Review: Always A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Always A Witch (Witch, Book 2)
By Carolyn MacCullough
Release Date: August 1st, 2011
2011 Clarion Books
E-book Edition; 291 Pages
ISBN: 978-0547224855
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Review Copy from Publisher through NetGalley

4 / 5 Stars

Summary
Though she should be enjoying her new boyfriend, Gabriel, or discovering more about her newfound magical "Talents," she's too busy dealing with her sister, Rowena's bride-zilla wedding demands and worrying about the resurgence of her enemy, Alistair Knight. But most of all, Tamsin is haunted by her grandmother's prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision. A choice so terrible, that it could destroy her family forever.


When Tamsin discovers that Alistair successfully went back in time to Victorian Era New York, in order to destry the Greene family, she's forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the 19th century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady's maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, bustling about as a servant, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the lascivious advances Liam Knight. As times runs out, Tamsin's brash demeanor and sardonic wit place her in the center of the fray as both families square off in a thrilling display of action and magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this novel as I followed Tamsin's journey into her exploration of her Talents and the discovery of what she really needed to do and sacrifice in order to keep her family alive and safe in the future.  Time travel is one of the things I have always enjoyed reading and Ms. MacCullough draws you into the past seamlessly and effortlessly so that you feel you are there with Tamsin and Gabriel as they fight the Knight family and try to keep the future on track.

What I really enjoyed about the book is the sense of family and deep loyalty that family inspires.  Despite the fact that Tamsin has always felt like an outsider in her own family due to her lack of Talent, when her Talent finally emerges, she has to now cope with her changing role in her family.  Her other family members also have to adjust their thinking, but old habits die hard and sometimes Tamsin has a hard time having people accept her opinions or her ideas with regards to magic.  Her wild and crazy family actually made me smile on many an occasion as I can relate so easily to them; my family is very similar and it felt comfortable and easy.  I also understood where Tamsin was coming from, and how frustrating it can be.  When events transpire one evening, and catch Tamsin and her family unawares, Tamsin must take matters in her own hands, and sneak into the past in order to set things to rights.

I really enjoyed Tamsin's role as servant in the Knight household in the nineteenth century.  I always enjoy these descriptions as it amazes me how hard these girls worked and the long hours they worked as well.  The descriptions from 'behind the scenes' so to speak is always fascinating and I like hearing and seeing things from the servants point of view.  It also amazes me how servants were so often treated like pieces of furniture and how much they actually knew and saw in a household must have been incredible.  If only they could have written their own biographies, we would have such a rich description of people in the past!!

The romance between Gabriel and Tamsin continues in the novel.  I adore Gabriel, and I always enjoy the witty dialogue between these two, but the romance really took a back seat in Always A Witch and focused more on the mystery and suspense involving the rivalry between the Knight and Greene families and how either may lose their powers, and/or their livelihoods, in the future.  It didn't bother me that the romance wasn't the most important part of this story as I enjoyed learning about the history of the two families and how the rivalry began in the first place.  While the plausible reasons were a little weak, I still found the writing to be interesting and enjoyed it tremendously.

Verdict
Always A Witch was a satisfactory sequel to Once A Witch, and although the ending had a surprising twist I wasn't expecting, I still felt the novel ended the way it should have.  The novel had fun and witty dialogue, suspenseful moments, engaging characters, and a satisfying ending; I would recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for an engaging, quick read.

WOW: The Body in The Thames

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.  This is where we get a chance to highlight those books we are anxiously awaiting the publication date and are looking forward to reading.  I am definitely going through a historical mystery phase at the moment and am skimming for books of that that genre.  I can't seem to fight it, so why try?  Unless a good ghost mystery comes along, that is!!

The Body in the Thames (Book 6, Thomas Chaloner Series)
by Susanna Gregory
Release Date: March 9, 2011

In the dilapidated surroundings of the Savoy, a delegation from the government in the Netherlands is gathered in a last ditch attempt to secure peace between the two countries. Thomas Chaloner, active in Holland during Cromwell's time, is horrified at the violent aggression and hatred shown to the Dutch by ordinary Londoners, but is more worried by the dismissive attitude with which they are greeted by the King's ministers and officials. He has experienced the futilities of war at first hand and has no wish to witness another. Then the body of his former brother-in-law is found in the Thames, and Chaloner discovers the dead man has left enigmatic clues to a motivation for his murder. These may be linked to a plot to steal the crown jewels, or perhaps to a conspiracy to ensure that no peace is secured between the two nations. Whichever it proves to be, Chaloner knows he has very little time to decipher the pointers left to him...

The Sacred Stone
by The Medieval Murderers
Release Date: April 2011

1067. In the desolate wastes of Greenland, a group of hunters discover a strangely-shaped meteor which has fallen from the sky. At first, the mysterious 'sky-stone' seems to bring them good luck, healing a lame boy and guaranteeing a good catch of furs. But violence and murder soon follow in fortune's wake, as the villagers fight and struggle amongst themselves to get control of the precious stone. Over the next six hundred years, the Sky-Stone falls into the hands of crusading knights, the wicked Sheriff of Devon, a group of radical young kabalists, the dying King Henry III and a band of travelling players. Each time, the stone brings treachery, discord and violent death to those who seek to possess it.

Some Winners!!

Without a lot of ado, I would like to announce some winners of some of the contests I have been running.  Congratulations to all the winners, and as always, thank you to everyone who participated.  I am always and ever in awe of everyone who reads my blog and takes the time to stop by.  You are always welcome!!!

Winner of Follower Love Giveaway Hop

Asenath

Winner of Daniel Palmer's Delirious

PoCoKat

I shall be emailing the winners shortly.  Again, congratulations!

Trials of a Thriller Writer Mom by Chelsea Cain

Yes, My Daughter Is Normal: Trials of a thriller writer mom

By New York Times Bestseller Chelsea Cain,

Author of The Night Season

(reprinted with permission)

I wrote my first thriller when I was pregnant, a fact that seems to surprise some people. These people have never been pregnant. Moms understand. They know that hormones can make you do very strange things. Like eat an entire two-pound bag of peanut M&Ms. Or think up a detective and a serial killer and then have the serial killer torture the detective for six chapters.

It all started with childbirth classes.

My husband and I had signed up for a course at the hospital that taught you how to have a baby and then keep it alive the first year. It met Wednesday nights. The first night, our instructor passed around a little sack she'd knitted and announced that it was a uterus. The second night, the movies started. Childbirth videos. The camera fixed, unforgiving, right up there. All labia and crowning baby skull. These videos never went well. The babies were blue and covered in poop. Birth planes were abandoned for emergency C-sections. Surgeons would lift bloody meowing babies from their mother's wombs.

I couldn't take it.

We dropped out.

But it was too late. I had developed a taste for violence. I started watching thrillers on TV. Brooding British thrillers where bodies were always found at night in the rain. But after awhile it wasn't enough. I started reading thrillers, too. I ordered them three at a time online, and read them back-to-back as soon as they arrived. When I came to the end of the series I was reading, I decided to write my own. This seemed very reasonable to me at the time. Hormones, remember. I started writing in our scary half-finished basement. I finished the book when my daughter was a baby, sleeping in a bassinet next to my laptop.

Here's the thing -- my estrogen fueled rantings sold big. I got a multi-book deal. I kept writing. All the books hit the bestseller list. I was a thriller writer. My books were out in 20 languages. It was great. I was making tons of money. Then a terrible thought struck me: at some point my daughter would read my books. She seemed so innocent, so unaware of the morbid tales that wound round inside her mother's head. I vowed to keep them from her, at least until she was twenty-five.

For the first few years, the topic of my job didn't come up. When we enrolled our daughter at a vegan neo-humanist hippie pre-school, I was careful to be vague about my work. Writing blood soaked thrillers would probably come off worse than the time I brought Cheddar Bunnies to the school vegan potluck.

My daughter, meanwhile, was starting to ask questions. But since she was not allowed to come to my readings, she couldn't quite grasp exactly what I did. She thought I signed books for a living. One day I caught her "signing" a book off our shelf, and I had to explain that you were only allowed to sign books that you had written.

She is six now, and writing her own books. She is also on to me. "My mother is reading a book with your mom's picture on it," a little boy she knows told her. She's also figuring out that not everyone has a skeleton in their house, or a tub of plastic eyeballs.

At some point, she's going to read one of my books and be mortified. It may be sooner than I think. Last week we were in the car and the topic of books came up. "You know that's what I do," I said. "I write books."

"I know," she said. "I'm always saying to my friends -- my mom's an author. Have you read Sweetheart?"

Sweetheart is the second in my thrillers series, and the dirtiest. When it came out I told my grandmothers that if they loved me they would never read it.

Now my daughter was talking it up on the playground.

And you know what's terrible?

It made me proud.

But she's still not reading that book until she's thirty.



Chelsea Cain's newest thriller, The Night Season, is out March 1.
Copyright © 2011 Chelsea Cain, author of The Night Season

Author Bio
Chelsea Cain's first three novels featuring Archie Sheridan -- Heartsick, Sweetheart, and Evil at Heart -- have all been New York Times bestsellers. Also the author of Confessions of a Teen Sleuth, a parody based on the life of Nancy Drew, and several nonfiction titles, Chelsea was born in Iowa, raised in Bellingham, Washington and now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.

Chelsea Cain's newest thriller, The Night Season, is out March 1, 2011.

Summary
With Beauty Killer Gretchen Lowell locked away behind bars once again, Portland detective Archie Sheridan can finally rest. Meanwhile, the city of Portland is in crisis. Several people have drowned in heavy rains that have flooded the Willamette River. But the medical examiner discovers that in fact the latest victim was poisoned before she went into the water--she didn't drown. A little detective work shows that so far three of those previously thought to be accidental drownings have actually been murdered. Portland has a new serial killer on its hands, and Archie and his task force have a new case. Meanwhile reporter Susan Ward is following up on an entirely separate mystery: the dramatic flooding has unearthed a skeleton, a man who might have died during catastrophic flooding more than sixty years ago that washed away an entire neighborhood and killed at least 15 people.


As Archie follows the bizarre trail of evidence and evil deeds to catch his killer, he has to battle the rising waters of the Willamette first.


For more information, please visit http://www.chelseacain.com/ and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

Review: Tempted By Fate by Kate Perry

Tempted By Fate (Guardians of Destiny, Book 3)
by Kate Perry
Release Date: December 1, 2010
2010 Forever Books
Paperback Edition: 338 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-446-56462-5
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

4 / 5 Stars

Summary
Willow Tarata is a Guardian who trusts no one. She hunts those who prey on the vulnerable. And she's driven by a vengeful goal-find the man who murdered her mother. Yet suddenly Willow's quarry now has her on the run . . . straight into the sights of San Francisco's most dangerous detective.


Three bizarre murders have Inspector Rick Ramirez baffled-and determined to uncover the truth. But to catch the real killer, he needs the help of his prime suspect, Willow Tarata, even though this fierce and sexy blonde is challenging his professional cool. And now, unless they believe in each other and trust their deepest instincts, a relentless evil will end both Willow's and Rick's life-and claim this Guardian's extraordinary powers forever . . .

My Thoughts
One of the things I really enjoyed about this novel is that I never felt confused about the events that were happening or about the characters that were introduced. This is the first novel in this series I have read, and typically, entering in the middle of a series is not always beneficial, as you always feel like you are missing something important, something that may have already been discussed in another book. While many things are assumed, the really important factors, like the Guardians and who they were, were explained succintly and in such a way that I always felt like I knew what was going on. And although all of the characters were new to me, I never felt confused and bewildered because comments were made about obscure things that happened in previous novels. Naturally, there were things that did occur in previous novels that were being alluded to, but it wasn’t frustrating, and all it did was make me more interested in picking up the first two books in the series.


I thought Willow was a fantastic female character and I really enjoyed her kick-butt attitude. She was strong physically, but at the same time she was presented as being vulnerable and caring. While she could be ruthless when she wanted to be, there were moments when her vulnerability really shone through and you got a glimpse of the real Willow. She was continuing to deal with the mental anguish of losing a mother at ten years of age as well as the responsibilities of being a Guardian of Wood without having someone to guide her and teach her properly. I find Rick to be even more interesting than Willow and would have liked to know more of his thoughts as he slowly deviated from the straight and narrow and started breaking some of the rules by which he lives his life. It’s interesting how he breaks away from the norm because of a woman, and the struggles he goes through as he realizes that life is more than just black and white. He often wonders how he could fall for a woman who tests the law and its rules so much; he sometimes looks on it as a joke upon himself, a twist of fate.

Verdict
If you like paranormal romance, then I highly recommend Tempted by Fate. With romance, action, suspense, ascerbic wit, and plenty of mystery to keep the pages turning, it is another good addition to this series, but can also be read as a stand-alone if you prefer.  I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series and look forward to meeting the next Guardian, the Guardian of Water.

In My Mailbox: It's Always Fun Times!

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristie @ The Story Siren.  You'd think there would come a point when receiving a package delivery would be ho-hum, but I still get excited when I see the UPS or FedEx truck pull up outside my house as I never know what I will now receive in the mail.  This week has been great as there were some goodies I was not expecting and am thrilled about reading.  Take a look!

For Review:

She Demons by Donald J. Hauka
The Deadly Conch (Tara Trilogy, Book 3) by Mahtab Narsimhan
The Curse Maker by Kelli Stanley
Bellefield Hall by Anna Dean
The Law of Angels by Cassandra Clark
Shadowspell by Jenna Black
Dead of Wynter by Spencer Seidel
Credo's Hope by Alison Holt
The Door at the Top of the Stairs by Alison Holt
The Witches Lottery by Krystal McLaughlin

From The Library:
I did borrow a couple of library books (audiobooks) from the library, but they're sitting in my car and I can't remember the exact titles of any of them.  Consider it a symptom of encroaching old age as it's been an issue as soon as I hit 40, although my husband seems to think it's been happening a lot earlier.  All I know is one of them is by Catherine Coulter, another is a medieval mystery by a slew of authors, and the other is a tween one I have absolutely no recollection whatsoever of whom the author could possibly be.  And with a windchill dropping the temperature twenty degrees, I am not stepping foot outdoors until tomorrow. So, stay tuned 'til next week when I report on these ones, after a lot of fortification in terms of tea, when I go fetch them from my car.

Bought:
Six weeks and counting.  I am still on my book-buying ban and it has been a lot easier than I thought.  Mind you, I haven't really been in a bookstore since I started the ban as I am not sure of my willpower, but I do have to go there next week to purchase a GC for a child's birthday party so we will see how that goes.  If I can get out with no books and a Starbucks, I will consider that a success.  Wish me luck!

Have a great reading week everyone!

Enquiring Minds Want to Know

Enquiring Minds Want to Know

Enquiring Minds Want to Know is a weekly meme hosted by Dollycas's Thoughts whereby we get to know each other a little better.  Different questions are posted each week on her blog, and all you need to do is answer them and share your thoughts.

1. Did you watch the Super Bowl? If yes, which part did you like the best, the game, the halftime show, the commercials and did you notice the mistake made with the National Anthem?

I don't watch the Super Bowl as I am not a football fan.  It's never been something I've been interested in and even growing up as a child, my dad followed soccer instead or sometimes hockey.  Football was not something we ever watched. 

2. I joined a new meme this week called "Monday's Music Moves Me", this month's theme is love songs, Do you have a favorite love song?

I love the song "When I'm With You" by Sheriff.  It was also my wedding song.  They are a Canadian band and I believe they only released one album.  The song just reminds me of our early days of our marriage.  It also makes my husband all sappy and I love that.

3. How many blog challenges have you entered this year?

At last count, it was around 15 or so.  I'm addicted to challenges and to reading.  I promised myself I would limit the challenges to around eight and I didn't stick to my guns at all.   I had to use all of my willpower not to join any mini-challenges this month as well.  What's a poor, addicted to challenges, book-loving girl to do? 

Some Bookish Questions: Another Round

I saw this at It All Starts With a Book and although I remember doing this last year, I thought I would also do this again as it looks interesting.  Besides, once I am finished, I am going to take a look at last year's answers and see what has changed.  Knowing my reading habits, I am sure very little has changed as I am very much a creature of habit.  If anything, it would be my book buying habits.

Let's take a look and see how I am doing now as a reader, shall we?





Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack:
I am a sunflower seed addict, and tend to only eat them when I read.  I am trying to break the habit, but it hasn't been easy.  Otherwise, I don't really need to eat anything else while reading.  I don't tend to eat anything when using my ereader as I'm afraid to spill anything on it.

What is your favorite drink while reading?
I usually drink water, and maybe a Diet Rootbeer.  I always have a cup of Chamomile Tea before going to bed though as I find it relaxes me.  I usually read while drinking the tea; it's a nightly ritual.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I'll mark ARCs if I know I am not giving them away, but otherwise I don't usually tend to mark them up unless I see a quote that is just too good to pass up.  I'm not a purist by any means, but because I usually give them away, it's hard for someone else to read them if they're all marked up.  If I know I am keeping them, then no problem.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
I'll use whatever is laying around.  As I have kids, I can usually find something to keep my place, whether it's a pencil, pen, toy, whatever will stay in the book.  The kids have been trained not to pull anything they find in any of my books without asking first, or by substituting something else.  They've learned over the years.

Fiction, non-fiction, or both?
I read pretty much anything and everything, except westerns as I don't like them.  As I think about it, I'm not really interested in Erotica either.  Anything else is game!!

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?
With two children, I can stop anywhere.  It's never really been a problem.  I actually find it easier to stop in the middle of the chapter as the end sometimes makes me want to keep reading, you know?

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?
I have never thrown a book across the room or on the floor, other than a textbook and for different reasons, although I have been sorely tempted.  Karen Marie Moning's Fever series certainly tried my patience and I know I definitely felt that way when I read The Plains of Passage by Jean Auel.  It was knowing how long I'd have to wait until the next book came out before finding out what happened.  Other books like Book 7 of The Wheel of Time just tried my patience, period.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?
Never.  I am not a person who is does what she preaches to her students.  The only time I look things up in the dictionary is when I'm helping my kids with their homework and I have to, or when I'm looking up obscure words my students used in their essays and have never seen before and am not sure they even exist except in their own universe.  My ereader has a built-in dictionary and I haven't even opened it up.  I will however, encourage my children to use it.  I've always been strong in literature, spelling, and comprehension, so have never needed to use one.

What are you currently reading?
I am reading Chime, Blue, Always A Witch, Tempted by Fate, and The Agency: The Body at the Tower.

What is the last book you bought?
I am on a book buying ban so the last book I bought, Delcroix Academy: The Candidates, was in December.  It hasn't been as hard as I thought.

Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?
I have never read one book at a time in my life.  I wouldn't even know how to do that.  As you can see by the above list, I have five on the go at the moment.  Consider it learned at my mother's feet.

Do you have a favorite time/place to read?
Not really.  I can read anywhere, anytime.  I never leave the house without a book and can and will pull out a book wherever I am waiting.

Do you prefer series books or stand alones?
It doesn't matter.  Sometimes I get frustrated by series as they go on forever.  Sometimes they are like old friends you can revisit and feel comfortable with. 

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?
I always recommend Jean M. Auel, Cassandra Clare, Anne Perry,

How do you organize your books? I don't really have a system for organizing my books other than the fact I have a specific bookshelf for review books so they don't get mixed up with books I've purchased.  Review books are put in a specific order so I know which ones I have to review next.  As both my husband and I are constantly pulling other books off the shelf, there is no organized system for our other books, although I've been wanting to do it for a long time.  I do tend to have a separate section for non-fiction books, and for my school stuff though.