A To Z : Starts With D

Host


Rules:
Go to your stack of books
Find an author whose first or last name starts with the letter of the week

Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back to Reading At The Beach and leave your link in the comments.
5~ If you've already reviewed the book, add the link.

Authors: First or Last name starts with "D"


David Baldacci - True Blue

Synopsis:
A mysterious high-profile homicide in the nation's capital collides with the dark side of national security in David Baldacci's new, heart-stopping thriller.
Mason "Mace" Perry was a firebrand cop on the D.C. police force until she was kidnapped and framed for a crime. She lost everything-her badge, her career, her freedom-and spent two years in prison. Now she's back on the outside and focused on one mission: to be a cop once more. Her only shot to be a true blue again is to solve a major case on her own, and prove she has the right to wear the uniform. But even with her police chief sister on her side, she has to work in the shadows: A vindictive U.S. attorney is looking for any reason to send Mace back behind bars. Then Roy Kingman enters her life.
Roy is a young lawyer who aided the poor until he took a high-paying job at a law firm in Washington. Mace and Roy meet after he discovers the dead body of a female partner at the firm. As they investigate the death, they start uncovering surprising secrets from both the private and public world of the nation's capital.
Soon, what began as a fairly routine homicide takes a terrifying and unexpected turn-into something complex, diabolical, and possibly lethal.

August Monthly News

BOOKS:
1. The Mommy Files - Jen Klein
2. Disaster Status - Candace Calvert
3. Animal Life (recommend)
4. Animals Up Close - Igor Siwanowicz
5. Everyday Easy Cheap Eats (cookbook) (recommend)
6. Wicked Intentions - Elizabeth Hoyt (recommend)
7. Burning Up - Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra, & Meljean Brook ( recommend)
8. How to Lose a Client - Becky A. Bartness (recommend)
9. With Friends Like These - Sally Koslow (recommend)
10. BIO: Albert Einstein - Frieda Wishinsky
11. Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington - Tricia Goyer & Ocieanna Fleiss (recommend)
12. Still Missing - Chevy Stevens (HIGHLY recommend)
13. A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" - Chloe Rhodes
14. Dark Days and Wicked Nights (Paranormal Sampler)
15. Bermuda Shorts - James J. Patterson


PRODUCTS:
1. got2b Smooth Operator Lustre Lotion (recommend)
2. Make Your Dog Smile ID Tags (recommend)
3. Cuisinart 7-Speed Hand Mixer (recommend)
4. UNDERway™
5. Rag And Bone Binery (recommend)


DVDS:
1. Lego The Adventures of Clutch Powers (recommend)


YEARLY TOTAL: 188 Books, 6 Products, 1 CD & 4 DVDS


FAVORITE BOOK OF AUGUST:



AWARDS:
Received the Great Blog Neighbor Award from Vicki @ Reading At The Beach
(She gave me this award twice. So she must love me. I feel extremely special and very neighborly. Thanks Vicki!)

Who I awarded is HERE.
Received the Strange Men in Pinstriped Suits Award from Velvet @ vvb32 Reads

This is an award that could offend so I didn't re-award, I did make a post though.
I also received A Blog With Substance Award from Froggy! Thank you very much!!!

I re-awarded people HERE.

A Blog With Substance Award

Thanks so much for Froggy sending me this award! I love it and love your blog! Please stop by and check her site out! (Just click her name.)


Blogging to me is; "connecting with a brilliant group"

I say this because of the people I have met in the year I have been blogging. Each one has a collective hand in my success, even the disagreements I have had. They are what shape the way I blog, good or bad. So I thank each and every one of you, the people who comment, leave a link, or do anything on this blog. You help make it what it is!



The Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who sent to you.
2. Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience using five (5) words.
3. Pass on the award, up to 10 bloggers.



And the award goes to:

Judy
Darlyn
Rebecca
Patty
Velvet

Giveaway: Dracula In Love - Karen Essex

Synopsis:
In this wonderfully transporting novel, award-winning author Karen Essex turns a timeless classic inside out, spinning a haunting, erotic, and suspenseful story of eternal love and possession.
From the shadowy banks of the river Thames to the wild and windswept Yorkshire coast, Dracula’s eternal muse, Mina Murray, vividly recounts the intimate details of what really transpired between her and the Count—the joys and terrors of a passionate affair that has linked them through the centuries, and her rebellion against her own frightening preternatural powers.
Mina’s version of this gothic vampire tale is a visceral journey into Victorian England’s dimly lit bedrooms, mist-filled cemeteries, and asylum chambers, revealing the dark secrets and mysteries locked within. Time falls away as she is swept into a mythical journey far beyond mortal comprehension, where she must finally make the decision she has been avoiding for almost a millennium.
Bram Stoker’s classic novel offered one side of the story, in which Mina had no past and bore no responsibility for the unfolding events. Now, for the first time, the truth of Mina’s personal voyage, and of vampirism itself, is revealed. What this flesh and blood woman has to say is more sensual, more devious, and more enthralling than the Victorians could have expressed or perhaps even have imagined.



Thank you to Judy & DoubleDay for the giveaway! I have 2 copies up for grabs! Here is what you need to do to enter:

OPEN TO US ONLY! SORRY GUYS!
NO P.O BOXES


Mandatory Entry:
Comment on the book, and leave an email address.
NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY!

Additional Entries:
+1 Follower via Google Friend Connect, on sidebar (MUST be public profile to count)
+1 Facebook like Freda's Voice (leave first name, last initial to count, in a separate comment)
+1 Join my Blog Frog Community (leave Blog Frog name so I can find you, in a separate comment)
+1 Follow me on Networked Blogs (on sidebar, or click link, leave name in a separate comment.)
+1 Follow my Twitter, (leave Twitter user name, in a separate comment)
+1 Tweet or Blog, (leave link in separate comment)

(copy & paste twitter message:)
DRACULA IN LOVE #giveaway @fredalicious Ends Sept 15, OPEN TO US ONLY! http://bit.ly/aQMctV


Easy as 1-2-3! Ends September 15, 11:59 pm, est.

Teaser

Host

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall open to a random page.
* Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given.
* Please avoid spoilers!


My Teaser:

It wasn't until I read the last few pages that I read the words I longed to see. Here Thomas had written a simple guide for slowing or killing these kind.

~ Page 288, Immanuel's Veins - Ted Dekker

Rag And Bone Day Planner

About Product:
MADE BY HANDS.
Located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Rag & Bone Bindery creates Photo Albums, Journals, Guest Books, Baby Books, and other fine bindings distinguished by their craftsmanship and enduring beauty. We've been creating handbound books since 1991 in our Rhode Island based Bookbinding Studios.
Skilled artisans handle every aspect of the production process from start to finish, resulting in quality, archival, well constructed books. Our Books, Albums & Journals can be found in fine Gift Shops, Stationery Stores, Photo Studios and Galleries across America.
We produce:
• Albums
• Baby Books
• Guestbooks
• Journals
• Binders
• Brag Books
• And more...
Read more on our Press Pages.


©2010


My Opinion:
This is one of the most useful things I own at the moment besides my hand mixer. This day planner has taken all my appointments, and is clearing a mass amount of notepads off my desk. I really love the design and weight, and what it has to offer. I think it is a great product anyone would love!

5/5

My Day Planner:

The cover is beautiful. I love yellow and flowers so a great match.

The guts of the day planner are so useful. It is clearing a lot of clutter from notepads on my desk.





~I won my dayplanner. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

UNDERway™

About Product:
Introducing UNDERway™, the first true appetite suppressant supplement drink available in 3 delicious and nutritious flavors. UNDERway™ not only suppresses your appetite naturally and quenches your thirst, but is filled with HeroFiber™ (a super fiber) and vitamins. Invented by Dr. Sass, one bottle of UNDERway™ appetite suppressant supplement drink delivers the equivalent of 9 grams of fiber nutrition which is nearly a third of your daily recommended requirement of fiber content, in only 20 calories.



©2010


My Opinion:
When I received the box of samples I was surprised at how many different products there were to try. Everything from cereal, drinks, cupcakes and soup. I had fun trying them, even if I didn't really like them all.
The drinks are a hit! They have great flavor, and I can see getting them once in a while. The others I wasn't so fond of. The cereal was bran, not my thing at all, even with fruit pieces. The cookies, cupcakes and snacks all had a chalky flavor, and the soup just was blech. Not what I liked at all.
I guess it's a good thing I don't need to lose weight, and have to eat these things. I can tell they would be great, because starving people do slim down. With that said, these products are not something I would recommend to my dieting friends. They'd be better sticking with Lean Cuisine and Raisin Bran.

1.5/5


~I received products to sample from MomCentral. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Quote It

Welcome to Quote It!
Please feel free to grab the button and create your own post.
Add as many quotes as you wish, from whom ever you wish. It can even be lyrics to a song.
Just tell us who it is. Anonymous welcome too.
And please leave your link.


* Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, (1803-1882, American philosopher, lecturer, essayist, and poet.)


* The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
~ Niccolo Machiavelli, (1469-1527, Italian philosopher/writer, and is considered one of the main founders of modern political science.)


* We must become the change we want to see.
~ Mahatma Ghandi, (1869-1948, the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement.)

Look alive people, I bring news!

To all of my readers, this is for you.

I have been doing a Top Commenters post every Sunday since I started blogging. Now to eliminate mess, muss and fuss, I have a widget on the right sidebar with the top commenters. Now when I do revert to the commenters for prizes and such, I will use the widget.
This means no more posts on Sunday in regards to it.

At the end of every blogoversary year, I let the top commenter pick a prize from a list I provide. This will continue. So get those comments in!

I hope you all keep reading and enjoying the blog!

(((HUGS)))

The Friday 56

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find a teaser sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Story Time With Tonya.


Immanuel's Veins - Ted Dekker

Page 56:

His eyes widened, then dropped to his hands gripping Lucine's slim shoulders.

Bermuda Shorts - James J. Patterson

Synopsis:
In clothing, Bermuda Shorts are a kind of casual formal wear – and in this collection of essays, Bermuda Shorts is the perfect metaphor for James J. Patterson’s fundamentally serious but playful literary style. Patterson writes like the love child of Henry Miller and Mary Karr, with all the contradictions that implies — a philosopher who thinks best over a glass of fine wine; an ex-Catholic still haunted by the image of the Crucifixion; an irreverent political satirist whose patriotism flies the flag of another iconoclast, Thomas Paine. Patterson grew up with a foot planted in each of two worlds — one in Washington DC, the Capital of the Empire as he calls it, where the wheels of power spin, and one in rural Ontario, where his Canadian mother insisted the family spend their summers. His father, one of the wizards of twentieth century newspaper publishing, introduced him to the city’s wheels of money and power, which he would later navigate as an entrepreneur, starting his first business at 20. But those Canadian summers introduced him to a different world – one where a cedar strip boat was better than any car, and where the ghosts of those who'd previously inhabited the family’s island house floated out over the water of Lovesick Lake. It is those two worlds that blend in this collection, in reflections both serious and playful, on what it means to be a man, an artist, an iconoclast, a patriot, a lover, as the 20th century rolls over into the 21st.


Author Bio:
A life long student of history, philosophy and politics, Patterson has managed country bands, delivered newspapers, adapted Sherlock Holmes short stories for radio plays, and published a highly regarded sports magazine. As a singer-songwriter, Patterson was half of the political satire folk music duo, The Pheromones, one of the first acts to be featured on MTV. With the Pheromones, he toured the US for over fifteen years.


©2010


My Opinion:
There were parts I really liked, and others I found redundant. Let's start with redundant things and get the ugliness out of the way. There were three times in the book where it was not a short story, but only a title. While I enjoyed reading a clear headline, I was disappointed to turn the page and find another headline. There could have been something, anything.
For the good parts, there were two clear moments in the book I connected with enough to really absorb. They were That Was Then, This Is The Pheromones and The Myth Of The Casual Fan. I really must say, being a "Die-Hard" Hockey fan, the latter of the two really hit home for me. It was a great short, and one I am to share with other "Die-Hards" such as myself.
Not for everyone, you really have to be a short story fan to appreciate the work.

2.5/5


~I received a copy from LibraryThing. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Dark Days and Wicked Nights (Sampler)

Synopsis:
A paranormal sampler with six views into the latest from these authors; Allyson James, Yasmine Galenorn, Devyn Quinn, Marie Traenor, Laura Wright and Meljean Brook.

For more visit HERE


©2010


My Opinion:
There are six stories to be sampled in this book. Out of the six, half disinterest me, the other half I'm keen on reading.
After reading Burning Up earlier this month, I was a new fan of Meljean Brook. She is one of the authors in the sampler. Ironically with the book next in line in the series that I read in Burning Up. So I was pleasantly surprised.
Let me break down the six for you, real quick:
1. Stormwalker - Allyson James; Wasn't a fan of what I read.
2. Night Myst - Yasmine Galenorn; This is everything I could hope for in a paranormal story! Can't wait to read it!
3. Siren's Call - Devyn Quinn; I liked the premise, but wasn't sold on the story.
4. Blood on Silk - Marie Traenor; I wanted so much more from this, though the steam factor is a ten! Not a favorite though.
5. The Iron Duke - Meljean Brook; I previously mentioned my love of finding this here so you know I was keen to read even a sample. It didn't disappoint either. I will add, surprisingly not my #1 out of these six.
6. Eternal Hunger - Laura Wright; I think they saved the best for last. Was my favorite pick out of the sampler.
So there you have it. The bold ones I liked and want to read. But all-in-all was a nice sample of paranormal activity!

3.5/5


~I received my copy as part of a gift I won. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

A To Z: Starts With C

Host


Rules:
Go to your stack of books
Find an author whose first or last name starts with the letter of the week

Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back to Reading At The Beach and leave your link in the comments.
5~ If you've already reviewed the book, add the link.

Authors: First or Last name starts with "C"


Edward Curry - 2012 Maya End Date: A New Beginning

Synopsis:
Fascinating and Mystical history of the future of the amazing Maya, regarding the so-called Maya End Date of December 21, 2012. Many believe this date heralds the end of humanity. Maybe, maybe not. Ideas, suspense and love abound in this exotic Maya setting. Discover how Precession and 2012 may affect you in ways you would never expect and increase your zest for life.

Giveaway: Sin Undone - Larissa Ione

Synopsis:
As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she'll die before she'll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin's innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.
Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she's no stranger: He's bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld's most wanted and Con soon learns he's the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.


Thank you to Anna & Hachette Book Group for the giveaway! I have 5 copies up for grabs! Here is what you need to do to enter:

OPEN TO US & CANADA
NO P.O BOXES


Mandatory Entry:
Comment on the book, and leave an email address.

Additional Entries:
+1 Follower via Google Friend Connect, on sidebar (MUST be public profile to count)
+1 Facebook like Freda's Voice (leave first name, last initial to count, in a separate comment)
+1 Join my Blog Frog Community (leave Blog Frog name so I can find you, in a separate comment)
+1 Follow me on Networked Blogs (on sidebar, or click link, leave name in a separate comment.)
+1 Follow my Twitter, (leave Twitter user name, in a separate comment)
+1 Tweet or Blog, (leave link in separate comment)

(copy & paste twitter message:)
SIN UNDONE #giveaway @fredalicious Ends Sept 7, OPEN TO US & CANADA http://bit.ly/buZ7o0


Easy as 1-2-3! Ends September 7, 11:59 pm, est.

Teaser

Host

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall open to a random page.
* Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given.
* Please avoid spoilers!


My Teaser:

I had run upstairs, where the adults were having cocktails, several times, saying, "You need to come down and see this, I think what happening is really special," to which they smiled and sent me on my way, maybe coming down one at a time, drinks tinkling in their hands, to see what I was up to. Oh, a football game, how cute.

~ Page 96, Bermuda Shorts - James J. Patterson

A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" - Chloe Rhodes

Synopsis:
Carpe Diem and Become a Word Connoisseur!
English is filled with a smorgasbord of foreign words and phrases that have entered our language from many sources -- some from as far back as the Celts. A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi," which tells the story of how many of these expressions came to be commonly used in English, will both amaze and amuse language lovers everywhere. You'll be fascinated to learn, for instance, that . . .
* ketchup began life as a spicy pickled fish sauce called koechiap in seventeenth-century China?
* honcho came from the Japanese word hancho, which means squad chief? The word was brought to the United States sometime during the 1940s by soldiers who had served in Japan.
* dungarees comes from the Hindi word dungri, the thick cotton cloth used for sails and tents in India?
Organized alphabetically for easy reference, A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" tells the little-known origin of some of these thousands of foreign words and phrases -- from aficionado to zeitgeist. Inside, you'll find translations, definitions, origins, and lively descriptions of each item's evolution into our everyday discourse. With this whimsical little book, you'll be ready to throw out a foreign word or phrase at your next party, lending your conversation with, well, a certain je ne sais quoi.


©2010


My Opinion:
I loved everything about this book. I love language books, especially books that study the origin of words, so this book for me was a treat!
A lot of the words inside I was familiar with, and even some of their origins, but there were a few new words to me too. I know that I am going to try to use these words in my extended vocabulary now.
This is a really great book for English lovers, language lovers, or people with general curiosity. Though I don't think a book for everyone, I do think everyone could benefit from it.

3/5


~I received a copy from FSB Associates. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Winner Announcement

I picked winners using Random.org


Drum roll please...


Original Post






Who won?


#51 Jennifer L.
#19 Shirley
#5 Busy Working Mama



I have emailed the winners. Thanks to all who entered!

Commenters of the Week

(Stats updated every Sunday)

Welcome to another addition of Top Commenters. These are the people who had wonderful things to say this past week. Though I appreciate every single person who peruses the blog, these commenters made this past week special.


* Squirrel Queen
* Darlyn
* carolsnotebook
* Juju Tales at Whimsy.com

Still Missing - Chevy Stevens

Synopsis:
On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.
Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.
Still Missing is that rare debut find--a shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted debut novel.


©2010


My Opinion:
Wow!
For a debut author, Chevy knocked my socks off!
I really loved this book, and absorbed every word of it. The entire story had me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what happened next, and who did it. Oh my gosh, the ending... was amazing! Totally not a thing in my wildest dreams, but exactly what happened. I love this book. I really do.
I hope this isn't the last I read from Chevy. She has a gift.
For sure the one to beat for August!

5/5


~I received a copy from LibraryThing. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington - Tricia Goyer & Ocieanna Fleiss (TOUR & TWITTER CONTEST)

Synopsis:
The war has stolen Rosalie’s fiancé, Vic, from her forever. But rather than wallow, Rosalie distracts herself by cramming her days full of activity—mainly by shooting rivets into the B-17 bombers that will destroy the enemy.
When a reporter dubs her “Seattle's Own Rosie the Riveter,” even more responsibility piles up. Her strong arms bear all this, but when intense feelings surface for Kenny, the handsome, kind-hearted, and spiritually unwavering reporter, the fear of losing another love propels Rosalie to leave.
It’s only when Rosalie realizes that God has brought her to this place—and this person—for a reason, the sparkling grace of God compels her to let go of her own strength and lean on His, as well as open her heart to love.


Author Bios:

Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty-four books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife. For more on Tricia visit www.triciagoyer.com

Ocieanna Fleiss is a published writer and has edited six of Tricia Goyer’s historical novels. She lives with her husband and their four children in the Seattle area. For more about Ocieanna visit her blog.


Buy the Book HERE


©2010


Other Tour Stops Today:
My Reading Room
A Few More Pages
New Horizon Reviews
The IE Mommy


CONTEST INFO:
TWITTER ONLY NOT FOR HERE
Tricia is giving away 5 Victory Prize packs during the blog tour. This contest is open to both you and your blog readers so please share it in your blog post too. That info can be found on this blog post (which will be live on August 14th). http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/2010/08/win-victory-prize-pack.html


My Opinion:
Tricia Goyer is one of my favorite Christian authors, so when I had the opportunity to read another book from her, I jumped at it. I was not disappointed either.
This book was fantastic!
I really loved this collaboration between Tricia and Oceanna, to come up with some lovable characters that you find yourself attached to. I couldn't wait to get the book in my hands and read on about Rosie the Riveter and the reporter, Kenny. They were a match made in heaven, truly!
This is one of the best historical christian romances I have read yet! Definitely worthy of a recommendation!!

(5/5)


~I received a copy from LitFuse. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Quote It

Welcome to Quote It!
Please feel free to grab the button and create your own post.
Add as many quotes as you wish, from whom ever you wish. It can even be lyrics to a song.
Just tell us who it is. Anonymous welcome too.
And please leave your link.


* By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
~ Benjamin Franklin, (1706-1790, One of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat.)


* As you travel down life's highway... whatever be your goal, you cannot sell a doughnut without acknowledging the hole.
~ Harold J. Shayler


* Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening.
~ Dorothy Sarnoff, (1914-2008, American operatic soprano, musical theatre actress, and self-help guru.)