even getting the attention of EngineerCorp, a rising electronics empire. With her unique skill-set, she is hand-picked to test their network security by hacking into their global mainframe.

But something goes terribly wrong.

The next thing Alice knows, she wakes up on the floor with a migraine, unnatural powers, a server's worth of data in her head and the realization that this job was not what it seemed.

Now a fugitive from justice and on the run from the evil leader of a corporate empire, Alice doesn't know who to trust or where to turn. She must find a way to secure her freedom and stop those who would keep her prisoner for life -- or worse.

Beginning:

"Final stamp on your coffee card—you get your free cup of coffee today!"

Friday 56:

Alice struggled to wake, her mind foggy and incoherent. Her eyelids fluttered and she was aware that it was very bright in the room, as if the sun had risen and was shining unapologetically into her eyes 

Book Review: Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

Dark Witch
Author: Nora Roberts
Series The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy (Book 1)

Description: First in the all-new Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a trilogy about the land we’re drawn to, the family we learn to cherish, and the people we long to love…

With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.

Ireland.

County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations—and where her destiny awaits.

Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.

When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.

Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself—and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope—and love—alive…

My Thoughts: As always, Nora Roberts has written a powerful and engaging romance. Iona Sheehan has sold everything she owned and come to Ireland to look for a place where she can really belong and where she can be loved. She finds her cousins Branna and Connor O'Dwyer and she find that she is the third who has been long awaited. The three of them - along with their friends Meara, Fin and Boyle - have come together to destroy the black power who has wanted their magick since the 1200s. 

Iona is quickly immersed in learning the magick and falling in love with Boyle McGrath. He is just perfect for her with his loyalty and his strong love of horses. Except, he has never fallen in love and mucks it up a bit when it finally happens for him. Iona fears that he is just settling and she wants someone who is as willing to jump in feet first and with no reservations as she is. It takes time and effort for them to work out their differences.

One of the great strengths of Roberts' books for me is the friendship thread. The three women - though Iona just arrived - quickly form a very strong friendship. The men - having grown up together - already have their friendship in place. It is deep and tested and strong.

It is easy to see the romances that will be featured in the next two books of this trilogy. Branna and Fin have a past that split them apart but the love in each of them has never gone away. Despite Branna's fears, I can't help but believe that the two will work things out. Connor and Meara should be the third couple. Connor has been the love 'em and leave 'em type though never with the intent to cause harm and Meara is an Amazon - strong and determined - and not ready to open her heart to Connor only to be loved and left herself. 

I can't wait to read the other books in this trilogy. While I know that they will defeat the dark power that threatens them through magick and the power of love and friendship, I am eager to go along on the journey. 

Favorite Quote:

"You can't just hope for happy endings. You have to believe in them. Then do the work, take the risks. Slay the dragon—though I really think dragons get a bad rap—kiss the princess, or the frog, defeat the bad witch."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here. 

Teaser Tuesday: Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

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 TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my teaser comes from Dark Witch by Nora Roberts. This is the first book in a new trilogy. Here is the description from Amazon:

First in the all-new Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a trilogy about the land we’re drawn to, the family we learn to cherish, and the people we long to love…

With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.

Ireland.

County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations—and where her destiny awaits.

Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.

When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.

Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself—and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope—and love—alive…

Teaser:

"Blood is life."

Sorcha sighed. "It is, aye. It is. Thank you."

She drank the potion, and slept.