While The Savage Sleeps by Andrew E. Kaufman

About the book: Strange things are happening in Faith, New Mexico. People are disappearing and for others it's far worse. The body count is rising, the pressure is mounting, and the clock is ticking as they rush to uncover a dangerous secret hiding just below the surface of this all-American town one that's threatening to destroy Faith and everyone in it. One they must hunt down quickly. 

About the author: Andrew E. Kaufman is a freelance writer and author living in Southern California, along with his Labrador Retrievers, a horse, and a very bossy Jack Russell Terrier (who, incidentally, thinks she owns the place). His new novel, While the Savage Sleeps, a forensic paranormal mystery, takes place in the fictional town of Faith, New Mexico. It is currently available on Kindle, where it has remained in the top ten of Amazon's Bestseller's List.After receiving his journalism and political science degrees at San Diego State University, Andrew began his writing career as an Emmy-nominated writer/producer, working at KFMB-TV, the CBS affiliate in San Diego, then at KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. For more than ten years, he produced special series and covered many nationally known cases, including the O.J. Simpson Trial. He also has written stories for the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, the most recent of which is due out later this year.
For more information about Andrew and his work, please visit: andrewekaufman.com 

My Thoughts: It's been a while since I've actually shed a tear in a book. This book isn't one of those tear jerkers but the ending was so complete and emotional, I had to cry a little. I really enjoyed reading While the Savage Sleeps. It was suspenseful, thrilling and I was glad that the love interest wasn't over the top. The story had a very interesting plot and from the first chapter you are pulled in. It also didn't give any time to predict and speculate how the ending would be because it moved so fast. There were times where I went over and over in my mind how I thought the book would end and the cause of all the murders, but by the end of the book I Knew I would have never guessed it right. The author made me want to do some research because the cause of the murders seemed so believable. I really liked this book and would encourage readers to take a stab at it.

I GIVE THIS:

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.

Totally Postal Thursday

A few big things happened this last week. I finished school, Barnes and Noble came out with a Nook Color and I burned my thumb skin off trying to make a costume. Besides all that, I was good this week...okay maybe, maybe not...LOL. Here's my list this week for Totally Postal Thursday.

• Vixen - Jillian Larkin (ARC from Barnes and Noble for their First Look book club)
• Do Witches Make Fishes - Jason Mayo (Children's book for review)
• Haunted - Scott Nicholson
• The Players (Earth - The Arena #1) - Robert Dennis Wilson
• Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons - Lorna Landvik
• Untamed (House of Night Series #4) - P.C Cast *NOTE: I blame my BFF for this one...LMAO...Love you Pam

So what made you totally postal this week? You can make a post on your own blog List all the books you’ve received since last Friday and then tell us how you got them and where on your TBR list they will be and then link up (direct URL, please) here:

Whatcha Reading Wednesday

Whatcha Reading Wednesday brought to you by Busy Moms who Love To Read. This is my first time participating but I always read what she has. This week's says: Type in the first full sentence on the page that you are currently reading your book.

"Midnight had come and gone." - While the Savage Sleeps - Andrew E Kaufman

Random Thought - 10/25/2010

I haven't posted a random thought in a long time. Not that I haven't had any but tonight is a special one for me. I submitted my last paper and presentation for my program. I can breathe now and READ more...AAAAHHHH!!!

The Red Church by Scott Nicholson

About the Book: For 13-year-old Ronnie Day, life is full of problems: Mom and Dad have separated, his brother Tim is a constant pest, Melanie Ward either loves him or hates him, and Jesus Christ won't stay in his heart. Plus he has to walk past the red church every day, where the Bell Monster hides with its wings and claws and livers for eyes. But the biggest problem is that Archer McFall is the new preacher at the church, and Mom wants Ronnie to attend midnight services with her.

Sheriff Frank Littlefield hates the red church for a different reason. His little brother died in a freak accident at the church twenty years ago, and now Frank is starting to see his brother's ghost. And the ghost keeps demanding, "Free me." People are dying in Whispering Pines, and the murders coincide with McFall's return.

The Days, the Littlefields, and the McFalls are descendants of the original families that settled the rural Appalachian community. Those old families share a secret of betrayal and guilt, and McFall wants his congregation to prove its faith. Because he believes he is the Second Son of God, and that the cleansing of sin must be done in blood.

"Sacrifice is the currency of God," McFall preaches, and unless Frank and Ronnie stop him, everybody pays.

About the Author: Scott Nicholson is author of 12 novels, including Speed Dating with the Dead, The Skull Ring, and Drummer Boy. He's also written six story collections, six screenplays, and four comics series. He lives in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, where he works as a journalist and freelance editor. He is an organic gardener and guitar player when not writing. Visit www.hauntedcomputer.com for free fiction excerpts, audio files, art, and writing advice.

My thoughts: I can’t remember the last time I read a book that creeped me out and made me want to stop reading but wanted to continue reading at the same time. This is what Scott Nicholson’s ‘The Red Church’ did for me. From the beginning of the story I was pulled in and engaged. There was no one person in the story that was more important than the next and each played a part in how the story played out. The author brought together the past and the present very well. One of the things I liked the best about The Red Church was that it was not predictable at all. I would have never imagined the story would have ended the way it did.

Scott Nicholson is going to be added to my list of favorite authors and possibly my favorite from the horror genre.

I GIVE THIS BOOK

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.

Totally Postal Thursday

This last week was a good week, I didn't purchase as many books. I've been waiting for an ARC from B&N so that I can participate in their First Look book club. I haven't received it yet but I almost ripped my husband a new one earlier in the week because I thought he was hoarding the mail in his car and my package was in there, but it wasn't. I haven't been reading as much as I hoped but after next week I will be able to :-) So this week I will have a short list for you. Here's my 'Totally Postal Thursday' list:

• Notes From Out of the Shadows - Word Snapshots of a Mind Journey, a book of Poetry and Prose - Garnet June with Helen Ellena
• All Points North - Shelby R. Lee III
• While the Savage Sleeps - Andrew E Kaufman
• Slights - Kaaron Warren
• Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
• Sandman Slim - Richard Kadrey
• The Ghost Shrink, the Accidental Gigolo, & the Poltergeist Accountant - Vivi Andrews

So what made you totally postal this week? You can make a post on your own blog List all the books you’ve received since last Friday and then tell us how you got them and where on your TBR list they will be and then link up (direct URL, please) here:

Friday Blog Hop

This week's blog hop is brought to us from Crazy For Books.

The Rules for Blog Hop Friday are:

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.
 
1.  Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below

In your link, please state the main genre that you review:  eclectic, contemp. fiction, ya, paranormal, mystery, non-fiction, etc. 

Please do not list every genre you review - if you are review a variety, please put eclectic!  The Hop gets jumbled up if the title is too long, so please limit to one genre.  I will be limiting the number of characters in the title to ensure the Hop doesn't look messy!  Thank you!

Example:  Crazy-for-Books (adult fiction) 

NOTE:   You no longer have to enter the length of time you've been blogging, but do let us know if this is your first time hopping with us!

2. Post about the Hop on your blog.  Spread the word about the book party!  The more the merrier!  In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!).  If you have a suggestion for a future HOP question, click here to fill out the form!  Thanks!

This week's question comes from Christina who blogs at The Paperback Princesses.

"When you read a book that you just can't get into, do you stick it out and keep reading or move to your next title?"

My Answer is: If I can't get into a book, I won't be able to continue to read it. If it is a book I received for review, I won't post a review on it I will let the necessary party know that I did not like the book and the review wouldn't be very favorable. 

Last To Die - Kate Brady

About the book: A ruthless killer hides in plain sight, someone no one believes is capable of murder. Within a week, six women will be murdered, all punished for their dark pasts. Detective Dani Cole is determined to track down this serial killer whose victims include a young woman she pulled out of a life of crime. Her investigation leads her to a photography foundation and the renowned photographer Mitch Sheridan, a man she fell in love with years ago but has tried to forget. Dani and Mitch are instantly attracted to each other again, though their troubled pasts keep them from getting too close. Together, through the course of the investigation, they unearth a dark chain of deception that leads to a killer who is closer than they think.

About the Author: Kate Brady has won or been a finalist in many writing contests, including the Golden Heart, the Maggies, and the Suzannah.

My Thoughts: Last to Die was a good mix of suspense, mystery and romance. Although Dani seemed like such an independent, stone-faced cop, seeming to not "need" anyone, she was very quick to lend a helping hand to others. The book was a fast and easy read. While reading the story, I felt like I was a fly on the wall in each scene and could visually experience what was happening. This is the first time I'm reading a book by Kate Brady. I was very impressed with the writing and the story. The flow was very smooth, even with the memories the characters had, it didn't feel like I was ever lost between past memories, conversations people had in their heads or the present. Kate Brady will be a new author added to my list.

I GIVE THIS:

 

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book given to me by Hachette Group. These opinions are my own without any influences.

Totally Postal Thursday

This last week was a good week. I participated in the read-a-thon and that was fun but I didn't get as much read as I wanted to. I thought some friends would have an intervention for me but no, so I continue to feed my addiction. Here's my 'Totally Postal Thursday' list:

Hunt at the Well of Eternity - Gabriel Hunt
The Maze Runner - James Dashner
Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help - Douglas Cooper
The Scars
Rooms - Emma Donahue
Darkness Stalks the Night - Bruce Blake
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

Barnes & Noble is EVIL....LMAO just kidding, I love that place

So what made you totally postal this week? You can make a post on your own blog List all the books you’ve received since last Friday and then tell us how you got them and where on your TBR list they will be and then link up (direct URL, please) here:

Fragile by Lisa Unger



About the book: Everybody knows everybody in The Hollows, a quaint, charming town outside of New York City. It’s a place where neighbors keep an eye on one another’s kids, where people say hello in the grocery store, and where high school cliques and antics are never quite forgotten. As a child, Maggie found living under the microscope of small-town life stifling. But as a wife and mother, she has happily returned to The Hollows’s insular embrace. As a psychologist, her knowledge of family histories provides powerful insights into her patients’ lives. So when the girlfriend of her teenage son, Rick, disappears, Maggie’s intuitive gift proves useful to the case—and also dangerous. 

Eerie parallels soon emerge between Charlene’s disappearance and the abduction of another local girl that shook the community years ago when Maggie was a teenager. The investigation has her husband, Jones, the lead detective on the case, acting strangely.  Rick, already a brooding teenager, becomes even more withdrawn.  In a town where the past is always present, nobody is above suspicion, not even a son in the eyes of his father.  

“I know how a moment can spiral out of control,” Jones says to a shocked Maggie as he searches Rick’s room for incriminating evidence. “How the consequences of one careless action can cost you everything.”

As she tries to reassure him that Rick embodies his father in all of the important ways, Maggie realizes this might be exactly what Jones fears most. Determined to uncover the truth, Maggie pursues her own leads into Charlene’s disappearance and exposes a long-buried town secret—one that could destroy everything she holds dear. This thrilling novel about one community’s intricate yet fragile bonds will leave readers asking, How well do I know the people I love? and How far would I go to protect them?

My Thoughts: Fragile brings to readers a story where a young girl goes missing for a 24 – 28 hour period. During this time, the past seems to be coming back to haunt a few of the people in the small town of Hollows.

The story begins with the town’s “hero” detective dumping something. Throughout the story when the young girl, Charlene, is abducted, we find out that over 20 years ago another young girl, Sarah was abducted and found dead 24 hours later. The Hollows is a small town, and Charlene’s abduction has cropped up memories for everyone, especially Melody, Charlene’s mom, Travis Crosby and Jones Cooper. Why would those three people seem affected more than anyone else, well because they somehow played a part in Sarah’s abduction and death years ago.

The inter-weaving story line between the present and the past was spectacularly written. There were no gaps and there was never a time where I felt like I missed something. The characters were very well developed. The author took their actions and personalities from the present and was able to show the audience, how and why they may have become the person they are now.

This is my first time reading this author and I must say I think I will have to add more of her books on my TBR list.

 I GIVE THIS BOOK:

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book given to me by Booksparks PR. These opinions are my own without any influences.

Read-a-thon Update

6:52 pm PST: I'm not even sure what hour it is of the read-a-thon. Considering I started late and not even realizing it started 8EST which is 5 my time. I began at 11 am my time and I just got done with my first book. Quite a bit of distractions, but I will need to take a break to do some school work and then on to my next book.

7:38 pm PST: Getting ready to start my next book - The Red Church by Scott Nicholson 

10:25 pm PST: Not very far into my second book. Have fallen asleep, not feeling well, but I think I got my second wind so I will press on through 

12:00 am PST: I'm still going on. Sleep is calling me but I'm going to try to keep going a little longer. Still haven't put much of a dent in this book. I think because I'm tired and not feeling well.

1:00 am PST: I fell asleep. I guess this means I should go on to bed. 

Here's how I did:
# of hours read: 13.5
# of books read: 2
# of pages read: 521
Books read: Undead & Unfinished; The Red Church


This was a great experience. Hopefully next time I will more prepared. Thanks to all the cheerleaders for cheering me on

24 Hour Read-A-Thon

I've never done a read-a-thon but I've stayed up for over 24 hours before. So what did I do, I signed up for Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-thon but now of course, I'm like YIKES. I am just going to try my best to read as long as I can and as much as I can and try to enjoy myself while reading. 

I have a list of books I'm thinking about and hoping some of you can help me choose a couple to start with. Here goes.

Totally Postal Thursday

Last week I thought I needed BBA therapy. I think I'm way past that point right now. I need a serious intervention. I keep saying I'm not buying anymore books until I read some of the ones on my TBR but I keep buying for my Nook and keep signing up for more review opportunities. So this week I have a pretty good list for 'Totally Postal Thursday'. Here goes:

Deadly Little Secrets (Touch Series #1) - Laurie Faria Stolarz
City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare
City of Glass - Cassandra Clare
Torment - Lauren Kate
Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvuist
As I Die Lying - Scott Nicholson
Windows to the Soul - J.M. Barlog
The Tle of Halcyon Crane - Wendy Webb

The Strain (Strain Trilogy #1) - Guillermo del Toro
Kell's Legend - Andy Remic

Barnes & Noble just opened up their PubIt where authors can self-publish electronic books directly to their website so I'm thinking I may be in trouble in the near future.

So what made you totally postal this week? You can make a post on your own blog List all the books you’ve received since last Friday and then tell us how you got them and where on your TBR list they will be and then link up (direct URL, please) here: