Monday, April 9, 2012

Guest Post & Giveaway: Linda Poitevin

UFI welcomes Linda Poitevin Author of The Grigori Legacy Series. Thanks for Joining us!!

In My Library

I’ve always known that I have somewhat eclectic reading tastes, but until I started writing this post
and checking out what’s actually sitting on my bookshelves, I didn’t realize how eclectic. Where my husband’s interests are clear from the bookcase designated as his (military history all the way!), one would be hard-pressed to pigeon-hole me that easily.

Starting at the top, I have a sizeable collection of gardening and herb books, including titles such as Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, Healing Herbs, The Magic and Medicine of Plants, and The All-New Square Foot Gardening.

On the next two shelves below, there’s a good number of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series (I’m still working on that collection), a handful of books inherited from my grandfather (The Yearling, The Three Musketeers, and Bob Son of Battle), several YA novels that my daughters and I particularly enjoyed (including Nancy Farmer’s A Girl Named Disaster, several Tamora Pierce books, Ashfall by Mike Mullin, and a full set of C.S. Lewis books).

Dropping down another shelf, we have a number of books dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome, dyslexia, and parenting, including The Gift of Dyslexia and The Gift of Learning, both by Ron Davis, and several books by Barbara Colorosso. These are followed by a number of books that remain from my days of home-schooling my youngest: Usborne’s Natural World; The World of Science; 1000 Questions and Answers; The Story of Canada; Snowball Launchers, Giant Pumpkin Growers and Other Cool Contraptions; The Periodic Table; Big Numbers; The Mystery of the Periodic Table; Universe in Your Pocket; The Pinball Effect; Kingfisher History Encyclopedia; and many more.

Then we’re into the odds and ends: The Everything Fix-it Book; Feng Shui in a Weekend; OM Yoga Today; Pride & Prejudice; Little Women; How to Write Better Essays; The Book of Tarot; Dunwich’s Guide to Gemstone Sorcery; A Dictionary of Angels; Angels—An Endangered Species; 20,001 Names for Baby; Bible Baby Names; The Hidden Face of God; The Lightness of Being; and a whole host of writing craft books. Also nestled in here are childhood keepsakes: Goodnight Moon; The Giving Tree; Love You Forever; The Velveteen Rabbit; A Child’s Garden of Verses.

Bill Bryson gets a place of honor on my shelves: The Mother Tongue, A Short History of Nearly Everything, and A Walk in the Woods are particular favorites.

As far as fiction goes, I rarely buy my own fiction because I live amongst avid readers who bring a wide variety of books into the house and I read pretty much whatever happens to by laying around: my daughter’s collection of Charlaine Harris books; my husband’s preferred spy/thriller books (Grisham, Ludlum, Crichton, Cussler); another daughter’s collection of the Bronte Sisters and Jane Austen novels; and my youngest daughter’s varied collection of YA urban fantasy and dystopian books.

See? Told you my tastes were eclectic, lol! So tell me, what’s on your library shelf?
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Linda Poitevin is the author of a new urban fantasy series, The Grigori Legacy, from Ace Books. Book one, SINS OF THE ANGELS, will be out September 27/11. Book two, SINS OF THE SON, follows in May 2012. In her other life, Linda is wife, mother, friend, gardener, coffee snob, freelance writer, and zookeeper of too many pets.

Linda is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Quebec Writers' Federation, Romance Writers of America, RWA Futuristic Fantasy Paranormal Chapter, and Ottawa Romance Writers' Association.
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Find Linda and her books
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Sins of the Son
Grigori Legacy #2
March 27, 2012
When homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis sees a photo of Seth Benjamin on a police bulletin, she knows that Heaven's plan to halt Armageddon has gone terribly wrong. As the only mortal who knows of Seth's true nature, only she can save him. Aramael was a hunter of Fallen Angels until a traitor forced him into earthly exile. Now, with no powers and only a faint memory of Alex, his mortal soulmate, he will stop at nothing to redeem himself-even if it means destroying Seth in the name of the Creator...
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International 

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Week in Review: 4/1-4/7



Books Ive Bought/received

* Blood on the Bayou by Stacey Jaye - purchased at B&N

* Back From the Undead by D.D. Barant - Purchased at B&N

* Blooded by Amanda Carlson -eARC- Publisher

*  Just One Drop by Quinn Loftis- Ecopy- Bewitching Book Tours

* A Patch of Darkness by Yolanda Sfetsos- Ecopy- Author

* Lies & Omens by Lyn Benedict- Publisher

* Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson- Publisher


Books I read

Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Molly Harper
Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
ReVamped by Ada Adams
Blood on the Bayou by Stacey Jay

Reviews posted


Protector's Mate by Katie Reus
Magic Without Mercy by Devon Monk
Sins of the Son by Linda Poitevin
Devil's Punch by Ann Aguirre

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?


* Monday I put up a Promotional post and Giveaway for The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa.  Make sure to check it out and enter. It is a great new book.


* So far none of the winners that were notified this week have emailed me back. Make sure to check your spam mail if you are one of the winners and have not gotten an email (you can always email me as well). I will have to pick new winners after 48 hours.


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*If you see something on my books Ive read list that you are dying to know about let me know I'm back logged on reviews and can move it up on the list if I know people are wanting one.

* I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Giveaway on the Web: Jess Haines Stalking the Others

Jess Haines is having a giveaway through Goodreads for her newest book that is set to release July 3, 2012. If you have not started her H&W Investigations series you are totally missing out it is one of the must purchase series on my bookshelf.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Stalking the Others by Jess Haines

Stalking the Others

by Jess Haines

Giveaway ends June 22, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Winner: Delilah Dawson Giveaway

Thank you to everyone who entered!!

Prize: Perfume and soap sample and signed postcard
The Winner chosen by Rafflecopter is.....

Friday, April 6, 2012

Winner: Mortal Path Swag Bag

Thank you to everyone who entered!!

Prize: Mortal Path Swag Bag, consisting of a tote bag, 3 signed books, pens, bookmarks, magnets, and a calculator
The Winner chosen by Rafflecopter is.....

Review: Devil's Punch by Ann Aguirre

Devil's Punch
Author: Ann Aguirre
Release Date: April 3, 2012
Publisher: Roc
Corine Solomon Book #4
ISBN:   0451464494
ISBN13:9780451464491
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher


Corine Solomon can touch any object and learn its history. But right now, she's trying to rebuild her pawnshop and her life despite her being marked as a witch. When demons from her past kidnap her best friend, Corine puts everything on hold to save her...



Chance has moved to Mexico to be with Corine and although their relationship is progressing slowly there time alone together is all cut short when Corine finds out her best friend has been kidnapped by Demons. The pair quickly find out that the kidnapping is to get Corine to jump into the demon realm and take her place on the throne. 

I was really sad that the ending of book 3 SHADY LADY left some of Corine's closest friends without any memories of her. Although they finally get their memories back so much has happened and so much has been lost that it still leaves you really sad at the end of DEVIL'S PUNCH. The setting of book 4 takes place pretty much fully in on the Demon plane. I cant say I enjoyed it as much due to the fact that everything changed so much from what I'm used to reading about Corine. The world building is really great and the new characters were interesting but it just didn't feel like the other Corine books. The situation with Chance pretty much falling head over heals for the Demon Queen really bugged me. I understand a little bit because of the overall situation but come on, he is in love with CORINE and he didn't see anything seriously wrong with his behavior? I just had a really hard time with that overall and it made me lose faith in him. There is a lot of high emotion throughout the book and I did find myself bawling in a few parts. It will be interesting to see where Ann takes the series next.

DEVIL'S PUNCH was not my favorite of the series but a lot did happen to move the series along and I will be reading book 5 when it comes out.

I gave it 3/5 stars

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Winner: How to be Death by Amber Benson

Thank you to everyone who entered!!
Prize: Finished copy of How to Be Death
The Winner chosen by Rafflecopter is.....