Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Should be Reading 

  • 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 & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Hot SummerHot Summer by Judy Powell

Synopsis:

A hot-tempered spitfire and a strong-willed arrogant man – put them together and sparks fly!

After her first embarrassing encounter Summer Jones vows to stay away from suave, sexy and oh, so arrogant record producer, Lance Munroe. But then she ends up working for the man. Her quick temper and sharp tongue keep landing her in hot water with him but no matter how hard she tries she can’t deny her growing attraction for him. Then they go on a business trip to Jamaica – and that’s when things get really hot!

Lance is intrigued by the feisty woman who practically tells him off the first time they meet. When they begin working together he realizes how much he enjoys the challenge of taming the little tigress. But, before he knows it, he’s the one caught in the snare of passion. The tables are turned – the tigress has tamed the lion.

If you love a sizzling romance, follow Summer and Lance from Chicago to Jamaica and be swept away in the thrill of their hot summer.

Teaser is from page 95

“Summer, please,” His voice was gentle, almost pleading.  Suddenly, he pulled her upright to stand before him.  Her handbag feel to the ground.  He wrapped his strong arms around her quivering body and pulled her to his broad chest.  Heaving sobs shook her body but he held her close, stroking her wild curls and whispering softly in her ears.  “It’s okay, it’s okay.  Everything’s alright now.”

That is my teaser for this week what do you have for me?

Author Interview with Daniel O’Brien

1.       Tell us a bit about yourself and your books.

I work as an editor for a magazine, in addition to being a graduate student. My novels are kind of all over the place, whether it is fantasy or horror, science fiction or philosophy. I love to write, and as such my novels have a tendency to be pretty eclectic.

2.       It looks like you have been doing a ton of writing what advice do you have for someone who wants to give it a try?

Do what you love. Write, write, and then write some more. Everyone wants to be a famous writer, but loving what you write is so much more rewarding. Set real goals and then complete them. Getting published in the current market is completely different than it has been in decades past.

3.       If you had to pick one genre to write in for the rest of your writing career what would it be and why?

I would probably choose fantasy because of the flexibility it affords a writer. You can create worlds, redefine paradigms, and generally do whatever you please as long as it stays internally consistent. I have always loved fantasy novels, so it certainly wouldn’t be unappealing to write what I love for the rest of my life.

4.       What is your biggest challenge writing or editing?

I would say editing my own work is the most difficult, simply because I cannot see the errors as easily. I enjoying the writing process more, but I love to edit other people’s work.

5.       All of your books seems to be in different genres, do you find this challenging or is it easy to switch it up?

I find it pretty easy to switch up genres on the fly. The variation in genres is a function of writing what strikes me at any given time. I try to stay true to the craft and allow characters to take me where they want to go.

6.       Describe each of your story in 5 words each.

The Ocean and the Hourglass: Water. Adventure. Friendship. Courage. Rewarding.

Bitten: Werewolves. Love. Mystery. Horror. Chilling.

Cerulean Dreams: Dystopian. Experimental. Futuristic. Twist. Adventure.

The Journey: Philosophical. Syllogism. Dialectical. Fantasy. Epic.

A couple of fun this or that

Coffee or Tea: Tea

Black or White: Black

Day or Night: Night

Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate

Cookies or Cake: cake

Name: The Ocean and the Hourglass

Genre: YA Fantasy

Available formats: Print and eBook

Pages (in print): 251

Available on Amazon: Yes

ISBN (print):  9781467972352

Publisher: Create Space/Kindle Direct

Publishing Year: 2011

Price: 12.95 (Print), 3.99 (Kindle)

Available formats for review: PDF, Gifted through Amazon, Print Copy

Links for purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Hourglass-Dan-OBrien/dp/1467972355/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322710738&sr=8-1  [Amazon Print Copy]

http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Hourglass-ebook/dp/B005M6QBGY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322710738&sr=8-2  [Kindle Copy]

https://www.createspace.com/3730105  [Create Space Print Copy]

Synopsis: Dreams are not for the faint of heart, they are for the brave to follow. A Book, an Hourglass. Nicholas had always dreamt of faraway places, distant lands beyond imagination. Wandering into the library on a cold day, he finds an adventure that he had not been looking for. Transported to a distant world, Nicholas finds himself involved in sweeping adventures of a broken and lost kingdom. Filled with sea giants and ancient cities, the young man soon finds that the adventure was greater than he could have ever imagined.

Name: Cerulean Dreams

Genre: Science Fiction

Available formats: Print and eBook

Pages (in print): 345

Available on Amazon: Yes

ISBN (print): 9781467971201

Publisher: Create Space/Kindle Direct

Publishing Year: 2011

Price: 14.95 (Print), 3.99 (Kindle)

Available formats for review: PDF, Gifted through Amazon, Print Copy

Links for purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/Cerulean-Dreams-ebook/dp/B005S9ZKLM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322711173&sr=1-1  [Kindle Copy]

https://www.createspace.com/3730108  [Create Space Print Copy]

http://www.amazon.com/Cerulean-Dreams-Dan-OBrien/dp/1467971200/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1322843279&sr=8-7  [Amazon Print Copy]

Synopsis: Orion, the last city of men. Deep within the desert, a secret lay waiting. Young women found dead in the street. A corporation that controls the sleep of a populace that never sees the light of day. Alexander Marlowe seeks to unravel the mysteries of Orion as he helps a young girl, Dana, flee the city. The closer they come to the truth, the greater the danger that hunts them. Follow them as they search beyond the boundaries of everything they have ever known for answers.

 

Name: Bitten

Genre: Horror/Urban Fantasy/Mystery

Available formats: Print and eBook

Pages (in print): 274

Available on Amazon: Yes

ISBN (print): 9781467972321

Publisher: Create Space/Kindle Direct

Publishing Year: 2011

Price: 12.95 (Print), 3.99 (Kindle)

Available formats for review: PDF, Gifted through Amazon, Print Copy

Links for purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/Bitten-Lauren-Westlake-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B005METJLU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322711693&sr=1-1  [Kindle Copy]

https://www.createspace.com/3730106  [Create Space Print Copy]

http://www.amazon.com/Bitten-Dan-OBrien/dp/1467972320/ref=tmm_pap_title_0   [Amazon Print Copy]

Synopsis: A predator stalks a cold northern Minnesotan town. There is talk of wolves walking on two legs and attacking people in the deep woods. Lauren Westlake, resourceful and determined F.B.I Agent, has found a connection between the strange murders in the north and a case file almost a hundred years old. Traveling to the cold north, she begins an investigation that spirals deep into the darkness of mythology and nightmares. Filled with creatures of the night and an ancient romance, the revelation of who hunts beneath the moon is more grisly than anyone could have imagined.

Name: The Journey

Genre: Fantasy/Philosophy/Metaphysical

Available formats: Print and eBook

Pages (in print): 176

Available on Amazon: Yes

ISBN (print): 9781467971188

Publisher: Create Space/Kindle Direct

Publishing Year: 2011

Price: 8.95 (Print), 2.99 (Kindle)

Available formats for review: PDF, Gifted through Amazon, Print Copy

Links for purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Journey-ebook/dp/B005MEND1M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322711986&sr=1-1  [Kindle Copy]

https://www.createspace.com/3730109  [Create Space Print Copy]

http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Dan-OBrien/dp/1467971189/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322727439&sr=1-4  [Amazon Print Copy]

Synopsis: The Frozen Man. The Translucent Man. The Burning Man. The Wicker Man. The guide known only as the Crossroads, together these are the signposts and totems of the world that the being called the Lonely inhabits. Seeking out the meaning of his journey, the Lonely is a being consumed by philosophical inquiry and adventure. Filled with exotic places and age-old questions, the Journey is a book that seeks to merge the fantastical and real. Join the Lonely as he seeks out answers to his own existence and perhaps the meaning for us all.

Review: Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

Explosive Eighteen (Stephanie Plum Series #18)Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

  • ISBN-13: 9780345527714
  • Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 11/22/2011
  • Pages: 320
  • Source: Borrowed

Synopsis:

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home, in this dynamite novel by Janet Evanovich.
 
Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, and she’s flying back to New Jersey solo. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could be anyone. And a ragtag collection of thugs and psychos, not to mention the FBI, are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.
 
Only one other person has seen the missing photo—Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. With the help of an FBI sketch artist Stephanie re-creates the person in the photo. Unfortunately the first sketch turns out to look like Tom Cruise, and the second sketch like Ashton Kutcher. Until Stephanie can improve her descriptive skills, she’ll need to watch her back.
 
Over at the bail bonds agency things are going from bad to worse. The bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke. Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their largest skip yet. Lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment. And everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?

Morelli, Trenton’s hottest cop, isn’t talking about Hawaii. Ranger, the man of mystery, isn’t talking about Hawaii.  And all Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is . . . It’s complicated.

My Thoughts:

I was a little worried about this series after book number 17, but I was pleased that Explosive Eighteen redeemed my feelings about Stephanie and her wild antics.  For me this book was back to what I first loved about the series and that is a fun and entertaining read, simply said.  Yes, there are not as many gags and banter in the book but that was all that book 17 was so in my opinion it was welcome.  There was also considerably less Morelli and and Ranger.  I don’t know if this is good or bad but it simple is.  Yes, they make some appearance but are not the heart of the story.  And the interaction are certainly more PG than they have been since very early on in the series, too much for me.

One issue I have had with this series for a very long time is that I feel like Stephanie would have to have gotten better at her job somewhere along the line or she would no longer have a job, family business or not.  She seems to make the same stupid mistakes book after book.  I am really over the whole thing but I know that if she wasn’t it would be hard to tie in Ranger and Morelli.  I just wish that she would improve a little bit at least.

As far as the writing itself, Janet Evanovich never fails to bring a solid story to the table with well developed plot and decent character development.  That being said I am ready for Stephanie to develop more as a person.  I don’t know what it is going to take but I feel like something needs to give.

My Rating:

3 Penguins – I am ready for more and some decisions to be made.