Immortal Warrior by Lisa Hendrix

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Berkley (November 4, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425224546
ISBN-13: 978-0425224540
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1 inches

About the book:

He came to England in search of treasure. Two hundred years later, he's found her...

Ivar Graycloak is a brave warrior, a man known for his strength and integrity. He is also a man with a terrible secret. Long ago he was part of a Viking crew cursed by an evil sorceress to live for eternity as a were-creatures. An eagle by day and a man by night, Ivar has lived a solitary existence for over two centuries. Then the king orders him to marry.

Lady Alaida is everything a man could want in a bride - intelligent, spirited, and beautiful - and their wedding night is a balm to Ivar's lonely spirit. Then a seer brings him word of a dark vision, one that makes Ivar vow to stay away from his lovely wife forever. But now that Ivar has sampled Alaida's passion, her humor and warmth, he is enthralled. His traitorous body - his very heart - longs for that which he can never possess.

Lady Alaida may surprise him yet, though, for she has a power of her own - a power that will either destroy everything they hold dear or ultimately set them free...

This is my favorite type of book, so I was thrilled at the opportunity to be able to review it for Lisa's virtual book tour. Two hundred years ago, a crew of Vikings were cursed by an evil sorceress. Their curse? To spend their days in animal form and their nights in human form. Each viking handles this curse differently, but for Ivo, he feels he may have been given the chance at a somewhat normal life.

After years of fighting, he goes to the king once again for payment. But this time, instead of asking for money he asks for land, and with it comes Lady Alaida. The king orders him to take Lady Alaida as his bride, and even though Ivo knows that there is no way this will last he is willing to give it a shot.

During the day he is an eagle, but at night he is the type of man many women dream of...women including Lady Alaida. But their happiness is not meant to last, treachery abounds, and there is not much for Ivo to do as his days are spent in his eagle form.

Lisa Hendrix has written a book that will enthrall it's readers from the first page. Each character, no matter how small, is dripping with such realism, it is hard not to relate. I can't wait for the second installment in this series...it is going to be to good to pass up!

About the author:

After years of daydreaming complex stories for familiar characters from film, TV, and books — nearly always involving a romance that hadn’t been included by the original writer — Lisa Hendrix borrowed a page from motivational speaker and author Marsha Sinetar and decided that it was time to start doing what she loved and hope that the money really would follow. She began writing the medieval romance from hell, a manuscript that taught her a lot, but which is now safely locked away where it can do no harm.

In April 1992, she carried a dot-matrix printed synopsis into an appointment with a Genuine New York City Editor at a local conference and pitched an idea for a historical romance set in the American West. The editor was interested and requested a partial manuscript, along with assurances that Lisa would buy a better printer. Credit card in hand, Lisa set out to comply. She mailed the proposal a month later, and five months after that, received The Call. HOSTAGE HEART and DRIFTER’S MOON were soon on the shelves, followed by contemporary romantic comedies RAZZLE DAZZLE, TO MARRY AN IRISH ROGUE, and her first single-title lead, RUNAWAY BAY.

Now she’s gone back to her medieval roots with IMMORTAL WARRIOR, Book I of The Immortal Brotherhood, a new series featuring a crew of Viking warrors cursed to be immortal were-creatures. Book II, IMMORTAL OUTLAW, will follow in 2009.

For more information on the author visit www.lisahendrix.com

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 8, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316035904
ISBN-13: 978-0316035903

About the book:

David Sedaris's beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story. Along with such favoritesas the diaries of a Macy's elf and the annals of two very competitive families, are Sedaris's tales of tardy trick-or-treaters ("Us and Them"); the difficulties of explaining the Easter Bunny to the French ("Jesus Shaves"); what to do when you've been locked out in a snowstorm ("Let It Snow"); the puzzling Christmas traditions of other nations ("Six to Eight Black Men"); what Halloween at the medical examiner's looks like ("The Monster Mash"); and a barnyard secret Santa scheme gone awry ("Cow and Turkey").

I am a big fan of David Sedaris. I find his writing to be consistantly funny. His humor is both droll and sarcastic in equal measure. This holds true with "Holidays on Ice". While I found some of the stories personally funnier than others, they were all very witty and delightully readable.

My favorites were "Seasons Greetings" about an annual holiday newsletter, and "Six to Eight Black Men" which points out a number of different ways a seemingly familiar story can be told.

Sedaris is a satirical giant who never fails to please. Whether you are looking for a good read, or just a good laugh, "Holidays on Ice" should have you covered.

Win a copy of Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

About the book:

Being a Greek god is not all it once was. Yes, the twelve gods of Olympus are alive and well in the twenty-first century, but they are crammed together in a London townhouse-and none too happy about it. And they've had to get day jobs: Artemis as a dog-walker, Apollo as a TV psychic, Aphrodite as a phone sex operator, Dionysus as a DJ. Even more disturbingly, their powers are waning, and even turning mortals into trees-a favorite pastime of Apollo's-is sapping their vital reserves of strength.

Soon, what begins as a minor squabble between Aphrodite and Apollo escalates into an epic battle of wills. Two perplexed humans, Alice and Neil, who are caught in the crossfire, must fear not only for their own lives, but for the survival of humankind. Nothing less than a true act of heroism is needed-but can these two decidedly ordinary people replicate the feats of the mythical heroes and save the world?

I have 5, yes 5 copies to give away, thanks to Valerie Russo and the wonderful people at Hatchette Book Group.

For 1 entry, leave me a comment.

For an additional 5 entries blog about this and leave me a link so I can check it out.

* Winners are restricted to the US and Canada. No PO Box mailing addresses, please.*

I must have a way of contacting you, so be sure to leave your email address in code: you[at]yourmail[dot]com*

I'll close the comments on Friday November 14th at 6PM CST and pick the winners. I will contact the winners via email to get their snail mail address. The winners will have three days to respond. If I do not hear from them within three days, I will select another winner(s).

* If you're interested, leave a comment with that all-important email in code.This sounds like a great book, and what a great way to get the word out. Hope to hear from you soon!

Sam's Quest: The Royal Trident Book 2 by Ben Furman

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Black Hawk Press; (Book 2) edition (October 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0977873145
ISBN-13: 978-0977873142

About the Book:

Samantha Costas, called Sam, a descendent of the Originators, the keeper of the Crimson Crystal, and the savior of the Awokian people, is the bridge to the World of Bergeron and its lands of good and evil.

Prince Buznor, an Awokian from Innerworld on a diplomatic mission, is seriously wounded during a surprise attack. He calls out to Sam as he falls into a raging river and is swept away. The Crimson Crystal glows, alerting Sam that her friend is in danger. She descends to the World of Bergeron where she comes face-to-face with the most powerful evil she has ever encountered. This evil must be defeated or all is lost.

Sam is dealt a blow when she loses her parents and is set to stay at her Grandfather's farm. When the Awokian Prince Buznor is ambushed, he calls to Sam for help. She is, after all, the keep of the Crimson Crystal. Sam would do anything to save her friend, so she immediately answers his call for help.

The rescue may be harder than she originally thought. She must return to Innerworld and travel to the land of Bergeron. This, in and of itself, could be perilous. After finding Buznor, she encounters dangers she never imagined, dangers that threaten to destroy one thousand years of peace.

"The Royal Trident" sees Ben's creative energy continue, the world he weaves involving Sam and the world of Bergeron are enough to keep any lover of fantasy entertained. While I enjoyed the first installment, I enjoyed this one much more. I look forward to the opportunity to read more books by this talented author!

About the author:

Ben R. Furman, former FBI counterterrorism chief, has drawn on this experience to write about high-tech terrorism, chemical, biological, and nuclear threats, and transnational criminal cartels. During his career he investigated kidnappings, extortions, bank robberies, led SWAT teams and was the FBI counterterrorism chief assigned to address threats against the United States by terrorists of all stripes. He also writes fantasy adventure novels with positive messages for the young adult, juvenile market and is the Rexus CEO, a corporation that conducts international corporate investigations involving industrial espionage, internal theft, business due diligence and background screening. You can visit his website at http://www.blackhawkpress.com/.