The Host by Stephenie Meyer - Blog Tour

The Host is one of the books on my top 15 ever read. I read it last year, and even today, I can remember vividly the story. It's a remarkable tale, and one I highly recommend.

The Description: Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

One of the most compelling writers of our time, Stephenie Meyer brings us a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the very essence of what it means to be human.

Click here to read an exerpt









Isn't this picture beautiful? It's the setting for The Host




Stephenie Meyer graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in English. She lives with her husband and three young sons in Phoenix, Arizona. After the publication of her first novel, Twilight, booksellers chose Stephenie Meyer as one of the "most promising new authors of 2005" (Publishers Weekly).






1. What inspired the idea for The Host?

The kernel of thought that became The Host was inspired by absolute boredom. I was driving from Phoenix to Salt Lake City, through some of the most dreary and repetitive desert in the world. It’s a drive I’ve made many times, and one of the ways I keep from going insane is by telling myself stories. I have no idea what sparked the strange foundation of a body-snatching alien in love with the host body’s boyfriend over the host-body’s protest. I was halfway into the story before I realized it. Once I got started, though, the story immediately demanded my attention. I could tell there was something compelling in the idea of such a complicated triangle. I started writing the outline in a notebook, and then fleshed it out as soon as I got to a computer. The Host was supposed to be no more than a side project—something to keep me busy between editing stints on Eclipse—but it turned into something I couldn’t step away from until it was done.

2. Did you approaching writing The Host, your first adult novel, differently than your YA series?

Not at all. Like the Twilight Saga (this is probably the only way The Host is like the Twilight Saga!), The Host is just a story I had fun telling myself. My personal entertainment is always the key to why a story gets finished. I never think about another audience besides myself while I’m writing; that can wait for the editing stage.


The publisher is allowing me to give-away two paperback copies of THE HOST. USA & Canada Only. Please leave a comment with your email. USA & Canada Only.

Winners will be drawn on June 25th

Triple Cross by Mark T. Sullivan

The Jefferson Club is an exclusive club located in the Montana mountains. Everything is perfect, and security is top notch. It costs millions to stay at the Jefferson Club, and on this particular New Year's Eve, some of the richest men in the world are there, along with their wives and families.

When The Third Position Army, a group that fights corporate greed, infilitrate the supposed impenetrable Club, everyone is shocked. Head of Security, Mickey Hennessy, reformed alcoholic and drug addict, had just left dinner to remove himself from the wine sitting beside his plate. He is stunned to hear gun shots while out walking it off, and runs back to the lodge to help. But he is shot before he can get access, and immediately runs towards the road to get help. It's a parent's worst nightmare as his triplets are still inside the Club.

The Third Position Army demands 100 Billion from each player in the Club in exchange for their lives. After they all pay, General Anarchy, the leader, lets everyone go with the exception of the six richest men in the world. Everyone rushes outdoors to freedom, and the television crews go crazy as a well-known actress leads the crowds. They all relish in telling their story and are relieved to be free, but Mickey is stunned. His kids weren't in the released hostages and were still inside.

General Anarchy and his Army have trials for the six men with the people able to vote guilty or not guilty. They are broadcast over the internet, and punishment is immediate. The children search valiantly for their father in the Jefferson Club, but come up empty. They then try to find a way out of the Club, but the Third Position Army have it secured.

What follows are a series of events that will leave you stunned. An edge-of-your-seat thriller that is intense, fast-paced, and filled with characters that come alive off of the pages. I was captivated from page one and couldn't put it down. This is the first work of Mark T. Sullivan I have read, but I'm going to be looking for more of his work. A highly addictive reality thriller!

The publishers were kind enough to send me an extra copy of TRIPLE CROSS to give away to my readers. Please leave a comment, along with your email address to enter. Since I am sending this, sorry internationals, but USA only.

Winner will be chosen on June 21st.

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. I'ts always a good feeling when it's time to go home.

2. My favorite thing for dinner lately has been Shrimp & Chicken Eggrolls.

3. When I get angry I bark! bark! bark!

4. A nice long walk is a good time to think and is also relaxing.

5. It always makes me smile to get some good news.

6. When all is said and done, tomorrow is a brand new day.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting some errands done, tomorrow my plans include working and Sunday, I want to relax and watch some old episodes of Angel!

Booking Through Thursday

I saw this over at Shelley’s, and thought it sounded like a great question for all of you:

“This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”

1. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
2. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
3. Heartsick by Chelsea Cain
4. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
5. And Then There Were None by Agathe Christie
6. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
7. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
8. All the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling
9. Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon
10. Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
11. Watership Down by Richard Adams
12. The Book Thief by Mark Zusak
13. Dark Lover by J. R. Ward
14. No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
15. One For the Money by Janet Evanovich

There are so many more books out there that have made an impact with me. I read alot and fast, and these are just the ones that came quickly to mind.

What are your top 15 (in less than 15 minutes) ?

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine.

This week my pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Bound to Shadows (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 8) by Keri Arthur
Release date: October 27, 2009

Of course, I can't find any descriptions for this book, but I love this series!
I am really looking forward to this one :)

A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore - Blog Tour

Review: Sophie, the Duchess of Calton, is devastated when she receives the news that her husband Garrett is presumed dead from the Battle of Waterloo. Pregnant, she is consoled by Garrett's cousin and heir, Tristan. She mourns for seven years until he is declared dead, then she marries Tristan. She and Tristan have a wonderful, loving marriage until the day Garrett returns.

Garrett Calton, the Duke of Calton, didn't die in the Battle of Waterloo. However, he was gravely injured and lost much of his memory. He spent many years working as a laborer for a farmer until one day he sees someone from his unit that brings much of the memories crashing back. He immediately leaves the continent to return to his wife Sophie, and to reclaim his title and his lands.

Sophie is torn between both husbands as she loves them both equally. Garrett tosses Tristan from the house and demands Sophie stay away from him lest he kill him. Tristan is determined that Garrett will not take his wife. The two come to blows on many occasions, but something is fishy in the Calton household, and Tristan is determined to get to the bottom of it before his family is hurt. Sophie must choose soon, because it's not just her heart that is at stake.

A HINT OF WICKED is a historical romance that is simply delicious. Steamy love scenes, mystery and just a hint of wickedness will have you begging for more. The pages flowed seamlessly, and the characters were well-fleshed. The ending is action-packed and leaves off rather complicated, which I am sure, the next in the series will pick up from. All in all, an engaging read!



About the author Jennifer Haymore:

I’ve been writing since I could pick up a pencil….

Wait, no…that’s what every other writer says! I started writing just before my eighth birthday, and it wasn’t on my own volition. I was sailing with my family in a 42-foot sailboat across the Pacific, and since there were no local schools (except those pertaining to fish) nearby, my mother homeschooled me. She was a strict taskmaster! A veritable slave driver! She demanded a new story every day.

So I’d sit in the boat’s galley and write. And stare out the porthole, and write some more. And doodle, and write some more. By the time we arrived in Hawaii the following year, I had a portfolio of stories, and I was hooked. Since then I haven’t stopped. (Well, much. I did take breaks now and then, for things like college, young kids, and a master’s degree.)

I love to read just as much as I love to write, and actually the reading bug hit me at about the same time my mom was cracking the whip over my head and commanding me to write. What else to occupy your time with when there are no other kids to play with and nothing to do but stare at the endless sea? Some of my most recent favorites: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, River God by Wilbur Smith, and anything by Laura Kinsale and Loretta Chase.

Jennifer's Facebook Page
Jennifer @ Twitter

Stop by one of these other sites on the tour!

Participants:
http://www.foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com/ - May 19 review
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com - May 19 intro; May 21 review; May 23 Q&A; June 6 announce winners of giveaway
http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com - May 21 Q&A
http://chicbookreviews.blogspot.com/ - May 22 review and giveaway
http://www.findthetimetoread.blogspot.com - May 26 review and giveaway
http://www.ReadingWithMonie.com - May 26 giveaway
http://zensanity.blogspot.com/ - May 26 Q&A
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/ - May 27 giveaway
http://yankeeromancereviewers.blogspot.com/ - May 28 giveaway
http://www.myspace.com/darbyscloset - May 28 review
http://confessionsofaromancebookaddict.wordpress.com/ - June 1 to 4 Q&A, review, and giveaway
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com - June 1 giveaway
www.morbid-romantic.net - June 2 review, giveaway, Q&A
http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/ - June 3 review and giveaway
http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/ - June 3 giveaway
http://thereviewfromhere.wordpress.com/ - June 4 review
www.thebookgirl.net - June 5 review and giveaway
http://yougottareadreviews.blogspot.com/ - June 6 review and giveaway
http://reesspace.blogspot.com - June 6 review and giveaway.
http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/ - June 6 review and giveaway
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com/ - June 8
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/ - giveaway
www.alphaheroes.blogspot.com - review


Hatchette Books is allowing me to give-away Five copies!! USA & Canada Only and NO PO Boxes.

Just leave a comment please, along with your email.

Winners will be chosen on Tuesday, June 16th.

Teaser Tuesday

It’s that time of week again, everyone, and time for the Tuesday Teaser.Again the reminder of what this is all about. We are asked to:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Let the book fall open to a random page.
3. Share two teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
4. Share the title of the book that the “teaser” comes from, so people can find the book if they like the teaser.
5. And again remember – avoid spoilers.

Here's mine:

pg 189
"What was immoral?" Sir Lawrence demanded. "We negotiated. They agreed. End of story. It was business."
"It was dirty business!" General Anarchy shouted.

Teaser from: Triple Cross by Mark T. Sullivan

What's your teaser?

Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell

Miranda works as a junior stylist at Fenn Lomax salon. Everyday she shares her lunch with a bum, and runs errands for the celebrity clientele the salon caters too. At the end of the day, she goes home to help out her elderly landlady. Miranda just wants to find a guy, fall in love, and have the white picket fence.

Chloe Malone works for Miranda's landlady's son at a gift shop. She is an excellent employee, but hasn't been herself lately. When the stick turns blue, Chloe gets frazzled. Her husband Greg has told her many times that he doesn't want children. But she is determined to have her baby, even after Greg packs his things and leaves her.

When Miranda meets Greg at a fundraiser, sparks fly. She's quickly falling in love with him, but is it just another mistake?

When Chloe can't afford her rent anymore since she is now single, Miranda's landlady urges her to move in with them. But when Greg is found out, Miranda wants her revenge. She and her friends, along with a new friend Danny, quickly hatch a plan to make Greg pay. But then afterward, Miranda is about to head into another fling. Will Miranda make another mistake or learn from her previous ones?

Miranda's Big Mistake is a fabulous, fun read! Miranda has a huge heart, and her snappy one-liners had me howling. The first book I've read by Jill Mansell, but definitely not the last. Perfect for this summer to read at the beach, or anywhere for that matter. A fantastic fun read!

Jill's website: http://www.jillmansell.co.uk/

Angel Award

Lea @ closetwriter was kind and generous to give me this award. Thanks Lea; Yummy!! I'm going to send this Angel on My Blog Award to a few friends:

LORI'S READING CORNER
Books and Needlepoint
Julie's Jewels
Wrighty's Reads
The Movieholic & Bibliophile's Blog
Maymay's Memos
Love to Read

Dying Bites: The Bloodhouse Files by DD Barant

Vampires and lycanthropes rule the world and the humans are almost extinct.

Jace Valchek is a FBI profiler. She tracks and apprehends mentally fractured killers. She ends a particularly long day with a few drinks and after a self-guilt trip about all the things wrong with her life, she falls asleep. She dreams about her job. It's not unusual as lots of people dream about their work. In this particular dream, two impeccably dressed men reassure Jace that she has been re-assigned and assist her through the door; a door on her bedroom wall that was not there before. But as dreams go, stranger things have happened. The problem arises when she is confronted by the boss, David Cassius, the head vampire of the NSA. Unfortunately for Jace, she soon determines she isn't dreaming.

David Cassius has gone to great lengths to bring Jace to his reality. There is a serial killer in their world, and until Jace apprehends who is responsible, he won't show her the way home. Stuck beside a rock and a hard place, Jace quickly agrees. She doesn't have much choice in the matter anyways. This world she has been brought to is full of vampires and werewolves. The humans only make up about one percent of the population. Since the vampires and lycanthropes don't have experience with mental illness and Jace does, she is their best shot.

Jace quickly sets to work, along with her newly assigned partner Charlie, a golem. The perpetrator is showing the murder on the internet of the previous victim as he stages a new one. Frustrated to always be one murder behind, Jace is soon racing from murder site to site to try and put the pieces of the puzzle together. But when she unveils the killer as a descendant of the famed Bram Stoker and also human, the stakes change. The killer sends Jace a self-destructing letter that urges her to join his side and that the NSA is lying to her. Jace needs to make some decisions soon or she'll never get back to her own world.

Jace is a multi-faceted character that I instantly liked. Quick on her feet, intelligent, and down to earth, she cuts right to the heart of matters. DD Barant takes time building a unique and magical world that mirrors our own with a twist. Paranormal and fantasy fans will love DYING BITES: THE BLOODHOUND FILES.

Want to win a copy? Two arcs up for grabs! Just click the cover on my right sidebar.

Right on the Money Winner

Congratulations to Kitten22 ! You've snagged a copy of Right on the Money by Pat Robertson.

If I don't hear anything back from my email in 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Blood Ties

Eagle Rock Entertainment To Release

BLOOD TIES

First Season Of The Smash Lifetime Series On 4DVD Set

~June 2, 2009~

Based on Tanya Huff’s “Vicki Nelson” novels – the Blood series – Blood Ties is a one-hour crime drama series, following the misadventures of Vicki Nelson, a feisty, attractive, 29 year old ex-cop turned private investigator with a degenerative eye disorder, who seems destined to sit on the sidelines until fate intervenes, turning her life upside down.


New York, NY -Although Eagle Rock Entertainment are best known for releasing outstanding music DVDs, their audio-visual entertainment programming also includes film, television series, comedy specials, and documentaries. This summer will kick off with the release of the acclaimed Lifetime series Blood Ties – Season 1 on June 2 (Retail Sales Price $26.99, Pre-book Order Date May 13).

This impressive 4DVD set features the original 13 episodes of the series. Bonus material includes a behind-the-scenes documentary and trailer. Blood Ties is based on the book series written by Tanya Huff, which is currently in its 17th printing. Touted as “A Crime Series, With Bite,” Blood Ties follows the wild success of other vampire dramas, such as Twilight and True Blood. Blood Ties is not your typical crime drama, and the release of this 4DVD set is the perfect opportunity for the rabid vampire fans to sink their teeth into a captivating and engaging drama.

The story revolves around private investigator Vicki Nelson (played by Christina Cox), who witnesses a violent murder one night in the streets of Toronto. This is no ordinary murder, and as she searches for the truth, more and more evidence suggests demonic involvement. The investigation leads to an encounter with the suave and alluring Henry Fitzroy (played by Kyle Schmid), who just happens to be a 470-year-old vampire with a vested interest in the case. The two collaborate, and their relationship starts to bloom into something much more than the mission at hand, which interferes with Nelson’s current relationship with ex-partner Detective Mike Celluci (played by Dylan Neal). As the season progresses, Nelson and her cohorts are pulled into an unpredictable swirl of romance, action, and supernatural activity.

Blood Ties Trailer:

http://www.eaglerockent.com/eaglerock/videos/bloodtiestrailer.mov

Eagle Rock Entertainment is an international media production and distribution company operating across audio visual entertainment programming. Eagle Rock Entertainment works directly alongside talent to produce the highest quality programming output covering film, general entertainment and musical performance. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices based in London, New York, Germany & France.

Reviews and Give-Aways & Contests coming soon.

Mailbox Monday

This weekly meme comes from Marcia at The Printed Page. It's always fun to see what everyone got last week and then to add to the towering TBR pile afterward. Join in and add a link to all the great books you received.

I had a pretty good week! Didn't get alot of reading done since I was sick, but I'm feeling better now so hopefully I can get some of these beautiful books read :)


Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone
by Dora Machado

Received to Review

Description: Between truth and deception, between justice and abuse, a stonewiser stands alone with the stones. Or so begins the stonewiser's oath. But what happens when a rebellious stonewiser discovers that lies have tainted the stone tales? In a world devastated by the rot's widespread destruction, only the tales preserved in the stones can uphold the truth and defend the Goodlands. In this world, stone truth is valued above anyone's word, and stonewisers are the only ones capable of retrieving the tales from the stones, the only link between past and present, order and chaos. Sariah is the most gifted stonewiser of her generation, but her talent does not atone for her shortcomings. A survivor of the Guild's brutal training, she is curious, willful, and disobedient. Yet not even Sariah is prepared for what she finds when she steals into the Guild's Sacred Vaults: A mayhem of lies and intrigues that shatters her world. Hunted, persecuted, and betrayed, Sariah must make an unlikely alliance with Kael, a cynical rebel leader pledged to a mysterious quest of his own. The fate of their dying world depends on their courage to overcome centuries of hatred and distrust. But not even the grueling journey has prepared them for what they're about to discover. Because nothing is really as it seems, and the truth is more intricate and devastating than they ever suspected . . .





House of Ghosts by Lawrence Kaplan

Upcoming Blog Tour

Description:
The tale begins in the sweltering summer of 2000 when Preston Swedge, an alcoholic recluse and World War II veteran, has died in Westfield, New Jersey. At his estate sale, retired local police detective Joe Henderson discovers a 1944 diary describing a rogue attempt by a Jewish-American pilot named Paul Rothstein to drop his bombs on Auschwitz's killing complex where nearly 300,000 captives were about to be murdered.

With the fortitude of a Maccabean zealot and the patriotism of an American freedom fighter Rothstein had set out to defy his commanders who had prohibited any attempt to save Jewish lives. Joe Henderson's curiosity launches him on a crusade for the truth and a shocking revelation when he tracks down the last living witness who can solve the mystery of why the raid never happened.



Magic in the Blood by Devon Monk

Received by PBS

Description: Working as a Hound—tracing illegal spells back to their casters—has taken its toll on Allison Beckstrom. But even though magic has given her migraines and stolen her recent memory, Allie isn’t about to quit. Then the police’s magic enforcement division asks her to consult on a missing persons case. But what seems to be a straightforward job turns out to be anything but, as Allie finds herself drawn into the underworld of criminals, ghosts, and blood magic.


Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper

Recieved by PBS

Description: Jane Jameson’s mama said there’d be days like this. Fired as the children’s librarian in Half Moon Hollow, Kentucky; broken-down car late at night. But mama didn’t think about the possibility of Jane getting shot by a deer hunter and left for dead. Or being made the undead by Gabriel Nightengale so she’d have a second chance at, well, life. Adjusting to life without chocolate and sunbathing—never mind a job—has its challenges, but sexy Gabriel is one major perk. If only she can figure out how to tell her parents about her new liquid diet. And who is trying to frame her for murder?