Books in the House Monday - 5 Mar 2012

From B&N for my Nook (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/NOOK-Book-eBook-store):

PATIENT ZERO: A Joe Ledger Novel #1 - Jonathan Maberry, thriller

A DUTY TO THE DEAD: Bess Crawford Mystery #1 - Charles Todd, mystery

FOR I HAVE SINNED: A Charlie Davidson Story - Darynda Jones, UF

From High Crimes Mystery Bookshop (http://www.highcrimesbooks.com/):

HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY: A Party Planning Mystery #1 - Penny Warner

Last Night's John Connolly Book Signing Event

Lady K and I had a lot of fun last night at the book signing for John Connolly http://www.johnconnollybooks.com/, author of the Charlie Parker series as well as several other excellent thrillers http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/john-connolly/. I came loaded with two books from Mt Git'r'Read and bought more (of course) from Cynthia's stacks that she brought from her shop, High Crimes Mystery Bookshop http://www.highcrimesbooks.com/ . John was a sweetie and didn't have any kind of limit on how many books he'd sign or how long he'd visit. Good thing, too, since Lady K was pitching story ideas and enjoying chatting with the nice "He really doesn't sound Irish" guy.

We were treated to an hour of John chatting about his writing, his new book, he read from notes for his new book, stories from real life that are stranger than fiction. All in that lovely Irish accent...like I said, he could have read from the phone book and I'd have been fine. But the evening was so much better.

John Connolly is Visiting High Crimes Mystery Bookshop Tonight

Going to see John Connolly (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/john-connolly/) this evening at Oriental and Navajo Rug Gallery in Longmont CO tonight at 7pm. This is where Cynthia, owner of High Crimes Mystery Bookshop (http://www.highcrimesbooks.com/ ) has her author visits since she's no longer a brick and mortar shop, but still as available as can be for your book buying needs.

Hope to see you there!

BOOKS IN THE HOUSE MONDAY - 25 April 2011

From Becky @ NoMoreGrumpyBookseller:

TRACKING THE TEMPEST: Jane True #2 - Nicole Peeler, UF, MPB

BONES OF A FEATHER: Sarah Booth Delaney #11 - Carolyn Haines, Southern mystery, ARC (release date of 21 June)

B&N (due to fun on BittenByBooks):

GREEN-EYED DEMON: Sabina Kane #3 - Jaye Wells, UF, MPB

BittenByBooks win:

HOURGLASS: Evernight #3 - Claudia Gray, YA paranormal, HB

High Crimes Mystery Bookshop:

AFTER HOURS: Tales from the UR-Bar - anthology edited by Joshua Palmatier and Patricia Bray, UF, MPB

LICENSE TO ENSORCELL - Katharine Kerr, UF, MPB

HAUNTING JORDAN: Port Chatham Mystery #1 - P J Alderman, paranormal amateur sleuth, MPB

GHOST SHIP: Port Chatham Mystery #2 - P J Alderman, paranormal amateur sleuth, MPB

FALSE MERMAID: Nora Gavin #3 - Erin Hart, suspense, TPB

FORCE OF HABIT: A Falcone & Driscoll Investigation - Alice Loweecy, suspense, TPB

VAMPIRES: The Recent Undead - anthology edited by Paula Guran

MASTER AND APPRENTICE: Gavyn Donatti Novel - Sonya Bateman

Gavyn Donatti was used to being freakishly unlucky as in the worst thief ever. Well, good thief, but unlucky in outcome. Then he met Ian the djinn who is Donatti's great-great-great...etc grandfather and the Donatti luck changed to reasonably okay. Especially when they were both on the hunt for the evil djinn tribe that had basically wiped out Ian's tribe.

The the luck went back to bad and it's affecting everything in Gavyn's life. His truck is wrecked after a head on with a moose, Ian starts drinking beer. Absolutely worst of all, his family is driven away and they need to rescue Princess Akila who has been kidnapped by beyond evil half-breed djinn supremacists.

I like watching Gavyn and how he keeps on keepin' on protecting his loved ones and responsibilities. Even when the injuries keep on comin', he makes himself do what needs doing. Sonya Bateman doesn't sugarcoat the injuries either nor make Donatti into a Superman. He's injured, he hurts, he stumbles. He grows with his newfound abilities, learns as he goes and gets tougher even if he doesn't admit to it.

It may be just me (but I doubt it), I got invested in everything that happened to Gavyn, Ian, Jazz, Akila, Cyrus, the characters I cared most about. I sat at my desk crying at some points and other times wanting to reach inside the computer and to wheal some whoop-ass on some evil djinn half-breed azzwipes.

That is excellent writing, making the reader give a good damn about the characters.

We get more of the history of Ian and Akila's relationship, too. It's a lovely story, a romance and love for the ages.

I love Cyrus, the young son of Jazz and Gavyn. He's a toddler doll and has inherited his father's djinn qualities. Jazz realizes she now has to not only worry about potty-training, but the fact that Cy has magical abilities like turning invisible. That's a hard one to deal with in a toddler when all you figured you needed to teach was stop eating the dirt and don't stick your finger in the light socket.

And, ohhhh....the WTF moments abounded...absolutely loud ones....

Favorite quote:

"I wasn't exactly claustrophobic---just allergic to being trapped."

I received MASTER AND APPRENTICE from Sonya Bateman...thank you Sonya! It will be released 29 Mar 2011....get it here on B&N or here at Amazon or your favorite indie bookshop. Mine are High Crimes or Mystery Lovers Bookshop.

Five big djinn magic diamonds......

Books in the House - Monday - 8 Nov 2010

From High Crimes Mystery Bookshop:

MAMA RIDES SHOTGUN: Mace Bauer Mystery #2 - Deborah Sharp, funny cozy mystery

GRAVE WITCH - Kalayna Price, UF

KIDNAP & RANSOM - Michelle Gagnon, suspense

From Mystery Lovers Bookshop (using my giftcard I won thanks to Ellery Adams contest she had on Cozy Chicks blog)

MURDER AT THE PTA - Laura Alden, cozy mystery

MURDER FOR CHRIST'S MASS: Templar Knight Mystery - Maureen Ash, historical mystery

MERRY, MERRY GHOST - Carolyn Hart, paranormal cozy mystery

FUNDRAISING THE DEAD - Sheila Connelly, cozy mystery

DELICIOUS AND SUSPICIOUS: A Memphis BBQ Mystery - Riley Adams, cozy mystery

...and a very sweet freebie from this fab bookshop:

MAMA DOES TIME: A Mace Bauer Mystery - Deborah Sharp

Books in the House - Monday 9 Aug 2010

It's been a bit since I've had the time or the books in the house to post much..so now it's all in one fell book swoop
From the very sweet Jeanne Stein, the latest magnet to my collection with the cover of the next Anna Strong, CHOSEN...out 31 Aug!!

Thanks to a contest on Paranormality blog, I won the above very cool packet from author Carrie Eicher

I also received:

From Mary Ann:

RED DELICIOUS DEATH - Sheila Connelly, MPB, cozy

From Cassie:

PRETTY POISON - Joyce and Jim Lavene, cozy

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEED: Haunted Guesthouse Mystery #1 - E J Copperman, cozy

Schwag from Chloe Neill (have a book on the way, too, I think)

I've been Twice Bitten bracelet

Cadogan House coaster

Chicagoland vampires pen (love pens!)

some very cool bookmarks

My order from High Crimes:

HUNTED BY THE OTHERS - Jess Haines, MPB, UF

AVENGING ANGELS - Mary Stanton, MPB, paranormal mystery

A CAST-OFF COVEN - Juliet Blackwell, MPB, paranormal mystery

A TIMELY VISION - Joyce and Jim Levine, cozy paranormal, MPB

PAPER TOWNS - John Green, narr Dan John Miller

From the back of the BOCD: Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life--dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge--he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues--and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

Printz medalist John Green returns with the brilliant wit and searing emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of listeners.

*************************

Cynthia from High Crimes sent this to me not long ago as a gimme in one of my orders. It was a book that was mentioned by Lori Armstrong as a highly recommended YA read at her book signing hosted by Cynthia in February. Cynthia listened to it and concurred and knew that I'd like it too.

She was correct. I listened to it on the roadtrip to Kansas last week and it was perfect. There's a roadtrip towards the end of the book, a crazy long roadtrip that brings out the true nature of friendship.

Q is a fairly typical high school senior in Florida. Getting ready to graduate, get ready for college, hanging with his friends, in love from afar the girl of his dreams....

Girl of his dreams goes a little nuts one night and takes Q along with for the ride on her revenge tour around town.

And then disappears..leaving clues behind for Q to follow and find her. He asks his friends, old and new, to help him find the elusive Margo.

It's an intriguing story of friendship and loyalty and road trips....

Four intriguing road trip beans.....

Books in the House Monday - 17 May 2010

A really nice cache o' books this past week!!

From Becky at NoMoreGrumpyBookseller, I won:
THE SECRET SPEECH - Tom Rob Smith, TPB, suspense

High Crimes Mystery Bookshop (my go-to indie mystery bookshop) order:
FARM FRESH MURDER:A Farmer's Market Mystery - Paige Shelton-Ferrell, MPB, amateur sleuth mystery
LEAD-PIPE CINCH: Georgiana Neverall Mystery - Christy Evans, MPB, amateur sleuth mystery
OPEN SEASON: Joe Pickett series #1 - C J Box, MPB, suspense, signed copy for the Keeper Shelf
....and Cynthia included a sweet surprise for me:
PAPER TOWNS - John Green, BOCD, YA mystery

Lori Armstrong Book Signing Pics

This is Lori Armstrong, signing my copy of BLOOD TIES, the first in her Julie Collins thriller mystery series...this also nicely shows a good (albeit upside) view of NO MERCY, Lori's first book in her new Mercy Gunderson thriller series.
She gave a super talk about where she lives (in Rapid City, South Dakota), why she lives there (she likes it), the writing process ( she needs to be on her computer that has only a word processing, no internet distractions), the research process and how she is not a gun expert, nor a very good shot even if the family business is the firearms industry.
She also writes under the pen name of Lorelai James. She writes erotic love stories set in the Wild West. Schnikees dudettes! Go to her site if only for the hot patootie eye candy! I mean WUH-HOOF!

And hey! I got to meet one of my absolute favorite bloggers, Becky, of No More Grumpy Bookseller !! I've been following her for a while now and was so glad to see her at the book signing. Bless her, she let me babble happily along, agreed to a picture for blogger posterity, and stood outside in the chill to chat some more. It's excellent meeting a fellow bookaholic with highly similar taste in reading material.
Thank you, Cynthia of High Crimes, for hosting Lori for Wed night's fun and thank you to Oriental & Navajo Rug Company for the space for Cynthia to use for her book signings. Very much going back there with DH. He's going to love it.

Lori Armstrong Book Signing Info

Lori Armstrong is going to be up in my neck of the Colorado woods tomorrow night. She will be signing her latest book, NO MERCY, at Oriental & Navajo Rug at 927 Main Street in Longmont CO Wed 3 Feb 2010 at 7pm.

Cynthia of High Crimes Mystery Bookshop is hosting the event and going to be bringing lots of Lori's books for us to have Lori sign!!

Support Your Indie Bookseller Day

My absolute favorite indie bookshop, High Crimes Mystery Bookshop in Boulder CO, is no longer an actual building where you can wander the floor, get ideas from Cynthia and look at the shelves of books, touch them, page through, and then buy. Nope, Cynthia had to close the doors due to the crazy cost of keeping an independent shop open, especially in Boulder CO on Pearl Street. However, High Crimes Mystery Bookshop is available online! Click that link for access to a whole bunch of mystery. Cynthia can find just about any book, all genres, for you even if it's not in the listing. She has a Book of the Month deal that I have been using the last few years for Christmas presents for my dad and my sister. They get a book a month tailored to their taste. How neat is that for a mystery diggin' friend or relative to have that to look forward to!

All that said, today I am placing my own order with Cynthia, in support of Indie Bookseller Day...and to add to Mt Git'r'Read.....Now you go out and find your local indie bookseller and do some shopping and supporting!!

I Will Miss High Crimes Mystery Bookshop

A sad weekend for local area mystery book lovers....High Crimes Mystery Bookshop in Boulder CO closed its doors. The very last day of store business was Saturday. I was able to make it in last Wednesday after my root canal. I thought some shopping therapy might help and I was right. I came out loaded to the gills with two bags of used books ($1 per bag), free ARCs and 5 or 6 she had from my wishlist as well as THE DEVIL'S FOOTPRINTS - Amanda Stevens that I had asked Cynthia to order for me. It arrived in time for my visit.

The wonderful thing is Cynthia will still be available via the internet. We can order books through her and she will gladly help us out. I will miss the wandering of the shelves and finding treasures and new to me authors, though. Cynthia will still have her book-a-month subscription available, YAY. I love having that for my gifts for my dad and my sister.

I won't need to go book shopping for a while. I can catch up with Mt Git'r'Read and make a dent, but I don't like the reason. I will miss High Crimes.